Chapter 21

Finally able to get his emotions to adequately reflect his desired outward appearance, Amnon Saxe made his way back to his office.  He was relieved to see Keetha back at her desk and working diligently as if it were any other ordinary day.  Her back was turned to him as she entered something into her reporting device.  Amnon desired to protect her from the coming storm, but had to admit that she was likely stronger than he was to withstand the winds and debris that would surely be hurled at them.  He had declared his love to her a long time ago, but it was not until this moment that he understood what those words meant.  In an instant he heart was bonded to hers, not as lovers but as teammates, as a unit, to fight any trials as one.  He was for her and he was confident she was for him.

“Miss Catha, could I see you in my office?” Amnon said.

Keetha turned to face him and her look of delight fell away when she saw his eyes.  Without a word, she grabbed her device, pushed back her chair, and followed Amnon into his office.  Amnon closed his door.  He needed to proceed with caution becasue, though he’d never found if this was true, he and everyone who worked in the building knew, that all rooms and hallways were fully equipped with survailence, recording, and reporting technology.  Whatever was said anywhere in today he building had the possibility of making it to Chieftan Dol’s attention.

Even if the suspicions turned out to be false, the precautions would not be a wasted effort.

“How are your projects going?” he asked as he strode to his desk and pulled out a scrap datasheet.

“At the moment, the highest issue is with the preparations for Lillian’s transfer to and from the courthouse,” Keetha said.  “I just sent down the planned travel route, and I’m awaiting any concerns from the security detail of weak points should someone want to make a name for themself.”

After snatching a short message on the datasheet, Amnon passed it to Keetha.  “Good.  Let me know the moment you hear back from security.”  Keetha unfolded the note and read what it said.  Her eyes widened and she took in a deep breath.  The note read, “THE GOLDS ARE HERE.  WHAT DO WE DO?”  Keetha looked back at Amnon, who continued his thought while nodding at the obvious, “Are you serious?” question on her face.  “I don’t want anything slowing the proceedings from taking place.  

But I asked you here to discuss a different matter.  I was just down in the interrogation area and on my way back here, I had a thought.  If I remember correctly, all of those rooms are directly above the route to the loading are for the Princess’ transfer.”

“I believe so, yes,” Keetha said.

Amnon sat on the edge of his desk.  Let’s pretend there was an interrogation happening at the same time the Lillian was being moved into position.  Is it within the realm of possiblity, that someone could try to get arrested and placed in one of the interrogaiton rooms with the express purpose to somehow thwart the smooth transfer of the prisoner?”

Keetha’s eyes narrowed.  She knew Amnon was talking about the Golds but was not yet seeing where he was heading with his point.  “I think you’ll need to describe the picture with a little more detail, sir.” Keetha said slowly.

“Yes,” Amnon said and paced the room for a moment before saying, “I guess, I mean I doubt that anything would or could happen, but we all know that criminals look for possibilities where normal people see none.  I guess the simplest thing, would be to remove everyone from the interrogation level during such transfers.  But the question is to where?

Keetha’s face showed she understood.

“Questioning would still need to happen, but not there.  We don’t need simple procedures to get in the way of our larger objectives.  Is that clearer?”

Keetha nodded.  “I think so, sir.  You want, essentially, you want to know of an alternate interrogation site.  I can – “

“You know, now that I’m thinking out loud… Well, do you know of a place?  Does something come to mind?”

Keetha thought for a second.  “I mean, I agree with you that the interrogation would need to continue.  It would be the only right thing to do not to bog down the removal of criminals from the streets.  We should, at no time, we should not let the criminals set the prison’s agenda.  There is a very good plan in place here and even in the case of special events, that plan should continue to move forward.”

Amnon’s heart was moving closer and closer to his assistant with every word.  It was clear to him that she used “criminal” to mean Dol and his intentions and “plan” to mean their plan to remove him from power.

“Agreed,” Amnon said, “but what I’m not thinking of is the place to move them.  As far as I’m concerned we could clear the interrogation rooms now and not use them at all until after the execution.”

“That would simplify things for sure,” Keetha said.  “If we know a change is needed, we shouldn’t hesitate to make it.”  Keetha pulled something up in her device.  “I’ll need to look maybe a bit further, but I would think – Yes,” something on her device confirmed her suspicions, “there is the, do you remember the transport maintenance facility on the outskirts?”

Amnon’s face wrinkled as he tried to picture what she meant.  Then, he thought he knew, “Do you mean the, you mean that hut just beyond the Commerce Sector?”

“Yes,” Keetha nodded.  “It’s been decommissioned for ages at this point.  It’s very much out of the way and would be easy enough to secure from adversaries to the cause.”  Keetha showed Amnon her device.  The location of the building was perfect even if the building looked less than optimal.  Upon seeing the building, he remembered why it had been decommissioned.  Not only had it grown too small for the current transport fleet’s needs, but the cost to repair it would be a waste compared to building a new maintenance facility that was upgraded to current specifications.

Amnon looked into Keetha’s eyes to see if she really thought this was the best place to house the Gold’s until another plan could be employed to get them out of the government’s control.  She nodded and gave him the briefest of encouraging grins.

“Done,” he said.  “Take everyone in an interrogation room now and anyone awaiting processing.  I suppose while we’re at it, let’s move anyone on the schedule for the next, ah, let’s say, I think we should have the Princess tried and executed within fourteen days.  So, check the schedule, pull everyone on the schedule for fourteen days to the facility.  And then any new people will go there instead of here.”

“Got it.  I’ll have everyone cleared and transferred by the end of the day.”  Keetha beamed at Amnon.  It was really going to happen.

“See that you do.  The saftey and security of our way of life hinges on what happens to the, to Lillian.” Amnon said.

Keetha turned on her heels and exited the office.

Amnon watched her shut the door and he was again alone with his thoughts.  Though he knew that he was not really alone.  The office was still active with Dol-issued recording devices and anything he did or said now could still tip someone off to what Keetha and he had been saying.  He looked at all of the creature comforts of his office.  He knew his father would have been proud of his son’s success, but he wouldn’t be proud of what the success served.  Now, Amnon’s life was on a new course.  The Golds were on Merlain.  The Golds were on Merlain.  He didn’t think it was possible.  Of course he didn’t know there were two of them.  That changed things considerably.  It was one thing to keep one person under wraps, but two?  And the look on her face said that she was not ready for whatever was coming her way.

It didn’t matter.  The Golds were here.  Lillian looked increasingly credible.  Like she knew how everything was going to turn out.  Amnon reminded himself of Keetha’s advice to let the situation come to him.  He couldn’t do anything to make the future arrive any faster.  Just do the next right thing, and see where that took him.

Amnon sat at his desk and pulled out his reporting device.  Now, he turned his attention to the real deception: putting all of his efforts into providing a secure and convincing show trial that would meet Chieftan Dol’s approval and would not raise Saw Yatha’s suspicions, and getting the execution facility up to Dol’s wishes for all of the realms to see what happens to those who oppose him.

Just do the next right thing, Amnon told himself.  Do the next right thing and if the Princess was right Dol would get a front-row seat to his opposition and there would not be much he could do to stop it.