Life as a New Hire Ch. 40

"You believe these associates of yours represent a 'clear and present' danger," Tony studied Javiera intently.

"Sir, I received a dossier on you this morning with my normal briefing. It was a simple affair ~ you and your wife's schedule for the day, your daughter's daycare location and a list of seven employees of that daycare center."

"They are threatening my family," Tony stood up slowly - pissed, not frightened.

"No threat was ever mentioned, Mr. Blinken. There was no indication how any of that information was gathered. It simply showed up as so many things do in JIKIT. Those people providing us with up to the minute intelligence around the globe aren't doing it for any monetary recompense.

"They are doing it because Mr. Nyilas needs them to give us that data. They are acting on a personal relationship with Cáel - origins unknown - and when we permanently lose him, we lose that access," she explained.

"And I jump on a private plane to Ireland," I added. The Emerald Isle was still granting me diplomatic status.

"Mr. Blinken, you might want to tell the agency currently investigating the three foreign nationals currently with the team, as well as the group investigating Havenstone Commercial Investments, that Havenstone is on to them and they do not appreciate our behavior," Javiera cautioned Tony.

"This is the United States, we know they maintain a small armed militia on our soil, have multinational assets and they have ties to a global terrorist network, Ms. Castello," Tony tried to remind her which side she was on.

"Those men and women are federal agents, like me, so I felt I had to warn you that they are becoming involved with violently inclined people," she stated. "You need to think what you are going to do when those agents start disappearing, Sir. I have no indications they have hostile intent toward us at this very minute. I can tell you they view the members of JIKIT as allies, but not our governments. So any protection our alliance gives us is of a personal nature."

"Are they, or are they not, working with your organization?" Bill muttered darkly.

"They are working with JIKIT," was her clipped reply.

"But they are not working with the President of the United States," Victoria reasoned.

"Precisely," Javiera looked her way. "Since the US doesn't recognize them as extra-territorial entities, or the Khanate's right to exist as a state, they see no reason to look past the task force on matters of individual loyalty and commitment."

"Atta, why are we here?" Aya looked past the bandage over her missing finger at me.

"These adults do not want to adapt. And failure to adapt is the clearest form of cultural suicide," she reasoned. "Now that we have our breathing room, do we still need these prominent people of great importance to the United States?"

The worst part of her questioning was that she sounded so tired and frail, yet determined and exasperated with her elders.

"Dumu, they live in a world were challenge is a "popularity contest" and the loser gets to go home with their fortunes, their futures and their lives. If they lose, they get to try again later, as long as one can be selected to take the blame for the rest. It is governance by the consensus of cultured intellectuals," I tried to put to a face to my own frustrations.

"Thank you, little girl," Tony headed off Daniel's angry retort.

"I do not wish to be rude, or impudent Mr. Blinken," she drew her pistol and pointed at Mr. Miller ... the only other person with a weapon in the room. "Mr. Miller, I will kill you before you can draw so, for the sake of your family and your associates, please do not test my resolve."

"I am not a warrior. I am the child of warriors and I will act to protect my people. I do not wish to die. I know that after I dispose of you and Mr. Blinken, I will be arrested and I rely on my people to retrieve me when they are able," she stated.

"Don't say anything," I cautioned Daniel. My pleading was done with my eyes.

"Now, Mr. Blinken, who will replace you after I kill Mr. Miller and you?" Aya continued."

"Aya don't," Javiera tried to maneuver on Aya. My little Valkyrie had positioned herself too well to be rushed before she got off four shots ~ maybe five. "Cáel."

"Ms. Castello," Aya's eyes turned all misty and soulful, "the world is too small a place for this kind of hidebound thinking. I will be saddened if America destroys itself. I really like living here. My first instincts must be to defend my people, not yours. Answer my question, Mr. Blinken."

"Mr. Nyilas, this has been a crude and pathetic distraction," Tony glared at me.

"You aren't going to shoot Daniel?" I blithely questioned Aya.

"No Atta, the world is filled with too many assholes to run around shooting all of them. Ambition and loyalty are yin and yang. When they are imbalanced, what can we do but let him follow his destructive course," Aya answered.

"Cáel?" Javiera pressed me.

"Aya, disarm, deliver your weapon to Mr. Miller then step outside to receive whatever punishment he commands," I demanded with great sadness. Sometimes I still didn't get Amazons. Aya was acting like Pamela ... acting ... oh Hell.

