Chapter eighteen
"Aren't you going to tell me some kind of truth?" I inquired, as Vikram's aide took us back to the RR hideout.
Levi started. "Not now."
I scoffed. "When I think I've got you figured out, I find out that you have layers that I don't think I can never open."
"You promised to stay by me."
"That still stands. I told you that I loved you. That should mean something."
Levi shot me a look. "Don't say that."
"Why can't I? How badly did your dad or Aliyah scar your trust in people? I want to help."
He frowned. "I can't risk talking about this."
He pointed at the driver and mouthed to me. "Hold on."
I nodded. Then he tapped the driver. "We'll take it from here."
The driver shook his head. "Mr. Caden asked me to take y—"
"I don't care what my father said. We're driving this by ourselves, so it's better you leave now, before I do something we both won't like."
The driver looked fearful. "But Mr. Caden wouldn't like it if—"
Levi interjected once again. "That's for you and Mr. Caden to worry about anyway."
I added. "We'll talk to him. Nothing bad would have to your job. We just can't allow anyone to know our hideout."
The driver looked hesitant to comply and it looked like Levi's patience was thinning out. "Get out now."
The driver parked his car and immediately ran out.
Levi jumped to the front seat, and motioned towards me. "You coming?"
I grinned, and made my way to the front, sitting shotgun. "I didn't know you had a tough side to you. Look at you rebelling against your father."
He cast me a glance, as he drove. "My father's not the bad guy. He's a little controlling. A little crazy too. But he's just lonely. Sometimes I feel like I'm all he has. Not Zuri. Not Odell. Just me. There's this bond between us. Just sometimes it feels like a lot to bear."
Lonely? I never saw Vikram Caden as that. Powerful? Yes. Intense? Yes. Controlling? Yes. Bitter? Sometimes. But not lonely. Levi must have seen him at his lowest point. Or his darkest hour. Something that made him deeply worry about him. I found it sweet. He saw the good in a man like that. Not everyone gave themselves that chance.
Levi commented. "Now that we're finally alone, I owe you a long explanation. The floor is open. Ask away."
I asked the only thing I was definite about. "What about the missing or dead kids? Tell me everything. What hand does your dad have in this?"
His tone became serious. "Why would he have a hand in it? In fact it's because of that dreadful act that he wanted to leave the council. But he couldn't. Not with how much money he had put into it. If anything, he doesn't trust the council. My dad didn't even know that they tried to cover it up. They kept it from him. It wasn't till it was over that he got wind of it. The council can not be trusted. They might be Radiants like us, but they're just corporate assholes who are more invested in pleasing the government than taking care of radiants."
"What happened to the children?" I was too afraid to ask. I imagined the worst happening.
"We don't know." Levi paused to give a slow sigh. "I don't know. My dad avoids talking about it. It is possible that they're dead. No one has even seen them. That's the truth."
"That's not all. What's the deal with your father and the dictator, Sir Kree Badmus? There has to be a link. No matter how small."
Levi sighed. "The link's with Ify Chiwetel. The president of the NLC or the national labour congress and the chairwoman of Salmob medical centre. Ify Chiwetel is the dictator's right hand man, or woman in her case. Mrs. Chiwetel used to intern at the Caden's biomedical and biomechanical company about thirty years ago. My dad and her were friends once. She owed him a favor. My dad never met the dictator. From what we hear, he's the worst human to meet and he's definitely not a fan of Radiants."