The Black Sun Conspiracy

Chapter Forty-Seven

“Where is she?” Alexandr’s voice resounded through the long room, from the golden doors as they slammed against the walls to the far end where Renata sat poised in conversation with Purdue. He stormed down the length of the room and shoved her seat back, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her to her feet. “Tell me where to find Axelle!”

Renata’s hands shot up, shoving Alexandr back against the wall. She slammed her forearm against his throat, pinning him. He thought he felt the cold point of a blade pricking at his abdomen. Submitting, he contained his rage and spread his hands in a gesture of capitulation.

“If you ever burst in upon me like this again,” she hissed through her teeth, “there will be no warning. Now sit down and do not presume to threaten me.”

“I will stand,” he scowled. She did not back down.

“You will sit.” Her eyes were like cold steel. Unwillingly, Alexandr nodded. She released him. He took a seat, sitting stiffly. From across the table Purdue watched intently, his body taut and prepared to run, either in flight or to someone’s assistance.

Renata did not immediately resume her seat, nor did she acknowledge Alexandr’s questions or ask him to repeat them. Instead she walked calmly over to the bar, filled a tall glass with water and stood sipping casually. When she was ready, she set the glass down and turned around, standing behind Alexandr’s chair.

“You may repeat your question,” she said smoothly.

Purdue watched Alexandr battling the impulse to turn to face her, or to leap up from his seat. It took all his self-discipline, but he controlled his voice carefully as he asked her once again where he would find Axelle. As Renata coldly informed him that Axelle had been executed on her orders just days earlier, Alexandr’s fingers closed tightly round the arms of the chair. His eyes closed and he breathed a long, heartfelt sigh. His knuckles whitened as his grip grew tighter.

“Why?” he asked.

“You should know better than to ask me that,” Renata replied. “Why do you care, anyway?”

“We were… close.”

Renata’s lips twisted into an approximation of a smile. “Is that not sweet?” she smirked. “So lovely to see the Order bringing kindred spirits together. And yet how tragic. Well, unfortunately your sweetheart forgot that there is a price to be paid for sharing certain information and for disloyalty to me and to the Black Sun. I had already tolerated her insubordination for too long.” She moved over to sit on the edge of the table and brought her face threateningly close to Alexandr’s. The bristles of his five-day beard brushed against her smooth cheek. “I should warn you, Alexandr, I am in no mood for this nonsense. Remember where your loyalties lie, or you and your precious Axelle will be reunited in short order. I have had quite enough of people taking matters into their own hands instead of simply following orders.”

“Then what are my orders?” Alexandr’s expression was blank, all emotion concealed behind a wall of forced indifference. Only the unyielding grip on the arms of the chairs betrayed his feelings.

“I shall be sending one of the new members on a retrieval mission shortly,” said Renata. “Tomorrow morning, once the selection has been made. Your task will be to escort this new member as far as Khövsgöl Nuur Lake. After that you may return home until next time we contact you.”

She stalked back over to the bar, leaving Alexandr and Purdue to stare at each other in disbelief. Purdue broke the silence first. “Khövsgöl Nuur?” he enunciated the word as if it were unfamiliar, but his alarmed expression could not be concealed. “It has been some time since I was last out in that part of Asia, but if I recall correctly Khövsgöl Nuur is in the vicinity of Mönkh Saridag…” He left the question unasked, hanging in the air.

“You would be sending them to their deaths,” Alexandr stated flatly.

“Are you questioning a direct order?” Renata asked.

Alexandr shook his head. “No, Renata. I am simply stating a fact. If you send an inexperienced new member to that area, it is doubtful that they will succeed in their mission. If the mission is important, I respectfully suggest that you send me instead. You know that I know what’s there and I would suggest that my skills would be better suited than those of either Sam or Nina. Or, if you—” A quick gesture from Purdue, unseen by Renata, silenced him. The billionaire shook his head almost imperceptibly.

“What?” Renata snapped. “If I what, Arichenkov?” She waited, but he did not continue. “Doesn’t matter. There are aspects of this mission, which you will not be part of. Your only task is to ensure that they get to Khövsgöl safely. The rest is none of your business. Just be ready to take them when they are ready to go, whichever one it proves to be. Purdue, we will speak later. Come to my gallery in half an hour. Gentlemen.”

With a curt nod she strode out of the room, her guards marching behind her. Purdue and Alexandr waited until the sound of her footsteps had died away down the corridor, then Purdue rose and poured himself a stiff measure of whisky. “Considering the speed with which she moves,” he mused, “I sometimes wonder why she bothers to have guards at all.” He knocked the drink back in a single gulp, then began to refill the glass. “I am sorry about Axelle.”

Alexandr shook his head. “She knew that it was likely,” he said. “Once you take it into your head to stand against the Order, it is only a matter of time. She spoke too freely. I will most likely encounter the same fate someday. But not today, yes? Perhaps I have not the courage that she had, because today I got to keep my neck.” He accepted the glass of whisky that Purdue handed to him. “But do you? If Renata is planning to send only one to Mönkh Saridag, then I assume you are planning that it should not be Nina.”

Purdue stared glumly into his glass. “I shall certainly do everything in my power to ensure that it is not her,” he said. “And if you can get Sam out of this situation unscathed, I shall double whatever the Order is paying you. If anyone can manage it, I would imagine you can.”

Despite his grief, Alexandr’s face was briefly illuminated by the prospect of the sums he was being offered. “I will do what I can,” he promised.

“Thank you.” Purdue lapsed back into silence, staring at his drink.