Synarchy Book 1: The Awakening Read online

  The phone at Derek’s hip exploded into musical noise, startling him. Shirley looked over at him when he jumped, her sleepy brown eyes taking on a note of concern. She reached out, briefly and silently touching his arm in small comfort.

  Derek cast her a small reassuring smile as he pulled the phone from his belt and looked down at the caller id. “It’s Grams.” Grams was the affectionate nickname they had given to Angela Knoxx. She was a sixty-two-year-old neuroscientist with additional studies in Anthropometry, still went spelunking and sky diving any chance she got and showed no signs of slowing down any time soon. She was also Shirley’s grandmother. Angela and the last two members of their team had gone to Piedras Negras in Guatemala. Derek flipped open the phone and pressed a button to bring her face onto the LCD screen.

  “We were getting worried about you guys,” Derek said.

  A mud-streaked, wrinkled, but still elegantly beautiful face looked back at him. The pair of spectacles seemed to sharpen the intelligent stare of her green eyes. A wide-brimmed straw hat perched on her head and she was smiling with barely suppressed excitement. “You’ll never believe what we found, lovey.”

  Derek had to laugh when he heard her, even Abe and Shirley chuckled. “Try us.”

  Chapter 7

  "It is not my intention to doubt that the doctrine of the Illuminati and the principles of Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary, no one is more satisfied of this fact than I am."

  - George Washington

  June 7th, 2012

  Dion Corporation Private Retreat

  Madeira Islands 6:11 AM

  So, when you coming home?” Victor Russo’s deep voice echoed out over the phone.

  Simone stood out on the balcony adjacent to the room she’d claimed for their brief stay. She smiled at her husband’s question, leaning back against the wrought iron railing. “I wish I knew. I don’t even know where I’m going yet.”

  “That sounds like an adventure,” Victor said. “Don’t worry, Cassie has already offered to keep me company while you’re gone.”

  Simone laughed musically. “Yeah, tell her I’m still not sharing you so visitors rights only.” Cassie was her personal assistant and close friend.

  “Aw, you’re no fun, Si. I still say we should either be swingers or polyamorous. Especially with you being Italian and mafia. You’re supposed to have a Friday night guy, then leave Saturdays for me,” Victor said in a light tone.

  Simone rolled her eyes. “What about I’m not sharing didn’t you hear the first time? And I’m grossly disappointed that my husband doesn’t want me all to himself.”

  “Now don’t think that. You know I do. Hang on a second, baby…” There was a brief silence that for some reason made Simone edgy. She started pacing the small space on the balcony while she waited for him to come back on the line. He sounded a little out of breath when he did, minutes later. “Sorry about that, had to move something. Listen baby, I’ve got to run. Call me when you get to wherever it is you’re going?”

  “Sure,” Simone said quietly. “Talk to you later.” She snapped her cell phone closed, staring down at the tiny screen. Something was off. But then again she’d felt like there was something off in their relationship for the last year. They were both busy people, she a little more than he for obvious reasons. While time apart had made her miss him, she was no longer sure if that feeling was reciprocated.

  Frowning, Simone crossed her arms over her chest, walking back into the bedroom. She could no longer put her finger on what had gone missing in her relationship with her husband. But she felt like there should be something more, that there should be a spark that ignited between them no matter how long they had been together. If she was completely honest with herself, she’d had the same feeling the moment she’d said “I do” five years ago, when they were fresh and still terribly in love. She often had the strange sense that she was making a comparison to something else, but there were no other relationships in her past that she could have compared it to.

  Simone sighed in frustration. There were other, more important things to think about, like the strange message their dying grandfather had left them. But at the moment she couldn’t shake the feeling that her husband might not be trustworthy. Dropping her cell phone back into her purse, she left her room, heading downstairs to find her brothers.

