Chapter 28
THEY BOTH HEARD IT the same time. They got up from their seats.
“Was that a car door closing?”
The Rev nodded. “I think so.” Another door closed.
“Sounds like a couple of doors closed . . . looks like we’re going to be out of here soon.” The Rev prayed a quiet thank you. His ears pricked up as a door opened up just outside the room. He could hear muffled voices, then sensed movement above his head. He looked up and saw a video camera scanning the room. He pointed it out to Windsor, who gave a wave.
They heard a crackle and then a voice boomed into the room. “Hello, Minister. Didn’t expect to see you here. Didn’t think you had the guts to do a transfer. And I’m annoyed that I left that transfer box there. Maybe I should have at least password-protected it. Must return and get it, but then again, how often do they go and check a dead body?”
The Rev saw the look on the minister’s face. “Who is this?” he asked Windsor.
“One of my assistants,” Windsor said.
“One of his assistants,” Lucas repeated. They heard laughter.
“You’re a puppet, Windsor. Starkey just used you to get funding for the technology. Now that things have gone off the rails he’s probably bolted. And it looks that way, if you could see what’s happened in this room. All the filing cabinet's drawers are open and there are no papers to be seen. He’s either taken the secrets of his technology with him or burnt them.”
“That’s not true. He is a friend.”
“Wake up, Windsor . . . prestige was what he was seeking.”
“And you, Lucas, where do you stand?”
“I bumble along in life, Windsor. Circumstances come and go. I have the technology now and I’m sure it will prove useful. As for what, I don’t know yet.”
“My, you’re showing your true colours now, Lucas. What has brought this about?”
“You, Windsor, and this stupid world we live in.”
The Rev had decided to try and find an exit clause. “Hello, Lucas, could you let us out of here? It’s starting to get quite stuffy. Couldn’t we talk face to face?”
“Would love to, preacher man, but what would happen then? No, it’s best you remain there. We need to make a getaway. I’ll let someone know where you are. Anyway, I’m sure your God will look after you, maybe drop some manna from the sky.”
They heard laughter again, followed by a clicking sound. The microphone had been turned off. A few moments later they heard the door open and close and voices yell out goodbyes.
The Rev looked at Windsor.
“He’s snapped, or something like that. I think he’s a dope smoker; I was starting to pick up sniffs of something like burnt grass clippings."
“It does happen,” the Rev said as he went and sat down. “There have been many reports over the years of people losing the plot and going a bit weird after prolonged use of marijuana. It’s most probably caught up with him. Needs some rewiring to be done in his head. Sad, and to think there are people out there who want to legalise the stuff. Crazy world, hey? Got to have our drugs.”
“Well, it sounds like it’s caught up with Lucas. There were many days, more recently, where I noticed a glazed look in his eyes, not that he took his sunglasses off too regularly. He must be taking other stuff now because the episode I had with him in the cryonics facility was not pleasant. It was like I was dealing with a different person.”
“You could have been. Drugs can function much like an ouija board in terms of being a gateway to the demonic world. You could have been dealing with a possessed man.”
Windsor shuddered.
“It’s all about mind control. I believe drugs, alcohol, and even meditation techniques give demons access to the mind. They control the individual and make them do things. And the longer they’ve been on the stuff, the more depressed and unpredictable they become.”
“That’s a worry, Rev. I don’t think the technology and unpredictability are going to be a good match.”
“Well, let’s hope he has a moment of sanity and does let someone know we’re here.”
<°)))><
Lucas turned left on to West Mount Cotton road and started heading towards Cornubia. The transporter device was safely tucked away in the boot of the car. He had two devices now. He would have to work out how to retrieve the other one at some point, although he wasn’t overly keen on being in that room with the oversized coffee flask.
A plan started to form in Lucas’s mind. He didn’t understand why, but he just couldn’t get that girl out of his head. He thought of that obsessive melody put out by Kylie Minogue and tried to recall the beat.
“Hey, Tag, how did that Kylie Minogue song go? You know the one: Can’t get you out of my mind.”
“I’m not sure, Lucas. Think it was ‘head’ not ‘mind’. Is it something like: la, la, la, . . . la, la, la?
“That’s good, Tag.” Lucas hummed the tune.
Lucas was obsessed. Was she close by or something? Maybe he was picking up her vibes. Best if he put his thoughts elsewhere.
“Hey, Tag, you okay about things?”
“Yeah, no worries. All an adventure. Besides, we’ve been behaving ourselves too much of late. What are your plans with the technology?”
“Nothing yet, mate, but we may need to vanish for a while.”
“I hope you don’t mean using the technology.”
“Nope.” Lucas laughed. “The technology is a transporter, point A to point B. It won’t turn us into invisible men. We just need to go away for a while until the dust settles, until something else catches the attention of the media. Does your sister still have that place up in the hinterland?”
