It's been one week since Katiandra had that weird vision, since then she had tried all she could think about to tackle it to no avail. Throwing the pen she was holding in her hand far away from her she sighed softly too frustrated to care about her audience.
Standing abruptly she rounded her large marbles desk walking all the way to the puzzled bodyguard who was waiting her instructions for the day.
She had barely slept through the night, only one hour, combined with the others days of the previous week, it looked bad. Raphaelli could tell, it was completely affecting her way of thinking, she was too agitated. So much that he knew it was when being in that state that careful people could do many errors.
Standing still in front of him, she looked in his eyes for a moment before staring at the window breathing slowly like she was gathering her courage to say what she wanted to say, which again was unlike her.
This was new to the Queen who would not have had that problem with Norman for she knew, he knew what her relationship with Lorelei was about. Gathering her self-confidence she looked at him again determination oozing out of her straight gaze.
"I needed to make a call with a safe line soldier. I have to speak with the girls "
Straightening himself as he could understand now what all the fuss was about, Raphaelli said nothing admirative of the way she had hold it longer than standards humans beings would have done.
"Did you listen to what I said?"
"Yes my Queen. That can be arranged but only for-"
Almost unnerved by his unresponsive behavior and slow answer, she sharpened her stare breathed out then added in a commanding tone.
"Ten minutes. I need at least ten minutes."
Awared it was her emotions talking for her in that very moment the slender soldier wondered how to respond to that version of the strongest woman her ever was grace to serve. She was being irrational while knowing they were still under scructiny of the king. He could understand though. That is why he chosed to have it straight in his answer meeting her wavering but still firm gaze.
"My Queen... That will not be possi..."
Shaking her head at his attempt to respond she firmly put her hand up making him stopped whatever he wanted to say that did not meet her needs. She could feel a headache building at the back of her head which was not a good thing. It had been ages since she had one of those.
"I DO NOT Care! I need them to make that phone call! How come it is impossible?" Acting like a brat had never been the Queen way but feeling cornered could do that to anyone, Raphaelli thought, understanding the woman who just cut him unceremoniously.
"My Queen, we are still under the king scrutiny. If you make THAT phone call. It could jeopardize all the efforts that was made. With all due respect Ma'am."
Staring at him by the way he said 'THAT' the Queen understood he knew. Seeing no sign of negativity in his eyes, not that she cared, but nonetheless nodded showing him she knew he was in tune with her. Leaning her head to the side trying to soothe the raising pain in her head, she waited for something, anything he could do to make it happen.
"My Queen - we - could have a safe call. But, at the borders of the land, only three minutes could do. I will have to escort you all the wait to Caliga for that."
Shaking her head at the improbability of that plan, Katiandra just looked at him understanding he could do it but, the police control was too heavy on that road for her to make it there without the king men aware of her whereabouts.
Almost closing his eyes to not see how down the new was making her look the man thought hard then looked at her with some light in his eyes.
"What could be done otherwise is to contact Norman there to pass your message Ma'am. They will understand."
"Will they? I need to know what is going on there."
"With professor Kamali there they are certainly doing well. She certainly does."
Taking him in for a moment she nodded feeling less agitated than before, it was really a way lifter to have someone that could understand what was going on in her head. Even if they were discussing it in veiled words.
"Then contact Norman. I want a complete briefing of what is going on there. If we can have a better opening to call them later. Do not forget to tell me soldier. You can go."
Two days later, Raphaelli came back from his mission happy he could be of use, entering the Queen office as the elevator doors opened he was met with the woman hopefully staring at him. But still holding that aura of authority that make anyone believe that it was them making her a favor.
"My Queen here is the work you wanted me to do. All done and set as you wished." Placing them on her desk he moved back waiting what was to come.
Leaving the work she was doing, the Queen stood graciously taking the files with her as she walked to the window, where, standing straight she opened them one by one scanning the contain meticulously.
A note from Norman was linked to it with only numbers and useless poetry she knew how to decipher. It was faxed form the USA, but her man had to go get it from a small office on the other side of Porys borders specifically at Caliga where no traces could be left.
Raphaelli waited patiently to be addressed as Norman had recommended him to do when they last spoke.
