Page 34 of Dark Shaman: Love Found (The Children Of The Gods #99)

KIAN

A t six-thirty in the morning, the café was just opening, but Kian was already on his third cup produced by the new coffee maker that Shai had gotten him for his office.

The brew wasn't nearly as good as what the café offered, but he had to admit that it was a lifesaver when he had early morning meetings like the one Kalugal had insisted on.

The request was suspicious, not just because Kalugal had never asked to meet so early before, but because his cousin had sounded overly enthusiastic about what he had to share.

Kalugal only got this excited about making money or plotting schemes, and more often than not, the two were one and the same.

At five after seven, his cousin burst through the door without knocking, his laptop tucked under his arm, and a manic grin on his face .

"You look like a kid who just found where his parents hid his birthday presents," Kian said.

"My parents never got me birthday presents, let alone hid them.

I was shipped to the Dormants' enclave as a little boy, and no one got me anything there either.

" Kalugal dropped into the chair across from Kian's desk with theatrical flair.

"I found the perfect island for us. Three prospects actually, but one is absolutely perfect.

And before you ask, yes, I've already begun negotiations, and no, no one can trace things back to us. "

Kian poured himself a fresh cup of coffee, then gestured toward the pot. "Can I offer you some?"

Kalugal glanced at the device. "What's that? A new toy for your office?"

"Shai got it for me. He probably got tired of running to the café to get me coffee."

"Understandable," Kalugal said. "I've already had two espressos, so I'll pass for now. But maybe later." He opened the portfolio that had been tucked under his laptop and spread out several photographs across Kian's desk. "Look at these beauties."

The images showed aerial views of three islands. Kian leaned forward, studying them. "Where are these located?"

Kalugal's grin widened. "That's the best part. They're in the Indian Ocean. The closest one is about three hundred miles from my father's island. The farthest is just under five hundred. "

Kian nearly choked on his coffee. "You want to build our military base in Navuh's backyard?"

"His back ocean, technically. But here's the thing…

" Kalugal pulled out a map covered in red dots.

"See all these? These are all private islands in the Indian Ocean.

There are over a thousand of them, and at least two hundred are inhabited by everyone from billionaire recluses to offshore data centers.

One more private facility won't even register as unusual. "

"Unless that facility is training an army specifically designed to fight your father."

"Which he won't know because we're not putting up a giant neon sign saying, 'Secret Anti-Navuh Army Training Camp.

'" Kalugal tapped the middle photograph.

"This one. It's a former mining operation that Cobalt Industries owned until they went bankrupt.

One hundred eighty acres, with existing infrastructure that includes dormitories that housed two hundred workers, a medical facility, a dining hall, and most importantly, a thirty-five-hundred-foot airstrip. "

Kian studied the image. The island was roughly oval shaped with a natural harbor on one side and steep cliffs on the other. The buildings looked industrial, but it was impossible to see if they were habitable or in disrepair. The airstrip ran along the island's spine.

Kalugal was right. It was perfect, even if the buildings needed some TLC.

"How much?" Kian asked .

"It was listed at forty-two million. I got them down to twenty-eight."

That was too much of a discount, which meant that there was some hidden problem with the island or Kalugal had used compulsion to get the price down.

"How did you do that?"

"The usual. Shell company expressed interest, did due diligence, found 'problems.'" Kalugal made air quotes.

"Soil contamination from the mining—completely fabricated but expensive to disprove.

Structural issues with the dormitories—actually true but easily fixed.

Disputes over mineral rights—I may have created some paperwork suggesting another company had a claim to any remaining cobalt deposits. "

"That's fraud."

"That's negotiation. Besides, the paperwork will mysteriously disappear once we close." Kalugal pulled out another document. "Here's where it gets fun. The shell company structure."

Kian was angry at himself for letting Kalugal run free with the project.

The level of fraud was unconscionable, but the bottom line was that if the seller was motivated to sell, Kalugal's underhanded tactics were just an excuse to lower the price.

If they didn't like the offer, they could refuse to sell and wait for a better one.