  §

  Their grandfather had preferred watching the sunrise. Vasco was instinctively certain of this when he’d accidentally hit the tiny button underneath the desk with his knee, and caused the row of books on the east wall to slowly sink into panels on the floor. It exposed the only full wall window he had seen in the house, just as the horizon was preparing to explode with color. At the hour the unseen sun announced its approach by setting the sky on fire, the vibrant flames reflecting off the face of an endless ocean. Vasco sat behind the desk that was positioned so it faced the hidden window and the awe-inspiring view, contemplating everything that had been dropped in their laps.

  Being handed the reins to the empire had been expected, just not so soon. They had been groomed for their positions since birth even though their father had not been the best mentor in regards to Terenzio business; too emotional to handle the level of decision making required. Vasco had always thought of Marcello as more of a father than their biological, Simone and Lucien felt the same way.

  Life hadn’t been terribly difficult for the triplets, the family had grown so much that the younger members were shielded from how ugly the job got at times. Hell, no one had been “taken care of” in almost eleven years. Technically speaking neither he nor his siblings had gotten their hands dirty yet. Thrust so intricately into the game now was both exhilarating and frightening.

  He rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows and went into a slow stretch, dropping his hand to lightly massage his left leg. Strangely, since he was ten, arthritis had set into the limb and it was bothering him today. Rain was probably coming. Deeply thoughtful gray eyes traveled leisurely around the office, noting that like most places his grandfather inhabited, decorations were not a priority.

  “So c’mon, tell me something I don’t know. You’ve been in here for over an hour.” Towel around his neck, wearing nothing but a pair of black trunks, Lucien came into the office.

  Pulled out of his thoughts, Vasco glanced over at his brother, then down at the open manila envelope on his desk. “No revelations. Just more orders I don’t understand yet.” He was not sure what to think of Grandfather’s cryptic message. The talk of love as if it were an actual tool that would aid them in fighting their unknown adversary was frankly a bit nuts. He chalked it up to a dying man’s sentimental feelings. Additionally, Vasco had no idea what it was they were going to “remember” or how they of all people were going to save the world. None of it made any sense.

  “What orders?” Lucien asked, dropping himself comfortably into one of the chairs in front of the desk.

  Vasco paused, his brows knit together. He began tapping his fingertips lightly over the envelope. “I’m to deliver a letter from him to Kayla, and I’m to keep Caleb Kincade from revealing himself to Simone. Until I feel the time is right.”

  Lucien quirked a brow. “The Security Director? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  Vasco shrugged a single shoulder. “I have no idea.” He lapsed into a brief silent introspection before he asked his brother, “What do you think Grandfather meant with that whole little speech he recorded for us?”

  Lucien mulled over it before he answered. “To be honest, I don’t have a friggin’ clue. How the hell are we going to save the world? And from whom?”

  Vasco nodded slowly. “I can’t find anything in here at least that would lead me to those answers. I think we’re just going to have to wait until we get to the vault.”

  “Maybe he was just talking about whether or not we would accept our promotions. And maybe he was referring to the extended plan on the table to start moving into the European Mafioso
too. That might be the whole saving the world bit,” Lucien said.

  Vasco slid a hand over his mouth to stifle a yawn as he briefly contemplated his brother’s words. “No, I don’t think that’s it.”

  “You’re mumbling into your hand, I can’t hear you.”

  Vasco dropped his hand to repeat himself, but was cut off when Simone burst into the room.

  “I think my husband is having an affair,” she announced with a stone cold expression on her face.

  Lucien and Vasco looked at her simultaneously. Vasco frowned deeply, and Lucien sat up, concerned and asking, “Are you sure Si? How do you know?”

  She shook her head, pressing her fingers against her temple. “I just…I just do.”

  “Want to put a tail on him?” Vasco asked quietly.

  Lucien nodded in agreement with their brother’s suggestion. Simone folded her arms protectively over her chest and began pacing. “Do it. Not knowing will drive me insane, especially since we don’t have any idea how long we’ll be gone.”

