Three oversized black vans pulled to the side of the busy road outside the luxurious West Tower, a renowned landmark in the city-state. None of the civilians took any notice of the vehicles until they saw countless armoured men and women climb out, each holding a large automatic weapon. The Athenian emblem was clearly evident on the back of their chest armour and helmets, rousing the curiosity of the passersby.
The battalion walked swiftly in formation into the parking area on the ground level of the tower. They immediately broke into three different units and fanned out, each one searching for the president's limousine. At the rear of the middle unit were Adam and Karen, both of them fully armoured and each holding one of the large guns.
"Hold true," Guard Two ordered quietly, the sound of her voice emitting through a small speaker in each helmet. The Guard followed their leader with haste. With Guard One spending most of his time in the security command centre overseeing the president's safety, Two was the leader during most field operations.
Adam turned around to see that a small crowd of curious spectators was beginning to form at the entrance, eager to catch a glimpse of what has happening in their city. A couple of the Guard held their positions at the entrance, informing the public that they need to remove themselves from the area immediately.
The soldiers silently stormed through the cavernous facility, passing dozens of parked cars. Adam's heart started to pound as he began to brace himself for what they may find. He hadn't served Archibald for long, but the counsel was loyal to both his country and his leader. If anything was to happen to the president, Adam himself may be subject to prosecution for failing at his duties.
"I've discovered the limousine," Guard Two said seconds later, spotting a conspicuous black vehicle toward the end of the lot. "And a bogey, unarmed," she whispered, informing the rest of her group that a potential threat had been sighted. Adam looked straight ahead to see a man wearing a tuxedo standing beside the limousine. He casually leaned on his cane to one side.
The unit converged on the man in the blink of an eye. He wasn't wearing the mandatory government pass around his neck, indicating that he wasn't a member of staff.
"Good afternoon," Night said in a polite manner to the unexpected guests.
Guard Two fired a dart at him, hitting Night in the chest at point-blank range. He didn't flinch as the tiny piece of metal pierced his flesh.
"I mean you no harm," he said with a sadistic grin on his face. He sported the unhealed wound from Skye's sword on his cheek.
The armed woman stepped closer and rammed the butt of her submachine gun into his knee with a sickening crack, causing him to fall to the ground in a heap. His top hat rolled away from his head. The remaining two units of the Guard caught up and surrounded the black vehicle.
"It's empty," one of them observed.
"Two," another guard said to his leader, "the dart is having no effect on him."
"Acknowledged." She turned her attention to the odd man lying on the floor. "Where is the president?" she asked in a low, but serious tone.
"I'm uncertain," Night lied, his voice muffled by the ground.
One of the guards let out a soft groan as the smell of rotting flesh hit his nose. He did his best to compose himself and maintain his uncompromising demeanour.
"Tell us where he is," Two ordered, "or you'll be arrested and tried for acts of aggression against the Union."
Night let out a quiet, manic giggle. "I can't be tried for anything."
Adam approached him. "Where's Archibald Denning?" he asked, sounding not quite as formidable as Guard Two.
Night's neck cracked as he twisted unnaturally to look up at his captors. "Eightieth floor," he admitted with a smirk. "Penthouse suite number one."
"You four," Two said, pointing to a small group of her soldiers, "stay here with him. Everyone else, follow me."
They turned and stormed back across the lot, and strode through the large side entrance to the lobby. Confused workers and patrons saw the group enter and watched them with surprise. The battalion moved swiftly as they filed into the reception area. Two men approached the counter and spoke quietly to the concierge, who nodded and handed them a keycard a moment later. They joined the remainder by the lift.
"Two groups," the leader instructed. "Half with me; half will ascend in the next lift. My group will enter the suite immediately. The second group will provide cover if needed." All members of the Guard stood poised, not needing to acknowledge the command verbally.
The silver doors opened and the first group narrowly managed to squeeze inside. A soldier waved the keycard in front of the glowing panel and pressed the button for the fortieth floor, the highest floor available in the lift.
Adam's heart began to pound even harder as they ascended. It had been some time since he'd been involved in any form of combat. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and shifted his focus to finding their missing new leader. The lift rose silently, stopping at the fortieth floor seconds later.
The infantry climbed out and crossed the hall to the lift opposite. The sensor above registered the group's presence, and the doors opened as soon as the lift was ready. They stepped inside and waved the keycard again, this time pressing the button for the eightieth floor. None of them uttered a word. The Guard were trained to remain composed and suppress emotions, letting logic dictate instead.
The lift opened, and the group filed outwards onto the eightieth floor. In front of them was a large set of double doors with the numbers '8001' inscribed in a golden plaque above.
"The door is open," Adam whispered, beginning to expect the worst.
Two led the way, holding her weapon high. She cautiously entered the suite with her fellow soldiers. They filed into the large room and immediately took in their surroundings. They stopped when they saw a lone man sitting in front of them.
"Where's the president?" Two demanded, aiming her weapon with precision. The others did the same.
Nikolai sat comfortably in his chair, with one leg resting on the other. His hands were clasped against one another, and a broad smile was spread across his face. Karen's jaw dropped when she realised that the man had no eyes.
"Now this is what I love to see," he said. "Who is the commanding officer here?"
