Winter Savior
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Chapter 8
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Past Chapters
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Chapter 8
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Past Chapters
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Nandia placed her cup onto the tray as Akko stepped back into the room. He took a moment to straighten his jacket in the mirror as she looked on.
“The suit looks good on you,” she said, commenting on Akko’s attire.
Akko tugged at the dark red shirt, “Not really a fan of the whole ‘wear your region’s colors’ thing.”
Nandia rose from her seat, “The red and black is for the Kontikoff’s visit, to be formal,” she explained. “We don’t always have to dress in red.”
“Most still do,” he said, turning from the mirror.
She shrugged, “Some. To a varying degree.” She gestured to the door, “Should we be going then?”
Akko went forward and opened the door for her, allowing her to exit before following behind. He stepped outside to see a sleek black automobile sitting out front in the driveway.
“No limousine this time around?” he joked.
Nandia gave a half smile but said nothing as she walked over to the driver’s side and rapped her knuckles against the window.
“Tadeon wake up, we’re leaving.”
Tadeon, who had been asleep in the front seat, wiped his eyes and unlocked the doors. Nandia got into the passenger’s side while Akko took the back seat. Tadeon looked at Akko through the rear view mirror.
“They’re making a real fuss over you Akko,” he said. “I wonder why.”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Akko said. “Better perhaps, considering you’re all in on it.”
“Not so much,” Tadeon replied. “We get just enough information to get the job done.”
“Which means,” Nandia cut in, “what we don’t already know, we don’t need to know.”
Tadeon turned to Nandia, “Come on, don’t give me that,” he said. “You’re practically in bed with the boss.”
At this, Akko glanced at Nandia, “Really now?”
“A gross exaggeration,” Nandia stated. “I’m engaged to the Kontikoff’s son, Merik Lambert.”
“Okay in bed with the boss’s son, same thing as far as I’m concerned,” Tadeon said. “The pool of information is still there, don’t see why you don’t wanna take a dip.”
“Merik doesn’t know nearly as much as you assume he does,” Nandia replied. “His father doesn’t share everything with him involving the org.”
“Still,” Tadeon said, his eyes in the rear view mirror on Akko once more. “He knows enough.”
The rest of the drive continued in silence. When they pulled into the long driveway of the gated estate Akko was met with the splendor of lush gardens surrounding a grand mansion home. Its many windows caught the light of the day, while its exterior seemed glossed. It made for a building that seemed to shine in the midday sun.
“This place isn’t too far from the Vikaeli mansion is it?” Akko asked.
“No not at all,” Nandia answered. “The Vikaeli residence is just in the next district over.”
Tadeon chuckled, “If Merik had his way…” His voice trailed off as they neared the entrance and he saw who awaited them there.
As Akko got out of the car, a well groomed gentleman in a red vest walked up to him, a smile on his face as he came.
“So this is the man of the hour,” he said, extending his hand for Akko to shake.
“And you are?” Akko replied as he accepted the man’s greeting.
He begins to speak but is cut off by a voice coming up beside Akko. “He is the most arrogant man you’ll ever meet,” Nandia said as she went to stand beside the man.
He laughed. “You’ve already met my fiancée. I’m sure she’s just told you dreadful things about me,” he said, taking her into his grasp. “The names Merik Lambert of House Lambert.”
“Seems kind of redundant don’t you think?” Akko said.
“I told you he’s the haughty sort,” Nandia replied.
“We should be going inside,” Merik stated. “My father and Juri will be finishing up shortly.”
One of the guards posted at the door put his arm up to halt Akko, “You’re not allowed to bring any weapons inside.” He proceeded to pat Akko’s torso and at feeling metal, reached into the jacket and removed the gun from Akko’s person. “You can go in now. I’ll keep this til you’re ready to go.”
“Tadeon go handle the car,” Merik said before gesturing to Akko, “Follow me then.”
The inside of the mansion did not hold the same historic aesthetics as in the Vikaeli mansion. There were no large portraits of long dead family members or ancient looking family heirlooms on display. To be a well-furnished mansion, it seemed oddly bare all the same.
As they walked through the halls, Akko glanced into the rooms, each showing the same scene as the last. Aduri were standing, sitting, and lounging around as they conversed amongst themselves, their eyes cutting to catch a look at him as he passed but nothing more. Somewhere along the way, Nandia seemed to disappear. Merik led him to a large dining room where a long clothe draped table sat beneath a glimmering chandelier. They were the only people in the room other than the two attendants positioned across the room.
“So we’ll be having lunch then?” Akko asked.
“Indeed,” Merik said. “We’ll be having a few…guests as well.”
Merik’s attention had been diverted as he spoke. Akko turned in the direction Merik was looking to see coming in from the opposite end of the room, Nikita Vikaeli and those whom Akko took to be other members of the Family.
