HERO

39 / It's Showtime

"Let's go Thomas," the woman said.

He was surprised at the use of his name, instead of 'boy' or 'kid', but he kept it to himself. She probably knew anyway. Calling him by his name implied a connection between them or a softening of her. He doubted either existed. It was a ploy that he refused to fall for. He just nodded and waited for further instructions. She'd materialised in the room. He'd have to use the door.

"Gonna be a big show, today. I'm rooting for you, ya know? Lots of people are."

"Why? I thought you just wanted me dead."

He was walking a fine line between civility and loathing, and knew the wrong word or time would mean punishment, but what was worse than death? Instead of striking out, the woman just laughed.

"Well, yeah, of course, but we might drag it out a little. Give them something to get their teeth into."

"Why?" Thomas asked again.

Why taunt him like that? Why not just get him out there and kill him? They'd still get their viewing figures. They'd still get hm dead.

"I really wish you knew. It'd make talking to you so much more fun."

"knew what? Why is it going to be a big show? 'Cos I'm ten?"

"No one gives a fuck about your age, kid. It's not about how old you are. It's about who you are."

"Who I am? Who am I?"

"You're your father's..."

"Lloyd!"

The woman stopped abruptly and stood to attention. Her cheeks turned crimson and she was visibly shaking. Thomas stopped at the same time, jumping at the unexpected voice.

David stepped out from the open door to the mess room. He looked furious, but his voice remained calm and controlled as he spoke.

"Let's not discuss things that have nothing to do with the matters at hand. Agreed?"

He was eating a large bacon bun, the sight and smell of which made Thomas's stomach grumble, and had a steaming mug in his hand. He walked casually, as if nothing was wrong and he was simply chatting with a friend.

Bite, chew, swallow. Long, noisy slurp of the drink.

Belch.

"Well, pardon me. A good breakfast butty always gets my wind up. Can't beat it, eh, Thomas?"

Thomas didn't answer, but the licking of his lips and the hungry expression answered the question. David tossed it in the boy's direction. It was caught with a frantic grab that only caused a small piece of bacon to drop to the floor.

"Lloyd, have you had breakfast yet?" David asked. His initial sharpness seemed to have been forgotten. He was being close to friendly now.

"No, sir. Business first, you know me."

"I do. I do indeed. Well, it looks like Thomas here would like to share his with you, isn't that right laddie?"

Thomas's disappointment was obvious. He was wolfing the bun down quickly, and the prospect of giving some away didn't appear to be a pleasant one. Then he saw where David was looking and the woman he'd called Lloyd was purposefully not doing.

"I... I'm fine, thank you, sir. I'll have something later."

"Oh, go on. You wouldn't want to turn away the boy's offering on his last day, would you?"

"But... sir..."

"Now, Lloyd. Now."

Lloyd didn't say anything else. Her face was passive. Relaxed. Outwardly, there was no display of the turmoil she must have been feeling. Apart from her awkward words to her superior and the task she had to carry out, Thomas would have thought she was as at ease as David seemed to be.