5

Instead of waving or making any other gesture of goodbye, Kai jogged out the door. Vasko shook his head and shrugged as Tai bowed and closed the door behind him. Kai Afuru . . . where could one start about the strangeness of the Afuru family. They were always surrounded by large gangs of security and plainclothes officers with headsets and glasses of water. They had appeared in the town several years before and then somehow it had come out that they were what was causing all the shipwrecks out at sea and the like due to their affiliation with some kingdom. The eldest brother was always on the news arguing about conservation and the rights of people to a clean environment. On his head was a strange swirling circlet which although many people didn't think it was true, no one could argue that he was probably important and had connections. The depth to which they –Kai and Vasko– were different was astronomical. He knew that the gossip blogs would never put them in the same room.

After he exited the apartment building, Kai got inside the Landrover and was happy to finally set down the case on the seat next to him. The foam was thin enough that the electronic inside was still weighting against his finger. It made him excited to think of the project that lay ahead of him as his plans for the future were now set.

Tai cleared his throat as he sat in the front seat and started to drive. "Sir, I understand that my words to you will fall on deaf ears as you do not consider me to be an authority figure, but I must say your recent choices in company has been increasingly disgusting. That boy really is not right in the head. He really should not be known to know you. He will try to use this connection in any way to move ahead of you. If you were my son, I would advise you to stay much farther away from him than we are doing now. He may be planning something nefarious around you that may not be to the liking of your clan."

Kai pulled the case back into his lap. "I think rooting through trash is worth it if there is a treasure to be found. Vasko too donate to charity and he has his codes. They're strange and different than ours, but it definitely resonates that there is honor too."

"Honor? Well besides that, the item that you have spent so much time searching for is really not worth it if it will be through these means, but you have found it at last. I admire your abilities, sir. Now are you sure that such a concert is a good idea?"

"These suites have an indoor and an outdoor part. I'll stay inside and remain in our company box mainly. There shouldn't be any problems." Kai nodded as Tai's eyes met his in the review window. He pulled his sleeves to his wrists as he had previously folded them to his elbows as it had been hot in Vasko's apartment. "I'm not too worried about the location, but I do wish to be more informed about the people. I need information about Mrs. Asar, a former princess of Egypt who is now the fiancee of Mario Vasko. I want everything emailed to me before I go to the convention center."

"Are you sure that you want to go down that road? A former princess is not something you should be looking into. What kind of person would want to be married to that kind of person? Birds of a feather flock together."

Kai nodded slowly as he traced the rain drops that were streaked across the passenger side window of the car as they drove. "Vasko is a hoarder, I want to know what he's dug up this time? Is she something I want to know or someone I should avoid as well?"

Tai sighed deeply. "You are a man too after all. If you are already in pursuit, I will see what people around her are whispering."