TWISTED EMPIRE
Twisted Empire - Episode 35&36
(Her Blade, His Neck )
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Sergeant Kash and Brent shared the same baffled looks immediately the words left the threshold of Four's mouth, and Brent even gasped.
He had to slam his palm over his mouth to stop another sound from forthcoming.
Did Four just speak to the President of this country like a normal individual?
No, he didn't speak to him. He threatened him with the rawest choice of words.
Kash was counting the seconds with the sound of his own heartbeats as he awaited a response from the President, but Four's face is still fiercely impassive.
And he could feel that one vein pumping hot blood on his neck.
"This isn't the President" the reply finally came, and Four's eyes twitched.
"This is the President's secretary, and I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said... Mr. DeVille" the secretary continued, then he hung up.
Somehow, that reply brought peace to Kash's chest, but Four doesn't look pleased in any way.
If anything, he became deeply hued, and his fingers folded around the phone, nearly crushing it as he stared into space with streaked eyes.
Right now he looks like his treasure got snatched away by lions in an underworld auction.
He dropped the phone, then he dragged his laptop closer.
Knowing what he's gonna do, Kash quickly went closer and covered the laptop from him.
"I'm against it, sir. The fact that you threatened the president is already enough, and I'm thankful that it was his secretary who picked that call. Now you can't hack into the diner place with the base system while the president is inside. If it gets out, you might be demoted or even get arrested for spying on the president" Kash said.
"Get off the system, Kash" Four warned with beet-red eyes.
"But sir—"
Kash's words were cut off when Four punched him in the throat.
Blood spluttered out of his mouth, and he staggered back from the system, holding his neck tightly.
Brent gulped, looking at Four with measureless awe.
Someone madly strong like Sergeant Kash, bleed from the mouth because of a punch from Four?
How stronger is Four?
Four was finally able to get access to the system, and he only had to employ some bots and merge with the base HackLord with the apps.
In about five minutes, he gained access to the diner surveillance cameras.
He used his mouse, searching for the room Teal is in.
It's the largest room in the skyscraper, so it wasn't hard. He clicked on it, and he was greeted with the whole scene on the screen.
He watched with laser-like focus.
--
[The Olive Grove]
Teal wasn't cut short of her expectations.
The diner place is the most magnificent building she has ever set eyes on, a golden skyscraper with fleeting windows which lined the body from outside like fireflies.
Pure white flooring like ivories, and sturdy soundproof walls with optic acoustic insulation, so guests eat their meals in solitude.
Their cozy room is on top of the skyscraper, and while the old president is at the head of the dinner table, Teal is by the right.
Xander is by the left, flashing her with his inked chest since he didn't button up his dress shirt.
It's like he's allergic to buttoning up.
Teal dragged her fork through the tomatoes and lettuce on her plate, having a taste and nodding.
"Is it good?" Xanthe asked.
"Sure" she replied, trying to smile, but it's just not coming.
"You should try the steak too" Xanthe said, dissecting his steak into eatable pieces before standing.
He rounded the table and brought the plate to Teal.
"No thanks, I'm ok with the veggies" she quickly said as he set the plate down in front of her.
"You a vegetarian?" He asked, stylishly brushing his fingers on her bare arm.
"I'm just not in the mood for any other meal tonight. I love veggies" she replied, and the guy bent over her, taking her by surprise as he licked the lobe of her ear.
She startled with a shift.
"What are you doing?"
"You look extra beautiful tonight, couldn't control my smile when I saw you walking through that front door, but yunno what? I think you'd look better in a wedding dress" he whispered, and she inched farther on her chair, trying to get away from the heat of his mouth.
"Don't be silly" she frowned slightly, and he smiled, staying behind her as she cut through her food and resumed eating.
President Spyros just sat where he sat, staring at the two and picturing them as a couple already.
It's been ages since he has been pestering Xanthe for a wife, maybe his prayers finally got answered.
Teal isn't only beautiful but smart and strong. The rarest qualities to find in one. She has it all.
