The God Complex: The Book Of Alan, Destroyer Of Worlds

Chapter Forty-Eight

'We'll see you in two hours, Abaddon.'

Abaddon remained seated as they exited the room to reveal the clinical form of Stone, who stared menacingly at the pack of corporate suits leaving for their power lunch. She let herself in and closed the door behind her.

'I came as soon as I heard. What's the plan?'

Abaddon lifted himself from his chair with the sad dignity of an old Caesar who'd just watched his Rome burn to ashes. Circling the room he took in each military heirloom that proudly adorned his walls. His illustrious family history: the slavers whip owned by General Robert E Abaddon who conquered the Caribbean; the famous thumb screws owned by Pizarro Abaddon the infamous conquistador; and the service revolver owned by his dear Granddaddy, Judas E Abaddon. Buzz lifted it off the wall and caressed the wooden grip handle.

'The Mauser C96. Possibly the finest semi-automatic Germany ever made.'

'I don't follow?' replied Stone.

'Azrael and Madison failed, so what now follows is a new plan. Where is she anyway?'

'I don't know, Sir. She never reported back in.'

'Nevermind, I'll deal with her later. In the meantime, you and I are going to sit down and negotiate with Susan,' he said, still admiring his Granddaddy's weapon. 'You see, the rats are looking to jump ship in case this one sinks.'

'What do you need me to do, Sir?'

Abaddon pulled out a box of cartridges and loaded the gun.

'Help me sink the other ship.'

Susan desperately paced the Observation deck of the Archangel. Nervously looking out and beyond the patchwork human shield of Motherships that now stood between them and total annihilation.

'We can't stay here forever. The rest of the fleet are waiting for us. If they think we've abandoned them or perished, they will disperse and all will be lost.'

'We're all over the news, Susan,' said Pembo calmly. For now, we're safe and more importantly we have time to think.'

'Let's just keep using them as a human shield, boomed Bingram, to the despair of Kali and Wildcard.

'Hear him out,' reasoned JJ.

'Yeah, hear me out,' yelled Bingram. 'Let's strap the Motherships together and just bulldoze our way past those tanks.'

'Then what?' questioned JJ.

'I don't know, what's this galaxy's equivalent of Mexico?'

The petty squabbling and name calling spiralled and crescendoed when Jaibles whipped his head around the door and caught Gabe's attention.

'Treacle. You got a call.'

'Patch it in, I'll take it here,' said Gabe motioning towards a small screen in a side room'

'Fair enough,' said Jaibles punching it through to the large monitor of the main room. 'I mean, I wouldn't want to talk to my ex for the first time in months after she dumped me with this lot in the room, but you do you.'

'Wait. What?'

'Hey Gabe,' came an uncomfortably soft voice.

Gabe felt the silence of the room creep up on him like a wall of heat.

'Tiffany,' he replied awkwardly.

'This is so uncomfortable, I love it!' whispered Bingram loud enough for everyone to hear.

'Listen, Tiffany, now isn't a good time, can I...'

'No,' interrupted Tiffany, pushing a curl of chestnut hair behind her ear. 'You've gone too far and now you're endangering innocent lives. The Supreme Leader is a reasonable man and has agreed to sit down with Susan and negotiate.'

'How do you know this?'

'Rupert has brokered a deal with the Supreme Leader...'

'Rupert! Tiffany, Abaddon doesn't negotiate. You have to tell Rupert to keep away, he's dangerous.'

Tiffany gave a worried look to someone out of view before being forced to continue.

'This is your only chance of coming out of this alive. The meeting is set for 3pm on a neutral shuttle: the EX Switzerland 14578b, will you be there?'

Gabe looked around the room at the concerned faces. Then a thought hit him.

'We'll be there,' he said ending transmission.

'What do you think you're doing?' demanded Susan.

'Don't you see? Abaddon doesn't negotiate and yet a corporate slime ball like Rupert has arranged a negotiation with him.'

He watched as the cogs turned.

'The Corporate shuttles have turned on him,' said Susan. 'Then he is weak.'

'And alone,' added Pembo.

'Which makes him even more dangerous,' cautioned Kali.

'Are we not dangerous also? scolded Susan. 'The Lord Alan has presented us with an opportunity to end Abaddon's reign of terror permanently and we shall grasp it with the olive branch of peace in one hand, the Book of Alan in the other and a dagger between our teeth.'

Kali could only shake her head and leave the room. Enough was enough.

Monkey walked over and patted Gabe on the shoulder with quiet pride. "Even the heartbreak is soon forgotten..," he said smiling as he left the room.

After much soul searching, Kali found Pembo preparing for the negotiation in one of the Archangel's sleeping quarters.

'Hey Kals, there you are. Listen, I need you to use your contact to find out what Abaddon's planning for this meeting.'

'My contact is gone,' said Kali softly, 'and so am I.'

Pembo immediately stopped what she was doing and spun around to face her. 'What do you mean?'

'I mean I'm done. I can't be a part of this anymore - it's got way out of control and we're hurtling towards disaster.

'You can't! she pleaded in exasperation. 'Not now, we're so close to victory. You deserve to be here when we finally change the world; for everything you've put into this; for every time your Intel has kept us safe or averted disaster.'

Kali looked at her friend with infinite sadness. 'As long as Susan's in charge, no one can keep us safe. I've got a chance to be with someone, to escape this madness and maybe even live a long and happy life. You do too, Pembo,' she said kindly. 'I'm going to take mine.'

'I don't understand?'

'You will,' she said hugging her closely. 'I just hope when you do, it's not too late.'

Pembo watched her leave the room and walk down the corridor with a newfound lightness about her, but she just couldn't make sense of it - after everything they had been through to get to this point, to now walk away when they had never been so close? She resolved to push it out of her mind. She was about to come face to face with the devil himself - the man who took everything from her.

Someone would die today, of that she was sure.