Page 24 of Dark Chains: First Link
Kian shifted his gaze to the god. "I will not entrust Khiann to strangers even if they are trustworthy, which we have no reason to believe they are. We get Khiann out ourselves."
"You assume that the soldiers will cooperate." Lokan looked at Turner. "From their point of view, extracting the chests complicates their operation to the point of failure."
"They're asking us for help," Turner said. "That gives us leverage. We help them escape on the condition that they help us recover the chests. It's a straightforward exchange."
Kian leaned forward in his chair. "What options do we have for the women?"
Turner put his pen down. "Rescuing the women is not feasible at this time. I'm not saying to give up on them. I'm only suggesting that we do things in the right order. The first step is to recover Khiann and his companions. After that is done, we can provide whatever the scientists and the soldiers need, and perhaps they will be a good addition to the military capabilities we are developing. When the time is right, we will take on the island and liberate everyone who is trapped there. The Dormants, the trafficked women, and everyone else who's there against their will."
Kian glanced at Lokan, noting his pained expression. The guy wasn't trying to argue with Turner or his assessment because he knew that the clan didn't have the capabilities to take on the Brotherhood at this time.
Toven sighed. "Those women are suffering while we sit here, making priority lists. I wish we could move faster."
"So do I," Kian said.
Toven held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded.
"I'm going to hate delivering this news to Volkov." Kian let out a breath. "I hoped I could give him a better answer."
"Then don't deliver it as bad news," Turner said. "Deliver it as a phased plan. We're not saying no to the women. We're saying not yet. It's up to them to take along as many as they dare."
Kian liked that twist. "That's shifting the responsibility to them. We are not saying no to helping the women once they are free. We just can't help with the extraction itself at this time."
"Precisely," Turner said. "We would need to time their escape so it happens only after we extract the chests and they are a safe distance away from the island. We don't want them to mess up our operation. We will inform them that we no longer need them to transport the chests and that they are good to go."
The guy had packaged the entire thing perfectly and tied it with a bow. They would get Khiann and the others using the enhanced soldiers' special abilities to time the rescue operation as precisely as possible.
There were still many details to figure out, but they had a workable framework that might not require the use of an EMP, which would be a great relief.
"I like it," he said. "Works beautifully for us. Now we just need to solve the communications logistics. If we want any of this to happen, we need an open channel with them."
"The question is delivery method and location," Onegus said. "The micro-drone worked in the harem because it was isolated, and Carol gave us exact coordinates. We can still use the high-altitude drop method, with the larger drone releasing the micro-drone, but we will need the coordinates from the soldiers."
"We can sort out the details when we talk to them in two days," Kian said. "For now, we need to have the drone package prepared for deployment from Safe Harbor."
"It will be done," Onegus said.
Kian shifted his gaze to Turner. "We need a preliminary operational framework for the enhanced soldiers on how to recover the chests and transport them onto a ship. They need to believe that we are serious about this. They might also need help with coordinating their escape. According to Eluheed, they are all very young, so they don't have a lot of tactical experience, and they might need us to guide them. Thralling ability does not solve everything."
"I'll have something for you by tomorrow evening."
"Good." Kian drummed his fingers on the table. "We also need to have a backup plan for Khiann's extraction, and also to help with the enhanced escape. We are treating them and the scientists as a secondary consideration, which they are, but they are still important. I want those soldiers, and I want those scientists, and I want all records of the program destroyed before they leave the island. Ending the enhancement program means one less worry to keep me awake at night."
When everyone nodded, Kian let out a breath. "So, I guess the EMP plan is relegated to a contingency?"
"It is," Turner confirmed. "I prefer the new direction we discussed."
"The safety of our Guardians is no less important than the retrieval of Khiann and his friends." Kian leveled his gaze at Turner. "The EMP will render the Brotherhood inoperative, so it still might be the better plan."
He didn't really think that, but he was playing devil's advocate.
Turner returned his gaze. "It will also render all ships docked at the harbor inoperable, which will mean that our friends would have to leave the island before we begin our mission, and we don't want that."
"Right." Kian raked his fingers through his hair. "The EMP will just complicate things, and the truth is that I prefer not to use an untested weapon in such a critical operation, but I trust your judgment. If, after you produce the full plan, you tell me that the EMP is the better choice, we will go with that."
10
LOSHAM
