13. Olympus

Adrian was stopped in front of the elevator that Angela, Stacey, Sang' and Njiru had stepped into. It seemed he had not earned enough of her trust to be allowed into Olympus. He turned around ready to leave when Angela called out his name. She looked at him contemplatively for a few seconds before she smiled, "Today you earned my trust Adrian so it is my turn to earn yours. Join us it is time I showed you Olympus for only there will I fulfil my promise to you." He stepped onto the elevator and watched as the elevator went down instead of up. That was when he realised the reason why no one has ever been able to find Olympus. It was obvious the original architectural design of the building was manipulated during its inception. The records the government had in its' archive was vastly different from the direction the elevator was going. The fact that only four people could access Olympus further maintained its' secrecy. Everyone was aware that Olympus was on the ninth floor but no one knew it meant nine floors down not up. Not many things impressed Adrian but Olympus impressed him. His guess was that it was named Olympus after the Greek mythology home of Greek gods. It was impressive. The walls were not only reinforced but also sound proofed. The glass screen spread wide across the room on the dais was the most impressive. There was a glass table on the dais wide enough to sit at least six people. Adrian watched as they all took seats at the table and he was left standing watching the room in awe. Angela smiled at his expression before she directed him to take a seat. Adrian listened quietly as Angela, Stacey, Sang' and Njiru discussed business he was not really interested in. An hour later Stacey, Sang' and Njiru left the room leaving him with Angela. "I guess it is time for me to keep my promise," Angela said looking at him. "I looked into Elizabeth's death by interviewing some people who had the information I needed."

"Interviewed," he asked her his eyebrows raised unbelieving.

"More like tortured to near death," she said smiling daring him to judge. "One month before her death she was working on some accounts. Those accounts attracted some attention from her boss a week later she was requested to go meet Henry Rao in Mombasa to work on a project. One week later after finishing the project and coming back home she was tortured and killed. What you didn't know during that week she became paranoid and fearful. She submitted her resignation letter. She was very afraid."

"The project must have been illegal something that could have ruined Rao's political career," Adrian observed.

"Yes we need to find out what that project was," Angela said looking at him more closely. He was intelligent, he was strong and clearly he had connections. She was still trying to figure out the reason he would come to her for help. Yes she might have enticed him but that alone would not have made a man such as he so ready to comply with her wishes. She smiled as she turned away. She did not really care about his reasons if he followed her script. He might not know it but she had very big plans for Adrian Maliekhe.

"I know you are wondering who Pandora is," Angela said sitting back in her chair. "My father was a horrible man but he loved me in his own way. He disowned me when I was nineteen years old because I defied him and married a man he did not approve. He saw what I did not. When he died he left me everything including Pandora. Pandora sees everything and can access any file, any database, any software and any satellite. That is how I know too much."

"Who is the girl I am looking after?"

"Her name is Shirleen Mokeira. She is my husband's illegitimate daughter and my prisoner."

"In short you are using her to keep your husband in check. What happens when she is no longer useful?"

"I haven't thought that far yet," Angela replied.

"You rich people are all the same you use people and discard them when they are no longer useful."

"We are like this because that is how we are raised and when we survive our childhood intact the world shows us just how cruel it can be even to the rich," she said softly looking at nothing. Pain clouded her eyes, "I was once innocent too and I had survived my childhood intact but then the world gave me a terrible man for a husband who killed my innocence and took my child. If I hadn't survived to be who I am now I would have broken. My father taught me something before he died; he taught me how easy it is to break. I cannot break and I shall do all in my power not to. I will keep people who are useful by my side and I will discard those who are not." She glanced at her phone when it vibrated. "It seems your charge has escaped the compound."

"What?" Adrian asked surprised. "She has never tried to escape in the three months I have been watching her."

"Well there is a first time for everything," Angela said dismissively. "I believe she didn't try to escape earlier because she was getting used to the change."

"Where is she?" he asked standing.

"I am amused that you think I automatically know where she has gone," she said looking at him. "She has always liked to attend martial arts competitions. I have never really restricted her attendance because she is learning something as long as a bodyguard discreetly follows her and ensures she gets back to her prison. I give her a taste of freedom letting her think I do not know about her extra curricula activities and she never causes trouble in return."

