Page 28 of Camriel
“Your boss can go inside,” the chubby cop said.“But only him,” he added, beckoning to the distinguished looking dude wearing the suit.
Rahab motioned for his men to stay put and strode towards the office.He nodded at Xathan and received an unctuous smile in return.The cops parted to let him through and he pushed the door open.
A harried looking young woman sat at a reception desk to the right.Her light brown hair was mussed and she had a smudge of dirt on her cheek.On closer inspection, he realized it was a bruise.“Yes?”she asked sharply.Pretty, she had a trim figure.She would be popular with his troops if his plan to use her boss didn’t work out.
“Tell Mr.Giamano that I wish to speak to him,” he said.
“And you are?”she prompted him sarcastically.The sign on her desk said her name was Ivy Roche.
“Rahab,” he said arrogantly.“I wish to form an alliance with your employer.We can offer him protection in return for certain favors.”He grimaced internally at using Xathan’s exact wording.
Her pupils dilated as she gave him the once over.Women always found him to be attractive.He couldn’t blame them, since he was clearly far superior to human males.“Wait here,” she said, rising to her feet.“I’ll see if Mr.Giamano can see you.”She was limping slightly as she walked down a long hallway to the door at the end.Her dark blue skirt was slightly askew and her matching jacket had a tear in the sleeve.She knocked softly on the door.
“What?”a voice snarled from within.“I told you not to bother me!”
Several other people were working in the offices she’d passed.Rahab heard them muttering about the tyrannical politician.It seemed Xathan had overestimated his charisma.The man clearly used violence and intimidation to control his team.
“A man by the name of Mr.Rahab is here to see you, sir,” she said in a frightened tone.
“What does he want?”he asked in annoyance.
“To offer you protection for some favors,” she said.
“What does he look like?”her boss asked.
“No visible tattoos, he’s clean and he’s wearing an expensive suit,” she replied.Clearly, these were the standards the politician cared about.
Silence fell and Rahab could practically feel her boss thinking.“Let him in, Ivy,” he decided.
Ivy limped back to her desk.“Mr.Giamano will see you now, Mr.Rahab,” she said, giving him a seductive smile.
He inclined his head, then strode down the hallway and opened the door.Oliver Giomano rose to his feet, smoothing down his wrinkled black suit.Short and slender, he had olive skin and slicked back black hair.He looked to be in his late thirties.He assessed his visitor shrewdly.“Please, take a seat, Mr.Rahab,” he offered.
Rahab glanced around the office.The black carpet was thin and the furniture had seen better days.Bookshelves contained dozens of tomes about political matters.Just reading their titles was enough to bore him.The desk was long and wide, dwarfing its owner.His black leather chair was far too large for him, making him seem even smaller when they both sat down.
Too large for the cheap, barely padded office chair, Rahab turned his gaze to the politician.
The question Oliver had been about to ask died when he stared into his visitor’s weird eyes.He could tell immediately that there was something very strange about Mr.Rahab.“What do you want?”he asked, hand straying to the drawer where he’d stashed a gun.
“I mean you no harm,” Rahab said, compelling the human to listen.“Like your pretty assistant said, I wish to offer you an alliance.”
Oliver’s entire body was tense with the need to flee.His mind had seized up, but only for a few seconds.“Why are you here?”he asked in a slightly shaky tone.
“My men and I are new to this city,” the warrior said with a smirk.“It seems we’ve arrived at an opportune time.The Rapture has caused havoc and we can help you to restore order.”
Sensing it would be risky to trust this man, Oliver was still intrigued.“You want to help me get Manhattan back in order?”he asked skeptically.
Rahab leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk.“Why stop there?”he asked.“You have an entire country begging for a new master.An intelligent man like you could shape the United States into whatever you want it to be.”He pushed hard to manipulate the human.
“I could be the President?”Oliver murmured as his greatest wish was dangled in front of him.
“You could be anemperor,” Rahab told him, knowing his puppet had been hooked from the avaricious gleam in his eyes.
