Synarchy Book 2: The Ascension (13 page)

Anger clouded his dark gray eyes. “How
did you get my password?”

“
You’re not answering my
question. This is bullshit. If the Brotherhood are the puppet
masters controlling the world, we should be working
with
them, not against
them.”

“
Olivia, calm down. I don’t
know what you think you read in that letter, or those classified
files that are way above your security clearance, but there are
forces at play here you know nothing about.”

Her chin setting stubbornly, she sat
down in the chair in front of his desk. “Enlighten me.”

Matteo frowned and took off his
glasses. “I’m not bringing you into this. This is need-to-know
information and you are not at this time, meant to know. If
Marcello chooses to widen the circle, then you’ll be informed. But
until then, you will forget you ever saw those files.”

“
It’s the wrong play, Dad.
He’s going to end up burning our empire to the ground.”

“
That is not your decision
to make. And the elders of this family don’t agree with you.”
Matteo’s voice hardened. “You will do it, Olivia.”

“
No, I won’t,” Olivia
snapped. “I’m not some mindless robot. This is my family, too. We
should have a say—”

“
Enough!” Matteo shot up out
of his chair, pointing his finger down at her. “You are my
daughter. Your loyalties lie with me and to whatever end game this
family chooses to take. You will not disrespect me and shoot your
stubborn fucking mouth off. Am I clear?”

Olivia clenched her fingers together to
keep from pulling out the short strands of her bleached white hair.
She remained silent, because she didn’t trust her voice.

“
I’m not kidding, Olivia.
Don’t test me on this. You will forget you ever saw those files and
go about your fucking business. Cross me, and you can forget a
future in SVT Securities. The highest rank you’ll get will be
Director of Housekeeping for the hotel chain.”

Olivia surged to her feet, glaring at
her father. “I’m not a child. You will not treat me this
way.”

“
No, what you are is a
spoiled brat with selfish ambition.” Their gazes collided. “The
moves this family makes now will impact the future of the world.
It’s bigger than us, and Marcello is making the right choices.
Accept it, or lie to yourself, I don’t care. But keep your fucking
mouth shut. Capisce?”

Olivia held her fists at her sides, but
the furious set to her father’s face prevented her from arguing
further. The stupid, stubborn old man wouldn’t budge.
“Fine.”

Matteo’s eyes narrowed. “You know what,
Olivia, I’m your father and you’re going to afford me some of the
respect I deserve that I rarely ask for. Say yes sir, and then get
out of my office.”

It took a moment, but Olivia tempered
down her own anger enough that she could respond. “Yes, father.”
Without another word, she turned around and walked out.

§

May 22, 2000 - 10:44 PM

Alcyone Island

Former Shipping Warehouse

“
I’m not just going to take
this. This is bullshit.” Olivia paced, agitated.

“
I agree with you, Olivia,
but I’m not sure what we can do about it.” Amadeo stood with his
back pressed against the wall of the old warehouse, his arms folded
over his uniformed chest.

One of the heavy doors slide open, and
Dominic stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him. “Did
you talk to Matteo?” he asked Olivia.

“
Yes, and it was pointless.
He’s a fucking slave to Marcello’s whims.” Olivia released a
frustrated noise that echoed through the stale air. “He told me to
forget about it and keep my mouth shut, or I’ll get
demoted.”

“
That’s unfortunate.”
Dominic pressed his fingers against his chin. “You know, you would
both be in positions very valuable to the Brotherhood if you were
to take your fathers’ places.”

Amadeo snorted. “As much as we would
love that, Dominic, our fathers aren’t going to hand over the reins
anytime soon.”

“
They’re both fucking
useless.” Olivia waved a hand. “Dominic is right. We’ve got to find
a way to muscle them out.”

“
Or make them disappear.”
Dominic offered, almost nonchalantly.

Olivia stopped pacing, turning to stare
at Dominic. “Are you saying that we should kill our
fathers?”

