Awakening Book One of the Trust Series(65)

Derrick nodded and Henry gave a quick bob. Monroe shuffled some more papers. “Good. Let’s proceed. The Cine Tofa will begin with their requests.”

Henry spoke up. “The Cine Tofa would like to negotiate for larger recruiting areas. The Trust still has a disproportional recruiting area.”

Caitlyn couldn’t help but notice Declan’s jaw clench in smallest fraction; he was obviously displeased by this request.

“Anything further?” Monroe asked.

“Nothing. Just that request.”

Monroe turned to the two of them. “And does the Trust agree with this request?”

Derrick examined a binder that was in front of him, not even looking up to respond. “We require more information at this time.”

Monroe looked bored as if he had heard this response before. “Anything else?”

“No.”

“Fine. We will open up the discussion to the first order of business. Cine Tofa, please advise of your request regarding recruiting borders.”

Sienna stood up. “As you know, the Trust still holds two-thirds of the North American continent. The Cine Tofa's numbers have tripled over the past ten years. We are to request that the Cine Tofa take over another quarter of the land for recruiting purposes.”

Declan laughed coldly. “What? You want another fourth of the land. Inconceivable.”

Sierra glared at him. “Our recruitment levels are not where they should be at. In the Treaty of 1993, it was agreed that the Cine Tofa had equal rights to training of Actuals. I do not see what is so irrational about our argument.”

“The irrational part is you are only taking into account Geological Location. You may only have one third of the land, but you have a large of number of populous cities. Your sheer numbers that are available for recruitment are larger than our own. Add to that the ease in which you can recruit versus the Trust, and you can see the clear advantages.”

Monroe turned to Henry. “Where is it that you would like to expand to?”

Henry hit a button and a display appeared before them. A Map of the North American Continent appeared. It was divided into three sections. The next part he stated for Caitlyn’s benefit. “The Orange is Trust land, the Green is Cine Tofa.”

“And the Purple?”

“Those are the neutral lands. They are mostly dead zones where there have not been large amounts of Actuals that are there. Mostly it is comprised of people that wish to be free from either influence and wish to live a more normal life. However, recruiting there can be done on either side.”

Henry then produced another map. Where in the first map, the Orange took up the Midwest, Northeast, and majority of the South, the new map had the Cine Tofa taking over large sections of the Midwest and Texas. Declan pressed his lips together again as he looked at the new map.

Derrick laughed. “Chicago and Texas? There is no way that we will agree to that.”

Sierra surprisingly ignored the two men and focused on Caitlyn. “Chicago has typically had a lot of recruits from the Trust that have made the decision to switch to the Cine Tofa. By our numbers, sixty percent of your recruits have switched to us there.”

Caitlyn knew she was not supposed to talk, but she could not help it. There was something about this woman that immediately got under her skin. “Sixty percent? And exactly, if the Trust has been exclusively recruiting there, were you able to ascertain that it is sixty percent? Exactly who are you getting this information from? Surely, you wouldn’t be so brazen to have planted a spy within the Trust now would you?”

Sierra narrowed her eyes at the young woman. Caitlyn was sure she did not expect her to talk back. “We have our methods.”

The room was silent for a few minutes as Declan and Derrick poured over the maps, clearly having an internal conversation about what the Cine Tofa was requesting. Occasionally, one of them would shake their head no, or make a hand gesture, but the room was quiet otherwise. Sierra and Henry just stared straight ahead at them, occasionally blinking. Monroe was making notes to himself, waiting patiently for the Trust to speak again.

Derrick finally spoke up. “We do not agree to these terms. What other requests do you have?”

Sierra and Henry smirked at each other as if expecting that response. “The Cine Tofa would like the Leabhar.”

Declan’s eyes almost bugged out of his head. In a low voice, he muttered. “Never.”

Caitlyn was perplexed. Neither Garrett nor Declan had ever mentioned the Leabhar, but based on Declan’s reaction, she knew that it was something of great importance.