Deep Down Under

Chapter 38

Apollo Emergency Center, Vienna, 2:07 pm

"Please! You have to allow him!" pleaded Lucia as tears streamed down her cheeks.

The doctor wouldn't budge, "Look at him! He can't even move his legs! And after all that he's been through, I don't think that moving him out of here would be your wisest decision."

"We need to move fast," suggested Giggs from behind.

Once more, the doctor was not willing to permit the departure of his patient.

That was when Jerome admitted it. Defeat. "Okay, that's it. I'm staying."

Sadowsky and Lucia looked at him with disbelief, not Giggs because he didn't know for how long Jerome had been with them. His primary objective was to get Sadowsky and the pen drive out of the hospital. All would be fine if Jerome didn't spill the beans, but they didn't know about him yet.

"Fine, the crippled stays," mumbled Giggs.

Lucia looked as if she wanted to slap him, but resisted. She walked up to Jerome and knelt down, "Will you be okay?"

Jerome scoffed, "Of course I will!"

She then held and squeezed his palm, "Promise me you will,"

"I will Lucia. I will."

Her grip slowly loosened and she finally let go, with her gaze still fixed on him until it was shrouded by the white curtains of the unit's room.

"He'll be fine," assured Sadowsky.

She wiped a tear as she nodded as a reply. Then she quickly got back to business and turned towards Giggs, "How do you know that they're going to attack?"

He and Sadowsky exchanged quick glances, and Sadowsky spoke up, "I haven't been completely honest with you."

* * *

Vienna Police HQ, Vienna, 2:14 pm

Eisenhower walked into the room where Mavis and Gabriel were resting, "We've found your professor. He's in a hospital called Apollo."

Their dull faces lit up. "Great! When do we leave?" asked Mavis.

"You can't. This city is still under lockdown." If there was one person who was good at killing the mood, it was Eisenhower.

Gabriel raised his arms in protest, "What-? Why-?"

The Agent drew a short breath, "Just because your Prof is frolicking around in a hospital, it doesn't mean that the terrorists are behind bars."

"We have been here for hours! You can't cage us here like zoo animals!" exclaimed Mavis.

Eisenhower pointed his finger towards her, "Look kid, I'm only keeping you safe. I didn't ask you two to come here. Now that's your problem not mine!"

They both looked at him with disbelief.

* * *

Justizanstalt Josefstadt Prison, Vienna, 2:17 pm

One of Maslov's henchmen walked up to him, "CCTV and radio interceptions have zeroed in on him at Apollo Emergency Care."

"Good," appreciated Maslov.

The head of the terrorists then walked up to his temporary boss, Subramanian. "We've tracked them."

He nodded, "Any word on Giggs?"

Maslov shook his head. Subramanian grumbled, "That traitor."

"Don't worry sir. We'll find him."

* * *

Apollo Emergency Centre, Vienna, 2:18 pm

Lucia backed away slowly, "You're crazy...No, it can't be!"

Sadowsky tried to speak but was cut off by her, "Don't say a word. How can you trust him? After all that you've been through...all that they've done to you...you trust him?"

"Just listen to my story," said Giggs, he was upset at creating such a bad image, now he wanted to mend it back to shape.

Sadowsky attempted to calm Lucia down, "You'll understand,"

She took in a deep breath, and let it all out, "Fine, go on."

"My father was one of them, before he died, he asked me to take his place in The Nine. According to them no more than nine people were supposed to know about them. If I rejected the offer then I..." Giggs trailed off.

"Would be killed," interjected Sadowsky.

He nodded in approval; something told Sadowsky that the topic made him feel uncomfortable. He continued, "Things were normal until Subramanian came along. I was still suppressed before him but his arrival made me more desperate. He was a monster; he was so intent on keeping everything a secret that he killed anybody who he saw as a threat to the world. Intellectuals of any sort."

That last point confused Lucia, "Wait...If the secret was a physics one why intellectuals of all sort?"

He chuckled, "We have many secrets,"

A bulb lit up in her mind, "If you really are against them why don't you tell us the secrets?"

That silenced Giggs.

* * *