Dominic shrugged. “I didn’t say
anything. But a move like that would certainly put you on the
Brotherhood’s radar. And I have a few contacts inside that I’d feel
comfortable approaching, should it happen.”

Amadeo frowned. “How the hell could we
possibly get away with that?”

Olivia was silent, because she was
thinking. “Car bomb. They go to brunch together every Sunday. We
could do it then. They’d never check for it, not on their own
island.”

Dominic said nothing, simply stood
there a silent observer.

Amadeo raised a brow at Olivia. “You’re
serious.”

Olivia hesitated, her brows pinching
together. The arrogant echo of her father’s voice, threatening her
future, demanding her obedience, rang in her ears, suffocating any
emotion she might have felt. She nodded sharply. “You’re fucking
right, I am. We’ve got to do something, Amadeo, before it’s too
late.”

Amadeo was quiet for a short time,
studying her. Then, he looked at Dominic. “You can guarantee we’ll
be on the inside, if we pull this off?”

Dominic slowly smiled. “With 99%
certainty.”

§

June 1, 2000 - 10:01 AM

Alcyone Island

Empire Cruise Line
Headquarters

“
Shut the door, Olivia.”
Kayla sat behind her desk, watching the young woman walk forward.
“Sit down.” Kayla tipped her head towards the seat in front of her
desk.

Olivia was uncertain why Kayla,
Marcello’s daughter, and the likely heir to the empire once
Marcello passed on, had called for this meeting. Her ambition left
her with several likelihoods she would love to see come to pass,
but Olivia had no reason to think they would. Kayla was like her
father; usually alone in their big tall towers, leading the family
to its demise.

Kayla regarded Olivia in studious
silence for what felt like hours, but was probably only a minute or
two. When she could stand it no longer, Olivia broke the silence.
“What can I do for you, Kayla?”

“
You live up to the family
arrogance, thinking you can do something for me.” Kayla’s tone was
laced with faint amusement.

Olivia arched a perfectly plucked brow.
“Well then, what do you want?”

Kayla’s eyes were a pale gray that was
almost blue. They were similar to the color of Christopher’s eyes,
except there was nothing kind in Kayla’s. Christopher had very
expressive eyes. Kayla’s eyes, like her father’s, were a thick
steel slate. “I want to know how it felt to murder your own
father.”

Olivia’s heart sped up in her chest.
Her breath might have held for a second, but her face did not break
expression, save for the raise of her brow a little higher, with
false incredulity. “Excuse me?”

Kayla smiled, pressing her chin into
her palm, and set her elbow on the desktop. “Dominic tells me you
want in, but membership into the Brotherhood is a little more…
complicated than that. From now on, you and Amadeo will report to
me.”

Olivia went very still and kept her
expression carefully masked. Somehow, Marcello and Kayla had found
out about their plans; or they suspected, but weren’t sure, and
this was to lure her into a trap. She took the safe road. “I’m not
sure I know what you’re talking about, Kayla.”

“
Olivia, do you really
believe that the reason I suddenly popped into Marcello’s life was
because there was a hospital mix up the day of my
birth?”

No, Olivia thought, she didn’t. But she
was still wary of coming clean to Kayla. She would be stupid to
underestimate Marcello’s reach, even if she thought his leadership
skills were lacking. “Kayla, I don’t know anything about the
Brotherhood—”

“
Do you really think that
the Brotherhood would have allowed Terenzio to be left unchecked
all this time? If you want in, Olivia, it’s through me.”

Olivia studied her in brief silence.
“How do I know I can trust you?

“
You don’t. But if my
loyalties truly did lie with Marcello and I knew that you had
killed your father, we wouldn’t be having this conversation in my
office, would we?”

Olivia paused again, considering her
options. “Assume, for a moment, I do want into the Brotherhood.
What’s the next step?”