  Vasco reached behind him to pull his cell phone out the pocket of his hanging suit jacket. He hesitated before opening it because that sort of kno­wledge could be a double-edged sword. If Victor was cheating, and was caught red handed he didn’t know how well his sister could handle it. “Are you sure, Simone?”

  She stopped pacing to look at him. There was something wounded in her eyes, something unsure and scared despite the fact that her voice was sharp, determined. She was a Terenzio after all. “Do it.”

  Lucien pulled her over to the arm of his chair, nudging her gently. “You know I never liked him much, but for what it’s worth, if he is I’m sorry.”

  Vasco made the call as Simone took the comfort her younger brother offered, leaning against him.

  “I don’t understand. Why not just leave me?” She asked.

  “Because you might shoot him,” Lucien said lightly. “Or get your mean brothers to do it.”

  Simone offered Lucien a weak smile then caught her lower lip between her teeth, contemplating in silence. Finally she shook her head. “The imagination can be cruel.”

  “Don’t do that to yourself, Simone. Wait for confirmation,” Vasco said, putting his cell phone back into his pocket after the call was made.

  Simone was going to respond but Tom appeared in the doorway. “Mr. President, Mr. President, Mrs. President, I need you to be prepared to leave in the next ten minutes.”

  Lucien blinked in surprise. “Why? What’s the issue?”

  “I am under orders not to explain but to move you immediately,” Tom said.

  “So much for swimming and bitches,” Lucien sighed dramatically.

  “We’ll be ready, Tom, thanks,” Vasco said, standing.

  Tom nodded and turned, walking briskly back down the hallway.

  Vasco came around the desk and up to his sister, his grandfather’s mysterious orders where she was concerned pushing to the forefront of his mind. Though he was not the affectionate sort he kissed her on the forehead. “I hope you’re wrong about him.” The corner of his mouth kicked up. “At least for his sake.” He winked.

  Simone couldn’t help but laugh at the latter comment. Her older brother wasn’t as heartless as he made everyone believe. She smiled slightly at him. “Thanks V.”

  “Enough with the moment. I want to know what’s in the vault.” Lucien hopped to his feet. “Let’s get going, kids.”

  §

  June 7th, 2012

  Loyalty Airlines Headquarters

  Alcyone Island 6:00 AM

  “You can appreciate what a busy time it was for us. Yours wasn’t the only family we forgot to warn. Don’t worry, they didn’t suffer.”

  Our bad. Bummer. Sorry you lost your family in the attack we planned. Ten years later, Nicholas Terenzio - Fidelio still burned with a fury that outweighed his hatred for his father. They had tried to pacify him after 9/11 offering him one of their drugged, mind-controlled women to take the place of his wife, and bear him more children. As if it was that easy to replace a twenty year marriage, two teenage sons, and your lover. The Brotherhood didn’t understand the concept of love. With their belief that death wasn’t a big deal, every sacrifice serves a higher purpose, and other mystical shit, they didn’t bat an eye over a few thousand deaths. Whatever was necessary.

  A week after his family’s funeral Nicholas decided he could no longer tolerate the monsters that served the Anunnaki. He wasn’t a firm believer in Marcello’s choice, but at least Marcello had honor and compassion something both the Brotherhood, and Nicholas’s father lacked. Marcello had seen him for the value he could bring to the family. Nicholas’s father, Dominic, had seen him as nothing but a faggot.

  Nicholas’s grandmother, Carissa Terenzio–Fidelio was S.V.T’s little sister, and personal assistant to corporate affairs. Agostino, her husband, and a close childhood friend of Stefano’s, had served as the first C.E.O. of Dion Corp. When Marcello came to the helm both retained their positions, and Carissa was often a tender ear for Marcello. There were two sons from that union, Dominicio and Joseph. Joseph a.k.a “Joey the Mouth”, had died young but honorably following Marcello’s orders removing the last Don in the United States that opposed Terenzio power. Dominic spent the rest of his life trying to live up to the image his brother had set. So when he found out his only son preferred women and men…

  Dominic beat Nicholas to a bloody pulp the day he caught him with another man. Twenty years later, he still refused to acknowledge his son’s existence. Nicholas’s mother was too weak minded to protest. It was easy to let hate grow after that; watching year after year as your own father extend love to everyone else in the family but you.