Smoothly, Aya pointed her weapon to the ceiling, removed the magazine, chambered out the last round and delivered all three parts to Big Willy. He took in her actions with the eyes of a practiced shooter.

"Would you have killed me?" he inquired.

"You didn't attempt to draw your weapon so you will never know for sure, Mr. Miller," Aya regarded him sagely. "Do you think I would have killed you and Mr. Blinken?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I believe you would have."

"Miller, arrest that childe," Tony insisted.

"No sir," he turned on the head honcho. "It was my mistake that allowed a child to bring a suppressed Chinese pistol into this meeting because my people saw a small, damaged child. I was almost fatally wrong in my assessment of her."

"I will make sure to put that in my report," Tony threatened.

"Make sure you do that, Mr. Blinken," Big Willy stood firm. "Let the Boss know his chief of Diplomatic Security ... every one of us mistook this tiny warrior for a harmless threat. I'm willing to admit I was wrong."

"Do we need any more proof these people are all terrorists?" Daniel Russel seethed.

"She gave up her weapon without a struggle," Victoria snapped back. "She showed remarkable decision-making for a ... what, nine year old girl?"

"Yes Mrs. Nuland; I am nine. But I will be ten in October," she ended on an upbeat note.

"Fanatic," Daniel began feeling trapped and alone.

"I see a woman driven and fully aware of her situation in the World, Mr. Russel," Javiera remarked. "Because of your poor advice, Mr. Blinken almost died. That is what JIKIT is doing ~ keeping the adults of Aya's society thinking we are the good guys."

"Tony?" Daniel looked to the senior member in the room.

"Hold on Daniel," Tony held up his hand. "I'm grappling with the fact I was nearly deliberately killed by a child the same age as my oldest son."

Aya had pulled off a 'crazy Pamela'. Now I needed to keep her out of prison.

"I brought her in here knowing she was armed," I declared.

"I'm well aware of that, Mr. Nyilas," Miller glared at me. "You were also aware of her training and nature. She can't be arrested for treason - you can be."

"I was not acting under Cáel's orders," Aya protested. "Javiera didn't know anything about what I planned to do either."

"Why is she 'Javiera' while we are Mr. and Mrs.?" Victoria asked.

"She's one of the good guys," Aya smiled at the lady. "The verdict is out on you and Mr. Miller. I don't hold out much hope for Mr. Blinken. Mr. Russel is a lost cause."

Everyone ceased talking as Tony began pacing back and forth.

"I think we have resolved enough for today," he announced. "Ms. Castello, make sure Mr. Nyilas is available for further consultations. In case you are confused by that order, let me make it clear: he is not to leave the country."

"Sorry Tony, I have to go to Brazil," I spouted off.

"It can wait," he stared at me.

"For you Tony, I'll make a conscious effort to not get kidnapped, or go all Soldier-of-Fortune on ya," I grinned. "After all, I voted for your guy."

"Oh God," Tony muttered. "Never tell anyone that."

"Sure thing. Can I have my Aya back now? She's all tuckered out. You know: tortured, dragged halfway around the globe, killed a plane load of vile villains, swam through a typhoon and was forced to eat MRE's. Oh, and it is past her bedtime."

"Mr. Miller?" Blinken looked to his subordinate.

"Take her," Big Willy sent my fey angel back to me. "But I'm going to keep the gun."

"We are adjourned," Tony waved us off as he quick-footed it to the door.

"I'm going to have Buffy kick your ass," Javiera whispered to me.

"Me?" Aya peeped, actually looking worried.

"No - him," her eyes flickered from Aya to me.

"Well, please don't do it soon. Cáel promised to sleep with my Mother."

"I did not," I protested.

"Yes, you did," Aya gave her version of events. "You said she was third in the rankings behind Desiree and Daphne."

"What kind of man are you?" Victoria walked with us out the door.

"One who is in BIG trouble," Javiera picked on me.

"I knew I would regret not getting eaten by a shark," I groused.

"Mr. Nyilas ... Cáel, can I get in on a few of your briefings? I want to give you my input on the Caucasus issues that have arisen inside the Khanate," Victoria prodded.

"Sure," I yawned. "Clear it with your guy from State and I'll send you the invite. Honestly, I need to get some serious, non-jetlag shuteye."

"You have your meeting with the Kurds," Javiera reminded me.

"Dumu, if you really loved me, you would have shot me," I groaned.

