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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a goat rope,\u201d Connor declared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, at least we all got out intact,\u201d Fox said. \u201cCan\u2019t say the same for the other guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
The men and woman of the Black Watch were gathered around a long oak conference table. Still dressed for war, their presence had caused a stir among the hotel staff. When the call came, they had simply thrown on their gear over their civilian clothing, grabbed their guns, and rushed for the SkyBear.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t an operational deployment. Not a direct action deployment, anyway. They had come to Riveria expecting a low-pro security mission, and had kitted themselves accordingly. But they were STS. They got the job done despite having the wrong gear. That, and Yuri Yamamoto was either farsighted or crazy enough to demand that the team be loaded for bear at all times. Or both.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe suspects are all down, the hostages are safe, and you restored order to chaos. That\u2019s a win in my book.\u201d<\/p>\n
The speaker was the sixth man in the room, Executive Assistant Director Roger Pearce. The STS nominally fell under the ambit of the Public Security Bureau, but everybody knew that the STS did its own thing with minimal PSB input. This mission was the exception.<\/p>\n
Pearce had flown in all the way from Babylon, accompanied by the Black Watch. The field office had reported a spike in Elect-on-Elect violence. Far too many Elect were killing each other in the streets and in front of too many witnesses for the politicians to brush aside. The mission was to sit down with representatives of the three factions and lay down the law.<\/p>\n
And if that didn\u2019t work, the Black Watch would step up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWill this affect our mission?\u201d Yamamoto asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will certainly prejudice the talks,\u201d Pearce replied. \u201cIncluding this episode, seven in ten cases of Elect violence in Riveria were started by the followers of the Court of Shadows. We need to know why.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTurf,\u201d Connor said. \u201cThey want turf. And with it, money, power and influence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sound confident about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up here,\u201d Connor said. \u201cI saw the Court of Shadows rise from a no-name cult to a virulent cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Lord and Lady of Shadows are recognized Powers,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
Connor flicked his hand dismissively. \u201cYeah, yeah, they\u2019re gods and all now, but they began as street scum and they haven\u2019t left the gutter. Time was, this city was divided between the Pantheon and the Liberated. Then the Court moved in and carved out a niche for themselves. That was almost twenty years ago. Now they\u2019re doing it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know that for sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw it happen before my eyes.\u201d Connor leaned forward. \u201cLook, the Court of Shadows specialize in ultraviolence. It\u2019s how they rose to power so fast, and how they managed to take one-third of the city away from the Pantheon and the Liberated. Their own doctrine makes it clear that they respect only strength and the will to power.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pearce bristled. \u201cWe still have to talk to them. We can still find a way to end this peacefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re dealing with the Pantheon or the Liberated, sure, I\u2019ll be right behind you. But we\u2019re dealing with the Court here. You can\u2019t reach them with words. Only guns.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have a problem with the Court?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVampires open their mouths only to lie or to bite.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be the judge of that,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
Connor had seen too many bureaucrats like Pearce. Having climbed a long way from the street, Pearce was in no hurry to go back down into the blood and the muck. Naturally, men like that were entrusted with making decisions that would affect the lives of those on the ground, in full confidence that no policy they dictated would touch their own careers, much less lives.<\/p>\n
Naturally, it was up to operators like the Black Watch to clean up after them.<\/p>\n
Fox, Mustafa and Wood, now dressed in generic black-and-white suits, stood guard in the hallway outside the main conference. Tan, Yamamoto and Connor waited in the room next door. The techie and the team leader stared at their laptops, studying the feed from the mini cameras they had planted in the conference room and the main hall. The Mastiff rested silently in a corner. Connor joined it in solitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeads up,\u201d Yamamoto whispered. \u201cPrincipals coming up the elevator.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor peered over his shoulder. The screen showed three people crammed into the tiny lift. Two hulking men in dark suits flanking a tall woman in a blood-red corset and matching ankle-length dress. The men were slim and fine-boned, the woman curvaceous and tall. Their skin and hair had turned a ghostly white, and their eyes glowed a deep shade of scarlet.<\/p>\n
\u201cVampires,\u201d Connor muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not politically correct,\u201d Tan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means it\u2019s accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three representatives from the Court of Shadows didn\u2019t walk so much as glide down the hallway. The woman moved like a queen, proud and fluid. The subtle sway of her hips drew the eye to her curves, her lips were framed in a dreamy half-smile, her arms and legs were a moving symphony. Her escorts swiveled their heads back and forth, keeping their hands close to their waists, and yet they oozed the same degree of confidence and sexuality.<\/p>\n
The three operators in the hall greeted them, subtly patting them for weapons. The woman entered the conference room. The other two bodyguards took their places opposite the STS operators.<\/p>\n
Connor checked the other screen. Pearce was on his feet, shaking the woman\u2019s hand and guiding her to her seat. She accepted his courtesies with the regal indifference of a woman long used to being treated like royalty. Back in his chair, Pearce tried to make small talk with the woman. She replied with terse but polite pleasantries, revealing nothing more about herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore principals coming in,\u201d Yamamoto reported.<\/p>\n