Two fired a dart straight at Nikolai, who tilted his head to the side before it even left her rifle. Adam let out a quiet gasp as he watched the eyeless man move as fast as lightning. The dart flew into the thick glass window behind him and fell to the floor.
"Tell us where the president is or you'll be charged with acts of aggression against the Union," Two's voice boomed.
"Allow me to ask again," Nikolai said, ignoring her. His pleasant mood was not diminished by the projectile being fired at him. "Who is in charge here?"
"I am," Adam admitted warily, stepping forward. "Where's the president?"
"It's alright," Archibald responded, emerging from one of the many rooms in the suite. Several guards ran over to him and inspected his well-being.
Tahlia walked out after him and shot Nikolai a concerned glance. Unbeknownst to the Guard, the president wasn't housed in the suite until only seconds ago. As soon as she heard the group charge inside, she immediately transported herself to Archie's bunker and retrieved him. Nikolai looked back at her, not sharing the same concern.
"He's unharmed," one of the Guard observed after inspecting the elderly man up and down.
"Of course I'm unharmed!" the president scoffed, as though the notion of him coming to harm was ridiculous.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" Adam asked, not hiding his frustration.
"You shouldn't talk to him like that," Nikolai said, standing up and walking toward the significantly shorter Adam. "After all, he is your president. Or at least he will be soon enough. What is your name?"
"I'm Adam Price, chief counsel to the president of Athenia," he asserted with defiance. His gun, as well as the other soldiers', were all still trained on the towering eyeless man.
"Chief counsel?" Nikolai repeated, sounding a little confused. "I think perhaps you may have been misinformed, boy. Did His Excellency not tell you that I am his chief counsel?"
"Sir," Two said, turning her attention to the president, "is this man holding you captive against your will? Are we to place him under arrest?"
"No!" Archibald shouted. "He is not. I order you all to lower your weapons at once!" He did his best to diffuse the tension as quickly as possible. While he was pleased that his loyal contingent had come to his rescue, he knew that Nikolai would not think twice about having them all killed.
The Guard lowered their guns instinctively and stood down. Adam and Karen still held theirs high.
"Sir," she said, "what's happening here? Who is this man?"
"Like he said, Ms Bowden," Archibald took a step forward, "he's my chief counsel. I was going to make the announcement today."
Adam's face fell, astonished by what he had just heard. "Sir? Who is he?" he asked, unconvinced that the president was there on his own accord.
"Dr Nicholas Sweeney," Nikolai's voice boomed. "And I would appreciate it if you lowered your weapons in my home."
Adam gritted his teeth, but reluctantly obeyed, lowering the large gun. Karen did the same.
The second contingent of the Guard walked into the room and surveyed the scene before them. As soon as they saw that Guard Two had her weapon lowered, they followed suit.
Nikolai took a step closer to Adam and towered over him. "You've been demoted, I'm afraid. I'm not too familiar with the hierarchy of Government House, but I'm sure we can find a job for you somewhere. Perhaps you can tend to the gardens of my villa." A comical look appeared on Nikolai's face.
"Sir," Adam whispered, rushing over to Archibald, "you're promoting this man to chief counsel? He just said he doesn't even know the hierarchy!" he protested, infuriated by the ludicrous events that were unfolding in front of him.
The president sighed. "Adam, please don't make this any harder than it is."
"I do congratulate you on a job well done at finding him," Nikolai admitted. "The Guard truly does live up to their reputation."
Adam turned his attention back to his leader. "Excellent weather, isn't it, sir?" he asked for the second time today, not convinced in the slightest that Archibald had authorised the change of rank. He shuddered as Nikolai appeared behind him and placed a large hand on his shoulder.
"That will be all today, Mr Price," Nikolai said. "Take your soldiers back to the villa. I'll personally escort Archibald across when our business here is finished."
Adam was far from impressed by the order given by his supposed new boss. "Sir," he objected, talking to the president, "I'll leave some of the Guard here for your protection."
Karen began to quiver with fear at the growing hostility in the room. She felt just as shocked as Adam to burst into the room and find their president quarantined under such suspicious circumstances. Yet until their leader cooperated with them, they were powerless to intervene.
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Nikolai stated cheerfully. "We have our own army here." He motioned his head to the other side of the penthouse.
Adam turned around. His jaw dropped when he saw Sabina and Aurelius emerge from behind a corner, staring ominously at him. Having already known that something was awry, Adam's suspicions were finally confirmed as soon as he laid eyes on the menacing duo from the president's chambers.
"Guards!" he screamed. "Place them all under arrest!"
The room became silent as the Guard stood upright with their weapons by their side. Not one of them made any attempt to seize the hostiles. Rage filled Adam's face as he realised they would only take orders from the president, the chief counsel, or the supervising guard. Adam's reign had been terminated in mere seconds.
"Guards," Nikolai declared, "return to my villa, and take Mr Price with you."
They surrounded Adam in a cautious manner and led him out of the room. They were trained to only follow orders; never to question them.
Adam was astonished. He turned around a final time and tried to protest, but knew there was nothing that could be done. The president gave him a weak smile as he was escorted from the room.
Karen stared at Archibald incredulously, not certain of what to make of the situation. She looked up at Nikolai, who pointed to the door, signalling for her to take her leave.
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