Electus (Regnum Series Book 1) (22 page)

“I believe all I have is wine right now, Anscom.”

“That should work,” Mr. Avery calls from the couch. Javan pulls out the bottle of wine and some glasses. Tia flies over to the wall across from the couch to find a better view of Mr. Avery. He is still examining the hotel room.
What is he looking for?
she wonders.

“This is all I had left, apparently,” Javan walks over with the glasses. Mr. Avery accepts the one and raises it for a toast.

“To taking care of business.”

Javan sips his wine, watching Mr. Avery very closely, who is consuming his own glass.

“Delicious,” he remarks, placing the empty glass on the table. Javan puts his down as well. “You didn’t drink much, Javan.”

“I’m not a fan of wine,” he responds, glancing at the fly on the wall. It’s quiet in the hotel room. Tia wonders if Mr. Avery came to meet Javan at his hotel often this week or if this is a new habit. Either way, she is glad to be a fly on the wall during one of their secret meetings, literally.

“You really shouldn’t play with fire,” Mr. Avery voices, breaking the silence.

“What do you mean, Anscom?” Javan turns his full attention to him.

“Don’t think for a moment you fool me, Javan. I know where you were this evening.” His beady eyes stare at the fly on the wall as he speaks. “Don’t lose focus over a pretty face. You must remember what our goal is here.”

“I agree our goal hasn’t changed, Anscom. What makes you think me taking Miss Trumble to collect her belongings, this evening, is going to interfere with that plan?” Javan jumps in, attempting to pull Mr. Avery over to his side again.

“You have no idea what that girl is capable of. That’s why I wanted to win her this evening, to ensure she wouldn’t get in the way like her father. Promise me, you will keep your part of the agreement and watch her carefully.”

Javan nods, but he is silent, picking up his glass from the coffee table and sipping, steadily.

“I thought you didn’t like wine?” Mr. Avery stands, walking across the room, over to the fly, which takes off to the ceiling.

“It’s growing on me,” he answers.

“You should kill that fly. It’s a nuisance. I don’t like bugs in my hotels. They are filthy,” Mr. Avery comments.

“I’ll get right on that,” Javan mumbles, staring down at his glass.

“Well, busy day tomorrow. I should let you sleep,” Mr. Avery comments, walking over to the door.

"Thank you for taking care of business this evening."

“Yes. Good night, then.” Mr. Avery exits the room. Tia waits a few moments for his footsteps to grow quiet before she flies down from the ceiling. She transforms back into herself.

“Well that was close,” Javan comments, his hands shaking. Tia remains quiet. “I suppose I should have known he was following us this evening.”

Tia lays down on the bed, her back facing Javan. Listening to them discuss her father’s death, just causes the deep ache inside of her to return. Tia remembers all the pain her father endured at the hand of Mr. Avery.

She is unsure if she can believe Javan, and from the looks of it, Mr. Avery plans to keep his promise about destroying her as well as the people she loves.
Why else would he come here to check on what Javan was doing at my house?
Her tears cover the casing of his pillow. Tia wonders if her real family is already dead, or if he will kill Edwin next. Even Fera may be in danger just by being close to her family.
All these lives taken because of me
, she thinks.

She can’t make the tears stop, now. All it takes is the thought of his body on the floor. Lifeless. Her attempts to remain quiet are in vain.

“Tia?” Javan calls, still watching her. She ignores his call, nothing but sobs release from deep within. He doesn’t utter a word, just sits down on the side of the bed and starts rubbing her back.

“He spent his whole life suffering, for what?” she starts spouting off. “It’s not fair, Javan. I just wish he could have lived a better life.”

“He was happier than you realize, Tia. He had a partner who he loved deeply and a daughter that he cherished more than anything. To some people that is a fulfilling life. Now, he is no longer suffering from his illness or Mr Avery. In a way he’s free,” Javan assures her. She turns over and gazes up at him. His eyes shine like they always do when he stares at her.

“You know what the worst part is. I know that I’m the reason Mr. Avery wanted him killed. He is dead because I didn’t listen to him. Osborn told me the necklace was a secret just between us. Yet, I wore it to the dinner that night. Mr. Avery wanted him dead because of my mistake.”

