Chapter 28 - The Escape (1/2)

The entire cafeteria was surprised and looking at Dr. Erik Seinberg who shouting hysterically for Bolena like a mad man. Erik had been working in the Apropos lab for more than a decade and was well known amount the personnel of the Apropos facility. All the personnel including Mary began to wonder what Bolena might have done to compel him to behave in such a manner.

”Dr. BOLENA! WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE, I NEED TO DO THIS,” he continued to shout waving a lighter in one hand and holding a vial filled with some transparent liquid in the other.

A couple of guards soon came by and started to ask him to calm down. But Dr. Seinberg continued to shout and even threatened the guards that he is holding on to a very inflammable liquid and dropping it would cause an explosion that would take them all out.

Observing that the situation with the guards and Dr. Seinberg was deteriorating by the second, Balthazar decided that it would be for the best if he intervened to calm him down.

”I will try to cam the guy down or stop him. You ask the guards to take their leave,” said Balthazar looking at Bolena and Albert.

”Sure, Sean is already by the cafeteria and Nolan's on the way. Stall him for 3 minutes and he will be in place to take him out,” said Albert planning to take them out.

”You want to take him out? kill him?” asked Bolena shocked. She had been working with Dr. Seinberg for more than 4 months and he was a well-known by the personnel of the Apropos labs. She had also met with his family.

”Well, by the looks of it, he isn't going to be stopped by talking to him,” said Albert.

”He is just a civilian. He has a little daughter and wife. He is being forced to act like that. He has no background or experience in anything like this. Please, try to stop him and not kill him,” requested Bolena.

”Well, it is true that he has no experience at this and is a civilian. I can try something out,” said Balthazar.

”Totally unnecessary. We can take him out without any incident or fire accident,” said Albert.

”I agree. Just let me try. If I think there is a chance that it might go wrong, I will ask Nolan to shoot,” said Balthazar. ”In the meantime, check up on his family. Roger was also forced by capturing his family.”

”OK. Stay in constant contact with Nolan during your attempt. I will contact Harry to look into the family. Don't take any unnecessary risks,” said Albert.

Nodding his head, Balthazar immediately set up a link with Nolan to stay in contact and went out the room to negotiate with Dr. Seinberg.

”Dr. Seinberg. I understand you want to meet with Dr. Bolena,” he said loudly to attract Seinberg's attention.

”Who are you? Don't come near me,” shouted Dr. Seinberg. He could see a well-groomed dark-brown haired man with green eyes in a black and white business suit walking towards him.

”I am Colonel Blyth,” said Balthazar as he continued walking towards him. Dr. Seinberg immediately recognized him as the brother of Bolena. He had seen him in the news and knew that he was responsible for the defense against the apes. If he went against him, he would be in a lot more trouble that attacking Bolena, attacking a military official would probably make him a traitor of the alliance.

”You have nothing to worry about. May I know why you want to meet Dr. Bolena?” said Balthazar as he took his gun out. Sean also began to slowly move around the cafeteria to go behind Dr. Seinberg.

”Why are you taking the gun out? I have a vial which will explode on breaking. It contains Benzyl-alpha-phospho-trinitrochlorate. It will burn through the entire cafeteria,” he started saying loudly waving the vial.

”OK. I am putting my gun back,” said Balthazar holstering his gun. ”Now, please tell me why you are so bent upon attacking Dr. Bolena.”

”I can't tell you. I can't tell you. Please tell me where she is?” he continued in hysteria.

”If you are worried about your family. Please, calm yourself. We have a team already working to rescue your daughter and wife,” said Balthazar signalling Sean to approach Dr. Seinberg from behind.

”You know where my family are?!” shouted Dr. Seinberg looking at him crazily. ”Please, help them. I have received a message about their kidnapping the day before yesterday. I wasn't allowed to go to my home since then. Please, help me. I beg you. Please. Plh.”

Sean finally managed to grab the vial from Seinberg's hand. He pulled the other hand and kicked Seinberg's back. Seinberg fell on his face before Balthazar.

”NO! NO! Please don't kill me. Save my daughter,” he began shouting as he turned around looking at the person who kicked him.

Balthazar quickly caught Seinberg's arms and held them behind his back to stop him from moving. ”Get the vial back to the lab. Everybody stay where they are. No one is to leave the cafeteria until I tell. I will shoot anyone who attempts to,” said Balthazar as Dr. Seinberg fell down and started crying.

”Calm down Dr. Seinberg. As I said we already have some of our best already on it. At this time, the best you can do to help your family is to tell us how you were contacted by them,” said Balthazar pulling him up.

Despite his attempts to calm him down Dr. Seinberg, the man didn't calm down and continued to bawl for more than five minutes. Balthazar had to finally resort to slapping and beating him up for him to finally stop crying.

”There is a very good chance that your family are safe and have just been captured. Any information you give us would be extremely helpful to free up your family from them,” said Balthazar. He took Seinberg to a private room in the cafeteria while he suggested the guards to search the people in cafeteria. Albert continued to stand Bolena at the private room they were in.

”So, the faster you are the better chances you family have. Please start talking,” asked Balthazar.

”I don't know how they found me or why they used me. They suddenly met me the night before yesterday and showed me an image of them holding my family captive and let me have a conversation with them,” said Seinberg stuttering. His lip was cut, and he couldn't talk properly.

”Wait. Wait. How did you meet them? Where? Describe them?”

”They stopped me on my way after work as I got out of the garage at my home. They seized me and stuffed me in the back of my car as they put a hood on my face and took my communication devices.”

”How did they look? Describe them?”

”They wore masks. All three were women and wore full body suits.”

”Hmm. Carry on.”

”They held me in the hover car and then returned me back to the labs after showing the video. They told me to get a couple of vials of the Benzyl-alpha-phospho-trinitrochlorate. They took one and told me to hold on to the other. They gave me a communication device to use.”

”Where is it? Give me the device,” asked Balthazar raising his hand to receive it.

”They asked me to incinerate it before I came here. They told me to burn Dr. Bolena.”

”OK. Anything else? Their names? Or anything you heard during your time of abduction?”

”Aah. They called each other Alpha, Beta and Gamma. They didn't even use their names.”

”The car? They have your car, right? Can we track it. Give me the details,” asked Balthazar.