Manfredi and Johnson.
Chapter 9 – More explosions.
…
Johnson's log.
Nothing happened in two weeks.
I can't stand it any longer. I have to do something. I can't just sit here, hiding myself, while O'Hara runs free. Who knows what kind of terrible crimes had submitted while I was sitting here in the dark, being a coward.
Something has to happen. I need a clue, a tip, anything. Anything that would give me a reason to get out of here and chase that darn criminal. I need to do something. I need my revenge.
…
Manfredi knew he wasn't allowed to listen to Johnson's personal log. But he was just too worried. And now that he had heard what was on Johnson's new log-recorder, the young penguin was even more worried.
Those words. 'I need my revenge.' They were so filled with bottled-up hate and anger. Manfredi had never heard Johnson sound like that. Especially not while recording his log. Usually his voice sounded formal and calm on his log. Now he sounded angry, hateful, his voice was trembling with emotion.
This can't be good. Manfredi though. It just can't. What on earth am I going to do? Johnson is losing his mind. He is possessed. How can I help him?
Manfredi once again wished that Rebecca was still alive. She would know what to do with Johnson. Oh, how Manfredi wished he wasn't so small and weak. He was a pathetic excuse for a penguin. Johnson, on the other hand, was the strong one, the smart one, the leader. But he was possessed by his longing for revenge.
Manfredi was small, weak, he was not intelligent and he was too plump. But he didn't have the same dark feelings inside at Johnson did.
Manfredi sighed.
He didn't know what exactly happened. But the next moment, there was a very loud sound. As if something was exploding. Rocks flew through the room like bullets. Glass went along with it. It made a few bloody scratches in Manfredi's face.
The door went open with a loud bang, and Johnson stood there.
"Manfredi!" he said.
Manfredi ran towards his friend, but his foot hooked behind a stone on the ground and he fell. He tried to stand up, but he had hurt his ankle.
Johnson ran towards him. Without any afford, he picked Manfredi up and carried him on his back towards the door.
Things around them were still exploding. Manfredi had to close his eyes to the dust and pieces of glass that filled the hallways of the HQ.
Johnson ran towards the door. It was locked, but Johnson destroyed the lock with a powerful kick with his right foot. He ran into the jungle.
Only when they were very far away, Johnson stopped. He put Manfredi on the ground and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"What happened?" Manfredi asked.
"I don't know," Johnson said. "But I do know that we're not safe anymore."
"D-do you think it was O'Hara?"Manfredi asked.
It took a while before Johnson answered. "I don't think it was O'Hara," he said. "I know it was O'Hara."
He sounded almost happy, and Manfredi knew why. There was finally reason for him to take action again. A reason why he should be hunting this criminal.
Manfredi shook his head. Why did everything have to go this way? Everything always went wrong.
"So what are we going to do, Johnson?" Manfredi asked.
Johnson scratched under his eye patch. He then took a piece of paper from the pocket on his belt, and looked at it. It was the picture of the ice landscape that he had from O'Hara's hard disc drive.
"We are going to find out where this picture comes from," Johnson said then. "I must fin out where this ice landscape is."
"Where are we going to do that, Johnson?" Manfredi asked. "Our HQ is destroyed again."
"We have plenty of other HQ's," Johnson said. "But first we have to leave this jungle. How is your ankle, Manfredi?"
Manfredi tried to stand on his feet, but it hurt. So Johnson wrapped a leaf tightly around Manfredi's ankle, and helped him to walk.
…
"Well done, Otto," O'Hara said. "great work."
Otto bowed slightly.
"Thank you, sir."
"We got our little fly dancing again," O'Hara continued. "how is he, by the way?"
Otto was silent for a while. Then he began speaking, with a hesitation in his voice.
"Johnson is… not doing well at all, sir," he said. "He seems to have nightmares. He talks to himself when he's alone. It seems as if he's seeing… ghosts."
O'Hara moved in his chair. When he spoke again, his voice sounded interested. "Really? Ghosts? How interesting. I have to say, Johnson might be a more interesting person to work with than I thought."
Otto hesitated. He was afraid he would say something that would anger O'Hara. And that was the last thing he wanted. But then he decided to speak his mind after all.
"O'Hara, sir," the large penguin said. "I… don't see the point."
"The point in what, Otto?" O'Hara asked.
"In what we are doing," Otto continued. "What do you want from that Johnson? He has nothing that could be of any use to you. You are far more powerful than he is. He's no thread to you. What is it you really want from him?"
O'Hara hissed. Questions. He hated it when his minions started asking questions. Curiosity was a bad quality for henchmen. It meant they were starting to think. And thinking could lead to mutiny.
But then O'Hara softly chuckled. "My dear Otto," he said. "This whole mission is a web. A spider-web. And in this web, I am the spider. Johnson is the fly. Get the picture?"
Otto didn't get it. But he decided not to ask more.
"Yes, sir," he said.
"Fine," O'Hara said. "now, you are dismissed."
When Otto wanted to leave the room, the door suddenly opened and another penguin came in.
It was a skinny penguin who looked somewhat like a penguin version of James Bond, except that his eyes were burning with anger and frustration.
"Valerio," O'Hara said. "Are you back already? I suppose that means good news."
"No good news, sir," Valerio said. "she escaped. And without getting harmed. She's good, sir. I tell you. She's really good."
O'Hara sighed, strangely calm. "This bug in our system needs to be fixed," he said. "But this approach isn't working. We'll wait until she comes to us. We'll set a trap. And if she comes, you will be ready for her, Valerio."
Valerio nodded. "Yes, sir," he said.
"I thought Johnson was the bug?" Otto said.
"Otto, you're an idiot," Valerio hissed at him. "Johnson is the fly."
"Isn't that the same?" Otto asked.
"Don't try to understand the way our boss talks, Otto," Valerio said. "You're too stupid to understand that. Just remember that 'the fly' is you case, and 'the bug' is my case."
"Don't fight, boys," O'Hara said. "And if you really do need to fight, do it outside, please."
"Yes, sir," Valerio and Otto said at exactly the same time.
When they left the room, Otto gave Valerio a murderous glance.
He hated that penguin.
…
Manfredi's diary.
Johnson and I are now traveling through north-America. We don't know where to go or what to do. Johnson is hacking computers so that he can do research wherever he is.
My foot is better again, but I'm still worried about Johnson. With all these nightmares, I don't think he can go on much longer. How long until he will reach the end? I don't know.
I just wish that things could be like they were before. Before everything went wrong. Before the war, before O'Hara, and before Rebecca's death.
I would give anything to see Johnson at least smile again for just a moment.