Being the first to look away dampened Roger Hartwell’s spirit montarily. He had always been the one at the top of the food chain. There are rarely people willing to stand in front of him with such a steady gaze.
But because of this, a flash of appreciation appeared in his eyes. Glancing at his daughter, whose eyes never seed to leave the man beside her, he was a bit annoyed. He understood that sooner or later, the children would leave the nest.
Clearing his throat, he spoke, "Mr. Nightfall, Alia has made us aware of so...questionable information. And while I don’t completely believe the accuracy of your claims, I will admit that there are issues I have overlooked in recent years.
It was at Alia’s insistence that I decided to have you co to our ho. The discoveries we have made have caused quite a stir. I believe we have done our due diligence; however, I wonder if there is anything you may have to add?"
Sitting stiffly in the chair, Kain began. "Mr Hartwell, Mrs Hartwell, Nicola, Danielle, this is our first eting. I should have brought a gift, but honestly, I think saving your lives is the best gift of all. I’m not saying this to be rude. I’m saying this because I hope we can have long-term cooperation."
After saying this, he leaned back in the seat, completely at ease. He didn’t consider himself rude. In his mind, being alive really was the greatest gift. He was offering them the chance to live for another few years.
They have the leverage now, when law and order still exist, but once it doesn’t, no one will care whether they’re the Hartwells or the Fartwells. It was up to them whether or not to take him up on the offer.
"As for anything I know...I know a lot. But what’s in it for ?"
No one had expected Kain to be so presumptuous. Roger’s face turned the shade of red that made him look like a boiled lobster. Mrs Hartwell, Denise, clutched the pillow in her hand so tightly her knuckles were white.
As for Nicola and Danielle, their gaze bordered on mildly interested. Not at all concerned about Kain insulting their parents.
Alia slapped him on the arm, an admonition, but the laughter in her eyes showed she wasn’t serious.
Seeing the three children not even defending their parents, Kain wondered what kind of dynamic this family possessed. The siblings seem to enjoy having soone put their parents down.
"Alright. Mom, Dad, don’t be angry." Nicola spoke up.
Nicola and Kain were the sa age, 27. Much like Kain’s current playful deanor after his rebirth, Nicola had a comfortable air around. He looked like the kind of person one would tell all their secrets to, because they knew he would never tell.
But Kain saw sothing different. Alia, Nicola, and even Danielle were nothing short of demons. Their facade for the public was ticulous. Even before their own parents, they couldn’t help acting.
"I won’t call you Mr. Nightfall. I know my sister likes you. It’s a matter of ti before we beco family. I won’t stand on ceremony and pretend to be formal. Let’s treat this as if we are one big, happy family."
"No problem," Kain smiled. He preferred the simple family vibe.
The four of them then proceeded to ignore Mr and Mrs Hartwell. The butler had made himself invisible in the room since he sat down. The four relaxed and spoke.
"Let’s cut to the chase. You need our resources; we need your information. You wouldn’t have told Amy anything if you didn’t want sothing. So far, we’ve noticed that a lot of families have been on the move.
Not just our uncle, but the scions of other families are moving money around and buying things. It isn’t a case of one family getting the information and spreading it. It is a careful and deliberate convening.
From our investigation, there are 6 families who seem to be sharing news. Our uncle is at the heart of it all. If not for your reminder, we would never have thought such a thing was happening. What we want to know is whether you know their ultimate goal."
Kain nodded as he listened. The news was within his expectations. And from what he knows, the governnt should also have a hand in this. The Hartwells have so many connections, but they couldn’t find out about the governnt.
This either ans they haven’t started preparing, or they have been preparing for a long ti. Neither mattered; what mattered was, as Nicola put it, the ultimate goal.
Humming in agreent, Kain replied, "I do know."
The sharp intake of breath filled the room. All eyes in the room turned to him. Sothing they had not been able to confirm with all the power they possessed, Kain was able to find out.
Roger Hartwell didn’t believe it, yet he said nothing.
"It’s just as I told Amy. The world will end in one month. Well, three weeks. You’ve found the families that are preparing, but don’t you think it’s strange that you’ve heard nothing from the governnt?
Six families are making moves large enough for you all to notice with just a little digging, so why doesn’t the governnt, with its myriad of intelligence agents, know anything?
Maybe because they know, but they’re aware that no matter how much the six families prance around, they, the governnt, are the ultimate victors. And don’t tell you believe they do things for the good of the people."
Silence fell, thick and heavy. They couldn’t pretend the thought didn’t occur to them.
"My contacts in the governnt haven’t said anything. I think your idea is absurd," Roger was the first to voice his objection.
"They didn’t say anything, or did they find a new backer?" He turned to Alia. "Didn’t you tell them about Gigi?"
Shaking her head, Alia replied, "I didn’t. I decided it would be better to talk about everything altogether at one ti."
"Sis, what’s wrong with Gigi?" Danielle asked.
"She’s sleeping with uncle," Alia’s cold voice said. "She’s also helping him hide his tracks." A trace of indignation seeped into her words.
"Told you I didn’t trust that bitch," Daniella said, laughing at Alia’s misfortune.
Alia shot her a glare.
"Alright, now isn’t the ti to argue," Nicola waved his hand dismissively, "Kain, you seem to know a lot. And no offense, but you aren’t exactly hiding the fact that you’ve started stocking food.
I agree with my dad on one thing. I don’t believe in the end of the world coming. But I am willing to believe that sothing is happening that we don’t quite understand.
Since you have the answers, give us a few ideas. According to you, there are three weeks left. Tell us what else we need. If nothing happens, then you owe all the money we pour into whatever it is you think will happen. Deal?"
"Deal." Kain wasn’t about to turn away such a lucrative deal.
So Kain spent the entire day at the Hartwell mansion, mapping out all the items they might need. He didn’t go into detail about what would happen.
What he did was to have them secure a place to live and the equipnt they might need later. He rembered the Hartwells had a luxury skyscraper project they were working on.
He asked them to fortify the five highest floors. Because the apartnt was ant for luxury, they had already taken great care to ensure the highest standard for comrcial use; what he needed was maximum security.
He asked them to renovate these floors. The glass needed to be changed, and they needed to add a security lock to ensure others couldn’t get to their floor. While the two top floors were penthouses, the other three floors were not.
He also decided to take action on his own and have another five floors renovated for his purposes. Partnering with the Hartwells was one thing, but he had no intention of being at their rcy. They could live in one unit; he would choose another.
This day ended productively. The order for equipnt, dical supplies, water and sanitation, protective gear, tools, and various utility items was underway.
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