"Does she participate in these competitions?" he asked.

"Yes she does. I hear she is exceptionally good. She is at the Coliseum theatre." She turned away from him. "You may leave now and make sure she stays away from anything that will make her useless to me."

By the time Adrian arrived at the coliseum theatre Shirleen was already in the ring with another opponent. She was quite good as far as he could tell. She was vicious, she was determined and she refused to stay down whenever she was put on her back by her opponent. It was a thing of beauty watching her. When her opponent lay on the floor unconscious and she was pronounced the winner only then did she relax and enjoy the crowd's roar of excitement. She left the ring and a man covered her with a towel leading her to the changing rooms. Adrian recognised the man as her martial arts instructor. He followed them to the back room and waited at the door they had disappeared into. The martial arts instructor finally came out of the room and was met by a big, very angry Adrian who slammed him against the wall without preamble. Adrian leaned into him ensuring he was trapped between his powerful body and the hard wall. "You helped her escape from the compound. Why?" Adrian asked menacingly.

"Who the hell are you?" the man snarled.

Adrian smiled unamused, "I am your worst nightmare. Now start talking."

"You must be one of her guards. Interesting none of them has ever managed to follow us," the man replied smiling.

"Will you answer or should I start breaking something," Adrian asked.

"I have known that girl for seven years and for the first two I saw something was destroying her inside. She needed a way to let out her pain and anger before they destroyed her. I approached Madam Angela with my idea to let her join such competitions so she may have an outlet. She agreed," the man said finally pushing Adrian away. Adrian looked at him speculatively for a few minutes.

"The next time you decide to break her out you will inform me and I will walk you through the front gate. Understood?" Adrian said coldly. The man nodded. "I will be escorting her back home."

The door opened and Shirleen stepped outside a duffel bag in her hands. She wore black tights, black crop top, black leather jacket and black thigh high, heeled boots. She looked at the two men for a few seconds. "You must be my new guard dog," she said to Adrian her eyes blank watching him for a reaction.

"You must be the girl who doesn't know how to make a cup of hot chocolate," he replied smiling. Shirleen's eyes narrowed at him.

"If this was a normal conversation, I would accuse you of stalking but since it isn't…," she threw the duffel bag at him, "Be a good guard dog and carry that." With that she turned and walked away without a backward glance. Adrian was grinning broadly like a fool as he followed her. He found the way she talked and regarded him amusing, no one in his life has ever disregarded him but this girl before him just did. He was fascinated. By the time they got home it was nearly midnight. He carried her duffel bag into the house and placed it at the bottom of the stairs. She was about to brush past him when he caught her wrist firmly and dragged her to the kitchen where he forcibly made her sit at the counter on one of the high seats. She was too surprised to protest or admonish him. Every guard she had ever had with her tried to avoid her and not to directly touch her if necessary but this man kept smiling in her presence as if he was amused by her aloofness. He didn't look afraid of her or bothered by her presence. Her curiosity at what he was about to do was what made her continue sitting in that kitchen watching him closely. He switched on the gas cooker and placed a sufuria on it with milk. He added chocolate and waited then poured the contents into two mugs. He brought both mugs to the counter and sat down pushing the mug to her. She looked at the mug for a while as if she was waiting for it to grow legs and run. She pulled the mug closer and raised it to her lips and sipped. He watched her smile gently before she continued drinking the warm chocolate in her mug. "Thank you," she said softly. She continued drinking for a few minutes, "My mother used to prepare hot chocolate for me when I was young. The problem is I don't remember how she used to make it."

"Would you like me to teach you?" he asked her.

"You are different from the other guards," she said.

"That is true. I am not only here to be another of your jailer, I am here to be your protector and your bodyguard."

"Then I would really appreciate it if you would teach me how to make it," she said smiling. She finished her mug and stood, "My name is Shirleen," she said.

"I am Adrian," he said smiling.

"Goodnight Adrian," she said and walked off.

"Goodnight Shirleen," he said to the empty room.