Two men in off-the-rack suits, sharp but not as sharp as their Shadow counterparts, stepped out of the elevator and scanned the hallway. The one on the left gestured, and a woman stepped out. Dressed in a flowing green cloak with a hood pulled over her head, Connor couldn\u2019t see her face. Yamamoto cycled through the cameras until he got a good angle.<\/p>\n
A moment later, the elevator opened again, this time discharging a single male. Tall and slim, he wore a simple white tunic and an orange-and-gold robe shawl wrapped around his shoulders. And a pair of simple sandals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do Elect have to dress up like this?\u201d Tan wondered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re afraid the whole world don\u2019t know who they are,\u201d Yamamoto replied.<\/p>\n
The operators shared a laugh.<\/p>\n
The woman in white and the man in orange exchanged brief pleasantries, then walked side-by-side to the conference room. After searching them, Fox and Wood allowed them inside. The bodyguards stayed put in the hall and glared at the Shadows. The Shadows returned the favor.<\/p>\n
The STS operators kept their hands close to their weapons.<\/p>\n
Inside, Pearce glad-handed the dignitaries, shaking their hands and guiding them to their seats. Once everyone was settled, he cleared his throat and spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for coming. I am Executive Assistant Director Robert Pearce. Please introduce yourselves for the record.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShane DeMille, Speaker of the Court of Shadows,\u201d the woman in red said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHigh Priestess Emily Anders, Grand Coven of the Liberated of Riveria,\u201d the woman in green said, pointedly looking at the vampiress.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuru Nav Chaudhari, Priest of The Limitless One, on behalf of the Pantheon,\u201d the man in orange declared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for taking time out of your busy schedules for this conference,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cWe\u2019re here to discuss a most pressing issue: a rising trend of Elect-on-Elect violence here in Riveria.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is nothing to discuss,\u201d Anders snapped. \u201cThe Court of Shadows invaded our neighbors and houses of worship, slaughtered our believers, and occupied our streets.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMille smiled viciously. \u201cThe actions of a few Elect do not necessarily represent the policy of the Court.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you granted them their powers, and you did nothing to restrain them,\u201d Chaudhari said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not. I have no authority to do so. The Lord and Lady dispense their favors as they see fit, and who are we to question the will of the gods?\u201d<\/p>\n
Pearce cleared his throat. \u201cLadies, gentlemen, this is a tough time for everyone\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re saying that the current offensive is the will of your gods, then?\u201d Anders interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Lord and Lady do not interfere in the affairs of mortals, as agreed upon in the Treaty of Babylon. I cannot say the same for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe provide for our believers, and for those who seek help from us,\u201d Chaudhari said. \u201cYou rob and murder everyone who doesn\u2019t swear allegiance to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work of a few rogues do not represent\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, yes, we\u2019ve heard that before,\u201d Anders said. \u201cHow convenient that these \u2018rogues\u2019 are members of the Guzman Cartel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh?\u201d DeMille turned to Pearce. \u201cIs that true?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Pearce said, quickly asserting himself. \u201cRecently the Cartel has mounted an offensive to expand its area of influence, and all members of the Cartel are sworn to the Court of Shadows.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne could even say they act on behalf of the Court,\u201d Anders added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Court does not condone criminal activity,\u201d DeMille said primly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the Court granted members of the Cartel the powers of an Elect,\u201d Chaudhari said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you explain that?\u201d Pearce probed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur doctrines are different from yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Pantheon is an alliance of minor gods, yes? They have banded together to protect their interests and to support each other against domination from the other Powers. The abilities of these gods are rather limited, but they are far more willing to grant their believers power. Why, I understand that if followers of a Pantheon undergo an empowerment ritual, they will automatically receive the powers of a god.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe empowerment puja is a demonstration and declaration of allegiance to the gods,\u201d Chaudhari said. \u201cAnd what power these initiates do receive is limited only to what is necessary to serve the gods.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, yes, but it\u2019s power nonetheless. As for the Liberated, the standards aren\u2019t that much higher. Your core doctrine is simply to do as you will and to pursue freedom from social shackles. Namanah grants her power to those who pursue the path of liberation, in whatever form it may take.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone is free to become their highest selves,\u201d Anders said. \u201cEveryone has a different path. We ask only that they refrain from harming others. We can\u2019t say the same for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUs?\u201d DeMille tittered. \u201cThe Court holds itself to far higher standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know you had any,\u201d Chaudhari said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose it\u2019s hard for a religion with no standards to recognize them when they see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMs DeMille, we\u2019re not here to snipe at each other,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Chaudhari agreed. \u201cWe\u2019re here to find out why your Court consistently grants powers to criminals.