Dad said something about a temple that contained an artifact and now I know what it means. It was the radars and such that picked them up out here but the only thing they found was proof that 'the experiment' was possible...whatever that means. I think I now understand what he meant by 'it comes in more than just one variety'. I had one ore in dad's satchel and now I was on the hunt for the another one. Great, Dad's version of a breadcrumbs was a treasure hunt.
My eyes were glued to the journal but everything else was math and science equations and more symbols. I made sure to pay special attention to the symbols this time.
From the beach were single-roomed pottery houses with tiled roofs and they were packed next to each other. As I made my way off the beach and into whatever city I was in now, I saw that the ground was completely uneven and almost as wavy as the water at the beach. The roads were all made of small brownish black tiles that from an angle, seem to have a beige outline finish. The buildings varied from dark brown to almost peach colored outside walls.
I walked down the sidewalk and saw that they were pretty regular unlike the huge downward slope I was trying to walk on. In the journal he took a plane straight to the entrance of whatever temple and here I was, wandering aimlessly without a person in sight. I did, however, pass a flag stand that said 'Welcome to Esmeraldas, Ecuador'. I hopped I would pass a car soon so I can get anywhere faster than I am right now. I mentally slapped myself for not coming up with a plan for my actual arrival in this continent. I must have assumed that I was going to die trying.
That was when I saw someone ride on the street intersecting the one I was on just a couple blocks ahead of me on a fast dune buggy.
"What the hell?" I chocked. "Hey! Wait!"
****
~ Lance ~
"And what exactly that you can do to save my job?" Stein asked stone-faced. Underneath, he was anxiously waiting for his reply, but wasn't about to show it. "If you may"
"You need to kill Melinda Asher," Lance bombed with a daggered face of his own.
At first Stein was at a loss for words but then gathered his thoughts."You want me to commit a murder?" he questioned in frustration and completely out of character as he bounced to his feet from the chair.
"She is going to take everything from you: you job for starters, your reputation, your life in general, your--"
"Okay, I get it," he shot, almost slamming his hands on the desk. "How would I get away with such a thing?" he shouted. "I couldn't even pull it off in the first place."
"But what if you could?" Lance prompted.
"Well if that were to happen—Stein slowly lowered back to his seat—what exactly would you get out of it?" he pondered with his elbows on the desk and fingertips intimately touching.
"You forget, we both want the same thing," he replied slowly, cradling his head to the side to express certainty. "Our careers are on the line here and only we seem to notice."
"Well we could just work for them and keep our jobs," Stein quickly suggested.
"We? The moment she takes authority over this complex, your ass is getting fired" Lance quipped.
"Watch it, I could fire you right now." he countered.
"On what charge?" Lance fought. "The truth?"
Stein bit back in disgust, but kept his cool. "So why does she need our permission to take over?" he asked. "Why not just do it already?"
"She needs the lead scientist's signature in order for the work to transfer into their custody," He explained. "It doesn't matter if you threaten every thing they have and back them into a million corners, as long as you get that signature and the judge can't prove that you forced them to do it then you solid."
"Given that company, they must know exactly how to get out of that situation." Stein added.
"Which brings us back to the director herself, Melinda" Lance stated."Subtract her and Nexus falls, leaving us out of harms way."
"Yes, but how would we do it?" Stein repeated. "How could we possibly get close enough?"
"Well--"Lance was cut off by his cell ringing. He answered the call with a soft, "Hello?"
****
~ Eric ~
"My answer is still no," Joana mumbled after wiping away some sneaky tears. "I can't let myself be apart of a group who destroyed so many people's lives...I just can't."
"But think of the rest of the world," Eric expressed. "You're the best at what you do and we need you molecular expertise or else it will all be for nothing! All of it."
"But the cost, Eric! I couldn't live with myself if I had to do that to my fellow...my fellow employees, my friends. I'm completely backstabbing everyone of them and I know half the staff personally!"
