Tridas (12 page)

Returning to the Government House, Aven noted the
body language between the Colonel and the Captain, as he observed the
interrogation.

"The two men don't know each other. They are
working together, because each one has something to gain for the resources they
bring to this arrangement”. Aven expressed during the subsequent brief.
"Neither of them is pulling the strings either, I believe that is the role
of our super-powered monk
acquaintance”.
Aven continued gesturing to
Hoyt. "I recommend we, inadvertently leave a phone in Vasily's vicinity.
Delay the network feed by a few minutes and see what our tech-boy decides to
search".

"Leave them alone together?" Hoyt
questioned.

"No separate them. The movement will sell
the accidental presence of the device. Leave one for Suttikul as well... what
could it hurt? May be interesting to see whom he reaches out to as well".

There was a scuffle in the transferring of the
two captives. Vasily lunged at one of the smaller guards, hurling both of them
to the ground. The drive down was hard and continued in a short lived tussle.
The others took the opportunity to move the Colonel to an alternate location.
The smaller guard rolled free as he bashed the still bound Captain into the
corner wall. The guard stood, his cracked phone lying in the corner. He waved
his hand in the air as a gesture of victory, turned and exited the room...
mission accomplished.

Laying on the ground, "licking his
wounds" and verifying whether the blow to the head was actually going to
knock him out, Vasily noticed the phone. Sitting up and turning to face the
corner, he grabbed the phone and powered it up.

 "Ubitsya broom!"

Nothing on the screen, but opening
the back and making a few adjustments, Vasily had the phone operational. He
acted as though he was resting his head in the nest of the corner, as he
worked, supposing this to be a believable shield should the room be wired with
cameras. He logged into what appeared to be a random.ru site and entered a pass
code. No one watching the feed was a true expert in Russian, but the next
screen was clearly a launch sequence display requesting target plots on a
global map.

"Let's see what coordinates he
keys in. How long is the delay to the actual network?" Command requested.

"2 minutes" came the
reply, "Long enough we can stop him, but short enough as not to raise his
suspicion".

Vasily filled the first box, and the
map outline on screen went dark. He filled the second and a halo formed around
South America. Aven watched Vasily's slight motions compared to the changes on
the screen.

"His body appears to be
twitching at the same time the feed is filling the launch boxes. Did we account
for the damage done to the device and Vasily's work around to power up the phone?"
Aven demanded an answer.

"Sir, Mr. Antipater is correct
the feed is live, no delay!" The tech affirmed.

"Cut the hard line NOW!"
ordered the Commander.

Vasily's screen froze. His shielded
body movements became more exaggerated. Frustrated, he slammed the phone
against the wall.

"Will we be able to retrieve
any further info entered by Vasily?" asked the commander, seeing the
damaged phone bounce off the wall.

"Unlikely, Sir”.

"Forward the South American
intel onto Langley, then”. The Commander requested disappointedly.

"Already on it, Sir”.

Aven found the new intel disturbing.
Although, he knew many of the pieces of this puzzle were missing, he felt like
this piece was outside the border of the image that had started to materialize
from the pieces already in place.

Another two days passed before the
Colonel found and attempted to use his planted phone. Suttikul dialed out to a
local number, describing his captivity and the current ruse functioning within
the Government House. The Commander had brainstormed prior with the team, and
they had all agreed that they had, "worn out their welcome" at the GH
(their nickname for their present digs) and any open communication the Colonel
may have while giving up their position could prove valuable in him divulging
further info updating his trusted contacts. Their gamble paid off. His next
call was in Khmer, the official language of Cambodia. The translation software
revealed his ally was in route to Italy, to remove any obstructions impeding
their progress.

Hoyt looked across the room towards
Aven. The two had become close in their short time together and Aven had
expressed his desire to reconnect with his girlfriend in Italy. Hoyt was
beginning to believe less and less in pure coincidence. "Our super-powered
monk friend?"

"For sure" Aven replied,
excusing himself to make a phone call.

328 B.C.

A year had passed since Antipater's
victory and he had not competed since. His name had faded in the minds of the
people, but his status with the Consulship was in good standing. Nearchus had
sailed Alexander north on a campaign to Samarkand, far from the Italian coast.
Antipater remained abreast of Alexander's exploits via Calvinus, but the
likelihood of him posing a threat to their safety seemed a remote possibility.

Kavani and Antipater now spent much
of their time in their home south on the Amalfi Coast. The memory of their
first Italian beach escapade, had always been a draw. The nutrients from the
aged volcanic soil grew robust, fragrant grapes. Their vineyard had become the
envy of the other providences. They parted with some of their grapes in trade,
but Aven's winemaking technique made all the imitators pale in comparison. Some
even described the effects of the wine as enchanting. There was truth in the
statement. The "potion" captivated its user.

The bastion nestled in the cliffs
and overlooking that original, private beach was Kavani's masterpiece. A hobble
of a fort that under her guidance and master builders' skills had been
transformed into a stronghold of beauty. Incorporating details from Rhodes and
displaying her personal style, their home reminded Antipater of his Love,
everywhere he gazed. Kavani had also grown in her knowledge of the supernatural
as well as her ability to direct it. Encompassing Greek, Egyptian, Celtic,
Persian and Roman arts, the secrets she understood gave her energy with a pull
that attracted everyone. Eager for knowledge to carry out the role fate had implemented
into their destinies, Kavani's power overshadowed Antipater. He was happy to be
her lesser, and she was satisfied to be held strongly in his arms. They were in
their prime.