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMille smiled languidly, revealing perfect, beautiful, white teeth. Human teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are the church of last resort. We gather the outcasts, the pariahs, the ones who have been rejected by every man and every god, and offer them hope. Hope for a better life. We celebrate courage, determination, the will to act, and we cultivate it among our followers. The Lord and Lady grant their powers to they who demonstrate and cultivate these virtues.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIncluding the Guzman Cartel,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not my place to question the Lord and Lady, but I trust they have their own reasons for doing so.\u201d Her eyes flashed. \u201cPerhaps they believe the Cartel is more virtuous than the common man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anders scoffed. \u201cCriminals? Virtuous? I daresay you\u2019ll make a fine lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Cartel is nothing more than the Court\u2019s pawns,\u201d Chaudhari declared.<\/p>\n
DeMille\u2019s eyes glittered. \u201cPerhaps you\u2019d care to explain the activities of the Peacekeepers of the Pantheon and the Wardens of the Liberated, then? I\u2019m sure the PSB\u2014and the STS agents observing this meeting\u2014would be keenly interested in the activities of your Elect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not privy to the Peacekeepers\u2019 activities,\u201d Chaudhari said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Wardens protect,\u201d Anders said. \u201cThe Cartel harms. That is the difference between us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy empowering the Cartel, the Shadow Court necessarily takes responsibility for the actions of the Cartel,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
DeMille laughed. \u201cOh? Shall you then serve a warrant on the gods?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPer the Treaty of Babylon, we will pass sanctions on Powers that do not uphold the peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, now? You should start with the Pantheon and the Liberated. I can tell you all about their long and bloody history, about the methods and strategems they used to wrest control of Riveria from secular authorities in the days when Nova Babylonia was young.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are here to discuss the relationship between the Cartel and the Shadow Court.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no such relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you mean the legal entity named the Court of Shadows, or the religion it represents?\u201d Chaudhari pressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMs DeMille, I find that difficult to believe,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cIf there is no relationship, then why do members of the Cartel display powers associated with the Court of Shadows?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Court does not associate with criminals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe entity or the religion?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why does the Cartel worship the Lord and Lady, and why do they have their powers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not know. I know only that we don\u2019t associate with criminals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you spoke for your gods,\u201d Anders said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI speak for the Court, and what the Lord and Lady give leave for me to speak. Beyond that, I do not dare represent the thoughts of such august beings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chaudhari flicked his hand dismissively. \u201cThere is no difference between the Court and your gods.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the contrary, per the Treaty of Babylon, there is an extremely important distinction between the gods, their religions, and the legal entities that represent them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, and I believe your Court lobbied had to introduce that provision in the treaty,\u201d Anders said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShall the gods be held responsible for everything their followers do or don\u2019t do? We might as well arrest parents for the crimes of their children, or dissolve corporations for the misdeeds of their employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one thing if an Elect misused his power,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cQuite another if his god ordered him to commit a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce again,\u201d DeMille said, \u201callow me to assure you that the Court of Shadows does not condone criminal activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes the Court of Shadows disavow the actions of the Guzman Cartel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce again: why did the Lord and Lady of Shadows grant their powers to members of the Cartel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey must have found favor in their eyes. Beyond that, who knows the minds of the gods? Or perhaps the power burned out their minds, transforming them into mindless Husks. If you wish to punish a lawfully-recognized Power for granting powers to humans who committed criminal offenses, then you must sanction every god that walks the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well.\u201d Pearce looked around the room. \u201cLadies, gentleman, I\u2019m here to clean up this city. There\u2019s been too much fighting, too much killing, in Riveria. Especially among members of your respective faiths.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PSB and the STS will be cracking down hard on all organized crime groups, terrorists and Husks in Riveria. The Cartel will be our number one priority. However, if they see fighting between Elect, the STS won\u2019t care who started the fight or who they worship. They will put a stop to it. I\u2019m sure you know exactly what they can do.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of you have your differences. I expect you to resolve them peacefully. We can help facilitate meetings like this, but we do not want a war between your respective religions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a new sheriff in town. Play nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey won\u2019t,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we need you around,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
