“It seems you were unhappy with your accommodations,” the oddly familiar voice said. Dimitris Gikas stepped around into her field of vision and stood over her for a moment. He wore a navy blue suit with a blue-and-white striped tie. Even from her spot on the floor, he stank of expensive cologne, obviously one of those people who always put on too much. He crossed his arms and stared down at her with an angry expression. “Where is the boy?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” It wasn’t a lie. She truly had no idea where Niki was at the moment. She hoped he was in the safety of a sanctuary somewhere, but Gikas would never get that information from her.
“I see.” He took a few steps to the side and then returned. “You killed a few of my men, you know. That is something I cannot let go unpunished.”
“I don’t care. Anyone who works for you deserves to die.”
Gikas jerked his head back and frowned. “Anyone? Even the secretaries for my companies? The people I provide jobs for in the cities, on my farms? You seem to think of me as some kind of monster. When the reality is I am more likened to a savior.”
“What kind of savior imprisons innocent children and murders people in cold blood?” She found speaking only served to increase the pain in her head, but she had to keep the conversation going. It was the only thing keeping her from losing consciousness again.
“Innocent?” he shrugged to the side. “In the history of this world, many innocent people have had to die to create a greater future; it is part of the grand drama that plays out. The role of the innocent is to provide purpose for the rest of us, a rallying cry for those who would revolt, or a footstool for others to reach greater heights.”
“Is that all they are to you? A footstool?”
Gikas’s face radiated with vanity. “Of course. The greatest leaders the world has ever known were always aware of this. Do not get me wrong, each person has their purpose. Some purposes are grander than others.”
Adriana flashed an expression of disgust. “And what is your grand purpose, Señor Gikas?” She let her Spanish roots come out with the last part of the sentence.
He raised an eyebrow. When he spoke, he didn’t answer the question right away. “Democracy is dead, Miss Villa. It has failed miserably. All over the world, the experiment with republics and democracies is collapsing before our eyes. Democracy is a temporary form of government, Miss Villa. The Scottish historian Alexander Tytler said that. He knew that when people realized they couldn’t simply vote for their best interests when bribery and corruption would rule in reality, that the government would collapse. And we are seeing it happen right now.”
She struggled in vain against the bonds on her ankles and wrists, not to get free, simply to find a less uncomfortable position. “So what would you do? Bring anarchy to the governments of the world; throw them all into chaos so you can do as you please?”
Gikas tilted his head back and let out a laugh. “Oh, certainly not, my dear. Quite the opposite, in fact.” He waited for her to ask, almost begging her to. When she didn’t, he went on. “People are meant to be ruled. They say that they want freedom and other nonsense, but the truth is human beings want boundaries, rules, restrictions. They crave it deep within their subconscious. It is in their nature to be subservient. The greatest empires the world has ever known weren’t under the rule of democracies or republics. They were led by one man.”
Adriana’s eyes widened at the realization. “You would be emperor?”
He rolled his shoulders. “King. Emperor. Consul of the state, you may call it anything you wish. But yes, I believe that the only truly functional form of government is a monarchy. One person must make the decisions for the good of the people.”
“For the good of the people?”
His lips creased to one side of his face. “Of course. When there is order, crime is lower, the economy thrives, and people have purpose. Unemployment will drop. The military will be strong again. Our country will return to its former glory.”
“And none of this has anything to do with your ego,” she spat in a dubious tone.
He raised an eyebrow. “Ego? Perhaps I am ambitious, but someone must lead, and who better than I?” She didn’t offer a response to the question.
Instead, she asked a question of her own. “And how will you convince the people to allow this? They will not stand for it. Your countrymen have a long history of believing in democracy. Do you think they will just forget it and let you have your way?”
He took a step away from her and folded his hands behind his back. When he reached the window in the corner, he stopped and gazed out at the starry sky. “Of course, the masses will need some kind of reason for things to change. As it is, they will simply replace the current government with a replica. If that happens, the entire fiasco will start all over again. If we are to initiate real change, we must completely eradicate the old system.”
Adriana’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t like where this was going.
“Earlier you mentioned chaos. While I do not believe in an anarchist society, I do feel strongly that there must be a little chaos for order to prevail. In the case of my beloved country, it will require only a little push. And when it all comes crashing down, I will be there to save them.”
“And what kind of push are you talking about? Killing your fellow countrymen?”
He paced back over to where Adriana lay on the floor, stopping short in case she got the guts to try to kick him in the shins. Despite her bonds, Gikas knew she was like a coiled snake, always looking for a way to strike. “No,” he answered, looking down at her. “Although there will likely be much death in the wake of the government’s collapse. No, my push is a simple one. I will starve the people into submission.”
Adriana’s face twisted in confusion. “What do you mean, starve them? How could one person starve an entire country?”
“Ah,” he smiled at the question. “It’s actually quite simple. All it really takes is the purchase of most of the country’s food suppliers. For the last several years, I have been buying farms, distributors, and producers in nearly every corner of the country. The orders for food are all automated now, all delivered digitally by computer. It is easy enough to begin restricting orders. When a grocery store asks for a hundred units of something, we simply tell them we only have twenty.”
She tried to process what he was saying, but it still seemed implausible. “There is no way you could own that many companies to make such an impact.”
His eyebrows raised in contention. “Really? You are seeing this sort of thing happening all over the world. Facebook has bought numerous companies. Twitter has as well. YouTube was purchased for nearly two billion dollars. Why not in the food production industry? Over the last decade, I have bought up 40 percent of Greece’s food producers. When I begin to cut back what we send out, the other companies will not be able to fill the void.”
Gikas’s voice took on a dark, sinister tone. “Nothing drives people to madness like hunger, Miss Villa. They will do anything to feed themselves or their children. And when their government fails to aid them, the people will be ripe for revolution. Who better to lead them than the one who feeds them?”
“You will lose hundreds of millions with this scheme. It cannot work,” Adriana said, though her words lacked true conviction.
He put his hands behind his back again. “The money I lose will pale in comparison to what I will make in the long run. Besides, money is nothing without power. Greece will kneel before me as their savior, their king. After that, the possibilities are endless.”
She had one last question but wasn’t sure if he would answer it or not. He’d been in such an informative mood, Adriana needed to know. “Why do you need the antikythera so badly? What does that have to do with your Grecian manifesto?”