The public bathes in the Neapolitan
cities had become very popular. The exuberance of the gods rested with these
cities. Playfulness saturated the mood and filled the streets with music,
dance, and exhibition. Artists and philosophers flocked to the lighthearted
communities. The provocative ruled over the cautious, as qualms became
old-fashioned. Avant-garde in convention, but traditional at their souls,
Kavani and Antipater often chose private over public. Modeling the public
pools, Kavani had installed a series of bathes in a waterfall-like design the
height of the cliff from their home to their beach. Kavani was relaxing in one
in the cool of the Mediterranean breeze.

"Can I join you? I have a skin
of wine." Antipater asked as he scaled the cliff to her location wearing
absolutely nothing.

"The wine is not necessary to
sweeten the deal. You are all I want”. Kavani's quiet response, still echoing
to the waves below, "But the thought is much appreciated. You know just
what I need”.

A couple of sips of wine and the
drink was abandoned, as they entangled under the warm water. Their desire for
each other, further heated the pool. Kavani arched her back to run her long
dark locks under the waterfall cascading between the bathes. The silhouette of
her breasts elevated and protruding in the cool of the evening air made
Antipater even harder. The moonlight reflecting on her bare skin and casting
erotic shadows along the cliff walls, gave their sensual play an even larger
stage. They would be leaving for a short trip to Rome tomorrow. The nights
before their travels were always special.

Antipater's meetings with Calvinus
and the ruling counsel had piqued Kavani's interest in law. Her elevated
position in Rhodes paired with the recent years of travel exposing her to the
more common of life, gave her a unique perspective on how law affected the
entire population. Her insight, more than once, triggered new thought patterns
for Antipater, that in turned influenced decisions for the whole of the Roman
territories. The Greeks had actually originated the idea of democracy, but the
Romans seemed to be the current proponents of the practice. Drawing from this
background, Antipater's thoughts regarding execution of change impressed the
other Statesmen. Combined with Kavani's idea to initiate a petition process for
the common people, providing a platform for all to speak, the two were on track
to change the world.

Rome was a beautiful city, but the
underlying military presence was daunting for Kavani. Antipater never noticed,
it was a commonplace to his warrior fiber. The Kingdom of Etruria had just been
annexed and Antipater had been invited to Rome to discuss the annexation of his
new homeland Campania. There had been little conflict amongst the providences
for years. The protection of Rome seemed to be a help for all of Campania, as
the early alert from Naples of attackers from the south, would be strategically
advantageous for Rome. For the most part, there would be little change to the
regions themselves, the cities would simply be unified rather than independent.
The annexation settlement was completed and the governor of Etruria requested a
sampling of Antipater's coveted wine as spoils for any unforeseen concessions.

"If it is wine you seek, a
vacation to the South is in your future”. Antipater stated in laughter.

"My vintners fancy your wine,
but may consider it betrayal that I walk in your vineyards”. The Governor spoke
equally jovial.

"We are now one. There can be
no duplicity amongst equals”. Antipater persisted. The banter continued, as
others added to the merry mood, commemorating their solidarity.

That evening, as Antipater replayed
the discussions for Kavani, she interrupted during the news of Etruria. "I've
heard much of the city of Volterra, in northern Etruria. The theatre attracts
the greatest actors from across the world. It is a spectacle. There is none
grandeur! We must travel there to enjoy the entertainment and observe their
sites and the cathedrals of Pisa as well. The towers are said to evoke a
different perspective”. An opportunity to expand her knowledge was a compulsion
for Kavani. A craving Antipater obsessed to satisfy. Antipater continued to
describe the humorous concluding remarks. They both broke into laughter,
realizing in retelling the event, that it wasn't actually funny.

They spent a month touring the
"Kingdom" of Etruria, which was now simply a region of Rome, but
Kavani preferred referring to it as such. They had taken in much and made new
friends. Every culture has knowledge, unique to its people. Kavani had become
an expert at seeing what so many others miss. One of the newly appointed
officials had even given them a gift - a golden statue in the form of a wolf. Seems
not everyone had forgotten the feats of the Grand Champion of Rome.

Calvinus greeted the couple as they
entered his outer courtyard, "How was your time to the north?"

"The people are gracious.
Artisans of all kinds of works, and the rolling lands are a palette of greens
accented with red wild flowers. The lakes nestled in the valleys, and the
sun-bronzed villas on the hilltops”. Kavani gushed over the experience.

"The area is promising for
vineyards”, Antipater added. "The leather workers and town artists
appeared unequalled in their skills”.

"A fine acquisition
indeed!" Calvinus responded proud of his role to annex the region.
"News from another region has reached my ears as well”. He continued,
completely changing the subject. "Alexander has killed Cleitus the Black
at Samarkand”. It was a pointed fact to reveal and he was curious to watch
Antipater's reaction.

Caught a bit by surprise, Antipater
questioned back, "Is this distant act of concern to Rome?"

"Alexander's actions grow more
unpredictable with age." Calvinus explained. "Cleitus had saved
Alexander's life at the Battle of the Granicus, and now in a drunken quarrel he
takes his life? Alexander seems to be steadily killing off those in leadership
under his father King Philip”.

"A threat to his power, he
cannot let stand, I imagine is the thought of a God”. Antipater replied with
some amount of jest.

"The text reports Cleitus
questioned his legitimacy as king and further stated Alexander's
accomplishments were those of his father and not of his own accord. Alexander
called for his guards, but they were afraid to intervene amongst friends. The
conflict ended with a javelin through Cleitus' heart”.