Chapter 12 - Prospecting Friends (2/2)
”It might be considered a good thing. But he always restricted me because of his fears. Why would someone even want to kill me?” asked Robert lifting his hands up in exasperation.
”Because you are George and Jordan's son.”
”So what? Father's long been dead, and you know about ma. Walter refuses to even tell me how he came to know of the threat. I want to take Max with me to talk to Walter about it. Maybe he could talk some sense into him. Walter has become very paranoid since dad's death.”
Max had always been a very helpful uncle. He had supported them both after their parent's deaths. They never understood why John was unfriendly with Max. He provided them mental support in those dark times. When Walter secretly told Balthazar that if he wanted to work alongside him, he had to leave the family to temper himself, Max was the only one who in contrast to others supported his decision. Only when it was too late, did Balthazar learn that it was all a mask. He was like that just to keep a close watch on them and be their confidant and it worked very well too. He was the perfect mole.
”I am the source of Walters information,” confessed Balthazar as he worried that Robert may confide in Max laying waste to his efforts.
”You! You told Walter to improve security on him. Why would they want to attack me? I can understand them trying to attack you. But I hardly have any influence. Even Bolena is a better target than me.”
”It is a very long story. Bolena is also a target. It is not a matter of influence or power in the family. Do you have some way to contact Walter?”
”Yeah, it is an emergency channel he set up for me. But I use it quite frequently.”
”Tell him that you are with me. And that you wanted to talk to Max about this.”
”He wouldn't agree. He already told me to keep it a secret. Don't you have his contact?”
”Neither Walter nor Winston give their contacts to other easy. It is not like you can have a video call with him. Is it?”
”Yeah. You're right.”
”Ok. Message him that I intend to explain you the reason you are a target.”
”You know about it? Why can't you just tell me. You actually need his permission?” asked Robert. He never expected that Balthazar had a proper reason he was a target. But now it feels like it is some kind of confidential secret as he wants Walter's permission before he reveals it. Now, he was unsure if he wanted to know it as it might be something confidential.
”It is not that I need his permission. It is a courtesy as it is as he promised someone that it would be a secret.”
”Ok,” said Robert sending a message. Immediately he got a call from Walter. ”Is Balthazar there?” asked Walter.
”I am right here,” said Balthazar walking into view.
”It isn't necessary to talk about that. There are a lot of other things you could talk about,” came Walter's voice sounding frustrated.
”He wants to contact Max, as he thinks their targets are members with influence in the family,” said Balthazar coming to the point.
”Ok. Go on ahead,” said Walter reluctantly and cut the call.
Soon, Balthazar summarized everything Winston told him and also all that he could to convince him that Max was the mole and against them.
”You must be mistaken. Uncle Max couldn't have done that,” said Robert in shock.
”Believe me, I first wanted to contact Max when I first heard about it. But the further I looked into it, the further I was convinced of it. We even expected that the glitch in our systems would be used right after the event. The only reason it would be suddenly preponed to a point during would be to attack someone, who wouldn't be staying till the end of the event.”
”That is a lot to take. Max wanting to kill us.”
”Max probably doesn't have any reason to kill us. But he did get involved with them to kill our parents. Then, he couldn't get out of it and continues to provide intelligence to them.”
”Are you sure that he is responsible for my parent's death!?” said Robert agitated.
”All I know is that John managed to find some evidence and we had intercepted Max talking to the knights saying that after my father, I am next to be killed. He wanted to kill me for sure. The only reason for killing my father at that time is for someone who is involved in the attack on you parents,” concluded Balthazar.
As Robert was digesting it all, Balthazar got up. ”I wanted to have a simple talk with you. But it went far away from what I had in mind. Max is already under observation. The best you could do is to increase your influence as much as you can to safeguard yourself,” he said.
”See you later,” he said as he left Robert's office. He had another person he wanted to meet. The one who gave him the chance to become a normal civilian with a steady job enabling him to escape him a life of assassinations and to find some amount a peace in his life. He was a very good friend and the person whom Balthazar felt most obligated and owed to.
He always used to stay at the cyber cafe nearby, cyber drome. He was always into games and movies. It was filled with kids and teenagers most of the time. Rudra became friends with Balthazar at college.