Artemisia glanced at the phone that lit up the dim room. Her expression was grim as she considered the screen.
"That deadbeat isn't even in the ground yet, and they're fighting for his scraps." An intense look replaced her calm demeanour.
"I need specifics to send appropriate resources," Nis' voice trailed off.
"Do I look like someone who needs rescuing?" Her gaze flicked over my still, securely tied form. "I'll respond. Sit tight, would you?"
"Hate to watch you leave, love to watch you go," I muttered. Not bothering to leer at her shapely bottom as she crossed the distance.
After a brief conversation, she returned. "It seems, Mr. Gyali, we're on the same team for now."
"Okay, so let's take this guy down," I said. We both knew what we were thinking, but I still wasn't sure what she would do with me.
"I didn't take you for a stupid man, Nis. Your life is mine. You wouldn't be alive if the others got to you first. If I hadn't found you, you'd be swimming with concrete shoes." A small tube of lipstick appeared in her palm, and in its handle was a knife that made short work of the zip ties I was held with.
Untied, I rubbed my wrists and took stock of my surroundings, wondering whether she'd still feel the same if she knew about my deal with her father. Still on edge, my cover blown and her calling the shots, I didn't think I could trust her not to turn on me for one minute.
A sense of vulnerability enveloped me as a luxurious car with blacked-out windows pulled up in front of us. I was lucky to be walking out of this alive. If she were her father...my size 11s would be in an oil drum in Lake Tahoe somewhere.
She motioned for me to follow as we approached the waiting vehicle. The night air was cool, the sky studded with stars and haze. The distant sounds of the city adding a surreal backdrop to the night's unfolding events.
As we climbed into the car, her gaze remained fixed on the unfolding chaos blowing up her phone. Seeing my pensive look, she smiled and patted my arm. "Relax, Nis, I've never been that crass. Too easily discovered, plus it scares the fish."
We pulled away in more style than we arrived.
In all the commands she gave her men, I gained further insight into how she ran her ops.
She used the brief moments to share what she learned while uncovering the intricate web of alliances and betrayals that fueled the impending conflict. Based on what she shared, I half expected us to be shot at or have the car run off the road at any given point.
The night was ripe with unspoken dangers, the weight of her words lingering in the atmosphere. I sensed she was still withholding something.
"We're heading to the heart of the city." Her voice cut through the silence at last. "There's someone you need to meet, someone who might have the answers we seek."
As we arrived at our destination, the atmosphere became even more charged. The building loomed before us, its façade revealing nothing of the secrets concealed within. She led me through a series of corridors until we reached a door guarded by formidable figures.
The door swung open, revealing a room bathed in an eerie glow. Sitting at the center was a figure shrouded in darkness, their features concealed. It gestured for her to approach.
"Meet Enigma," she said.
I extended my greeting, my tone blending disbelief and caution at making the acquaintance. I'd thought this individual was a myth, let alone their status in the world.
"I have insights that can guide you through the storm about to break." The Enigma's voice emerged from the shadows, cryptic yet laden with wisdom. "You've entered a world where alliances shift like the tides. The key to survival lies in the morally grey areas of humanity."
As the Enigma spoke, I realized the journey ahead would be more difficult than I could have imagined. The puzzle pieces were scattered, waiting to be unravelled, and my role in this clandestine meeting was beginning.
Our intel until now was the perception of what the underworld wanted us to see, not the actuality of the situation as it unfolded.
A chasm of fear rose in my throat, and for the second time that night, I considered retiring and finding myself a nice woman to settle down with.
Not this woman, but a nice one.