“It’s not true, Tia. Like I told you, he was already dying. He was suffering, if Mr. Avery didn’t want me to kill him tonight, it would have prolonged the inevitable,” Javan attempts to comfort her through logic, which at a time like this, Tia is not receptive to.

“Why did you keep this from me? You hid so many things...” Tia is no longer making sense. Her emotions completely erase her ability to speak english. She is having a major breakdown.

Javan pulls her up and holds her. She fights him, at first, but slowly surrenders.
What does it matter?
His arms are somehow comforting; his scent tingles her nose and calms her down. Tia pulls away, slightly, to look up at him. He wipes a tear from her cheek.

“What was Mr. Avery talking about when he mentioned your goal?” Tia questions, sniffling.

“He’s been developing a plan to eliminate the Regnumian population. For quite some time now, actually. The other leaders are mulling it over, but one defied him.”

“Mr. Tersus?” Tia realizes.

“Yes, so, this past week, I’ve been working on his good side, in hopes that he will divulge how he intends to proceed. If I find that out, the more likely I am to stop it. So far he is buying into it. Unfortunately, my close relationship with you is hindering my cover.”

“I’m sorry,” she responds, the sides of her mouth dropping.

“No, don’t be. It’s been the best...” he hesitates finishing his thought. “It’s not your fault, in any way.”

“Maybe there is a way I could be of help to you, instead,” she offers. Tia knows that sitting and crying won’t solve anything.

“What are you thinking?” he inquires, cautiously.

“Well, I am here for about twelve more hours and I know where Mr. Avery lives, thanks to my friend Fera. Perhaps I could do some spying for you,” Tia implies, hoping he will say yes.

“I couldn’t risk something happening to you,” Javan responds, staring down at her sore hand, still wrapped in the cloth.

“Trust me. I know what I’m doing.” Tia is slightly annoyed he is so protective of her when he already hurt her in the worst way possible.

“He won’t be awake for most of it,” Javan notes, his face riddled with anxiety.

“Yes, he will.” She stands up and grabs her jeans. “I know the man better than you think. Even though my father couldn’t speak of his duties, we still picked up on a few things here and there. When he kills, or asks someone to kill for him, he can’t sleep. Why do you think he came over here at this hour?”

“I can’t let you go alone,” Javan stands and brushes the hair from her face. Her knees are weak at the touch of his finger across her forehead.

“Then I suggest you call Quade.”

Day 6: Fight or Flight

Chapter 18

The crisp night air brushes Tia’s face as she perches on the branch outside of Mr. Avery’s mansion. She is poised slightly above the second story of his lavish home, peering down into the window of his study. Javan sets beside her with his claws clenching tightly to the branch. Tia wonders if he is frightened of heights or just adjusting to transforming for the first time.

She was relieved that Quade didn’t ask Javan questions when he called in for his potion. It was an awkward conversation, luckily they caught Quade before he headed out with the rest of the gang. Tia assumes it is because of the law that Quade gave it to him, but she knows how upset he is with Javan at this particular moment. Therefore, she was surprised that he even answered his phone.

It was after midnight when they arrived outside of the large iron gate of his property. Tia was impressed that she remembered the address, after all this time. Javan downed the bottle of potion as Tia morphed into a beautiful owl. He pet her head gently and within seconds transformed into an owl as well.

Just as Tia predicted, Mr. Avery is still awake. He is dressed in silk pajamas, resting at his desk, sipping his scotch and enjoying another cigar. From the looks of it, he is engrossed in an email on his computer. Tia is unable to discern the text from this height and angle. She doesn’t want to wait too much longer to make any moves.

For the past half hour, his back faced the window. Tia wonders how she will ever come to a resolution with Mr. Avery performing such mundane tasks. Twice she almost fell asleep on the branch. She decides to follow through with the next phase of the plan and transforms into a lightning bug.

Tia glances at Javan to assure the potion has not worn off. Javan lifts his wing, grazing Tia, and morphs into a lightning bug, himself. He is thrown off balance, at first, but quickly rebounds. She laughs in her head, watching him.