"Do as she wants it to be done. Perfection is what you should always aim for with her. Then only will she trust you." Had he said when their conversation came to him doing nothing around but stand all days or do useless things.
"Good." Looking up at the sound of her voice he straightened his eyes in her demanding cold ones. Since her girls departure she had been like a hard version of what anyone had ever seen before of her.
It did not disturb her, she believed it gave her more space to know who she could trust. Her son's? She loved them but they were still men under her husband influence. They were trusting him too much for theirs own sake. Here she was left with that one side relationship, to give and wait nothing in return of them or anyone else for that matter.
All she had that was hers was far away from her and yes she still had her say to change the game and makes it stays in her favor. At least she was sure it was not a dream she had but a vision, because Lorelei really needed money to pay that new project of hers. To say she was happy was an understatement. Moreover she was proud of Alicia and Kayley keeping Lorelei on check. It was clear she could not invest the money she had in her work.
She really was proud of her lover, and was not about to leave that woman or anyone else come in the equation to blurr it. Freedom was an illusion if you depend of someone pocket, she had learned than earlier own and blessed the Lord for her position of authority. She had promised Lorelei to give her everything and anything she wanted to be free, she was not about to let her beg it from strangers.
There was no mention of another woman but being who she was, she knew if the money issue was proved right, another woman coming in could be too or was but Norman had found it irrelevant to mention it. Either way she was not about to be lenient whit her own fate.
Folding the files she placed them neatly on her desk before meeting her bodyguard eyes determination in hers. With a straight mind she took him in minding Norman words in his favor then beckoning him she headed toward him.
"Follow me." Walking then to the elevator as she passed him after saying those curt words, she waited for him to enter before pressing the button indicating the nothingness of the museum on the side, which mean the down places of the museum where no one ever go.
They journeyed there in a complete silence, at some point the lights started shining more then the door after a long beeping sound, opened. They entered an alley that went as long as they still walked, almost two kilometers then halted infront of a closed door. After moving something from the side of it, a screen appeared she lowered herself placing her eyes on it then the palm of her hand. With a beeping sound it slided to the left opening.
Tapping on some keys on the board she showed it to him, a hand was seen on it, taking the hint he placed the palm of his hand on it with all due respect, feeling it was a step towards her accepting him. Whatever Norman had wrote in the files was working for sure. He silently addressed the man his thanks.
"Accepted" Was wrote on the board seconds after. Looking his way she met his eyes like she was trying to anchor herself on his soul, this one was so hard it gave him chills by how void of any form of emotion her eyes were.
He knew she intended to show him a side of her he should always remember before even thinking of betraying her trust, it works though he knew his soul was certainly scared for the rest of its stay in this world. The woman could not be just as they were all, humans by how inhumane she looked before him.
The way he swallowed hard showed the Queen that it worked perfectly, the apple on his throat was moved twice, satisfied by that unconscious answer he unwillingly gave her, she turned her back to him moving in the room, this time pushing another door open.
Breathing out with relief, Raphaelli felt his heart beating heretically for no reason it was like he just had a gun pointed on his head or better a Damocles sword above his head menacingly taunting to pierce his head in two.
Whatever was in the room had to be something of great importance he thought following her his eyes on her back. The view he had when he looked up confirmed it at the insane amount of gold that was shining so much he felt like he could become blind by the amount it was.
Standing at the entry she looked at the treasure she had accumulated for decades, then at him before totally going in beckoning him to follow her with her hand.
"Do come in dear. I want it all gone by the end of this week. I cannot have anyone knowing it exists. I need it to be trade with something that has as much value. But first it form have to be change. Do you you have an idea of who can do it?"
In transe a bit longer than necessary, this was so huge that he was flabbergasted. The way she went from keeping him at arms length to this level of trust just had him off for a moment. His eyes going up and down, he took the height of the lines of gold packs. Pondering he took in the square shaped gold where the royal design was marked on.
He knew cautiousness was really the only thing that was to keep his awareness up in this operation. It was not as going in places around the kingdom as his previous missions, to avoid being heard by the the king security, since they were controlling communication on all the territory .
They have been applying grastical measures lately like they wanted to prevent the Queen to interact with the external world. But as smart as she was she had seen it coming, agent Karis only confirmed it, giving them pointers to see were to look.
