KATIKA-Treason is never far away (Part.1)

Chapter 9 | Make your choice

He struck him. The one whom John had always considered as his uncle.

The young COO wouldn't have felt a different shock if he had been struck by lightning, in the literal sense of the term.

Despite the divide that separated them, with all the inhumanity concentrated in Woodford's body and the humanity drained from John's, their bond of affection was still strong, making the situation even more unbearable for both of them.

"You betrayed me!" Woodford yelled, "I believed you were on my side, like my faithful right hand to whom I would have given my succession! But you ruined everything..."

Reluctantly and with difficulty, John got up, deciding to confront the beast that had taken Woodford's place.

"I'm doing what seems right, Miles," he replied, "we cannot commit this crime."

"You think so!" the CEO shouted. "I had turned you into an insensitive soul, and now you've gone back to your crazy adventure like a goody-two-shoes!"

Both of them faced each other: tension, anger, and grief weighed heavily in their minds like a stormy cloud.

"Miles", said the young COO, "I have never been anyone other than John Katika, and I regret that our views of the company and leadership responsibility are so diametrically opposed..."

At that moment, Woodford let out a scream of rage: there was nothing human left in his behavior, only beastliness and fury.

"You understand nothing! You have never understood anything!" he cried, "I have seen you in the past act inhumanly! Remember Cindy, your ex-girlfriend, whom you discarded like trash in front of me three years ago. I had never seen anything so cruel or so cold. You can be Satan's favorite minion and get whatever you desire, you just have to want it. Be the John I thought I knew..."

Although beside himself, the CEO adopted a tone that could be perceived as supplication, a pestilent supplication carrying the scent of madness and a perverse soul.

Given the situation, it was evident to John that he had to cut short this discussion and leave.

To escape. Far away from the madman he still loved, despite his madness and inhumanity, despite the blow he had delivered, both physically on his face and emotionally in his heart. 

Indeed, the paths of life could be unpredictable... Just a month ago, John's main concern was to please the CEO and win over Rebecca.

Now, he found himself confronted with a problem of titan proportions: preventing the mass murder of millions of men, women, and children.

The human spirit was also at stake: the whole conspiracy aimed to alter the collective human perception and manipulate public opinion. What could be more terrifying?

Alone in the world, defenseless, and not knowing how to fight against an enemy for whom he worked and who bore his name.

On this path, solitude was his companion. Fear and cowardice had gotten the better of Davies and Mikhail.

Katika or John Katika. His life or the life of society: that was the essence of the dilemma the young COO faced.

Although he had difficulty admitting it, his whole life had revolved around the prospect of integrating Katika and finally making his father proud, despite his own desires for something else.

In just a month, all the elements that governed his life had taken an unpleasant turn.

"The John you've always known", he replied,"is the one who has always been, that is, a man willing to give everything to succeed, except the lives of millions of innocents you want to sacrifice out of greed."