  Grandma Issa (as Nicholas had called her) had been sympathetic, and understanding. His grandfather, Ago, had been polite, but never close. His sister Agata hadn’t cared about her brothers’ orientation, but didn’t share his hatred of their father which left a rift between them.

  When Kayla approached him, Nicholas had jumped at the chance to switch sides. It had been the perfect opportunity for him to show the senile old bigot what type of man he really was, what he was capable of. Then his family was murdered and those motivates changed.

  Nicholas been playing both sides, flawlessly, like the Terenzio he was for the last seven years. His father remained none the wiser, and that filled Nicholas with a sense of bitter pride. Marcello wasn’t the only one who could manipulate pieces into a desired position.

  Nicholas picked up the coffee mug next to him waiting for the encrypted message on his computer screen to finish downloading before he called Olivia. As Senior V.P. of Loyalty Airlines Eastern Hemisphere Sector, he’d arranged for the first flight to take the triplets to Madeira. He’d expected Olivia’s call this morning, and had pacified her by telling her the triplets were at the boys retreat, then called Tom to have them moved to their final location (which Marcello had not shared with him) before she could track them. He’d call her back shortly and give her the bad news; sorry cousin, we lost them again.

  His computer beeped when the download was done, and Nicholas flicked his eyes over the screen. The dull blue glow caught on the slight curl of his lips. He picked up his cell phone, and called Olivia.

  §

  June 7th, 2012

  Somewhere in the Caribbean

  Phoenix Isle 6:10 AM

  Loki had felt the deaths of his brothers, sisters, and finally Menes from miles away. Even though there was sadness in his heart, he felt neither guilt nor shame from his actions; he had done what he must, no more. Since Atlantis Loki had learned that fear was necessary. Fear was the key to survival while in body. Without it, there would be chaos. Menes hadn’t understood that.

  He had crash landed on this Island after his energy had drained him to the point of exhaustion. Loki had rested, meditated in the serenity of nature only to find once he felt sufficiently recharged he could no longer fly. He could no longer sense the elementals, the salamanders, the fairies. As he
carefully trekked through the jungle, and attempted to connect with the Goddess, Earth, to find out where he was, he was met with silence. Something was blocking him but that was impossible. He had ascended long ago, he couldn’t descend.

  Perplexed at this turn of events he almost didn’t hear the sound of the approaching car engine. Quickly he whispered a few words and was pleased when he found he could still make himself invisible to those who were “sleeping.” The black Hummer rumbled through the pathless wildlife, driving right by him, none the wiser to his presence. As the truck passed Loki was able to catch a glimpse of the two faces in the vehicle, and was immediately struck with the feeling that he needed to follow these two. He sat down in the grass, propped his back against a tree and placed the crystal rod by his side. Remote viewing was a simple parlor trick, and extremely useful. Loki followed them.

  §

  “How is it okay?” Amadeo’s temper hadn’t calmed since he’d found out they didn’t know where the triplets had gone from Madeira. He pulled the Hummer to a stop in front of his house, and looked over at his cousin. “The Brotherhood expects us to control our family.”

  Olivia sighed at his question, and climbed out of the car. “And we will. Nothing ever goes exactly according to plan.”

  Amadeo slammed his car door and glared at her over the hood as he walked toward the front steps. “Olivia, this isn’t as simple as sticking a bomb under our father’s car and pressing a button. What if the triplets find out about us before we’re ready?”

  “Do you or do you not have the entire army under your thumb? Yes? Good. So please, please, shut the fuck up and learn to improvise.” Olivia said it calmly but her eyes had darkened, revealing her irritation.