As far as it came he was always efficient, others times he would said he knew nothing. A real help he was, the child knew to not mess with the Queen. In fact she knew he was completely a fan of hers, Which mean an unconditional loyalty.
The reason of this new phase with gold was clear for Raphaelli, she was tasting the last layers of his own loyalty. Getting caught with this he knew, was death without involving the Queen in any way.
Getting out of his daydream he found her patient gaze on him leaving him all the time to digest all the flood of informations thrown his way. In this Katiandra patience ran deeper. She knew to not frustrated him after Norman code of trust she could only indulged.
He had indeed accomplished all she had requested from him, from the dirtiest to the farthest, sometimes for nothing but to see how far he could go. Never had he disrupt her untill he was done.
At the way he shook his head to clear his mind that certainly was shining more with all the gold around them, he nodded making her see the lights of hope. He was her man of trust left around. There was no way out here.
"I know someone who could do it in a short notice. We just have to get it all out of..."
"The access I granted you allow you to have access to all the doors down here, mostly to open the entry by the end of the hallway we took to come here. You just walk straight to the end, there you will find a caddy card. You will have to transport it all from her to there. The underground tunnel after the entrance gives to a township a little East. Norman kept it safe for an eventual escape. Play it by the book and everything will be alright."
"Yes my Queen."
"I hope that person is someone trustworthy?"
"It is my Papa my Queen. He had done it since forever. His warehouse is connected to the house. There will be no problem"
Not showing the surprise that took hold of her, when hearing the information that make all the difference, she almost heard Lorelei voice telling her
"There are no coincidences. There are only signs to show you the universe has your back. One who follows the signs will never get off track"
Nodding both at the reminder of her lover voice and at the man, she pointed at all the gold.
"There are ten thousand packages of twenty barrels of gold here. He needs to forge them in light forms. No one need to know where it comes from. Make him keep none of it. I do not have to remind you it is a death sentence if someone see him with it. You can keep ten pack of twenty for your family. Have it all done separately though..trade it with the rest if you want money or anything else. Do whatever but have it all gone. But use it wisely. Have you understood it all or should I repeat myself?"
Hiding his surprise at the generous gift that came with the work, he refrained to jump knowing this was not a joke.
"I will do as instructed my Queen..consider it done."
"Good. You will just warn whomever you trade it with, to pay it all in the USA. I want nothing here. Norman will reception it all. No bank transactions. Since you know how to get in touch with him talk about the details. As soon as the deal will be done come to see me. From now, you make sure to keep your uniform as it was before we entered this room. Details are important."
Without a glance around she turned her back to the gold mountain heading toward the door where she stopped at the doorway not looking back.
"From now on you are assigned to my office. Every single days. From there it will be easy access to your work here. If someone ask you why? You tell them to mind their own businesses or come see me."
That said she was gone leaving him alone seriously brainstorming for his next move. Despite it though, a smile formed on his lips while he lifted up gold bars in his hands.
""I am rich!! Yeah, yeahhh!! Goood, WOW so goood!" Looking around he shook his head breathing out. " First we need to finish with this task properly. THEN... Comfort. Yeas!!!"
Admonishing himself he placed the treasure on its place, the Zurrow kingdom sign on it making him calm down. Closing his eyes he regained control, setting himself in a work mode, this was a dangerous mission.
Pointing his index to the shining gold he braced himself ready. Removing his uniform and the shirt he wore inside, he placed it neatly on the only table in the room remembering her comments about details, he stayed with a black undershirt. Wondering about his trousers, he chosed to first see where he was going before removing it.
Being one of the best qualified him to manage it clean. He did not believe in luck. No. He knew the stars were with him. The cue was his father work. He could and will do it without a stretch out. The new mean less stress.
Walking out of the room, he made sure to close it behind him. Walking in the direction the Queen instructed, untill he reached the end where the small caddy car like the one used for golf was parked, seeing it he smiled thanking Norman.
Now he understood the man frequency of all day of work in the Queen's office. To say some of them thought he was performing another kind of services behind closed doors seemed stupid now.
After driving it farther through the lightened corridor, he could see nothing of the outside. he finally arrived at the end of the tunnel after at least ten minutes. The heat was a killer, thankful he had removed his uniform before he breathed out getting out of the small car, he had to walk around it to access the door.