Merik took notice of the displeasuring frown that had come upon Akko’s face.
“I see you’ve got a hard spot for Vikaeli,” Merik said.
“We’ve met a time or two,” Akko said.
Merik gave a wry smirk, “So I’ve heard.”
One of the attendants came towards the two with two glasses in one hand while a bottle of wine occupied the other. They took the glasses and waited until the man had poured the clear substance into their glasses and departed before continuing.
“Why is Nikita here?” Akko asked, his eyes back on the scene across from them where Nikita was in deep conversation with his son and a young man of similar age to the latter Vikaeli.
“This territory is under Dux Nikita’s jurisdiction,” Merik said in answer. “He has to be here.”
At no return from Akko, Merik leaned closer and put his arm around Akko’s shoulder. His next words coming low, “I share your disdain.”
Akko looked to him for a moment before giving an agreeable nod and tipping his glass. At which, Merik grinned and patted Akko on the back.
“We’re going to be the best of friends you and I,” Merik stated before downing his glass in one go.
He watched as Merik walked over and shook hands with the Dux and his son. The expressions on each of their faces were far from genuine. Akko could feel the tension where he stood from the lot of them. The seconds it took to make the pleasantries could not come to an end quickly enough for either of them as Merik’s hand left Nikita Jr.’s in swift fashion. More Aduri had begun making their way into the room and Merik readily struck up a conversation with one of his people.
Nandia came up beside Akko. He looked over and saw that she had changed into a white top and dark red, black lined skirt that went to her calves.
“I was wondering where you had gone off to,” Akko said, admiring the attire. “You look nice.”
“Thanks,” she replied. “It was a gift from Merik. He’s got an eye for fashion that man does.”
Akko said nothing in return as just then, the crowd parted as Juri walked into the room alongside an older man whom Akko could only think was the Kontikoff himself. Just outside the door he caught sight of a pair of guards in a fashion reminiscent of the Old Guard.
The Koff stopped in front of Dux Nikita, who in turn took hold and kissed the man’s hand. Niki did his best to hide his obvious contempt at the situation, while Merik on the other hand seemed to be enjoying the momentary scene that had played out before them.
Kontikoff Dirzo gave a nod in Akko’s direction before he and his fellow House leader, Nikita, took their seats at separate ends of the table. As if by signal, the others in the room began to take their seats at the table as well. Vikaeli’s men took their places on one side, while Dirzo’s men occupied the other. Merik sat to his father’s right side, while Juri acted as the buffer between Dirzo and the Vikaeli side by sitting on his left.
“Akko,” Merik called over as he gestured to the chair beside him. “You can sit here.”
He took his seat beside Merik, while Nandia got in place beside him. Once everyone was properly seated, the doors from the kitchen burst open and what followed was a continuous stream of food until the entire table was filled in abundance. No one touched the food as eyes looked to Dirzo expectantly.
From the head of the table, the Kontikoff spoke, “Let us pray,” he said. In answer, everyone bowed their heads. “Be this blessed in Deva’s name. Amen.”
As the lunch commenced and the guests had begun to eat, for Akko, an awkward silence seemed to control the room. There was no exchange of words, no side discussions; everyone just seemed to be occupied with the food in front of them. Though as he looked around, he caught moments where members from either side of table would shoot overt glances at their counterparts across the table.
Akko leaned over to Nandia and asked in undertone, “What’s the deal here?”
“Long story short, they all hate each other.”
Once the last of the food was all but gone, and the lunch seemed to be coming to a close, the Kontikoff rose from his chair.
“Merik, Juri, Vikaeli, and Adregi,” he said as he looked out on those gathered. “Everyone else, make yourselves scarce.”
Chairs creaked against the wood floor as the people began to rise and mill out of the room. As the doors closed behind the last of them, Dirzo frowned as he looked down to the other end of the table.
“I only called for one Vikaeli,” he said.
From his place at the opposite end, Nikita sat leaning back in his chair, his hand strumming the table top as he looked back down the length of the table at Dirzo. Niki glanced at his father, then back at Dirzo.
“Stay seated boy,” Nikita’s words were concise, his face rigid as he glowered back at Dirzo. “I, and only I, will dismiss my son…and I do not want him to remove himself just yet.”
Static seemed to fill the room as both men glared at the other down the table. Nikita had stopped his strumming of the table while the Koff had yet to speak.
“Very well,” Dirzo said at last before taking his seat.
At this, Nikita and Niki got up and came to Dirzo’s end of the table with Nikita taking the vacant seat across from Akko. All attention turned to Akko as Dirzo began to speak.
“Tell me Akko,” he started. “Why are you here?”
Akko glanced from one face to the next. His eyes resting on Juri before addressing Dirzo, “I was told I would get answers.”