Eric got down onto his knees and looked her in the eyes and spoke as softly as he could muster. "Its the classic tale of the few you know verses the many you don't, but you can't let your emotions make your decisions for you," he soothed. "This isn't something anyone could live with; we're all making the same sacrifice as you."
"I just can't! I--" She was cut off from Eric's cell phone and her cell ringing at the same time. They both pick up and by the time they said "Hello", the person on the line was already speaking.
"This is Director Melinda Asher and your time is up. Meet me with your response at Nexus headquarters within the hour or else the deal is neutralized and you're on your own." she said over the phone right before it hung up. They looked up at each other in horror.
****
~ Lance ~
"Looks like the team has to make a choice," Lance said to Stein. "And we all have to be there."
"Well I'll get my coat." Stein stated as he got up to retrieve his pea coat resting on the jacket rack by his door.
"I don't think so," Lance chuckled loudly, turning around as he got to his feet. Stein gave him a muddy look before Lance could speak again. He straightened his tie ready to leave the room with the last word "I have a feeling that this is an invitation-only party and the last time I checked, you didn't get a call."
***
~ Skylar's flashback ~
I was crying on my sofa in my childhood home after being handled by my uncle as my dad was out at work as always and Noah was no where to be found. I was home alone crying my life away for almost a week now and there was no one I turn to. I felt so helplessly weak at the fact that I couldn't have fought back in anyway, shape or form. My anger always reverts back to tears and I just cry in my room whenever I could get the chance. I felt safe when I cried, as if I was giving myself the most powerful type of comfort.
"Skylar? Skylar, honey what are you doing?" Lance asked as he rushed up next to me from walking in through the front door I forgot to lock. He must have sat there knocking before hearing the bawling and coming inside. "Are you okay? What's going on?"
"I'm fine," I lied, my face still soaking wet as my voice cracked and stuttered. "There's nothing wrong, I'm fine."
"Then why are you crying?" he asked softly. "Your father asked me to pick up something from his house and here a find you, so tell me."
"My...my eyes got bored."
"Oh but that's not true, now is it?" he replied as he reached to hug me. I jerked back, not about to let another man touch me ever again. "Oh I'm sorry did I do something?"
I didn't give an answer and he slowly moved one hand closer to me and eased out of the way of it, though I made it pretty obvious I was scared of the touch.
"Did someone hit you?" He asked me putting his face close to mine.
"No he didn't hit me." I accidentally slipped. I looked away, completely ashamed.
"Then...then what did he do?" he asked even gentler than before. The question reminded me of the event and I stuck my hands in between my thighs and cried some more.
"Oh my god, who did that to you?" Lance commanded, but somehow in the softest way.
"Do you promise you wont tell?" I asked of him.
"Of course I wont tell," he assured. "Was it...was it Eric?"
"No! Eww!" I remarked, still crying. "It was his twisted brother."
"You're joking." He said in astonishment.
"Do I look like I'm goddamn joking?!" I shouted even though I knew that he wasn't the enemy.
"Okay, okay."
"I'm sorry...I just..."
"I understand, why haven't you gone to the cops or your father?" he inquired.
"They wont help!" I returned. "Dad's way too busy and it's his own brother, I don't even think he will believe me" I divulged. "And my uncle goes hunting with almost the entire police department so this will get dropped faster than a pile of rocks."
"Well you must have friends."
"Yeah, friends I hang out with, not friends I can trust to share my life with." I admitted painfully.
"Well I hate to have to get back to work, but something be done about this, I promise," he promised me. "This isn't right."
"What will you do?" I asked him.
"I have connections too."
****
"Local news says it was a bizarre suicide, but the police department says they aren't so sure," mom explained after the group water works were mostly over. Dad was still bawling when mom tried to finish. "When he 'hung' himself, he super-glued his hands to his head and had thick wires tried from the back of his shirt to the ceiling. And he used that same thick wire to hang himself but the drop made the wire cut through his neck, leaving a decapitated swinging body with his super-glued head in his hands." she could barely surface the words. "He would never-it had to be a murder!"
