My Ninja Girl 4 by Gideon Caldwell (latest novels to read .TXT) 📕

and tea, masked waiters serving them, most at shaded tables and all in clothing that indicated they were wealthy.

“You should turn here,” Choro told Micah.

“Got it.”

He made his way down an alley, and from there to a blue door.

“We can see you,” Soraya announced in their buckets. “And thus far, there’s been no indication that this is some kind of set up. The only people that have gone into the building since we arrived are Julia and two other Hermetics, her personal security. I’m watching your entrance directly, and Bunni is on the other side.”

“Anything underground?” Yuri asked.

“Bunni was able to check that, and no, there doesn’t seem to be an underground system here, at least not in this particular restaurant. You should be safe for now, but we will remain vigilant and in constant communication.”

“Good.” Micah opened the door for Liza and Yuri, Yuri going in first with her hand on the grip of her weapon.

Before stepping in himself, Micah slipped his hand into the monk’s bag that he carried and went for his prosthetic gatling gun. It really was handy and accessible, and as they made their way through a kitchen, to the only door available, he prepared himself for anything.

What they found in the other room wasn’t as intense as he had envisioned. Silver-haired Julia was maskless, in a tight black dress, and seated at a table with pastries before her, her guards standing in the opposite corners of the room.

“Just the three of you?” she asked.

“That’s right,” Liza told her.

“Please, join me. There is much to discuss, and not a lot of time, at least according to Choro. He is watching me right now, right?”

Micah tapped on the side of his bucket and nodded.

“Tell her I said hi,” Choro said.

“He says hi.”

An almost goofy smile appeared on Julia’s face, one Micah wasn’t expecting. “I’m sure he does. Please, sit. Enjoy a pastry while you’re at it. They’re from the bakery across the street and they are absolutely to die for.”

Liza sat, and Micah and Yuri followed her lead. “Thank you, but we’ve already eaten,” Liza said in a diplomatic enough tone. “Let’s make this quick.”

Chapter Eleven

Julia placed both hands on the table, her fingers clasped together. There was something more confident about her than there had been the last time Micah had met with the woman, something that told him she knew she was a boss now, that she had true leverage. She always had an air of authority, and aside from the time that they were attacked, she generally seemed to put on a tough demeanor. Yet even with the newfound confidence, she seemed softer at the moment, and Micah couldn’t understand why.

“We are offering you a seat at the table,” Liza said, speaking before Julia could start her spiel. Because Liza represented the Monks of Repose and was closely affiliated with Ahmey, they discussed letting her lead the negotiations last night. There was a firmness to the nun’s voice now, and Micah found it sexy. He could tell that she meant business, that she wanted to push this along so they could leave.

“A seat at the table?” Julia asked. “Tell me your entire plan. That was one thing not revealed to me in my conversation with Choro, nor in our brief conversation yesterday.”

That’s because you didn’t let me finish speaking yesterday, Micah thought, still slightly annoyed that they had to meet in person to begin with. It was definitely a risk.

“We seek to put a young nun named Ahmey into the lead role in the upper echelon. She is of direct lineage to Neojuku, and has been a member of the Monks of Repose since she was a child. She is well aware that the Society of Monks is in need of change, and that change starts from the top. While I understand a group such as yours wants to see change take place across the board, doing so suddenly would leave our society vulnerable, and it could exacerbate an increasingly volatile situation, especially internationally. To summarize: our plan is to lead a coup to put Ahmey in charge, and to do so we will have to secure both the meeting room, and the inner chambers around the space where the High Council meets. We need you to secure the outside of the facility, which will likely bring elite monks and nuns, as well as mecha support, which we are also able to help with.”

“And for doing this, for putting my people at risk, you are offering us a single seat at the table?”

“That is correct.”

Julia slowly nodded. “I see. Frankly, and I hope this is an informal enough meeting to be frank, I find that insulting. We want no less than three seats, and we want the upper echelon, the High Council, restructured in a way that allows mayors more power to instigate change in their districts. You said change starts from the top, and I agree whole-heartedly with this. In this case, it would be a situation where you put your credit where your mouth is. Prove to both my people and other Neo-Hokkaidans you mean business by giving us a leadership role.”

“You are being given a role,” Liza said.

“And we want more than one, we want three seats, so we have some actual power. That’s the price of our assistance, especially as the Monks of Repose seem to be nonexistent, meaning you won’t be able to rely on your own splinter group for any support.”

Liza was quiet for a moment. Finally, she spoke again: “I will see to it that this is arranged. You’ll get a message of confirmation later. And regarding the Monks of Repose, do not write them off yet. They will be instrumental in implementing Ahmey’s vision once she is in power.”

“I want confirmation