"How old are you, Miss Teal?" He asked, and Teal dropped her fork with a soft clatter.
"24" she simply said.
"Xanthe is 28, compatible" President Spyros concluded, and Teal smiled awkwardly.
"I'm fine in the military though, I'm not getting married" she clarified.
"It's not necessary to get married right now, there's something called courting. You both should get to know each other better" President Spyros said, and Teal sighed.
Does this man ever take a hint?
Xanthe went back to his seat, and the secretary came in to whisper something into the president's ear.
As he whispered, President Spyros stayed calm, but his eyes says he's pissed, and he's trying hard to contain it.
While that report is going on, Xanthe urged Teal her to eat the steak, to which she said no everytime.
"You're stubborn, it's s+xy" he muttered, and she smiled without meaning to.
Thirty minutes later, they left the diner, and as they stepped out with the heavy escort of the president's guards, Teal suddenly felt something warm cover her shoulder, and she blinked to see it's Xanthe's coat.
"You didn't have to" she said.
He smells like lemons and leather, and maybe she doesn't like it.
"It's cold outside, you need it since your arms are bare" Xanthe replied.
"Don't reject, Teal. He has always been thoughtful like that" President Spyros intervened.
When they stepped outside, it was snowing so much.
Xanthe quickly took an umbrella from a guard, covering both of them with it as they progressed to the limousine.
They drove off without waiting for the President, but another limousine came for the President though.
He hopped in with his secretary beside him, and as the drive started.
"What were you saying earlier?" He gruffly queried as the car moved.
"There was a hack detection at the diner place when we were inside. And it came from the base—Master Sergeant's office" the secretary reported.
"Four DeVille" President Spyros heaved through his words.
Is he by chance interested in Teal? Same lady who already belongs to Xanthe?
"We can get him punished accordingly, sir" the secretary said.
"No. Call General Pedro, and put me on the line" President Spyros replied.
"Yes sir" the secretary dialled Pedro instantly.
--
[A Steakhouse]
The smell of beef and broccoli perforated the air, and a mixture of beer stench.
The steakhouse is similar to a grill, so it's located at the end of a dark street.
The lights are bleak, and the walls are cracking with the need for renovation, but the customers are still eating and drinking under that roof anyways.
They're majorly old men and wife-beating drunkards.
A woman entered the house amidst the loud chitchats.
Her gown is silky, and It's nearly dragging on the ground, but thanks to her black platforms, the length is on her ankles.
A key necklace is hanging on her neck, and she looks statuesque.
She entered a curtained spot in the steakhouse and settled across a wooden table where the person she came to meet is sitting.
He's a potbellied man.
"Empress" he voiced, bringing out an envelope from his bag.
He handed it to her, and she opened it with suppressed curiosity. It contains pictures.
She poured the pictures on the table like tarot cards, and Pot Belly sighed as a look of disgust filled her eyes.
"None of these pictures is Usman." she said, her voice sweet but poisonous.
"He's not easy to find, Empress. No soul has seen that devil before" Pot Belly said.
"I've been waiting on you since five months ago! I payed you millions monthly, empowering you to hone your skills and find him, but all you got are these godawful pictures of different people?" She picked her words, and Pot Belly reclined, rubbing his chin.
"Usman isn't someone who can be found just because I wanna find him. I'm trying my best, Empress, and I'm giving you your money's worth. If you want more answers, you should talk to your daughter Sierra. She's in the military too" He said.
Empress's gaze remained fixed, unblinking as she offered something that looks like a smile but is not.
"I get it" she said, ringing the table bell with her black nails.
The house woman entered the room but stayed at the behind the curtain.
"A portion of beef and two beers" Empress said.
The woman left to get the orders, and Pot Belly laughed out.
"Good! You understand me. Add to my payment and I'll continue searching till the end of the year"
He seems to be oblivious of the danger under Empress's cool exterior till the woman came back with the orders which she set on the table.
"Have your fill" Empress stood.