"But who would murder him?" Dad cried out. "Why would they do such a thing?!?"
Completely overwhelmed by the news, I looked over at Lance who trying to soothe dad by patting and rubbing him on the back slowly. My mouth dropped to the floor when he looked up at me and with a smirk, put his finger up to his lips...
And winked.
****
~ Nick ~
"We're going to play a little game." Melinda whispered in Nick's ear after he was slapped awake by one of the men. They were in what seemed to be some sort of basement or subbasement. It was dark, smelled revolting, and the walls were weathered to a disgusting blue texture like a slimy cave. There was a window on the far wall, but all you could see through it was an office-looking room from what he could tell.
Pretty smart to have a torture room right next to your office, Nick thought to himself. Because who knows when you might need it.
Three men were in the room with he and Melinda and they were most definitely armed. Nick was staring into the office window when Melinda stepped in front of him, blocking his view of it. "You're going to convince your team to join us no matter what you mission is and you're going to do it now."
"What a terrible game," Nick jested as he struggled against a pair of handcuffs that were attached to the back of the steel chair he was sitting on. It was nailed and triple-bolted to the ground. "What's it called so I can get my money back?"
A rock hard fist made a home in his lower jaw by the tough guy to his left. He stepped back exactly into his old position like a robot, completely standing still.
"The world could be ending behind this guy and he wouldn't notice." Nick coughed, spitting blood in the process. The same guy stepped in about to repeat his earlier action, but Melinda waved her hand and he stepped back to his old stance without skipping a beat.
"You know, you're a criminal now," she mentioned. "So if I were you, I would cooperate."
"Those are both lies," Nick countered. "How I became a criminal and we both know how and you would rather die than give in to anything or anyone."
"Nicky, Nicky, we've worked side by side for years and you choose now to disobey my rule?" she laughed then straightened out her face. "And you will know the consequences."
"I was never under your rule. Only your father's. And your little temper tantrum includes putting me in the system as a criminal and ratting me out for company espionage no less?" he flared. "What? Did I interrupt some quest of yours and you wanted to clean up loose ends?"
Her face didn't agree nor disagree.
Nick, however, saw right through it. "I'm a threat to you, aren't I?"She twinged in anger and that was all Nick needed. "Well of course, my mission would interfere with everything you're trying to accomplish here, wouldn't it?"
"Silence!" she ordered. Nick went silent, but the soldier still stepped forward and socked him again anyway, and in the same spot. Nick spat blood back at him in disgust along with a biting remark that Melinda let slide. "Now back to this game, and by the way, it's nonrefundable."
Nick's face remained unmoved as he gave her a stare that very much exemplified, 'If I ever get out of this chair, you will regret it'.
"You wanna hear how it gets interesting?" she asked with a perky smile and a little hop. Nick didn't give her the time of day. "I figured you wouldn't play along and it's probably too late now, you did a great job of convincing them to not play along either and yes, you are in my way, so I figured I would give you a fighting chance."
"What does that mean?" Nick retorted.
"I'm going to let irony decide your fate," she said. "You told them to say no, so if they don't let Nexus take control, then my men will put a bullet in your head, but if they say yes despite your warnings, then you will live to see another sunrise."
"You and your games!!" he shouted. "Putting people in impossible situations for your own amusement."
"What can I say; I love to test the human will," she smiled. "But for your sake, lets hope they ignored every word you ever said about us, well me."
The thick steel door Nick assumed he was brought through creaked open and Melinda was met by one of her men. He nodded and ran back out so fast, Nick questioned if he really saw anything. The only proof that he wasn't going insane was the fact that the door was still open.
"Well it looks like our guests have arrived." she stated as she glided out through the door and slammed it behind her. One of the men in there with him took her spot and the two others stood at each side of him completely speechless, and not in a good way.
Nick looked down at his handcuffed feet and the guy in front grabbed his collar and forced him to sit up straight. Nick saw that they weren't regular handcuffs, but the magnetic ones that were impossible to break because the magnetic force was much stronger than any human. He couldn't even try to slip out of them because they were fitted perfectly around his wrist. He wasn't going anywhere.