“
I’ll be in touch,” Kayla
said impassively. “Moving forward, neither you nor your cousin will
make a move without my permission. Chain of command is followed to
the letter in the Brotherhood, and it is not a democracy. Am I
making myself clear?”

“
Crystal.” Excitement began
to form in the pit of her stomach.

“
Good.” Kayla smiled; a
gesture that very rarely touched her eyes, except for those few
occasions that Marcello made her genuinely smile. “Thank you for
coming by.”

Tipping her head in the elder woman’s
direction, Olivia rose to her feet, briskly walking out of the
office. She kept her head lowered and her steps quickened down the
carpeted hallways, and to the elevator. Once the doors safely
enclosed her, she turned her back on the security camera, pulled
out her cell phone and sent Amadeo a text message.

We’re in.

§

September 29, 2001 - 2:22 PM

Alcyone Island

Dion Corporation
Headquarters

Marcello glanced over at the phone as
its shrill ring pulled him out of his thoughts. He wasn’t plotting.
He was remembering his wife. He pulled off his glasses, rubbed an
aged hand over his bearded face, and then snatched up the receiver.
“Yes?”

“
Sir, Nicholas is here to
see you.”

Marcello’s brows arched. “Send him up.”
He put the phone back in its cradle and tossed his glasses
carelessly onto the spotless surface of his desk. Moments later,
Nicholas came in.

Marcello rose from behind his desk,
coming around to embrace his cousin, who looked awful. Nicholas’
hair was mussed, as if he’d run his fingers through it too many
times, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a man who had
just lost his family, Marcello noted with sympathy, though, he
would never have expected Nicholas to come to him after such a
tragedy. He cupped a hand around the back of Nicholas neck,
studying his face. “How are you holding up?”

Nicholas gripped Marcello’s shoulders,
meeting the elder Terenzio’s eyes. “I’m a member of the
Brotherhood. I have been for eleven years.”

Marcello blinked. That was completely
new news to him. Nevertheless, he didn’t release his cousin. “Why
are you telling me this, Nicholas?”

“
Because I want them to
suffer for what they took from me.” Nicholas’s eyes shone wetly.
“They didn’t even warn me, Marcello.”

Marcello sighed heavily as Nicholas
began openly crying. They were angry, pain-filled tears. Marcello
pulled his cousin into his embrace again. “It’s all right Nicholas.
It’s all right. We’ll get them.”

§

November 11, 2006 - 11:11 PM

New Orleans, LA

Loyalty Airlines Airport

Matthew DeMarco slid into the back seat
of the waiting Sedan. “Sorry it took so long. Everything all
right?”

“
The ’70s were difficult.
The last thirty years have been interesting. I expect things will
be a lot more exciting for my grandchildren.” Marcello stopped
gazing out the window and looked over at Matthew. “The items my
father had delivered to yours; it’s time to take them
back.”

Matthew nodded. “There was only one
working model. The rest were files.”

“
Whose?”

“
Tesla, Marconi, and
Fulcanelli.”

“
The first two I’ve heard
of. Who was Fulcanelli?”

“
Some call him the Master
Alchemist. If you wanted to learn it, really learn it, he probably
wrote the most authoritative book that’s allowed to circulate the
masses.”

“
Interesting.” Marcello
clucked his tongue then looked back out the window. “No rush. I
just wanted to put it in motion.”

“
Of course.” Matthew studied
his friend. “How are you holding up these days? We haven’t spoken
much.”

“
I’ve spent the last ten
years trying to understand this ascension process, really
understand it. And I can see the allure of the connection.” A quiet
sadness filled Marcello’s eyes. “I miss my Mari very much. To know
that she’s out there, in some form, and I’m not good enough to
communicate with her is frustrating.”

“
It’s not a matter of good,
Marc,” Matthew interjected gently.

“
I know. Blocked, then. I
think it makes me miss her more. And not just her. Amanda. Joey.
Everyone else.”