"You're the best!" Pot Belly hailed as she walked out of the room.
She met the house woman outside the curtail, and the woman gave her a cooperative bow.
Empress left the steakhouse, and minutes later, Pot Belly was found dead, fuming from the mouth behind the curtain after he drank the beer.
It was actually poisoned.
--
[Military Base, Four's Office]
Like a vigilant operative, Four is still in front of his laptop. The blood on his lips is already dry with patterns.
He watched everything that happened in the diner place, and though the hack is only visual, at least he saw what they were doing till they left the skyscraper.
There was no way to hack into the limousine, so he stayed in the dark about what happened in the limousine till it arrived in front of the base gate.
He connected the laptop to the gate cameras, and once again he was greeted with their show.
This time, it's audiovisual.
Xanthe came down from the limo, and Teal was already opening the door for herself when he rushed to her side of the car and took the door from her, opening it completely.
"I have hands, Xanthe" she said.
"Of course you do, but I'm a gentleman" he replied, and she smiled, again.
"So...when next?" Xanthe asked, his likeness for Teal dancing in his eyes like classical ballet.
"What do you mean what next?" She fondled with her hair.
"We should court, and after that...you can decide weather or not you'd be with me. Though I'm very sure you will" he said.
"You're cocky" Teal cinched her brows.
"Who wouldn't be cocky in front of a beauty like you?" Xanthe replied in a deep whisper, and like rainflood, he barged into Teal's space.
Teal's back rested on the limousine body as he leaned in for a kiss, but before their lips could touch, Four shut down the laptop.
He pushed a laboured breath out of his nostrils, then he wiped his bloody lips with tissues. The tissue barely did anything since the bloody is dry.
Kash and Brent are still inside with him, so he faced Kash.
"Get me tomorrow's promotion ceremony programme from the General's office" he ordered.
Kash left to get it, then he faced Brent next.
"If you're a spy like I suspect, start the countdown of your days from tonight, cos when I get evidence that you're one, I won't electrocute you. You'll be the one I'll be slaughtering" he said, and the amount of cutthroat danger in his voice?
It's too icy that Brent felt a squeeze in his chest.
He left the office like a puppy, and he squatted on the field...
"F+ck, why did I mention Teal? Why did I mention her? I'm such a c+nt"
Actually when he was leaving with the Sergeant who came to call him earlier, he heard the arrival of the chauffeur, and he had looked back to have a look. That's how he knew he already came for Teal.
"What if Teal gets in trouble cos of this? Geez.."
--
[Disciplinary Board Room]
The five supporters and Stormy are in the room with Morgan already.
Presently, they're all taking turns to tell their lies.
"Private Teal did?" One of the D-Sergeants said, and Morgan nodded.
"I didn't see her do it actually, but there were signs" Morgan replied.
"Like?" Another D-Sergeant said.
"We're from the same hometown, and she once caught I and my boyfriend intimately when she came to my house to borrow some money from my mum cos her uncles were broke, and my mum is the rich Sheriff, but mum refused to borrow her cos...well...Teal is a bî+ch. Since then, she has been taunting me, and she called me melons everytime cos she believed my br+à sts looks like it. It got worse when we both got enlisted, and she began threatening to narrate my n+kedness to the Privates" Morgan lied.
"That's right," Stormy took over.
"I'm Morgan's friend. And I was always there whenever Teal made her threats to showcase Morgan's nakedness to the barracks. I just didn't expect her to go as far as defaming her with the edited video"
And then the supporters began stepping in one by one, giving their lying speeches about how they heard Teal talking about Morgan's n(kedness a lotta times.
By the time they all finished talking, the D-Sergeants were still jotting points in their notes.
It took five long minutes before they looked up.
"You can return to your barracks, and your room-trap order is lifted" their leader said, and Morgan gasped, standing and bowing.
"Thank you! Thank you!! Thanks for believing my truth!" She continued bowing till Stormy dragged her out of the room with the others.
