C396 Connections
Khan left wet footprints on the floor when he left the bathroom. Drops ran down his body, and drenched strands of pale-green hair fell from his shoulder to cover part of his chest. Jenna had asked Khan to piggyback her to the bed, and he didn't refuse.
A tempting scene unfolded when Khan dropped Jenna. She crawled on the mattress to reach the pillows, and her sensual moves kept Khan's eyes glued to her naked beauty. He knew she was doing that on purpose, but nothing came out of it. That simply was one of their intimate games.
"[Is your newfound freedom giving you strange thoughts]?" Jenna teased once she reached the pillows and turned toward Khan.
"[I've always had strange thoughts]," Khan pointed out before addressing a serious topic. "[How are you holding up? You know it will get worse]."
Khan had described what happened during the bath. Jenna had mostly been happy for him, but he knew she experienced emotions she couldn't control.
"[I can't have the good without the bad]," Jenna giggled. "[That's exciting too]."
"[You can't wait to cause problems]," Khan scoffed.
"[I might not be the only one]," Jenna explained. "[I wonder how Monica will behave from now on]."
"[Her family educated her thoroughly]," Khan stated. "[She won't lose her cool over us]."
"[Who knows]?" Jenna snickered. "[She might be more similar to me than you realize]."
Khan didn't even want to think about that outcome. Dealing with two jealous women was too much even for him, and he worried about the potential consequences of that situation.
Jenna's jealousy was somewhat harmless. It couldn't hurt Khan's relationship with her, but Monica was different. Her unexpected explosion might endanger the mission and ruin her potential future with Khan.
Talking about Monica made Khan search for his phone. Jenna's crawling had hidden it under folds in the sheets but finding it didn't take long. Khan could see that Monica had replied when he unlocked the screen, but another message ended up claiming his attention.
The day had been beyond tiring. Khan had survived Rodney's trap only to meet Raymond and remain entangled in a few meetings. He was ready to hit the bed, but the universe had different plans.
'Luke,' Khan thought before reading the contents of the second message. 'Meet me on the last floor. I'll probably be there all night.'
Khan heaved a sigh and dropped the phone on the bed before going back to the bathroom to pick up some towels. Jenna read the contents of Luke's message in the meantime, so she felt no surprise when Khan returned to the room and started dressing up.
"[Luke won't give me anything about his uncle with you there]," Khan announced when he approached the bed to stuff the alien chameleon's skin into the backpack.
"[I figured]," Jenna replied, showing her warm smile. "[Eat something while you are away, and don't make me wait too long]."
"[Right, food]," Khan cursed. "[Did you get any]?"
"[I ate with Martha]," Jenna revealed, "[While you were getting all naughty with Monica]."
"[I get it]," Khan chuckled. "[I'll come back soon]."
"[Be safe]," Jenna stated. Khan wore the backpack and picked up the almost-empty bottle on the floor before nodding and leaving the room.
Khan's mood changed as soon as the door closed behind him. The imminent conversation was dangerous, and he had to approach it carefully, but he had to face it to decide what to do.
Some hunger showed its presence after Jenna's reminder. Khan had skipped lunch, and dinner time had already passed. He was actually starving, but his mind barely had room for that problem.
Simulations of the imminent meeting played in Khan's mind and led to a single conclusion. He couldn't devise a proper plan until he saw what Luke was willing to reveal. In short, he would have to improvise.
The tension around Khan appeared unbreakable, but some warmth managed to seep through it when he entered the elevator. After pressing the last floor's key, he read Monica's message and recalled a world without those problems.
'I'll see you tomorrow then,' Khan read the message and smiled. He wanted to answer and tease Monica a bit longer, but the elevator opened and put an end to that break.
A familiar presence had touched Khan's senses while the elevator was still moving, so seeing Master Ivor standing right before it wasn't a surprise. The old man had waited for Khan, and he stored the phone to exchange polite greetings.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long," Khan announced.
"Not at all, Lieutenant Khan," Master Ivor reassured. "It's nice to see that you are back. The group missed you."
"I heard the others did a good job," Khan commented before emptying what remained of the booze.
"We made some progress," Master Ivor confirmed while beginning to lead the way across the corridor. "I'm sure your findings will help even more."
