The Cure, стр. 16
‘He’s a reasonable man in an unreasonable time Danny. This decision wasn’t his to make and had he made it alone I think you’re right. But he’s got Goldsmith in his ear and so have the rest of them. Goldsmith is a salesman at the end of the day. He wants this to happen and he will do everything he can to make that happen, at the expense of anyone who gets in his way.’
‘OK Brother, I’m with you all the way. I always have been,’ and he put a hand on his older brother’s shoulder reassuringly. Any negativity and everything that had gone before was shifted in that gesture and the brothers embraced. ‘Let’s do this.’
In the meantime, Brad and Tallulah had reached the stores and were trying to improvise their way into the laboratory to get some of the toxin and do anything that may delay the President’s plan.
Brad tapped on the glass window where his father was in deep conversation with Tallulah’s father. Brad Senior beckoned them in forgetting that the door was locked by an electronic keypad. He left Wanikiy and walked over to the door, punched in some numbers to a keypad on his side of the door and warmly welcomed them both in. Whilst he was accommodating to the kids, Wanikiy looked away to his desk before looking back grimacing.
‘Junior, how you doing? Nice to see you both. What brings you here? Let me guess, you want some crisps,’ he smiled and rubbed his stomach, ‘some chocolate perhaps?’
Brad nodded and turned to Tallulah, who was observing her father.
‘Yeah, that would be great dad, thank you.’
‘Come with me then son, let’s see what we can do,’ said Brad Senior walking towards the door.
‘I’ll catch you both up,’ said Tallulah, pointing to her father who was now sat looking into a microscope. Both Brad Senior and Brad Junior acknowledged her and walked towards the storage area.
‘Hi Dad, how are you doing?’ she said to her father’s back.
‘I’m very busy Tallulah. What is it you want?’ he replied not looking up from the microscope. Meanwhile Tallulah’s eyes were scouting the room looking for something, anything, that could be the toxin or some way to disrupt her father.
‘I’m just checking in Dad. You’re working way too hard and we haven’t even sat down together in the last month. I miss you Dad. I miss listening to your stories. I miss laughing together and reminiscing. I miss you hugging me and telling me ‘you’re my little Kimama’. I miss it all.’
Wanikiy sat back and spun around in his chair ‘Look Tallulah, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’m not the father I used to be. I never meant it to be this way, but then your mother was never meant to leave us. If you want someone to blame then fine, blame me, but we’re here and we’re alive because of your mother and what she meant to me. I loved your mother and we were meant to be together forever, but it wasn’t to be. Every second I spend with you I see her, and it hurts me more than I can take. I love you and I will always love you but right now I need to work on this project for the President to make sure that in five, ten, twenty years and more that I have the opportunity to be a better father and to love you until I join your mother.’
He didn’t have the chance to see a tear roll down Tallulah’s cheek as he turned away and back to his work. Through the tears Tallulah spotted a fridge on the wall behind her father with several vials all marked as hazardous. She slowly backed towards the fridge whilst keeping an eye on the scientists feverishly working away in the next laboratory through the glass wall. Her hand slipped in through the fridge door and slowly and quietly removed one of the vials. The label on the vial declared Project Nebraska and Tallulah knew she had found the toxin.
Just at that moment the laboratory door opened and Goldsmith walked through the door glaring at Tallulah, swiftly followed by McGregor eyeballing her as she moved her hands behind her back.
‘Ah, a Wanikiy family reunion,’ he joked ‘in the Presidents top secret laboratory,’ the tone changed immediately to one of irritation and resentment.
’She’s just leaving,’ Wanikiy looked up at Goldsmith with equal disdain at both the fact Tallulah was still there and that Goldsmith now stood in front of him.
‘Good, good,’ said Goldsmith giving Tallulah the once over and then looking away as if she didn’t exist.
Wanikiy and Goldsmith despised each other with a passion. Wanikiy knew Goldsmith was a self-obsessed narcissistic bully and Goldsmith knew Wanikiy knew this and it grated on him. Even more so because Goldsmith’s plan completely rested on the scientist’s shoulders.
‘Where are we?’ Goldsmith stopped and looked round at Tallulah ‘you can leave now.’
‘Yes, good,’ Tallulah muttered and started walking towards the exit.
Before she could reach the door, McGregor stepped out in front of her.
‘What you got there sweetheart? Behind your back,’ he bawled, getting the attention of Goldsmith and Wanikiy.
‘Nothing,’ she stammered taking a step back.
‘Show me your hands!’ McGregor said, relishing this small moment of power.
Tallulah took another step back whilst all three men watched on.
‘What is this?’ said Wanikiy ‘Show them your hands Tallulah and leave.’
Slowly Tallulah brought her hands out in front of her and held them before McGregor, his smile slowly turning to a scowl as she held out her empty palms.
‘Can I leave now?’ Tallulah ridiculed. McGregor stood firm.
‘Oh, for God sake McGregor, let her out of here. We’ve more important things to do than search