Pushing it he realized he had to use his access on the screen board that lightened at the contact. Doing that, the door opened to a place that looked like a small parking lot. Mostly a grange, a rundown car was parked there. The kind used by the people of the township. Moving the cady inside of the Grange he stayed inside for a moment just taking in his surrounding.
Exiting the cady, he walked around the car, admiring the inside that was completely new. The external part was a scam. It was clearly a shining new car. Looking up he could hear noice coming from afar. His eyes roamed the room falling on a part of the wall that had some holes leaving the light of the day entered in the place. The opening gave him the view of a grassy area out.
Wondering how it was possible given the museum was built on a death end, near the sea, in a no man's land. He looked at his GPS on his army wristband just to see that he was on the other part of the sea. That's when he understood the tunnel was certainly going all the way down the sea, hidden in the rock. How it was possible he prefered to leave it to whomever thought to make it happen.
Taking a sight of the view out of the house he was in again, he could see that it seemed to be giving to an old road behind a huge and long warehouse.
Walking towards the not so surprisely solids doors that was the entry, he opened it with his pass, attentive to not be seen from the outside. This place he understood was linked to the museum security. No one could enter it without they knew. Looking on all sides, he could see how clean the area was. The noice he heard earlier came from an old fabric whose back wall was facing the old place he was in, surrounding it from the exterior view.
The house could pass for an old farm house running all over the left of the stony mountain the sea waves slamming on its roots down. It gave a little view of the museum from afar. One have to climb a little up to have a good view of the imposant building.
The passage was made in a way that made even the thought of it unthinkable. While looking at the moving water down, an ingenuous plan started forming in Raphaelli head. Since Sloan his best friend and comrade back when he was there, was not there, he really had to do it alone. He was with his brother Norman, the only ones he could trust with his life. This mean no other way.
Looking around he walked back in the house locking it behind him. He knew the side of the town he was in, another shot of luck, it would not be difficult to move all the gold.
The car was really a plus here. It would mingled just fine in the poor surroundings of the market, raising no suspicions. If only he could take the said engine through the tunnel, rather than doing it with the caddy, taking in the space of the tunnel he walked around the car analysing all the angles.
He pushed the side rearview mirror inside then studied it with his hands on his waist. Shaking his head, he opened the engine, searching the keys where they always put it in the service, they were in the safe place under the passenger seat, inserted in the root of the seat belt. Breathing out he put them in the ignition in no time the motor came to life.
"Thanks you goodness."
After verifying the level of fuel, he wandered his gaze around before sighing as soon as he saw what he was searching, there in the last corner, a typical Porys bucket that was closed from the outside was placed certainly containing the substance. That one he knew for it was the same used at the palace, even though no name were written on it.
Jumping out of the car his legs moving him around it he pulled the caddy nearer his mind brainstorming on his next move. This car was made to transport people and things of different nature.
All for the sake of following his guts, he put the car in reverse, attentive to pull it on the right track to enter the tunnel as big as the car, millimeters away.
Satisfied when it worked he alined it with the caddy hocking it with one of the big elastics strong bands in the back of the car. The fact that it was made to support all the weight in the village market made it easier. Shaking it to see if it would move, it did not, it was solid. Satisfied he nodded at the car.
Straddling it all since there were no space left to re-enter the car, he pushed up with his feet jumping in the back of the car then worked his way to the front seat. After making sure he was safely seated, he removed the brake and started moving very slowly for the beginning to not have the weight of the car shaking the tunnel that certainly was older than he could think of.
Knowing he had no way to look behind him on the side rearview he had closed, he had to keep his head turned to monitor it himself on the sides, being a good driver, the best of his category of risky escapes, he was confident he could make it to the end. All his life had led him to this moment. Of that he was more than sure.
Waiting the moment he would arrived on the straight line he stayed like that his eyes never leaving the back view. Throught the multiple turning point he finally managed to arrive not far from the site of the museum on an actual straight line. Moving his neck from side to side to alleviate the cramps he felt, he breathed out feeling his body boiling with the high temperature.
Pulling his eyes up on the rearview, he pressed the brake going faster not wavering from the straight line, until he finally had to stop the car not far from the room containing the gold. Happy it worked he looked up thanking God for the end of part one.