"That's the goal," Khan laughed, and the two fell silent as they approached the end of the corridor.
Master Ivor led Khan inside another room at the corner of the building. Windows covered two of its walls, but the place lacked the long meeting table. Instead, a big, square, interactive desk stood at its center, and holograms came out of it.
Luke and Bruce lifted their gazes from the table when Khan and Master Ivor entered. Except for them, the room was empty, so Khan concluded that the meeting would only have four people.
"Thank you for coming with such short notice," Luke exclaimed after the door closed. "You must be tired."
"Just hungry," Khan stated before placing the bottle in an empty spot near the metal wall.
"Bruce?" Luke called.
"Already contacting the kitchen," Bruce responded while tapping on his phone. "I'll have them deliver some snacks too."
"Don't forget the drinks," Khan reminded as he approached the desk. "What do we have here?"
The azure holograms depicted a series of buildings that Khan had never seen. He could guess their purpose, but Luke's explanation made those thoughts pointless.
"This is a replica of Lower Level 1," Luke explained while performing a command with his fingers. "It's easier to keep track of everything with it."
The holograms reacted to the gesture and shrunk. More buildings filled the new empty spaces until structures that even Khan could recognize joined the scene. The process continued until the entirety of the city stretched over the desk.
"Seems useful," Khan admitted, "And illegal."
Maps weren't illegal outside the dock, but Khan could predict why Luke had something so detailed. Luke smiled when he heard those words, and a few buildings turned red when he interacted with the desk.
The process didn't end there. Red shades stretched from the marked buildings and covered multiple streets before converging into the industrial district. The holograms highlighted the warehouses and the path they took.
"None of this will ever leave the building," Luke declared, "But we still need to be certain before acting. We'll expose ourselves as soon as we make a move, so we can't make mistakes."
Khan could only nod and focus on the holograms. It was safe to assume that they depicted every connection between the industrial area and the rest of the city, so the alien chameleon's skin and the reinforced fabric must have passed through some of them.
The high number of routes and warehouses was an issue. Khan could count at least fifteen structures meant to store goods, and they used even more streets to deliver or retrieve them. Finding the culprit among that array would be a challenge.
"Can you connect any of them to your findings?" Luke asked.
"I need more details," Khan replied. "You have more than this, haven't you?"
"It's better to wait for that part," Bruce pointed out.
Khan dropped his backpack during the wait. Master Ivor remained silent near the entrance while Bruce and Luke continued to play with the holograms without adding anything valuable.
A few minutes had to pass before a buzzing noise came out of the entrance. Luke immediately turned off the table, and Master Ivor crossed the door to pick up the meals left by the waiter.
Master Ivor pushed a metal table that hovered a few centimeters above the floor inside the room, and the three men quickly approached it. Khan found himself in front of a tasty steak, and he ate it all in a matter of seconds. His performance even made Bruce and Luke stare at him in surprise.
The hovering table had much more. Junk food and a few bottles occupied its surface, and Bruce took care of pouring the drinks. Master Ivor also had one, but he approached one of the metal walls right afterward.
Khan didn't miss that gesture. Master Ivor was privy to the investigation, and his experience could grant valuable insights, but he didn't approach the desk. He was distancing himself from that meeting, even if only slightly.
'Is this a matter of status?' Khan wondered while enjoying the booze and his full belly. 'Does he want me to know that Luke is in charge?'
Khan wouldn't usually care about those political games, but Master Ivor had become a suspect. He probably didn't have the authority to join the theft, but he could act as a spy for other members of the Cobsend family, members like Raymond.
"Okay then," Luke eventually exclaimed as he returned to the desk and reactivated the holograms. "I'll give you everything we have."
The city on Lower Level 1 returned, and the same went for the red shades. Yet, azure words appeared on them, and Khan learnt secrets when he read them.
The holograms didn't have too many details, but the group had done a good enough job. Each red building and path featured descriptions of the species using them, and some even had short lists of the known transported goods. Khan could see the results of the last month of investigation, and he didn't feel disappointed.
"You really did investigate," Khan couldn't help but praise. He could already spot a couple of buildings that matched what he had found, even if none of them had illegal goods listed on the holograms.
"The connection you created with Awiza gave us a great chance," Luke explained. "The fact that she is an Orlats also allowed me to use my wealth. I could accelerate promotions and grant authorizations."
