"Because I'm not sure it will work," Kian admitted. "Besides, we need to deploy the EMP to get to the enclosure undetected, which means that the codes will be useless anyway. We need to find out what this damn enclosure is made of that makes it so difficult to breach, and where the booby-traps are located."
Turner nodded. "So, here is the plan. First, Toven compels Losham to halt operations. Second, we drug Navuh to lower his defenses and have the Clan Mother get the information out of him. Third, we deploy the EMP to disable all systems, create chaos, and buy more time while creating the environment most favorable for an operation on the island. Fourth, a large team infiltrates through the underwater cove, disables the traps, breaches the enclosure, extracts the bodies, and gets them out to a waiting ship or a submarine."
"That's a lot of moving parts," Onegus said.
"It's a complex situation. Simple solutions aren't going to cut it." Turner looked at Kian. "But it's a workable plan."
"I agree." Kian pushed to his feet. "I'm going to call Lokan. Get Losham's phone number. And then I'm going to call Toven."
37
ANNANI
"Thank you for spending the morning with me, Alena." Annani patted her daughter's knee. "It would have been so much more stressful without you."
Kian had asked if she wanted to join the meeting in his office regarding Khiann's extraction from the island, but she had opted to let the professionals brainstorm the mission without worrying about protocol. Anyway, Kian was not going to do anything without her approval.
Alena smiled. "I'm always available for you. Besides, as sweet as E.T. is, I need a break from time to time, and Orion needs practice caring for the baby by himself. Although knowing my mate, he put E.T. into the stroller as soon as I left and headed to his sister's place."
Annani was about to say that Geraldine adored E.T. and would be overjoyed to entertain him and her brother when her phone rang.
She put her teacup down and fished for it between the folds of her gown, appearing calm but feeling anything but.
"Is it Kian?" Alena asked.
"Yes." Annani accepted the call. "Hello, my son. Is the meeting over?"
"It ended an hour ago, but I had a few phone calls to make before calling you," Kian said. "I apologize for that and for not coming to speak with you in person, but there is much to be done."
"I understand." She leaned against the cushions of her sitting room sofa. "If there is urgency, I assume that there is a plan?"
"We had a productive meeting. Between Turner, William, Roni, Onegus, and me, we've put together a framework for extracting Khiann without having to agree to Navuh's terms."
Annani had been hoping for that, and she let out a relieved breath. "That is wonderful news. I dreaded having to decide one way or the other."
"It's an extremely complicated and difficult plan, with many moving parts, and I don't have all the details yet, but I can tell you the basic outline." Kian paused, and she heard him take a breath. "First, we're going to have Toven compel Losham to halt any operations on the glass enclosure. Mia will be on standby to enhance his power if needed. I called Lokan to make sure that he still had Losham's phone number, and he does, but he no longer has the Brotherhood's phone, so William will rig one for him. We want Losham to recognize the call as coming from Lokan so he will answer it."
"He might not accept a call from Lokan. He knows that Lokan deserted the Brotherhood."
"I spoke to Lokan about it, and he's pretty sure that Losham would answer from pure curiosity to hear what Lokan is up to and to gloat about being in charge of the island."
Annani hoped so, but she did not know Losham, so she could not predict what he would do. Lokan, on the other hand, knew his adopted brother quite well.
"Let us pray that Lokan is right about that. If Losham stops trying to breach the enclosure, we do not have to rush the extraction."
"Precisely. The goal is to buy us time and make sure that neither Losham nor anyone else on the island accidentally triggers the booby-traps while we prepare the rest of the operation."
"What is the next step?"
There was a pause. "We still need Navuh to give us the technical specifications of the enclosure, but we don't need the disarmament codes. Those will not be necessary."
Frowning, Annani glanced at Alena, who looked just as confused as she was.
"I do not understand. Why do we need the technical specifications and not the codes, and how are we going to get them from Navuh without promising him freedom? He will not give us any of that voluntarily."
"He won't, that's why we're going to drug him to lower his defenses like we did with Igor, and then you will enter his mind and extract the information we need."
The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