"I love you Atta, but you have tasks to perform," Aya nestled up against me. I still had several hours of brain-racking work to do it seemed.

(Catching up on sleep and other things)

{11 pm Tuesday, Aug. 19th ~ 20 Days to go}

Monday night into Tuesday morning, I sold the Kurds on the idea that talking to the Khanate military advisors and 'regional specialists' (the Hashashin) was in their combined best interests. My ally in international warmongering was Addison Stuart this time out. She'd developed an instinct and respect for the Khanate's way of thinking and for 'direct action'. That meant 'my people' would talk to her without checking with me first ~ which was fine by me.

The Kurds were split on wanting: full independence, full independence down the line, the status quo and being a palatinate province within the Great Khanate. I was stressing the latter. Strangely it was my Friday night meeting with Georgia and Armenia that won them over to considering my way of thinking. They would arrange the meetings.

They had to hurry. On Saturday, September 13th, while I was being hunted down by bodacious Amazons, seven Khanate Tumens would be heading toward the Turkish border with Syria and Iraq. In theory, they would be joined by massed forces of Armenians and Georgians in the 'anti-ISIL/ISIS, anti-Syrian' Third Campaign of the First Unification War (the Middle East edition).

This would be the last gasp of the Khanate for some time. Her equipment was worn down, they needed to raise and equip new military formations and they still had to worry about Iran, who they didn't have the time or strength left to deal with in any way save diplomacy. If this campaign succeeded, and it couldn't without the Kurds coming on board, the Khanate would have a strong southern frontier.

They could trust Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia a hell of a lot more than they could trust Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. Sure, a Shia Iraq would remain. Let the UN and Iran figure out what to do with that oil-rich rump state. The Great Khan wanted as little to do with the Sunni/Shia divide as possible.

At the end of the campaign, the Khanate was going to make some religious enemies in the present to solidify their technological future. They would unilaterally acknowledge the State of Israel. They would also recognize that the Saud Royal family was the custodian of Mecca and Medina while Israel was the guardian of the third most holy site in Islam - Jerusalem.

As a final sign of friendship to the Jewish state, the Khanate was shipping out all the Palestinian refugees still in Lebanese and Syrian camps to China to join the Arabs of Mosul in repopulating the conquered regions. The Great Khan was making concrete steps to ending the 'Palestinian Question' once and for all. It was harsh, but it solved the issue by creating a 'New Palestinian Homeland'. It also assured Arab 'fear and loathing' of Mongols would be alive and well for one generation more, at the very least.

The millennia old hatred levied by Levant Arabs against the Turks and Mongols wasn't going to go away. This mass deportation wouldn't help with that ... initially. The Khanate had two factors they were ... quite frankly by this time it was the word 'praying', would help cool the situation over time.

First off, the sheer number of Arabs being sent to Xiang Uyghur meant a cultural identity would remain (so realistically, they couldn't be turned into atheistic Chinese). Secondly, the land they were being sent to was worth something economically, politically and militarily. The former Palestinians, Syrians and Iraqis could make their fortunes filling in the roles formerly occupied by the once economically advantaged, but now-banished Chinese.

Homes and businesses already existed, the remaining natives would be friendly, yet respectful of their cultural heritage and they would be safer than they had been in their former homelands, or refugee camps. They would be afraid for their future and the next round to Khanate-PRC violence. With the best spin on the situation, their fellow Islamic pilots would be flying against the infidel to keep them safe.

Civil war would be a thing of the past and their critical role in creating a new Khanate would be evident ... or so the Khanate's leaders beseeched Allah, Buddha, Christ, shamanistic spirits and their ancestors. For me, that was in the far distant future (i.e. post Hunt). I had my own agenda and the moment we could move around the small jet taking us back to NYC, I put my plan into motion.

"Javiera, I think I really need a break from this insanity," I begged.

"Okay," she yawned.

"I know that everyone has been putting ... did you say 'okay'?"

"Yes, Cáel," she gave a weary grin. "We were all expecting you to make the request and the team is willing to muddle through for a week or two without you."

"I ... uh ... thanks," I slouched in my seat. "I'm not letting anyone down?"

"No Cáel," she responded with some mirth. "You've been through more hell with less training than anyone else on the team. Colour Sgt. Tomorrow has been especially worried about you trying too hard to be ... well, more like him."

"Oh."

