Epic: Book 02 - Outlaw Trigger Read Online Free PDF Page B

Tamiko. She was the closest thing to a young, beautiful woman that EDEN Command had, but even that wasn’t saying much. Her only competition was Carol June, the middle-aged American. Carol was actually an attractive older woman. She just also happened to be a witch. At least Tamiko had a decent personality.
    Torokin just didn’t like Asians.
    “ Shall we invite Richard, then?” Grinkov asked. “He’s the closest thing we have to an alcoholic.”
    “ Yes,” Torokin said as he searched the room for Richard Lena. He spotted him assaulting the punch bowl. He liked Lena. Lena had an ‘attitude.’ He was a well-informed, American smart-aleck—at least in how he addressed people. He was quick to put foolishness in its place. “But I think he is getting a head start.”
    “ Are we skipping out on the dinner?”
    “ What will they do? Fire us?”
    “ I think it is best if we stay. At least for dinner. Everyone else will be here, and we do not want Archer to get a negative impression.”
    Torokin hated social events, but Grinkov had a point. Whether he liked it or not, Archer was their new co-worker. Skipping dinner would do more harm than good. It was, once again, all political. “You are right.”
    “ I am always. Except when I am wrong.”
    Torokin gave him a look.
    Grinkov laughed. “Let’s go, then. Maybe they hired a new Russian server girl, young and beautiful. You do like Russians, right?”
    “ Some of them.”
    Grinkov slapped his back. “Let us go.”

    The rest of the reception was predictable. There was a formal banquet, complete with speeches by both Pauling and Archer. Even Rath, the man credited with finding the newcomer, had several words to say to the crowd. Lame attempts at humor were met with plastic laughs, and unnecessary toasts were raised in the name of Earth’s protection.
    Torokin just went through the motions. He smiled when everyone smiled, and he sipped champagne when everyone sipped champagne. But his mind was on Darryl Kentwood.
    He’d known Kentwood relatively well, considering they’d rarely spoken. Kentwood’s work ethic had been strong. His death was a loss to them all. And Benjamin Archer was supposed to replace that?
    That was hardly an easy assignment.
    In a way, Archer’s selection made him angry. It was true that the president appointed judges. But usually it was discussed beforehand. This time, Pauling had just taken Rath’s word for it, and Archer got the nod right away. Torokin wondered if it was English-speaking bias. Pauling was an American, Rath was a Canadian, and Archer was British. Heaven forbid another Russian got the chair. Or a German, of which there were none in the High Command. In fact, Uta Volbrecht had recently retired from Vector Squad. She would have been ideal for the job. But instead, they got an English monopoly. It was political. All political. And he was tired of it.
    As his eyes wandered around the room, he took note of all the banquet’s participants. Everyone was there, or at least that was how it appeared. The other eleven judges were there, the EDEN Command staff members were there, even the individual secretaries were there.
    But there was one person who he was sure wasn’t there. Kang Gao Jing—the director of Intelligence. The most secretive man in EDEN, both literally and figuratively. The judges were the only men who knew him, and even their relationships with him were obscure. He was the eyes and ears of EDEN. He didn’t exist.
    Kang was fortunate. He could skip any banquet he wanted, and it wouldn’t matter at all. He could probably skip his own if he had one. Hardly anyone would recognize him anyway.

    Before Torokin realized it, the men and women around him were rising to their feet, as a wave of post-banquet chatter washed over them. He leaned over to Grinkov and spoke. “Is it over?”
    Grinkov smiled. “Were you not just here?”
    “ I wasn’t paying attention.”
    “ Yes, it’s over. Everyone is free to go.” His