"I believe you all have decent roles in your respective activities," Khan guessed.
"Monica and Francis had an easier time getting there due to their power," Bruce revealed. "Martha works with Monica, so she is also there. Instead, the others are taking longer shifts to gain favors."
Khan rejoiced at that news. He liked hearing that Martha wasn't alone on the field, and learning that Monica was sort of looking out for her added some warmth to his mind.
"We can't move toward these targets yet," Luke continued, "And we don't have the manpower to investigate all of them at the same time. The slow approach can work, but I hope your findings will avoid it."
Those words brought the focus to Khan. Luke and Bruce had shown their cards, so it was Khan's time to give them something, and he knew exactly what.
Khan reached for the backpack on the floor and took out the alien chameleon's skin before throwing it on the desk. He even picked up the device that could confirm his claims and activated it under Luke and Bruce's attentive gaze.
When the device gave its results, Luke and Bruce couldn't help but gasp. The dock was famous for its secrecy, but Khan had surpassed their expectations. He had found the basic material for the reinforced fabric without any apparent lead.
"How did you-?" Luke asked before stopping to change his question. "Did you find any connection between this and the surface?"
"That's hard to say," Khan exclaimed. "I found the buyers, but I don't know how far their faction stretches."
Once the surprise waned, Luke and Bruce revealed some slight disappointment. Khan had accomplished an incredible feat, but that alone didn't help the investigation.
"The buyers were human," Khan added, without mentioning anything about the Bise since he didn't know how much he could say in front of Bruce.
"They must be important then," Luke promptly followed as he added new filters to the hologram. "We should definitely focus on the warehouses owned by human factions."
Some red shades disappeared, but they remained too many to give a clear direction to the investigation. The second asteroid saw a majority of human citizens, so it made sense for them to own most businesses, and the hologram reflected that.
"Is that all?" Luke questioned once he realized that it would still take a long time to narrow down the list of targets.
Khan sighed in his mind. He had reached the part he didn't want to reveal, but his hands were tied. He had to give away something, especially since he had found valid clues.
"Rodney was among the buyers," Khan uttered. "He even looked like the leader of the group."
"Wait," Luke exclaimed. "Rodney Semmut? The guide?"
"Yes," Khan confirmed. "He is one of the reasons why I found this skin so quickly."
"I see," Luke voiced as he brought a hand on his chin. "This changes something. He isn't exactly a common figure. The guides might be a cover-up for his actual role on Milia 222. I'll tell someone inside my family to investigate."
"Are you sure?" Khan asked. "Won't that create friction between your families?"
"We had no reason to do it before," Luke explained. "We do now."
Khan had studied Luke thoroughly after his revelation. He was ready to pick up any clue that hinted at his awareness of Rodney's situation. Yet, Luke had passed the test. He appeared entirely in the dark.
"Did Rodney recognize you?" Bruce questioned.
"Worse," Khan replied. "He recognized all of us."
"That can't be helped," Luke reassured. "Someone was bound to recognize us. I bet Rodney wasn't the first."
"Do you know where Rodney is now?" Bruce asked.
"I thought I'd find him here," Khan admitted.
"Why is that?" Luke wondered.
"He should think that I'm dead," Khan smirked. "I guess he didn't fall for that."
Bruce and Luke didn't know how to address those words, but they understood their hidden meaning. Khan didn't want to explain every detail of that topic, and they would respect his wish.
"Well, tell me if I can help," Luke eventually announced. "Anyway, good job. We will plan our next move once I hear from my family."
The meeting could very well end there. Khan only had to remain silent to return to his room. He could keep the stuff related to the traitor and Raymond for himself as he had planned, but he wanted to push a bit more. His curiosity desired answers, and the investigation also needed more intel.
"Luke, can we have some privacy?" Khan politely asked without adding anything else.
Surprised faces unfolded at that unexpected request. Even Master Ivor lifted his head to focus on the desk, but Luke showed his political skills by recovering quickly and exchanging a few nods.
Bruce and Master Ivor left the room without voicing any complaint. Only a few seconds had to pass for Khan and Luke to remain alone in the room, and the latter even turned off the desk at that point.
"Don't keep me on edge," Luke joked.
