The Secret Weapon by Bridget Denise Bundy Page A

harem, and he’s going to pick a wife, as well.”
    Coraset shook her head and said, “ No.”
    “ You are a beautiful woman. He’ll choose you for sure, and when you’re in-”
    “Are you serious?” Coraset stared at Malie like she was crazy. “You can’t be serious.”
    “ Once you’re in, that’s all you have to do is complete your mission.”
    “ Okay, lets back up for a minute. You are not considering a few things. I have a criminal record and a prison record. I won’t be allowed anywhere near the Chancellor Ball.”
    “Your criminal and prison records have been scrubbed. They no longer exist.”
    “Fine, well then I’m not invited to the ball.”
    “You already have an invitation.”
    “You are serious.” Coraset stated in a stunned manner.
    “We have to get Sergei into office.”
    “We,” Coraset laughed at her statement.
    “You won’t be in this alone.”
    “Malie, you have to get real. You’re asking me to kill the Chancellor of Erato. If I’m caught, which I’m sure I will be, I’ll be put to death without so much as a trial. He will have Elite Guards protecting him at all times. I don’t stand any kind of chance to get to him, much less being alone with him.”
    “If you’re a part of the harem, you will be. That’s when you can make your move.”
    “I don’t callously kill people, Malie. ”
    “But you have killed before.” She added with a point of her forefinger.
    “I was defending myself each time. Plus, I am a horticulturist! I’m not some secret agent.”
    “I know. It’s a brilliant cover, don’t you think?” Malie laughed at the sheer thought of it.
    Coraset leaned back in her seat and looked away. She didn’t think it was funny at all.
    Malie remarked as she tried to ease Coraset’s mind, “We have the prefect plan. You just need to execute it, and more than likely, no one will ever know you were involved.”
    Coraset listened, even though, just being there and hearing Malie’s plan was scaring her to death.
    “Dominic Erato is diabetic. He needs insulin shots. That’s all you have to do is switch one of the dosages.”
    “ With what,” Coraset asked.
    “Brecco will give you potassium hydrochloride.”
    “You got my stepfather involved in this!” She was incredulous and angry. “Why would you do that?”
    “He believes in the cause, Coraset.”
    She sighed impatiently and said, “Lets get one thing straight. This isn’t a cause. What you and Xavier are trying to do is assassinate a Chancellor for your own political gains.”
    “ His demise will be for the greater good of Erato.” Malie thought for a minute and then offered, “What if I give you a way out of this society?”
    “There is no way out,” Coraset stated. “This whole idea is absurd.”
    Malie asked completely ignoring her statement, “Have you ever heard of Barbados?”
    “It’s an island in the Caribbean.”
    “The Senator has a home out there. You can live the rest of your life on that island. You’ll have a staff, and they will be at your every beck and call.”
    “It sounds too good to be true.”
    Malie remarked with confidence, “It’s very real.”
    “Okay, if it’ s so real, why aren’t you living there? Why isn’t Xavier living on the island?”
    “ The Senator and I are committed to changing things here. We can’t do that from Barbados. You complete this assignment successfully, without anyone being compromised, including yourself, and I will have you flown to Barbados to live for the rest of your life. All existing records of you will be expunged. You will be able to live in privacy, without the worry of the Federation, and if you ever wanted to come back, I can make that happen, as well.”
    Coraset was now seriously considering her the task. “So, let me get this straight. You want me to go to the Chancellor Ball, and try to get into Dominic’s harem. If that happens, you want me to switch his insulin dosage with something my stepfather is supposed to