"We're not gonna call Private Teal for interrogation too?" One of the D-Sergeants asked.
"I'm only following Sergeant Axel's order. Private Teal did it, and that's it. It's been a while since someone got locked in the Base Prison" the leader said, cracking his neck.
--
[Allegra's Unit]
Allegra's legs fell slack on Axel's sweaty back, and her breaths are remotely dragged as Axel collapsed on her after a steamy round of s+x.
"Gawd...I love you inside me" she spoke tiredly, and Axel grinned, pulling out and standing from her like he's not the one who just wrecked her.
She dripped with his liquid, and she's even enjoying the way it flushed.
"You like it?" He asked, throwing on his pants.
"I love it, aren't you gonna shower before leaving?" She tilted her figure.
"You promised to tell me something about Skye and April if I f+çked you well, spill it so I can start working on it immediately I become the Major Sergeant tomorrow' he replied, and she sat up completely.
"What's the rule about pregnancy in this base?" She said.
"Pregnancy isn't allowed, and that's why condoms and bc pills are compulsory" he replied.
"But if it happens by mistake?" Allegra asked.
"If it happens by mistake, then the female has to leave the base on her own immediately. Abortion is highly prohibited, but if abortion happens, the female and the male will get lashed mercilessly, and they'll stay in the Base Prison for weeks" Axel explained.
"Correct, now think of how it correlates with this issue" Allegra smiled.
"April aborted for Skye?" Axel's eyes widened.
"Last year, there's a solid evidence from the clinic" Allegra smiled.
"Damn! It's you or no one else Allegra! You!" Axel kissed her, and she pulled him down with herself.
--
By the time Axel got back to his Unit, his happiness was uncontrollable, and he was grinning like a goldfish as he opened his Unit door.
He was about to step in when his arm was held back by someone, and he smiled bigger when he saw it's Cassie.
"Where's Kash?" He asked.
"At Snowman's office, we need to talk" she replied, and he ushered her inside.
"What was that with Allegra at the field earlier? You said you'd leave Allegra for me before we started this" She questioned.
"Is that jealousy?" Axel chuckled.
"No but you need to stand on your words. You can't be going down with both of us at the same time, there are infections and I don't want any" she folded her arms, and Axel held her shoulders, caressing the collars.
"Allegra is the past, you're the present, but there's something i need to take from her, so I'm not laying with her. She's for info, nothing more" he convinced.
"And when will you be done receiving info from her?" Cassie asked, and he rubbed her chin, peering her mouth open.
"Soon" he said, then he pushed her to the couch, and her back landed with a rough thud.
"I promised to f+ck you on your matrimonial bed next, but that's gonna change, now that you're here" he said, pulling off her maxi skirt.
"Kash might come back from the office anytime soon" she said quickly, widening her legs.
"I don't care about your husband, Cass." He replied, shredding her p+nty to the floor.
He gathered saliva in his mouth and poured it on her open p+xxy, then he began rubbing circles through the stickiness.
"Ahh..hh-h" she sounded with throaty gasps, grabbing the couch armrests as Axel hung her legs on top.
--
[Exclusive Dinning Hall]
The hall is only used whenever there's an important reason—ike tonight.
The dinner took longer than expected, and General Pedro went easy with them throughout most of the night.
They were allowed to wear mufti since it's a light one, so the atmosphere isn't very serious.
Brent joined the dinner in the middle of it, he settled beside Rook.
"You spent so much time over there, what happened?" Rook asked in a whisper.
"An advisory session" Brent replied, not wanting to say he's the architect of Teal's soon-to-come misery.
Rook didn't ask further, luckily.
Paine is alone at a side of the table, and he looks irritable as he stabbed his frittata repeatedly in his plate.
"So he has emotions? Never knew he'd be like this after Abbey's death" April muttered.
"Who do you think sent Abbey to do the sabotaging though?" Shannon replied.
"No idea" April replied, though she knows there's only one person capable of such in this base.
