Page 82 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
Kalugal rubbed the back of his head. "I was hoping to be ready in ninety days, but if we need to look for thrall-resistant fighters, it's going to take longer."
"Ninety days?" Carol snorted. "That's ambitious even for you."
"Every day we delay is another day Father strengthens his position," Kalugal said. "He's making more and more enhanced soldiers."
The elevator chimed again, this time with their delivery. The guard from downstairs handed Lokan the bags and left.
"We might have over-ordered," Carol admitted, surveying the spread.
"Not really." Kalugal started opening containers. "I have a voracious appetite when I get excited."
Lokan caught Carol's eye and smirked. She winked back.
As they ate, Kalugal outlined more details of the plan. The engineering team he was assembling, the shell company structure that would hide their ownership, and the training protocols he had in mind.
"I want to help," Lokan said.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"I've dreamed of liberating that island for centuries," he continued. "Of freeing our people and ending Father's tyranny. If this plan has even a chance of succeeding, I want to be a part of it."
"It will succeed," Kalugal said with conviction in his voice. "Especially with your knowledge of the Brotherhood. I know Father has kept you out of the loop lately, but you still have a thousand years of watching him operate."
"I know that he keeps changing things around because he's paranoid. I didn't know about the enhanced soldiers even though he had been running the program for months."
"The underlying structure remains the same," Kalugal said. "And more importantly, you know how his mind works. How he responds to threats."
"Surprise is our best advantage." Lokan put his napkin over his plate. "He would never imagine us using humans."
"Exactly." Kalugal raised his glass. "To Project Titan."
"Project Titan?" Jacki asked.
"That's the name of the operation. We decided to call the island Safe Harbor."
They clinked glasses, and for a moment, Lokan allowed himself to imagine his father's compound falling, the people freed, the tyranny ended. But as always, the real problem was the aftermath. They needed a powerful compeller to take over from Navuh, or his warriors would turn on one another, and a bloody war for power would ensue. Thousands would die, both humans and immortals.
The only one powerful enough to assume control was Toven, and Lokan doubted that the god would be willing to relocate to the island, not even to save a few thousand lives.
Carol checked her watch. "We should head down to the gym soon. Lokan is inducing another paranormal tonight."
"You're inducing another one?" Jacki asked. "I thought you were waiting to see if Jeremy transitions."
"Carol convinced me not to wait," Lokan said.
"Can we watch?" Kalugal asked.
"Sure, if Spencer doesn't mind an audience." Carol stood, beginning to clear containers. "He's pretty laid back. Probably won't care."
"What's his ability?" Lokan asked.
"Aura reading. He can see energy fields around people, read their emotional states, and their general health."
"Useful," Kalugal observed. "If he transitions."
"He will," Lokan said with more confidence than he felt. "They all will."
"Optimism? From you?" Kalugal feigned shock. "What has Carol done to my cynical brother?"