Five minuted later, he could hear a door opening, but not the one right next to them. The guy in front moved to the side to reveal Melinda sitting comfortably in her office chair through the window on the right side and he could see Joana and Lance walk inside through the door all the way to the left. They turned around watched Eric slowly step inside as if a trap was to be expected. Because one was definitely waiting for them.
Two men came in after him, closed the door and stood on either side of it, blocking the exit. Melinda waved her hand at the seats with a smile, gesturing them to sit down. Lance took a seat on the right side of the long metal black table, at the furthest seat away from her. Joana sat at the end looking directly at Melinda who was sitting at the opposite end straight down the table. Eric stood in between Lance and Joana instead of taking a seat at all. Lance took a long look at the window Nick was staring at from the other side. Lance didn't seem to see Nick at all though Nick had a perfect view of the gang.
*
Of course it's a one-way window, Nick pouted in his head. He must be looking at a huge mirror right now.
*
Eric and Joana caught his glance and stared back at themselves in the mirror. Eric looked away first. "Where is Dr. Vault?" he asked firmly. "He was here long before us"
Nobody questioned how he knew that. Lance knew this, but Joana didn't. She gave him a questioning look as Melinda gave her well-thought-through answer.
"He arrived, yes, and when I told him that I will not revoke my demand and I warned him that he needed to get you here as soon as possible or else it will be too late. Seeing as how I had to call you in myself, I don't know where he is now." She kept a perfect face through out the whole story.
"She's lying!" Nick screamed from beyond the glass, hoping to get their attention. Nothing happened and the men began to laugh. Guess their not androids after all. The first guy crossed his arms.
"This room is completely sound proofed and can be modified so that we can hear them but they can't hear us or the other way around." he chuckled. "Guess what it's set to now?"
Nick screamed again, but this time without words. The men just sat there and let him yell and scream his heart out because no one will hear him but those three guys. Gasping for breath he focused back on what was going on in Melinda's office.
"I just find it hard to believe he would disappear at a time like this." Lance remarked. Joana nodded, agreeing that it was rather odd.
"Well he has been known to do that sort of thing." she quickly countered,hoping they would drop the subject.
"'Known to do that sort of thing'," Joana quoted her. "Do you know him personally?" Everyone looked at Melinda with intense curiosity.
"No, of course not, he's a criminal. You know that right? I should have arrested him but the situation was incredibly sensitive." She gave herself a mental pat on the back for that one.
Lance, Eric, and Joana looked completely lost at hearing the news. "What for?" they all asked in different phrases and times.
"He was a company spy for Solarus" she lied. Solarus was a rival company against their own. It took a moment to sink in, but they did find it weird that they had never seen him before and suddenly get thrown into a top secret project and is one of the best in scientific engineering.
*
"Here's a napkin, Melinda!" Nick shouted. "There's still a bit of bullshit around your lips!"
*
"Now let's get down to business," Melinda's demanded. "What is your decision? Will you take me up on my...'offer'?"
"Wasn't much 'offering' involved," Joana quickly quipped. "Too bad."
"Of course not, you crazy bitch!" Lance yelled, slamming his hand down on the table and Melinda remained unfazed in anyway by his boisterous response.
*
Nick didn't know how to feel. He was happy they didn't take the deal, but the men in the room with him just shrugged their shoulders as the got up from sitting in random places around the room about to do something they'll forget the next day.
Nick told himself that he will be glad the didn't give that woman the doorway to the universe. One guy pulled out his pistol and with an over-exaggerated cocking of the gun, he held it up to Nick's left temple.
"Sorry, looks like fate doesn't like you after all."
He laughed as his finger tugged on the trigger.
*
"Yes"Eric spoke without thinking. He muttered it, but it was still audible. Everyone in both rooms jolted to look at Eric followed by"What?!". He mentally made himself stand behind his words.
"I said we'll take the deal."
***
A/N: Don't forget to vote!!