"I can only hope Teal enjoys her dinner. But what if she marries the president's son for real? After all, she was only betrothed to Snowman. She doesn't like him, and it's same with him" Shannon continued.
"Just eat, Shan" April replied.
"Guess I'm starting to become a talkative like Brent" Shannon smiled.
"I expect y'all to take your additional trainings serious before the next attack. Use the gymnasium and the training ground. Use your bedroom and bathrooms too. Train anywhere you see fit, train at any opportunity you grab" Pedro suddenly said.
"Yes sir!!" They chorused.
"Sir, I have a question" Brent suddenly raised his hand, and all attention went to him including the General's.
"Yes?" Pedro said attentively.
"As a gift parting gift from this dinner, can you tell us who's getting promoted tomorrow sir? I might die of anticipation before daybreak" Brent asked, and the others laughed.
"I'm co-asking sir!" Shannon added, and Pedro blinked with a little smile.
"Unfortunately, I'm not meant to disclose it till tomorrow" he said.
Brent went mushy on his seat immediately.
"Troublemaker" Rook said beside him, but then he suddenly sighted Theo across the table. He's ogling him with his spoon between his lips.
Rook returned the stare like they're both thinking about the same thing, and that's true.
They're co-reminiscing about the moment they shared in the bathroom last night, replaying it in their heads like an erotic disco lyric.
The dinner finally ended, and after Pedro left the hall, they all began departing too.
Theo was about stepping into the male barracks when he was suddenly hauled to the side by a strong, dominating hand.
He wasn't gonna let whoever it is win, so he fought back, throwing a blow forward to the shadow's face, but his blow was caught and pulled down before he was crumpled behind the door, squeezed into the darkness.
Before he could raise another hand, his defense was smashed when his lips were dominated by another pair of lips.
Warm, wanting, and hard.
He could have pushed back and still throw a punch, but his body recognized that body.
His nose recognized that person. His size remembered the person's, and his brain too.
He could feel an insane discharge of pheromones, and he clutched at the shirt of the kisser by the sides.
His eyes went shut, and he was pressed tighter to the wall of the dark corner as his tongue entered his mouth, fuckin his throat.
Large hands roamed his body, going under his shirt to flatten against his skin as his balls began tightening with feral need again.
His breaths got robbed away from his fluting lungs, and his chest quivered.
His feet felt hot against the ground again, just like last night in the bathroom.
--
[Morning]
The promotion ceremony is happening at the Assembly hall, and everyone is required to be in uniform and in time.
Teal pressed her uniform overnight, so it's sharp like a machete as she made her way to the female barracks, glancing at her wristwatch.
She's gonna go meet Shannon and April, and they're gonna go wait for Rook and Brent together.
Today felt totally new—like an infant, maybe it's because of her date last night.
Since they can't use a phone, Xander gave her a pager, and he sent her a voice message through it this morning.
"Good morning, most beautiful. Have a nice day and think about me."
That was the voice message, and as she thought about it, she muttered how silly he is.
She stepped into the hallway and was about to proceed down the curve when she was obstructed by two D-Sergeants.
"Your lock up has been ordered by the board... You're guilty of defaming Morgan Hall with an edited video" the leader said, and she blinked twice before bursting into a fit of laughter.
"Seriously? Me? Did Morgan tell you that?" She said, but she was grabbed with both arms by the two other Sergeants, and that was when she knew this is for real.
"Wait!! Is this how this place works? Morgan told y'all I edited her video and you believed without hearing what I have to say? I didn't edit Morgan she's a bîtch who'd do anything to make me fall!!" She shouted, breaking free from the sergeants easily.
She was grabbed again, with stronger strength this time.
"I said I didn't edit the video!! I don't even have a telegram account cos my phone is small so how am I supposed to upload that shit!!" She broke free again, breathing hard.
Two more D-Sergeants joined the scene, and it got more serious as her chest heaved with desperacy.
"I didn't edit Morgan and her boyfriend!! I didn't!!!" She shouted, and a stinging hit suddenly collided with her cheek.
