The ORION Project | ✔

chapter 32

Kendrick Yong hated airports, the earliest memory of one was one of his father's numerous trips abroad for business, Jié Yong had worked himself to the bone and his business had expanded naturally but with that success came lesser time with his family and Kendrick had loathed the time when his old man would leave, sometimes for weeks, maybe even longer. His mother would pretend not to be affected but Kendrick would hear the sniffles she masqueraded as coughs as she watched her husband slip from her, even as she waved goodbye.

Airports were goodbyes and he hated them. This time it was more frightening, that he might not see Grace, that right now wherever she was, she was far out of reach and out of his help. It was that same helplessness of a ten year old boy who was afraid that he'd never see his father again.

Besides him, Sanmi was trying and failing to stay calm, but unlike Kendrick, it wasn't because of the man standing right in front of them, Toluwanimi Kingston in the flesh again.

When they had arrived at the airport, someone had come for them, a tall, voluptuous girl with the raspiest voice Kendrick had ever heard and told them Toluwanimi Kingston was waiting for them, in his own terminal, where his own private jet stood galantly. Kendrick didn't know much about jets but he knew lavish things when he saw it.

The interior colours of the jet was nothing special but it was when Kendrick had sank into plush looking white leather seats that he had known, there was a mini fridge wedged between each sofas and as Tolu Kingston sat on the opposite seats, Kendrick caught the slight glittering of lights splattered like stars on his head, the overhead lights were stars. He thought of the Dome and almost smiled.

Tope stood, pacing to and fro and biting down guiltily on her fingertips.

"We're trapped," Those were the first words Toluwanimi Kingston spoke and they weren't said to describe their current situation, he was talking about the curvy hostess who had slammed the door behind her and clicked it shut, forgetting them entirely. "Zara is very forgetful."

When Kendrick looked, he saw that there was no sign that Tolu Kingston was troubled, he leaned back in his seat and let his arms fall on the armrest, the poster picture for serenity.

The girl who had brought them to the terminal gave a slight nod as if what he had said was a challenge, then she walked over to the door and gave it several raps, sure enough, seconds later, there was the sound of hurried footsteps and then the familiar sound of the door clicking open again. Kendrick heard the faint mutter of an apology behind it.

"Well we are trapped!" Sanmi snapped, hurling himself from besides Kendrick and jutting one finger at the mogul. "Why aren't we going after my sister yet? You have the resources and we're still here, waiting."

The corner of the older man's lips quirked up in a bitter smile.

"We aren't going after her." Toluwanimi said.

Sanmi really looked like he wanted to hurl something at the man but he settled for clenching his fists.

"What do you mean we aren't going for her?" Sanmi hissed. "You forget that she wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for you, fucking with ORION when you were a teenager."

Toluwanimi Kingston shifted in his seat and when he looked at Sanmi, there was a cold look in his eyes. At once, Tope went for Sanmi, placing a hand on his shoulder that he was quick to shrug, Sanmi wasn't looking but Kendrick did, and caught the voluptuous girl shoot Sanmi the most contemptuous look that would have made the said boy flinch if he saw it.

She shifted slightly and Kendrick recognized the protective stance, come to think of it, there was a distinct resemblance between both girls, it was in their firm cupid bow shaped lips, one red painted and the other bare of even lip gloss. They were related.