"I need to choose my words wisely," Khan spoke openly. "I can't sound even remotely disrespectful."
"I thought we were past that," Luke laughed.
Khan heaved a sigh before fixing his gaze on Luke. He really didn't want to talk about that, but it sounded necessary.
"Your uncle's arrival," Khan mentioned, "Won't it ruin our initial plans?"
"Oh, that," Luke replied. "I didn't expect his arrival either. I won't lie to you. It might be a problem."
"Luke, we are talking about someone who I believe has more authority than you," Khan pointed out. "This is way beyond what I signed up for."
"I get you," Luke agreed. "I can adjust your payment due to the recent developments."
"It's not about money," Khan declared. "I'm already risking my life to make the investigation advance. I can't have your family going against it too."
Luke noticed how Khan spoke more openly than usual, but he failed to connect that new behavior to his mana. He simply believed that the dock had brought its share of traumatic experiences, so he decided to reveal the truth.
"I didn't want to mention this," Luke voiced, and the synthetic mana echoed his concern. "You are the reason behind my uncle's arrival."
"What?" Khan exclaimed. He would typically go in full battle mode after similar revelations, but the synthetic mana reassured him enough to avoid falling for his paranoia.
"Sending someone in the dock is a big deal," Luke explained. "The news reached our friends' families, which started to question mine. I don't hold enough authority to reassure everyone, so my uncle decided to step forward."
The explanation left Khan speechless. He had never considered that option, but it made sense. Monica had also mentioned something similar during the dinner at the Kingsize. Raymond could have simply come to reassure the other families.
Of course, Khan didn't give up on his original theory. Raymond had the perfect alibi, but that didn't remove him from the list of suspects. Actually, his decision to step forward could very well be a clue.
'Did I get close enough to worry him?' Khan wondered while he processed that new information. 'Did he come here to make sure that no one gets to the culprits?'
"Don't blame yourself," Luke reassured since he misunderstood the reason behind Khan's silence. "It's my job to call the shots, so I'm the one who has to deal with the consequences."
"I read about your uncle on the network," Khan partially changed the topic. "Did he help with the creation of the reinforced fabric?"
"This is a bit of a family secret," Luke sighed. "The factory used some of his studies to kick-start the experiment."
'Revenge can be a motive!' Khan exclaimed in his mind as he carefully concocted his next question. "How did he take that?"
"My uncle doesn't care about who uses his studies," Luke laughed. "He isn't your ordinary politician. From what I managed to gather, he argued with my father about the financial goal of the factory, but nothing came out of it."
The casual tone that Luke had used didn't hide any lies. It really seemed that the argument between those two powerful figures had not been a big deal, which defeated Khan's last guess.
'Am I trying to force my ideas into this situation?' Khan ended up wondering. 'Did I get everything wrong? It can't be. There must be some truth in it.'
Khan didn't want to abandon his hypotheses, but both Luke and Bruce had spoken against them. Still, he couldn't reject what he had discovered and felt either. Moreover, common sense pointed toward a connection between Raymond and the reinforced fabric.
"Is something wrong?" Luke asked since Khan fell silent, but the latter decided not to speak.
Khan was actually conflicted. He had yet to reveal a few pieces of information, but he wanted to keep them for himself, at least for now. Still, that left him without anything to add.
"Khan, do you have something else for me?" Luke pressed on.
"I might," Khan spoke the truth, "But it's better if I don't say anything now. I can't back it up with proof, and I don't want to create unnecessary panic."
"You shouldn't stress out so much," Luke advised. "What you brought back from the dock will already accelerate the investigation. It's only a matter of time before we find the leak."
'Finding it might not be a good thing,' Khan thought. 'If Raymond has something to do with the theft, we'll have a fourth-level warrior as an enemy in a place where murder comes easy.'
All in all, the situation had yet to become too tragic. It was even quite good for Khan. Rodney didn't reach out to Luke, and Khan only had to wait to find the organization connected to the buyers. He would get to the unknown central pieces sooner or later.
'I might be able to take it easy for some time,' Khan realized. 'I only need to find Rodney, but I can use Milia 222's channels for that.'
"Right, I should probably mention this," Luke continued while Khan was still silent. "My uncle expressed his desire to meet you properly. He made it sound like a whim, but you can think about it if you don't have anything else to do."
To be continued