Chapter 9 - Aftermath of Saito Job
Caitlyn spent the next few hours deciphering the information her tablet received from Saito's brain. Arthur was pacing in her hotel room, he was trying to figure something out. Finally he stopped pacing and turned to Caitlyn.
"Did you manage to get something?" He looked hopeful at her.
"Some. But Cobol won't like it. It is not everything they asked for. I had to piece some information together, which you know they don't like." Caitlyn said as she put her tablet away.
Her suitcase were already packed and waiting by the end on her bed. Arthur has wheeled his suitcase next to Caitlyn's when he entered the room.
Caitlyn looked at her watch, " Our ride is should be here soon. Let's get Cobb. I haven't heard from Nash either."
They exited Caitlyn's hotel room and knocked on the door two doors down. Dominick answered it. Caitlyn could tell he looked stressed and defeated, he must have talked to his kids.
"Our ride is here" Arthur said as he and Caitlyn entered the room.
"You okay" Caitlyn asked as they waited for Dominick to finish zipping up her bags.
"Yeah, I am fine. Why?" Dominick tried to play it off how okay he was.
"Well, down in the dream. Mal showing up." Arthur stated
"Look I am sorry about your leg. It won't happen again." Dominick said quickly glancing at Arthur
"It is getting worse isn't it" Caitlyn said trying to study Dominick's reaction
"One apology is all you are getting." Dominick responded putting on his jacket and grabbing his bags, "Where is Nash"
"We don't know. You want to wait?" Arthur answered.
"No, Cobol knows we failed, best if we disappeared for a while." Dominick said heading towards the door.
The three made their way to the rooftop
"Where will you go?" Caitlyn asked Dominick as they walked to the helicopter.
"Buenos Aires. I can lie low there. Maybe sniff out a job when things quiet down." Dominick replied.
He looked at Caitlyn and Arthur, "How about you?"
"Stateside" They answered in unison.
Arthur gave a look of concern at Caitlyn, she gave him the same look back.
"Send my regards" Dominick replied.
They reached the door of the helicopter. A man opened the door. Inside Nash was sitting, he looked scared. Across from Nash sat Saito.
"He sold you out" Saito mused looking at them, "Thought to come to me and bargain for his life. So I offer you the satisfaction."
The man who had opened the door offered Dominick a gun.
Dominick shook his head, "That is not how way we deal with things."
Saito knocked on the window and Nash was pulled out of the helicopter by some of Saito's men. Dominick, Caitlyn, and Arthur filed into the helicopter across from Saito. The helicopter took off.
"What will you do with him" Dominick asked looking at Saito.
"Nothing, but I can't speak for Cobol engineering." Saito replied
"What do you want from us" Caitlyn asked slightly concerned.
"Inception. Is it possible?" Saito asked looking at Caitlyn.
Caitlyn and Dominick shared a look. They both knew how possible it was.
"Of course not" Arthur responded quickly, staring at Saito
"If you can steal an idea from someone's mind, why can't you plant one there instead?" Saito asked looking at Arthur.
"Okay. Here is me planting an idea in your head. Don't think of an elephant. What do you think of?" Arthur spoke, cynicism bursted through every word he spoke.
"Elephants" Saito conceded.
"Right. But it is not your idea because you know I gave it to you. The subject's mind can always trace the genesis of the idea. True inspiration is impossible to fake." Arthur explained
Caitlyn felt guilty about not telling Arthur the truth as she exchanged another glance with Dominick, with whom she did share exactly how she got out of her relationship with David.
"It's not true" Caitlyn spoke up.
Arthur looked at Caitlyn stunned.
"Can you do it?" Saito asked looking at Caitlyn
Arthur still looked stunned at Caitlyn. Caitlyn looked up from her grey case on her lap. She knew she could.
"Are you offering us a choice? Because I can find my own to square things with Cobol" Dominick spoke.
"Then you do have a choice." Saito answered
"Then we choose to leave sir." Dominick replied.
The helicopter landed on an airfield not far from a private jet.
"Tell the crew where you want to go" Saito said pointing to the jet.
Dominick, Caitlyn and Arthur filed out of the helicopter.
"Hey, Mr. Cobb" Saito called out as the team walked away, "How would you like to go home. To America. To your children."
This stopped the team in its tracks. Dominick was the first to turn around and walk towards Saito.
"You can't fix that. No one can." Dominick yelled over the sound of the helicopter blades.
It was not for a lack of trying, Dominick had Caitlyn use her ability to fix it to no avail.
"Just like inception" Saito mused.
"Dom, come on" Arthur said to Dominick, but Dominick walked towards Saito.
"Fifty bucks says Dom takes this job" Caitlyn whispered to Arthur
"Okay." Arthur whispered back.
"How complex is the idea?" Caitlyn heard Dominick ask Saito as she walked to them.
"Simple enough" Saito answered
"No idea is simple when you need to plant it in someone else's mind" Caitlyn started.
"My main competitor is an old man in poor health. HIs son will inherit control of the corporation. I need him to decided to break up his father's empire." Saito said
"Dom, we should walk away from this" Arthur said standing with the bags.
"Hold on...If I were to do this… Even if I could do it… I need a guarantee. How do I know you can deliver." Dominick said staring at Saito
"You don't" Saito answered back, "But I can. So, do you want to take a leap of faith. Or become an old man filled with regret, waiting to die alone."
Dominick nodded his head. Arthur slipped Caitlyn a fifty dollar bill. Caitlyn smiled a little as his hand slipped into hers as he gave her the money.
"Assemble your team, Mr. Cobb. And choose your people more wisely." Saito leaned back in his seat as the door closed and the helicopter took off.
They boarded the jet.
"Paris, France. Please." Dominick told the pilot as the three boarded and sat down on the jet.
