"…It is only the self assured arrogance of a leader that truly sets him apart from the common man. That infallible belief that his words are law and will be obeyed without question" Tom Valciz, An Account of Global Military Culture [2035].

Chapter 2: The Greet -part 2

There had been little protest from her end after his decision to move her out of her residence. For whatever reason, (although she preferred to insist it wasn't fear) she wished to avoid instigating any sort of confrontation between them.n

It was still pathetic to figure out just how little she had in her life, when he insisted she carry only her clothes and sentimental items.

It had all fit in a little shoulder bag.

The rest would be picked up by his people for relocation to her new residence.

The Presidential Palace.

A waxed, gleaming black limousine snaked its way between crumbling, smog stained office buildings and apartments, lending an unnatural feel to the scene of destruction and chaos around it.

It seemed as out of place as a nun in guns convention and possessed, in a sense, the same sort of fragility as well.

And maybe it was this "off-ness" that contributed so much to its relatively safe passage as well- For Amelia couldn't help but notice just how far the occasional fighters (not knowing which side they were on) went out of their ways to avoid firing at or interacting in any way with their vehicle.

Guns and mortars, that had been firing just around corners went mysteriously quiet as they drove through those streets, only to resume their thunderous claps once they were out of sight.

The car almost seemed to carry around its own sense of doom and gloom; and Amelia could almost swear the sun had disappeared the moment they got into the car- although that could be mostly attributed to the heavy tint of the bullet proof windows and her overactive imagination.

A heavy hum seemed to come from all around them, prompting a moment of panicked curiosity from her. She looked at Lor Van, expecting to see the same dawn of comprehension on his face.

She had covered enough war zones to know the death song of a falling mortar. And there was really only one obvious target at that moment in the streets. She tensed her shoulders in anticipation of the incoming blast.

"I expect that you know this was not solely my decision. Despite your poor opinion of me, I am not a despot drunk on my own power."

She didn't reply, her mind too insulated in dreadful anticipation for a jarring impact- that never came.

She looked bewildered for a moment as she blinked, wide eyed and tried to resist the overwhelming urge to press her ear against the car window she'd hunched away from.

Apparently deciding that this was a response to his...whatever he was talking about, Lor Van nodded in some sort of affirmation in her direction.

"It is true. My assembled council of advisers selected you a one of the most suitable candidates for the task."

"What happened to the bomb?"

She hadn't meant to infuse so much bewilderment into the question but she was slowly losing whatever edge she'd thought she had in this rapidly escalating situation. This was too out of her depth and she was this close to losing it.

Lor Van blinked in confusion at the unexpected change in topic.

She pointed at the gray tinted sky beyond the paper thin bulletproof window," There was a mortar headed for us!" For some reason, it came out as an accusation aimed at him, as though he'd been the one to launch it at them- but at this point she could hardly bring herself to care.

He, was the reason she, and the rest of the country was in this mess in the first place.

He adjusted his collar self consciously and cleared his throat,"It may have been intercepted."

Her brow furrowed at that vague explanation.

"I have a number of protective measures around us to deter any attempts on your life while under my custody." she felt her hackles rise at the casual reference to her status,"I will guarantee your survival as long as I can until your arrangements are out of my hand." He turned away at that, intent on ignoring any other questions that had nothing to do with his proposal.

She didn't miss the obvious dismissal, and it made her even more irritated at his behavior, considering.

"You're making quite the assumptions."She reasserted cautiously, seating herself in a more dignified posture.

"I have the utmost confidence in you ability to recognize the needs of the greater many, over your own self." The jab stung despite the change she'd gone through in the past few hours. Yes, she definitely had experience in that area.

With that she lapsed back to her own thoughts and fears, taking comfort in the wraith like silence of their vehicle as it drove through deserted, crumbling streets; and the ever-present hum above their heads.

They drove in silence for the longest time after that.

There was a sharp rapid rap on the privacy glass, that served to snap Amelia out of her scattered musings. She turned to their surroundings.

"This is where I leave you Miss Amelia", he announced in that soft commanding manner adopted by military types, patting down his crease-less uniform. Amelia pretended not to have heard him, dreading once more, the unknown he insisted on dragging her into.

They were in Low Puliyya, but not close enough to the harbor to hear the constant ring of buoys. She looked at her cheap watch, blinking away the persistent images from her day dreaming.

She huffed in frustration when she noticed the dials had stopped moving.

"What time is it?"

"Nine, Twelve" he muttered mostly to himself. He seemed to snap back to attention, halfway out of the car, almost as if he'd forgotten about her.

He fished about in his coat, and for a brief moment Amelia's stomach lurched as the dull taste of metal surfaced in her mind.

A clink pulled her eyes downwards to the trinket lying in her lap. She looked back up at him in confusion,"What?"

"Snap it around your wrist, or in your pocket. Tap it and hold to call me." And with that he shut the door behind him, signaling the driver off.

They were three blocks away by the time her surprise caught up to her.