The Moray’s AI noted the successful barrage, gave the digital neurons of its aiming circuits jolts of positive reinforcement, and took itself back down, below the waves.

In the chaos, the blinding of the western side of the house was just one detail, one small event hidden among the noise of so many larger ones.

Kade sat cross-legged on the bed in anapana. He had no control over the outside world. But he could control himself, his own mind, his own thoughts. He wouldn’t crumble. He wouldn’t lose himself. He had to stay centered, to stay alert. No matter how bad it got, he wouldn’t give up.

So he breathed. In, out. Observe the breath. Let that be your all. Let it grow to fill all consciousness. Allow the thoughts to rise up, then bring the attention back to the breath. Release attachments. Find solace in the absence of thought, in the sensations of the breath filling up attention completely, leaving no room for fear, or anxiety, or self-recrimination.

Then the sounds of explosions ripped through the night, and Kade’s eyes snapped open.

The sound of explosions ripped Shiva out of his godhood trance, away from the tens of thousands of minds that were now part of his extended consciousness, and back to the physical world.

He reached out to the island’s information systems, but all was chaos. An assault. Missiles launched. Defenses down. Ships heading for the marina. They were about to be invaded.

The data was old by the time he saw it. Radars were down. Cameras were destroyed. Drones were crashing.

Who? The Americans? The Chinese? His Burmese hosts?

Shiva reached out to the Nexus projectors and signal boosting antennae built into his home. His thoughts expanded to encompass the whole of the mansion. He felt the minds of the children, of all of his staff in and around the building. He found Ashok among them.

Secure Lane and the children, he sent to his Director of Operations. Get them underground.

Then he leapt from his hard narrow bed, out the door of his bare cell, and to the stairs that would take him to the roof. He needed to know what was going on.

Nakamura watched his feed from the drones. Missile strikes successful. The soldiers at the guard post above them turned and ran, headed to the action at the east side of the house as they’d hoped.

Excellent.

Nakamura waited until the three soldiers passed, then gave the signal. As one, he and Feng and Sam slipped over the lip and onto the walkway below the house.

Then Nakamura turned to Sam, and nodded. Time for phase two.

Kade leapt to the west-facing window, but he saw nothing out there but dark waters. Another explosion boomed from somewhere behind him. Faint red light reflected onto the sea.