New Beginnings

16. Laura

The Bianchi Negozio Locale

"Yes, thank you, I understand completely that to do so any sooner would be problematic. Corvae will be very appreciative and I will be sure to tell them that it was you, who personally helped me with this matter. Goodbye Mr Giordano."

Okoye slammed the phone onto the table in front of her, startling the Corvae techies around her. She ignored them and rubbed at her eyes as she sank back into her wooden chair. She tried to convince herself that she couldn't have done any better and that in the end, after round clock phone calls, her talent for persuasion and admittedly a great deal of Corvae money she had ultimately gotten what she wanted, or at least as close to it as she could have hoped.

More importantly, she had gotten it done before the brute had come back to wreak yet more havoc.

Only barely, she realized as she heard the unmistakable sounds of Gustav's powerful footsteps up the stairs. The Corvae techies scattered, like ants from giant boots, towards the other side of the room. Okoye had to admit they did well to make it seem that they had important business with whatever equipment was furthest away from the stairs. She could always appreciate a good bluff, especially when serf perseveration was involved.

When he appeared at the top of the stairs, Gustav looked unchanged from when he had left a day ago. This struck Okoye as peculiar, she had spent the day mostly on the phone and she felt and knew she looked, deeply fatigued from it. Yet Gustav, who as far as she knew, had been searching for Hollis and Karnstein non-stop and had somehow ended up near the Apennine Mountains of all places, looked as fresh as ever. How was that possible?

Gustav spread his arms out gregariously when he saw her.

"Bolade Okoye, my hero. Good job on getting me back to Florence, you can follow simple instructions after all. And now that I am back, you can relax now. I'll take it from here."

Okoye blinked, uncertain what he meant by that exactly. She covered it up with another one of her confident smiles she had perfected over the years.

"Well, I'm glad we found you and that you're so happy with me. Perhaps you'll be even happier when I tell you the good news."

Gustav raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"After great effort on my part, we will have access to the Uffizi Gallery. Full access, the gallery will be closed in a couple of days' time and only Corvae will be allowed in until we find the Sarratum. I thank for your efforts, but I doubt we will need your particular services in this matter anymore, all you would be doing is providing security and I'm sure a man of your talents would better serve Corvae elsewhere."

Gustav grinned amicably. Okoye felt a burst of terror as he reached over and patted her on the shoulder. A bear pawing casually at something it could tear apart without effort.

"Good job, Okoye, well done. But I'm afraid that's not going to work for me."

Okoye blinked again and she had to paste the smile to keep it in place.

"I don't quite understand. Your part in this is done. You can stay if you like, but Corvae put me in charge-"

"Yes, and that was fine with me up and till now. But going forwards, I think you're only going to get in the way. Probably be best for you to leave."

Despite his warm gestures and happy tone of voice, Okoye couldn't help but feel a tingle down her spine, as if the situation had turned very dangerous without her realizing until now. She couldn't meekly surrender without a fight though, she stood her ground.

"No, I think it would be best for you to leave. I have everything under control now, despite the chaos you've caused. Like I said, Corvae put me in charge and it was for this exact reason."