Chapter 15 - Seeing Max again. (2/2)
”You both need to behave with him the same way as you usually do and act friendly and trusting towards him.”
”Hey, I spent 5 years without talking to him. I can easily act a bit distant towards him and still pull off that everything is fine between us,” said Balthazar. ”It is Rob that needs to be careful and nice to him.”
”I will take care,” said Robert.
”Is that why you brought us here? To tell us this?” asked Balthazar.
”That is part of it,” replied Walter. ”We also decided that Robert would join you with Salazar.”
”That is, unexpected?” said Balthazar confused.
”OK, fine. I actually have something to talk to you about,” said Balthazar to Walter. ”You have an information about my grandmother? Name, picture, anything?”
”Yes. Winston told me about it. But I think it is for the best if you don't make any inquiries.”
”I just want to know it. I won't make any inquiries till you deem me capable of handling the dangers associated with it. But I want to know.”
Both Walter and Winston looked at each other helplessly. They knew that Balthazar had a right to know about his grandmother. But they believed that John's probe into it is what led to the attacks. There were two things that linked to the knights. One was a dark-blue stone locket shaped like an eye that was on baby John's neck and the other was a picture of their grandmother taken by Walter.
”I have a picture of you grandmother. I will forward it to you, but you cannot make any inquiry into her,” said Walter as he sent a picture to both Balthazar and Robert. It was a picture of a dead women. She had blood-red colored long hair and looked like John for the most part.
”Also keep this a secret from Bolena.”
”Of course,” said Balthazar as he got up. ”Anything else?”
”No. Both of you can leave with Salazar.”
As they both left the room. Salazar lead them out and started towards the forbidden area.
”Are you going through the tour of the area for him?” asked Balthazar as he didn't want to go through the tunnels at night.
”Oh! You can skip that. Off to the racetrack you go.”
”What? Racetrack again?”
”Yes. You are really low on stamina and strength. You need the workout. At least for 30 minutes each time, twice per day.”
”You'll be joining him from tomorrow morning,” he added to Robert.
”I thought we would have a study session in the evening,” inquired Balthazar.
”Oh! About that. I decided to give you some weekly or daily assignments. You have permission to my lab. Just try finish them in the lab. I will check through my cameras. Now, off you to the racetrack.”
”Ok.”
”See you tomorrow morning at the gym.”
Balthazar was really irritated by Salazar's attitude towards him. ”I guess it is just like Elaine told. He is a bit crazy about working out.” He went to the pet shelter got Anubis and proceeded to the racetrack.
He ran around the track for 30 minutes again along with Anubis. Later, he had a quick bite and a drink and left to meet with Rudra and the team.
By the time, he reached the complex, they already setup up few banner and the detachable escalators by the entrance. He quickly got into the second floor and saw the furniture and woodwork already in place. There were a bunch of unpacked cases on the floor.
”Wow! You guys set it up quite fast,” said Balthazar appreciatively.
”Oh! We planned to put up the V.R. systems up too. But the electrician told that he would be a bit late today. So, we decided to put them up tomorrow,” said Lizzie meeting him.
”Security systems? Food and drinks?” asked Balthazar.
”The complex already had the security installed. They will be activated by tonight. Anyways I would be sleeping here in the manager cabin,” said Rudra from the manager cabin. ”Help us move these crates into the cabin.”
”You are sleeping here?” asked Balthazar surprised. He didn't expect that Rudra would be sleeping at the shop. He never expected that Rudra didn't have a place to live.
”Of course. Lodging and food were provided at cyber cafe. The same is the plan here. A certain portion of third floor is reserved for the same purpose here. The entire team would be staying here. It is convenient and efficient for the team.”
”We do need more personnel for the club. It becomes more important as you guys are going to compete as a team. Probably another couple of managers.”
”Yeah, few more guys are leaving the cyber drome along with us. We also put in some fliers and a few advertis.e.m.e.nts that we are hiring.”
”Ok, we can have the fliers sent at the supermarket and also few advertis.e.m.e.nts at the local media,” suggested Balthazar.
”That is going to cost quite more. We are almost out of money.”
”Just send me the bill. You guys just need to make it a successful and famous. We are to be next cyberdrome, the better cyberdrome.”
They continued to setup the food dispensers, refrigerators as the electrician came to the complex. Soon, they had the established all the general electrical appliances required. The complex was now good enough to be a cafe all it needed was a proper internet connection and the V.R devices set up.
They cleaned up the trash and decided to go for dinner and then, Balthazar bid them farewell returning to the mansion. As he returned, he sat in a couch in the main hall along with Anubis and started browsing through the assignments that Salazar sent him.
It was mostly about poisons, their extraction or creation. Majority of them had him extracting poisons from various kinds of plants and creatures. He was given access to the herbariums and Salazar's lab. ”I will have to spend tens of hours in the herbariums to do these,” thought Balthazar.
He messaged Robert to ask him about his time with Salazar. Robert seemed livid about Salazar. ”That guy is making us do so much the work which his assistants at the lab usually do. He is just freeing them up, so that they could help speed up his research.”
”Haha, he does have us do a lot of such work.”
Thaddeus suddenly came into the hall and was walking towards the entrance.
”Hi Thaddeus, what's up?”
”Elder Max is here.”
”Max is here?” came Robert's voice from the call on his wrist band.
”He is coming into the hall. I will go greet him. Talk to you later,” said Balthazar to Robert as he cut the call.
As Max came through the door, with Thaddeus and a few others, Balthazar felt a hot anger rising in his body. Max spotted him and greeted walking towards him. Balthazar had a strong urge to strangle Max as he hugged him.
”Long time, uncle Max. How are you doing?” asked Balthazar with a smile.
”I am the one who should be asking that. You went through a lot the last week.”
”Ah! It was nothing. Part of the job,” said Balthazar.
”Where have you been the past two days. Nobody would tell me.”
”Just some work aboard. I will be here from now on.”
”Oh. That's good. Glad to see you,” said Balthazar as he hugged Max again and left to his room with Anubis.
Unbeknownst to them, Salazar was watching Max ever since he entered the mansion. He was shocked to see someone he knew in Max's company as Max's bodyguard. He couldn't believe his eyes that Max managed to employ Abel Santiago.
He was one of the famous security professionals he knew. He once killed a member whom Abel's group was protecting. So, he knew that they were very proficient.
As the group began to move towards the living quarters, someone came forward and blocked their way. It was a grey-haired man who was dressed in all black and was wearing a hood. Elaine followed behind and stood by him.
”Hi Arthur, what do you need?” asked Max.
”What are you doing?” asked Arthur.
”The council called for me.”
”Yes. You are welcome to stay here. But your company isn't approved.”
”I applied for permission for them to reside here.”
”And it was rejected.”
”You are pushing it old man,” said Abel joining in their conversation.
”You don't have any lines. You talk again you're all dead,” said Arthur not moving his eyes from Max.
Max was frightened by Arthur's display. He always saw Arthur to be someone who was polite and good to everyone. There were rumors about Arthur among the Elders, but he always doubted them. Today, he thought they might actually be true.
Caught in a bad situation, he told Abel's team to return. He left to his room immediately after worried by Arthur. ”They have nothing that ties me to the recent attack. But I think they just want to be sure.”
Once at his room, he decided that it is best if he keeps calm and stays at the mansion for some time and wait till everybody cools down.