Page 36

KIAN

O negus's face filled most of Kian's monitor, with Max taking just a corner of the screen. They were sitting in the cramped Guardian office in the dungeon, and the grim set of their jaws hinted that he was not going to like the news the two were about to deliver.

"We have a serious problem," Onegus said.

"The Revolutionary Guard that Max grabbed at the market was not visiting family in Los Angeles.

He's part of a terror network planning massive attacks across the city.

The first target is the Lasusa concert at the Glen Helen Amphitheater, which is scheduled for Saturday, two weeks from now. "

Kian had been prepared for bad news, but this was like dunking in ice water, burning and freezing at the same time. This was a venue that would hold tens of thousands of people, and a Lasusa concert was certain to be sold out, filled with crowds of young teenagers and their parents.

Any terror attack was evil, but this plan was particularly sinister.

"These people are the devil's minions."

Onegus nodded. "The devil is walking the streets openly, waving his wand of destruction and not even bothering to pretend to be something other than pure evil."

Neither of them believed in such an entity, but given how successful the forces of darkness had been lately, it almost seemed plausible.

Kian raked his fingers through his hair. "What else did you get out of him?"

"His name is Rashid Mohammadi, and he's a commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

" Onegus leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Naturally, ISIS or some other terror group is going to assume responsibility for the attacks because that's how the Mullahs operate.

They use proxies or pretend to use them when they are not effective enough to carry out their objectives.

That's the gap the Brotherhood fills. Anyway, he gave us everything he knew.

Four cells are operating in the city, each with specific targets and enough explosives to make September 11 look like, and I quote, 'fireworks. '"

Max leaned toward the camera. "Each cell has what Rashid called special-forces soldiers embedded within them. He says that they are enhanced, stronger, and faster than humanly possible. He also said that sometimes their eyes glow, and he caught a glimpse of fangs. He thinks they're jinn."

"Doomers," Kian said flatly.

On the screen, Onegus and Max nodded.

He'd noticed this latest pattern of the Brotherhood taking an active part in criminal activity and terrorism. The first hint of this was when they encountered Doomers working with the drug cartels in Mexico, and then what Yamanu and his team encountered in Iran.

It was a worrisome escalation.

Was Navuh targeting Los Angeles now because he suspected it was the clan's location? Or were similar cells operating in all the major cities, and they were planning a coordinated attack that would cripple the United States?

"We need to bring Andrew and Turner into this," Kian said.

"We were lucky to stumble upon the plot right here in Los Angeles, but they might be planning more terror attacks in other major cities.

Andrew might be able to find more intel, now that we know what to look for, and Turner has connections that he can mobilize across the nation. "

"And then what?" Onegus asked. "Because Doomers are likely embedded in each cell, we will need to deal with the threat ourselves, and depending on the scope of the threat, it may be beyond our capabilities."

"Let's first find out all we can." Kian leaned back in his chair. "We can dial in our solutions when we have a better grasp of the threat. What else did he tell you?"

For the next several minutes, Onegus recounted the information he'd extracted from the guy.

Four cells, each with twelve to fourteen humans and two to three Doomers.

They used rented mansions in upscale neighborhoods where no one would expect terrorists to hide.

The concert was just the first target, and it was what his team was working on.

Another team was working on a shopping center, while the two others were making plans to blow up the control tower at the airport and to cause significant damage to the Los Angeles port.

"Those are some lofty aspirations," Kian said. "But they are all doable. Security is not top-notch at any of these locations."

"The humans think they're striking a blow for their cause," Onegus concluded. "But they are just puppets. The Doomers are pulling their strings through a combination of thralling and ideological manipulation."

"Navuh's getting bolder," Kian muttered. "He used to work through proxies, but he's no longer bothering with that. Did he get impatient? And if so, why?"

Onegus shrugged. "Who knows what goes through the despot's mind?

He might have amassed so many immortal warriors that he doesn't know what to do with them, or he might be listening to a new advisor who is pushing him to move things faster to achieve his goal of global domination.

Regrettably, it seems to be working. Perhaps building momentum emboldens his followers. "

"That's possible. We need to gather more intelligence," Kian said. "Rushing in blind could be catastrophic."

"That brings me to my idea of using Rashid as our unwitting spy," Onegus said. "We can send him back with false memories and monitor him by using one of those tiny drones that the gods used to spy on us."

That was a great idea, but the drones were the property of the gods, and Kian wasn't sure they would give them up. He still remembered how careful they had been with their irreplaceable collection.

"That depends on whether the gods will be willing to part with their little marvels. It's not like they can get more once what they brought with them is gone."

