Paradise Falling (ONC 2024)

29 -- Turning Tables

Nicosia, Cyprus

June 2024

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When we pull up to Icarus's home, the sun is about to plunge into the ocean. Hues of yellow, orange, and red set the sparkling water surface on fire and I bathe in the sight, inhaling the salt brought upon by the waves crashing against the cliffs just below the property. An idyllic picture if it weren't for the heavy ass cooler in my hand and the prospect of meeting my uncle. I walk behind Anton along the path that takes us out to the back of the house and step onto the terrace. Icarus's chair is reclined, his face tilted toward the sun. When I set the cooler down on the table with a thud, he squints at me through the shimmering air.

"Congrats on a job well done." He straightens the backrest and lifts the lid of the cooler. His lips twitch. "When I told you I wanted Marcel's head, I didn't mean it literally."

Oops, my bad.

He points at the chair across from him. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

What civil change compared to our last encounter. "No, thank you."

He waves at Anton. "Grab a chair and join us."

I quirk a brow.

What is this all about?

Anton isn't high enough on the payroll to have earned a seat at the boss's table.

He pulls a pool lounger closer and plops down on the very edge. The coward can't even look me in the eyes. Sensing another betrayal in the making, I fold my arms.

Icarus squeezes the juice from a small piece of lemon into his sparkling water, drying off his hands on a napkin. "What did Marcel tell you before he died?"

"He sold the info about Konstantin to Gezim Bajri."

Icarus clicks his tongue. "Can't say I'm surprised that the Albanians were involved."

"We always suspected it because they were the ones who gained the most from Konstantin's death, though it's good to be able to pin it on a specific clan." Limiting it to the Bajri family will avoid an extensive turf war. "What are you going to do now?"

"Declare open season and put a contract out. Ten million for each of the Bajri brothers' heads."

"That's a lot of money."

"Konstantin was my son and I want quick action. After four years, that's long overdue."

"Should I return to the usual business side of things?"

"There's another matter. Where are we on the girl?"

"Chelsea Doherty?"

"The very same."

"She still has a few questions to answer. I will take care of it."

He glances at Anton. "I'm not sure you are the right person for the job. Anton informed me that you are sweet on her and that your judgment might be compromised. He requested permission to eliminate her."

I glare at Anton who stares out onto the water as if none of this concerns him. Breaking the chain of command is something that will cost him. "Anton doesn't know all the facts."

"Then what are the facts, Bastian?"

I tear my gaze off Anton and focus on my uncle. "The girl has been playing us big time. Falk tracked her phone and noticed that there was a second ping at times that was overlapping with the original signal. A second phone, though he couldn't find any official records, so he suspects it's a burner. He was able to tap into it and determined that Chelsea is working with a man named Conor. Now that guy is good, Falk called him an IT god. Apparently, this Conor has ways to bounce his signal from tower to tower, all around the globe, sending Falk on a wild goose chase. Falk has not been able to pinpoint his location. From his speech pattern and dialect, we suspect he is Irish, but technically, he could be anywhere in the world. We also have no idea how they are connected. Worst case scenario, he could be working for any number of governments or a rival group."

"And why am I only hearing about this now?"

"Those are fairly new developments, theíos. We only found out about Conor's involvement this past week. As you know, our full attention was on Marcel Pierce, so I need more time for a proper risk assessment."

Anton huffs and dares to add his two cents. "I bet that Chelsea would sing like a bird if we put her in a room with Nico for an hour."

Of course he'd like that.

"I don't doubt Nico can break her within minutes, but that could cause all kinds of issues for us. She had six years to dig up dirt, and with this Conor guy being a tech expert, we have no idea what she has on the Disciples. If we go about this the wrong way, Conor could call it and use the information to damage us. With the upcoming manhunt for Konstantin's killer, we don't need any more eyes on us."

"I agree. What do you suggest?"

I smirk at Anton. "Like Anton pointed out, she and I did have a thing, something I could now use as leverage. Gain her trust, show her that we are no longer the bad guys, then learn what her ultimate goal is. This would allow us to put appropriate safeguards in place; however, until then, I find it too risky to harm or eliminate her."

"Okay, starting now, I want your full focus on the Chelsea Doherty situation. We will reconvene in a month to see where we are on this."

"Of course, theíos." Enough time to put my next plan in motion. Everyone will be so busy finding the Bajris that I will slip by undetected. "I want to take Vitaly to dinner and a movie, and plan to fly to Ireland tomorrow." I find Icarus's eyes. "With your approval, of course."

"You deserve a night out with your son. Anything else?"

I look at the man who has been my brother in arms for the past five years. With his unswerving loyalty to Icarus, he could become a real threat down the line. "Find a new assignment for Anton. He's off my crew."

WP total word count: 32,515

Things are getting tight for Chelsea as Bastian discovers her connection to Conor. Do you think he told Icarus the truth about his intentions, or is there another angle to this? And what is Anton going to do, now that he has been sidelined?

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and this new little twist, if so, please don't forget to vote and/or drop me a comment. Thanks for reading!