Caine Montford didn’t even notice the young woman he’d bumped.
He had wanted to get there earlier but had been delayed by that senseless meeting at Nuisance Apprehenders’ headquarters. He was beginning to think it was time to move on from there. He figured he had enough credits to buy the company if he wanted to. But he wouldn’t do that. Too high a profile for him right now. If anyone started looking into his activities, it would cause…problems. He had to keep his true intentions obscured for a while longer.
When he got the message from his man on the crew who’d done the probe of the cottage, he’d gotten excited about the vast opportunities this could bring for him if there really was a door there.
He shook his head ruefully. If only he’d waited before sending Charles out there. The Spot and the potential door would have been his. Apparently the opened Spot hadn’t been there then. The precog had been right but had made an error on the timing.
He thought of those ships sitting out there just waiting to be exploited. They could be full of all sorts of objects that would be useful in his push to total power. Not to mention the reams of information contained within them - assuming they hadn’t deteriorated beyond usefulness.
Even if the ships were useless, he’d still be able to use the door to his advantage. It was the way out of the Dome and if he had control of it…
He’d known he had to get to that meeting. Then the company head called that corporate meeting. He had been enormously irritated, but since he wasn’t ready to leave the company yet, he’d had to go.
Well, he was here now, and he was going to find a way to get out there and at least get a look. He had men all over who were obligated to him for one reason or another, who were ready to make credits on the side or were afraid of his power - or addicted to it. And as soon as he got out, he’d start moving his loyal, mostly young fighters in the mountains, out of the Dome.
He’d find a way. This world was going to be his. He’d waited a long time for an opportunity like this, working for years at building up his enterprises, amassing a fortune in just the illegal antique deals alone, not to mention the info he had on several key people that he could get to do “favors” for him.
He’d long ago learned the limitations of his pain/pleasure esa. It worked best on people with weak or no esas to speak of, and he couldn’t use it on more than four at once. It also tired him out. So he used it judiciously and efficiently.
There were a number of people addicted to him, but he’d learned to find other ways to “persuade” people to do what he wanted and the way he’d cultivated the young ones with little or no esas that made up the bulk of his small - but growing - army, had been a smart move on his part. The government didn’t even have an army. They didn’t think one was needed. There was only Continental Law Enforcement and he’d put his army up against those incompetents any day.
Charles had been the first of his recruits’ years ago, and while he seemed to have lost some of his enthusiasm lately, he was still loyal and would do his bidding unquestioningly.
Montford smiled to himself. Charles would never leave him. He was addicted to him, to his pleasure esa. Just as a safeguard though, he also had plenty of images of Charles engaging in illegal and criminal activities. He had been positioning himself for a takeover for years. The Dome opening up just gave him more to take over.
As he entered into the meeting area, he realized they were taking a break. Damn. He’d missed the first part. Well, he’d just relax for now. He’d find out what went on during the first half, if they’d determined it was really a door, and he’d find out exactly how the ruling council was going to handle it.
He found a seat and sat down to wait for the meeting to resume.
He sighed. If only he could get to someone on the ruling council. That would be perfect but he’d never been able to get anything on any of them - or been able to buy one, and they had strong mental shields so the worst pain he’d ever been able to inflict on one caused him a mild headache, and the burst of pleasure he’d sent just gave another one pleasant memories.
Forget the Elvwists too. In fact, he’d love to forget them. And get rid of them. They were impossible to deal with…or corrupt. And his pain/pleasure esa didn’t work on them at all.
The one time he’d almost been exposed had been because of one of them. The first thing he was going to have his army do was take out every enclave on the continent. Their force shields wouldn’t stop what he had. Humans would be much better off without their meddling.
He waited, watching the people around him, his heavy lidded, slate gray eyes darting back and forth.