The Speakers of the gods had finally left. Now the STS operators were gathered around Pearce in the conference room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the plan?\u201d Wood asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe local PSB office will work up a target deck for the Guzman Cartel. We\u2019ll take out their leaders, dismantle their operations, hit them so hard they\u2019ll crawl back into the gutters they came from. Once the time comes, you\u2019ll get a piece of the action.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil then, we need you to keep the peace. We\u2019ve identified several high-risk areas where all three factions hold a stake. Commercial, industrial and residential districts. Ninety percent of all internecine conflicts took place in those areas. RPD will step up patrols in the area, but if Elect-on-Elect violence occurs, you\u2019re on point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor knew violence was inevitable. The deflections and denials that flowed from the Speakers\u2019 mouths offended him at the most fundamental level of his being. Riverians were by nature blunt, open and direct; this level of dishonesty signaled that all three Speakers were planning something. Daggers in the dark, poison slipped into a drink, energy beams that obliterated everything they touched, pick one, pick all. The only questions were who was next on the hit list, and what the STS could do about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re conducting presence patrols?\u201d Yamamoto asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cPSB ESWAT and RPD will take care of it. Your mission is undercover patrols.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWoah, hold on,\u201d Wood said. \u201cWill the locals be in our AO too?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cESWAT are part-timers, and so is the RPD SWAT team,\u201d Connor said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have our level of training and equipment. If things kick off, it\u2019ll go to hell in a heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we need your help too,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
\u201cUndercover patrol limits our options,\u201d Wood said. \u201cWe won\u2019t have access to the gear we need to take the fight to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you ask me, the locals should handle plainclothes patrol, while we stand by with the big guns,\u201d Connor added.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re STS. You may not have the big guns, but you have superior training,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraining only goes so far,\u201d Fox said, crossing her arms. \u201cIf we can\u2019t carry heavy calibers into the field, we\u2019re dog food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cESWAT has access to heavy firepower, and they do handle paranormal threats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mustafa sighed. \u201cSir, on my first mission with the team, we went up against a Husk who was bulletproof. We needed armor piercing rounds to put him down. In my second mission, we fought a\u2026 a Class A monster so dangerous we needed 30mm high explosive incendiary shells to destroy it. I don\u2019t think AP rounds and HEI shells are part of the standard police arsenal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr ESWAT,\u201d Tan added.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t be alone,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cI\u2019m calling in five other STS teams. With six operational teams, half of you can perform UC patrols, the other half will be our quick response force.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy, exactly, do we need UC patrols?\u201d Yamamoto asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo reinforce local law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing high-viz will be a better option.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSupporting the locals isn\u2019t your only mission. If we have uniformed cops nearby, the bad guys will behave. We need intelligence on the Cartel. I need you to keep your eyes open on the ground and watch for signs of illegal activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this is a recon mission too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. You\u2019re the only law enforcement agency in the area with this capability\u00a0and<\/em> the ability to defend yourself from Elect if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n The operators shifted. Arms uncrossed. Hands drifted down to neutral positions. Weight shifted to positions of perfect balance. Eyes widened.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should have said so from the start,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, recon is a secondary mission. Your job is still to keep an eye out for trouble and head it off if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat we can do,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent. I knew we could count on you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all part of the job.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think the Court, the Pantheon and the Liberated will keep away from each other?\u201d Tan asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pantheon and the Liberated would,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cBut the ball is in the Court\u2019s\u2026 well, court.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey won\u2019t,\u201d Connor said. \u201cThey can talk a good game about how they don\u2019t condone crime, but the Court of Shadows is the religion of street scum. The Lord and Lady of Shadows are using the Cartel as soldiers and everybody knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of how you feel, our job is to enforce the law,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n Yamamoto laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Pearce asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe New Gods see themselves as outside the reach of the mortal law. They won\u2019t respect social conventions or institutions, and nothing us humans can do will touch the New Gods. Do you know what it\u2019ll take to stop the violence once and for all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe kill their soldiers and everyone who stands with them. And we keep killing until the rivers run red.\u201d<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n If you’d like to support my fiction, check out the Kickstarter for my latest series\u00a0Dungeon Samurai<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Cheah](\"https:\/\/steemitimages.com\/0x0\/https:\/\/files.steempeak.com\/file\/steempeak\/cheah\/4MygiLHF-Cheah20Git20San20Red.jpg\")
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