They both fly over to the window, crawling around to peer inside. His screen is visible, yet it is still difficult for Tia to discern what is going on. From where she rests, the email appears to be from Sim Cowell, a news reporter in Elatus.
Why would he be talking to him?
Tia wonders.

Mr. Avery’s computer sounds with a video call. He clears his throat before answering. “What?” he snaps, taking a puff of his cigar.

“Mr. Avery, sir,” a man vocalizes from the screen. Mr. Avery’s head is obstructing Tia’s view of the man on the other end of the call. The voice rings familiar.

“Did you complete your task?” Mr. Avery inquires. Tia crawls around to peer down over his head.
I want to see his face.
She catches sight of some dark hair and an ear, but nothing more. She is going to need to climb inside for a better view. Taking her chances, she crawls through a crack in the window. Javan follows shortly behind her.

“We ran into a little problem,” the man answers, “our target is nowhere in sight.” She considers flying over to the desk. Unfortunately, it is too risky, since Mr. Avery has a hatred of insects. Tia can not catch sight of the man’s face, but the sound is less muffled. She concentrates on the voice.

“Find it then! I don’t care if it takes all night!” Mr. Avery screams and shuts off the computer screen. He puts out his cigar and exits the room. Tia figures he must be heading for bed. They pause for a few moments, until he is out of ear shot.

She flies over to the glass desk with the built in keyboard. It senses her motion, and the screen returns, requesting a password.
Yay another challenge
, she thinks.

Tia attempts multiple word combinations.
Urbi, Vetus, Cib inc,
anything to do with the capitol or his company. She follows with
scotch, avery
, neither one working. Then, Javan types
Carmen
, giving them access to the system. Tia wonders what made him think of that, but quickly focuses, once more, on their mission.

The message Mr. Avery was reading is still visible on the screen. It appears to be a rough draft of a news article.

Alim Co is a corporation dedicated to feeding Novo, as well as providing resources to other countries throughout Regnum. However, do we truly know the man behind the company? Javan Leporem was the CEO of Alim Co for over five years, building the corporation from the help of investors such as Lenis and Frater Tersus. After the suspicious death of Lenis Tersus, Mr. Leporem stepped in as leader of Elatus.

Many officials find it odd that a man as young and unknown as Javan Leporem could build up a company so rapidly and successfully. Then, miraculously, he takes over as our leader. The agents performing the investigation to this murder have yet to rule him as suspect, due to his iron clad alibi.

According to sources, Mr. Leporem was at a charity function, in Solum, where over two hundred witnesses heard his speech about his company’s efforts to end hunger, during the night of Mr. Tersus’s murder. Later that evening, he checked in to a near by hotel, for the remainder of the night. So, does this leave a man so powerful completely innocent?

According to a recent interview with Anscom Avery, CEO of Cib Inc and head of capitol Urbi, Mr. Leporem was “withdrawn and evasive” with the other leaders during the Electus this past week. He also reported that Mr. Leporem may be having an affair with recent candidate and now new employee of Javan Leporem, a Miss Conscientia Trumble.

“A young Regnumian candidate, who I recently hired, informed me that he witnessed the two kissing outside her hotel, late the evening before the bidding,” Mr. Avery revealed. “He also noticed that she was absent from her hotel room most nights this week,” Mr. Avery recalls.

In case some of you forgot, Miss Trumble was the only candidate to receive one-hundred and fifty points in the Electus. Could it be that this young Regnumian worked her way to the top by getting under Mr. Leporem?

If that is not enough to convince you, then listen to this. Mr. Leporem claims to be a native of Maior in Vetus. I decided to research his past by visiting the capitol of Maior. There are no records of his birth or registration for schooling in Maior. Why would this man feel the need to lie about where he grew up? My question is, what is this man hiding? Can he really be trusted?

Javan pushes the delete button on the keyboard, apparently disgusted by the article. Tia wonders why there are no records of Javan Leporem. Then again, other parts of the article are incorrect. It’s possible that this man is making a mockery out of journalism. They flip through the files under Mr. Avery’s documents. There a hundreds of folders and sub folders. Most of them are associated with his business, meetings, or the Electus. Then, they stumble across one labelled
Extinction
.