She has been slapped by the leader of the D-Sergeants, and her cap fell from her head.
Teal saw white stars behind her lids, and she was grabbed again by four of them this time.
Her teeth clashed with rage, and her eyes widened with the same emotion. Their hands feels like steel shackles.
"Either follow willingly, or your friends get taken with you. I'm talking about Rook and Brent, and the two ladies" the leader said, and Teal gasped, folding her palms as she got dragged. Her cheek still burns from the impact of the slap.
"I didn't edit the video!! I really didn't!!! Believe me I didn't—"
Her rantings ceased when she suddenly saw Four entering the same hallway with Kash beside him.
He's dressed in his complete uniform—minus the cap, and that made the plastered wounds on his temples stand out.
No side looks nor peeks, he's solely focused on what Kash is discussing with him as they took each step.
Till he walked past the D-Sergeants, Teal didn't feel his stare.
The D-Sergeants saluted him respectfully, but he didn't spare them his eyes as he bypassed them.
Teal felt her arms softening as his presence left her, and she kept looking back at his behind as they continued taking her like a thief.
"I didn't do anything!!" She resumed the deafening screams, but no one wants to listen.
--
[Assembly Hall]
The door of the hall has been blocked by Specialists right now... including Allegra, Skye and April.
No one is allowed inside anymore cos General Pedro is currently speeching.
The hall is silent except for the boom of his words which breathed through the walls.
The Master Sergeant—Four, is seated on the front red chair, his stare bitter than death.
Senior Sergeants like Axel and Kash sat behind him on green colour, then Junior Sergeants followed on black seats.
Privates followed the setting, their uniformity coloured the space.
Sierra is restless.
As she waited for Pedro's speech to finish, she's also waiting for the entry of her mum.
She's mentally impatient and she kept looking back.
Morgan and Stormy are shining their dentitions like they're the happiest to be here.
Yulia is present, sitting not far from Four in the front, and today she's on uniform, looking smart like a teen.
"Who has seen Battery?" Rook asked from the middle of the Privates.
"I was starting to get worried too" Shannon replied.
"Is she planning to not attend? But she'd get punished" Brent said.
"Sometimes, she does a little too much." Shannon muttered.
"Stop it, she might be caught up with something" Brent defended.
"The seizing of our phones was shitty, could have contacted her" Rook said, unable to ease his mind.
Collective clappings interrupted their whisperings, indicating the end of General Pedro's speech.
They joined in the clappings, and the black book with gold letterings was handed to Pedro by a special op.
Pedro opened the book on the wireless lectern, and he looked at the crowd of curious armies.
"It's happening, mum why aren't you here yet?" Sierra muttered with clasped hands.
"Finally, my throne is mine" Axel chuckled in anticipation.
Allegra stayed under a spotlight at the back, trying to calm as she expected the name.
Pedro's eyes met with Yulia's, then with Four's, then Sierra's and Axel's.
He rounded them before bringing his eyes back to the black book.
"The Major Sergeant office has always been vacant and never been occupied before in this base, but now is the moment, and it's with great honour and prestige...I pronounce the first Major Sergeant..." He said.
Breaths were held, congested in everyone throats.
Axel stood even before the name was called, but then...
"Sierra DeVille" General Pedro announced, and Axel's arms dropped limply like dead weights.
The ground was shaking beneath him as Sierra stood, and the crowd of armies couldn't even clap with their shocked palms as she began marching to the front, proudly to take her throne.
Mouths went agape, and faces wore looks of utter astonishment as cold hush filled the hall.
Four and Yulia remained unruffled in their seats like they didn't hear the just-called name.
But as Sierra neared the stage with practiced catwalks, Pedro continued...
"There's an additional announcement."
The hall froze in time once again as he dropped the second bombshell...
"Four DeVille is stepped down as the Master Sergeant of this base. By bilateral agreement, he has been transferred and will be deployed to Indonesia"
Sierra stopped dead on her tracks.
TBC.
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