"He trained for years in the military to be mentally and physically fit enough to take this kind of grinding action," she reminded me. "You aren't prepared for this. I am a veteran prosecutor and I'm being mentally ground down. I'm taking a break next weekend and unwinding at an undisclosed location. Rikki is afraid that if she takes a break, Mr. Russel will replace her with one of his clones. We are doing what we can for her."

"Fathom and Addison couldn't be happier to be living under this constant level of stress, but this is precisely what they volunteered for. The rest have agreed that they will pull their 365, then they are out ~ either out of the country, or asking to be reassigned ... provided we aren't on the run, or in jail."

"I'm not going to argue with you," I sighed happily. "I'm going to take my Aya and go home." Aya's eyes had shut the moment the plane started taxing down the runway.

"So, what are you going to do on your seven days off?" Javiera asked.

"Not fourteen?" I teased. "Okay, I'm going to go back to work," I grinned. "I'm going to fulfill the role I was hired for ~ a gopher. It was where I was happiest."

"I'm proud of you," she grinned then yawned once more.

"Why?"

"The top two choices for what you would do were 'running for your life' and a weeklong orgy," she joked. "You aren't burying yourself in doubt and self-pity. Staying active is key and you knew that instinctively ~ no prodding necessary."

"Cool. I'm finally living up to people's expectations."

Javiera gave one more tired yawn, smiled at me, then slid her seat to the horizontal position. I still had one last bit of business to deal with. Pamela was three rows back and waiting. Since joining me in LA she had been utterly silent. We had not had a chance to be alone.

We sat side by side on the small jet for a few minutes. Pamela was waiting for Javiera to start snoring.

[Amazon] "I almost killed her," she whispered. Her trust of even the people who we thought were our allies was at an all-time low.

[Amazon] "I was afraid you'd figure out she was involved," I sighed. We were talking about Katrina. Pamela had deduced that Katrina had set me and Aya up to be kidnapped. Among the Amazons, only Pamela's mind was equally twisted enough to have figured it out.

"I will figure out how to handle things," I said in English. "We should both be worried about what Grandpa is going to do when he figures it out as well. He's not going to be happy with anyone killing me but him."

"I had thought of that," she gave me a Reaper's smile. It chilled me to my core.

"I approve of what happened," I stressed. "I didn't know. And if I had, I would have never been a party to any of this. It has happened and I'll deal with this."

"I know. That's why a certain someone hasn't killed me, or stopped breathing," Pamela patted my thigh gently. "Stop taking such risks."

"You would not have believed the size of those waves," I altered the course of our conversation. "I swear some of those were over twenty-five feet high."

"Humph."

"Aya went flying."

"Humph."

"She never let go of our medical supplies. She was a real trooper."

"Tell her that," Pamela said after a deep breath. "She worships the ground you walk on. I believe her faith is not misplaced."

"Next time we are taking swimsuits and boogie boards."

There was a long pause. Pamela took another long breath then an impish grin came to her lips.

"With your luck you'll get those, then end up in the Artic," she scoffed.

"Not the Antarctic? I've got a soft spot in my dreams for penguins."

"Nope. You get to be chased by polar bears," she nudged me. I nudged her back playfully. She gave me a Charlie horse.

"Ow!" I yipped. The two SD chicks from the front of the plane looked back our way. I didn't care about their misconceptions. My muscles needed some self-massages.

"I was pretty scared," I whispered to Pamela.

"Good for you. You were also pretty lucky and I'm sure pretty pissed with your 'Albanian' attackers," she replied quietly. "I missed you too."

I liked the way she read my mind about that. I would have liked it some more if I hadn't glanced to my other side, then fallen straight to sleep.

{1 pm, Monday, August 25th ~ 14 Days to go}

On Tuesday night, Aya got one of her wishes fulfilled ~ sorta. I slept in Caitlyn Ruger's bed and I wasn't alone. The Sandman had dropped a Scottish sand trap sized load of sand on me and there was more than enough spillover to flatten little Aya too. Because I lived among Amazons, Caitlyn woke me up at 5:45 in the A M and only so much lollygagging was allowed.

Aya got to sleep for fifteen whole minutes more than I did. She hugged me and kissed my cheek (which amused her three Fatal Squirt compatriots to no end) while I stuffed away my breakfast. Desiree showed up to take me to work minutes later. While Aya showed off her battle scar to the pre-caste Amazons and her Aunt D. (they had not been awake when we showed up the previous evening), I was chided for being late for weapons practice.