Page 27 of Warlord’s Empire

“You are a well-prepared man.”

“Always,” he said, his tone serious.

As they approached the centre of Marifiya, Saskia was delighted to discover the existence of open-air shops and carts. “This is incredible!” She ran her hand over a crocheted blanket displayed on a cart. “There’s commerce here.”

Radik smiled. “The merchants sell to people within the compound as well as to people from the surrounding villages.”

“How do people get inside?”

“We leave the gates open during the day.”

Saskia frowned, looking in the direction of the gates. They were so massive, she could see them clearly from her vantage point. They hadn’t been open since she arrived. She said as much.

“There are new security complications that must be handled before we can welcome guests into the compound again.”

It was because of her. She was the security complication.

Saskia thought of the merchants losing out on sales. She grabbed Radik’s arm, stopping him. “Please open the gates again. These shops can’t thrive while on lockdown.”

Radik’s lips curved as he looked down at her, covering her hand with his. “You care.”

“Of course I care, I was cursed with a beating heart,” Saskia snapped. “My coming here shouldn’t make a difference to how you operate this place. From what you’ve shown me so far, I see a vibrant community filled with families. I refuse to negatively impact such a wonderful place.”

Radik showed her into what looked like a small open-air eatery, which was confirmed by a half dozen tables with chairs, soft music playing in the background and mouth-watering smells coming from the kitchen. He pulled a chair out for Saskia and she slid onto the smooth wooden surface.

Radik sat opposite her. “The stricter security measures will remain in place until I’m satisfied they’re no longer necessary.”

Feeling guilty at her impact on the compound, Saskia asked, “How long will that be?”

“Until I catch the people who tried to kill you and make sure there are no other threats to your well-being.”

Chapter Thirteen

After enjoying a refreshing lunch of grilled goat skewers and greens, they continued the tour. Everyone they met treated Radik with deference and friendliness but never fear. He ruled here, but he was not the ruler. It was a strange dynamic, but it seemed to work.

Along their walk she met Jessica, the woman in charge of welcoming all new arrivals as well as acting as the compound’s schoolteacher. She welcomed Saskia and invited her to drop by the schoolhouse for tea sometime. Saskia also met Blessing, who oversaw sanitation for the compound, and she met Flora who commanded Marifiya’s social calendar.

“We’re holding a town meeting next week that you should try to attend. It’s really just an excuse to gather and eat. Nonna always provides the most delicious snacks.”

Radik then took her to the command center and introduced her to his chief security officer, Nuani, who explained the security measures around the compound to her. There were cameras, drones, satellite surveillance, bunkers filled with vehicles and equipment and more.

“It’s like you’re preparing for war,” Saskia murmured, fascinated as Nuani showed her real-time satellite images of the compound and area beyond.

He took her seriously. “Not preparing for war, but always ready in case one comes to us.”

“Is that likely to happen?”

“The larger we get, the more attention we draw from surrounding villages and their leaders. We’re using an abundance of caution but not expecting difficulty at this time.” Nuani smiled at her reassuringly.

His answer sounded like something someone would say when trying to convince a person there was no attack imminent, regardless of if an attack were imminent or not.

Saskia turned her question to Radik. “Are we in danger here?”

“You are not in danger,” he replied swiftly. “I would not have brought you here if I thought that.”

“What about everyone else? Are they as safe as you say I am?”

He hesitated before giving a brief nod. “The only difference is in the event of an attack you are to be secured first.”