He studied the complicated diagram, and even though he was well familiar with those kinds of structures, the web that Kalugal or his accountants had created made his eyes cross.

"Seven layers," Kalugal said. "Paradise Holdings LLC.

I thought the name was ironic, registered in Delaware.

It's owned by Ocean Ventures Limited in the Caymans, which is owned by Blue Horizon Trust in Singapore, which is owned by a foundation in Liechtenstein, which is controlled by a company in Cyprus, which has shares held by a firm in Malta, which ultimately traces back to one of my Swiss accounts that officially doesn't exist."

The clan's holdings were managed in a similar way to hide who owned them, but the structure was much more straightforward than what Kalugal had cooked up.

"Can you actually control anything in this business labyrinth?"

"It's bulletproof, Kian. If someone tries to trace the ownership, they'll spend years untangling this web, and by the time they get anywhere close, I'll have the entire thing restructured again.

" Kalugal leaned back, fingers steepled.

"Closing was set for thirty days. I figure we need about two months for initial setup, which will include bringing in equipment, upgrading the facilities, installing our own security systems, etcetera.

I estimate that we'll be able to bring in the first batch of trainees in ninety days. "

Kian set down his coffee cup. "That's ambitious."

"We have no choice. Every day we delay is another day my father strengthens his position. Which brings me to our engineering acquisitions. "

"Please tell me you haven't kidnapped anyone."

"I'm wounded that you'd suggest such a thing.

I've merely made them amazing offers." Kalugal glanced at his notes.

"Dr. Sarah Weng is already on board. I offered her three times her current salary, a state-of-the-art lab, and complete creative freedom.

She begged to sign the contract before I even finished talking. "

"What about the others?"

"Marcus Ross is negotiating. He wants four times his salary plus royalties on any patents developed. I'll give him three times and limited royalties. He'll take it. He's bored out of his mind at Mechanicals Inc., debugging code for military contracts that never go anywhere."

"Torres?"

Kalugal's expression soured. "She's a damn idealist. Keeps asking about the applications, the ethics, and whether we are planning to sell to authoritarian regimes. I'm working on her, but I'm tempted to drop her. Her kind is trouble."

"We need her."

Kalugal's mouth twisted with distaste. "I know. That's why I'm presenting the project as a humanitarian project. I'm selling her on the idea that we are developing protective technology for peacekeepers, that sort of thing."

"You're lying to her."

"I'm selectively emphasizing certain truths. After all, storming my father's island and liberating it from his tyranny is a humanitarian mission. "

Well, he wasn't wrong about that.

Kian rubbed his temples. "The island's location complicates the logistics, particularly its proximity to Passion Island."

"I have it all figured out, cousin." Kalugal pulled out yet another document.

"The engineers will be based in a facility in Nevada.

The human recruits will be told they're training for a private military company specializing in maritime security.

Pirates are a real problem in the Indian Ocean. It's a perfect cover."

"It is, but the illusion will last only until they find themselves fighting immortals who shrug off bullets. We need to tell them ahead of time or they will not fight effectively."

"So, we will tell them that they're fighting enhanced humans, chemically augmented super soldiers, which isn't even a lie. These immortals are mostly human by now, and their power comes from chemical enhancements."

Kian stood and walked to his coffee maker, needing a moment to process. The plan was audacious and risky, but it was doable, and it was their best shot at creating a force capable of standing against Navuh's enhanced army.

"The proximity to Navuh's island still bothers me," he said, pouring himself another cup. He raised the pot toward Kalugal. "You sure you don't want some? It can’t compete with what you can get at the café, but it's not bad."

"Since you're determined to be a good host, I'll have a cup. With cream and sugar, please. And don’t fill it to the brim. "

Kian chuckled. "I'm not going to wait on you. Get up and do it yourself."

"I can do that." Kalugal made his way to the coffee setup, and when he was done fixing his cup just the way he liked it, he took an obligatory sip. "It's good."

The coffee was decent, but Kalugal was so excited that Kian had a feeling dishwater would have tasted good to him.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “Back to your island. Three hundred miles isn't that far. It's the distance from here to Vegas. That's nothing."