Dirzo nodded his head understandably, “Answers?” he repeated, as if contemplating the word. “Answers to what? Answers for what? The words spoken by my friend Juri here were vague to the point that you really had little reason to entertain the idea. So I ask again, why are you here?”
Akko stared at Dirzo for a time before allowing a grin to come across his face. He shook his head as he looked down, “You’re really a piece of work,” he said, looking up once more, a frown upon his face. “You come to me with a half assed invitation to join your little group like it was something I had been waiting for all my life. Your guys follow me and my brother from the arena one night and attempt to coax me at gunpoint to reconsider least I refuse a second time.” He looked to Niki, “You kill my brother and claim otherwise even after acknowledging that you were there.” He gestures to Juri, “This Juri fella goes along with it too and has the gall to tell me to come meet with the lot of you.”
His words were tense and growing more rigid with each statement. “You wanna know why I’m here, what answers I want?” he asked, looking around at each of the men in turn. “I’m here because you killed my brother and I want to know—”
Akko reached behind his back and pulled it out and drew the gun on Dirzo, red faced and anger in his eyes as he yelled, “I wanna know why the **** you’re ****ing me around!”
To this, the people in the room seem unfazed by his actions. The Koff in fact carried a smirk upon his face.
“Dux Nikita was right,” he said, amused. “You are quite the character.”
If I may,” Juri spoke up, “Akko what’s this about a second encounter? Prior to the exchange of words between you and I, we have only contacted you once before.”
“Put the gun away and stop with the theatrics,” Nikita stated.
Akko hesitated. He hadn’t expected this. Their faces showed no mal content nor their hands had not reached for concealed weapons. He returned to his seat, tucking the gun away.
“Now again I ask, what’s this about a second encounter?” Juri repeated.
Akko sighed, “My brother and I were on the road home from the arena and spotted this car tailing us,” he began. “Pulled up to a bar nearby and four Aduri followed me in. The guy asked if I’d reconsidered the earlier offer while he had a gun in my side. Ulrich and I made short work of them.”
Dirzo glared at Nikita, “Explain.”
Nikita brought his hand to his chin, “There was something a week or so ago about a group of our guys turning up dead in a dumpster near the arena, each shot in the head.” He met Akko’s eye, “Report suspected it was done by one of the other Orgs, but I guess we’ve got the real answer to that now.”
“We didn’t kill them if that’s what you’re saying,” Akko declared. “We left them out cold in the bar. That’s the last place we saw them.”
Merik offered up the question, “Who else has wind of our interest in Akko other than the people here? Nandia and Tadeon aside,” he looked to the Dux, “possibly a leak on your end Nikita?”
Nikita returned his gaze, “You will address me as Dux,” he stated. “And you’d do best to look into your side. Your girlfriend and her partner are not exempt from scrutiny. My son doesn’t even know the full scope of our plans.”
“Neither does she,” Merik replied coldly.
“What plans?” Akko asked, looking around to see who would speak. “Someone going to fill me in on what’s going on here then?”
All eyes turned to the Kontikoff. He in turn kept his gaze on Akko, as to consider his words before speaking again.
“Ex-Magna Force Operative, greatest combat specialist to come out of the Alterus Military Academy, and skills above the norm as a fighter pilot,” his words clear and precise. “You were the catchall soldier. Did any and every thing they asked of you. Assassinate a pirate lord here and there, raid an outlaw camp for notes that would sooner line the pockets of corrupt noblemen than anything else…kill a few org members. The list goes on, diplomats, smugglers, men, women…even children.”
An ominous silent had come over the room. The words spoken by the Kontikoff had not been known to anyone else gathered there, much less the latter. Akko for his part remained tight lipped, not breaking his gaze from Dirzo while the others looked upon him in earnest.
“I know your story Adregi,” Dirzo went on. “You act with this self-righteous attitude, believing what we do is wrong because we’re labeled criminals, but if you put on a uniform suddenly all the terrible deeds you do are just part of the day’s work. Suddenly, murdering an entire family is alright because the government says so.”
He paused, allowing a moment before he tugged at his suit, “This is my uniform.” He removed his gun, “and this is my say so.”
He placed the gun on the table, “You were a soldier once. I want you to be one again, but for my army, for my Syndicate.”
The Kontikoff said nothing more, allowing Akko the time to consider. Akko put his face into his hands and came out with an enervated sigh, nodding his head.
“Alright,” he said at last, “alright.” He turned to Niki, “But what about my brother, you didn’t kill him then who did?”
To this, Merik leaned in, “I’ll give you a hint.”
Akko looked at him quizzically.
“It rhymes with white mask, purple cloak.”
His mouth went dry at the thought.
“Veldt.”
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