"We are talking about saving tens of thousands of lives," Max said. "Most of them are still children. It's worth the sacrifice of one of their drones."

The moral mathematics was simple when stated so starkly—one piece of irreplaceable technology against tens of thousands of innocent lives. Still, Kian couldn't force them to give up the tech. He could only ask.

"I'll speak to Aru," he said.

"If we want to use Rashid to spy for us, we need to move fast." Onegus leaned toward the screen.

"He's been missing for hours already, and his buddies are probably wondering where he is and why he isn't answering his phone.

We need him back on the street with a plausible story before they get suspicious. "

"I'll summon Aru right away," Kian said.

"And Toven—we'll need his compulsion abilities to implant deep, unshakeable false memories in Rashid's mind.

In the meantime, think of something that can explain his absence, the time gap, and the radio silence.

I'll also get in touch with Andrew as soon as he's reachable.

His expertise on counterterrorism might come in handy, not to mention his access to the government's surveillance resources. "

Onegus nodded. "I'll keep Rashid sedated until we are ready to release him."

"There's one more issue I want to bring up," Max said. "Once we have intelligence from all four cells, we'll need to hit them simultaneously. Any delay between strikes and the others will scatter like roaches when you turn on the light."

"We'll need four Guardian strike teams," Onegus said. "Plus backup. That's a significant portion of our forces. We will have to cancel rescue operations for a couple of nights, but this is more important."

"What do we do with them?" Max asked. "Capture or kill? And then there is the issue of explosives. If we want to confiscate them, we will need trucks to transport them and a place to store them that's outside the city."

"One thing at a time," Kian said. "We'll figure it out."

"We can't use Yamanu for more than one location," Onegus pointed out.

"Not if we are hitting them simultaneously.

We will need cover stories for the ones he can't cover.

Perhaps we could use SWAT uniforms or the FBI.

The problem is that people who live in those upscale neighborhoods have connections, and they will call their friends to find out what's going on. "

"Those are solvable problems," Kian said. "I'm more concerned with the Brotherhood knowing who took out their cells. We are the only ones who can take out Doomers. Then again, I'm tired of playing defense. Navuh needs to learn that attacking humans in our territory comes with consequences."

The words hung in the air, carrying implications beyond this immediate crisis.

For centuries, the conflict between the clan and the Brotherhood had been a shadow war, fought through proxies and influence rather than confrontation.

But times were changing. The stakes were rising. And the old rules no longer applied.

On the screen, Max and Onegus nodded, but the chief did so with much less enthusiasm than Max. He wasn't convinced that Kian's new approach was correct.

"I'll let you know when the team I'm assembling can make it to the keep. I hope they can all make it within the next hour or so." Kian shifted back to practical matters.

"Good," Onegus said. "The sooner we wrap up this portion of the plan, the better."

Kian crossed his arms over his chest. "There's something else that's bothering me about this. This feels like more than just terrorism. It feels like the opening move in something on a bigger scale."

On the laptop screen, Onegus and Max exchanged glances. "Do you think this is a distraction for something even larger?" Onegus asked. "It doesn't get much bigger than blowing up a venue full of kids."

"It might be a probe," Kian said. "They know that we are located somewhere in the wider Los Angeles area, and they might be testing our responses. While we're focused on these attacks, what else might Navuh be moving into place?"

It was paranoid thinking, but paranoia had kept his clan alive for millennia, and Kian had learned the hard way not to underestimate Navuh.

Onegus shrugged. "Their main goal since forever was to eradicate the clan and the Clan Mother.

They may be hallucinating that in the chaos, we will lower our guard and reveal where we are located.

But right now, we need to focus on the immediate threat and the many thousands of lives that hang in the balance. "

"True. Carry on, gentlemen."

After terminating the call, Kian scrolled through his contacts until he found Aru's and initiated the call.

As he waited for the god to answer, he stared out his office window at the village below and the café that was bustling with activity.

None of the people enjoying their coffees and the company of friends and relatives knew how close their city had come to devastation, how many would have died if not for a random encounter in a Persian market.

The Fates worked in mysterious ways, turning Soraya's recognition by a Revolutionary Guard from a potential disaster into an opportunity to save thousands.

The Fates were indeed merciful for orchestrating this chance encounter.

However, divine intervention wasn't enough, and the rest of the work had to be done by the community members. The invincible Guardians of everything that was good and decent about humanity.

"Kian?" Aru answered. "How can I help you?"

"I need one of your tiny spy drones. Untold thousands of human lives depend on it."

There was a pause. "When do you need it?"

"Right now. How soon can you be in my office with the drone?"

"I'll get Dagor, and we will be right over."