18.
Sail Away – Lunchtime Rendezvous – One Missed Call – Thought Process
Later - Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean – The Helgus Antonius
The metal hull of the massive container vessel creaked and groaned as it drove relentlessly into deeper ocean. Within and without its vast grey interior, it crawled with human life as its human tenders watched over the ship, each dial and computer display attended to with professional care. Thomas Mittelwerk watched over them, silent and contemplative. He patrolled from the main deck to the holding rooms and to the specially designed quarantine labs with clockwork regularity, marking time until their destination came into view. He would pause in each place and sniff a little, as if testing the air for impurities, before moving on to the next location in his designated path. His staff knew better than to address him on these rounds, remaining fixed on whatever it was they were doing.
The man's circuit took precisely one hour and sixteen minutes. Penelope Hume had plenty of time to calculate it; her eyes narrowing and thoughts quickening each time the footsteps clicked into range. Each time, she sat still on the narrow bed, waiting to see if this would be the time the door would rattle open. Knowing that she wouldn't lunge for it anyway, it was too great a risk. Knowing that she still wanted to tear someone's face off for all their offenses.
Beside her, fussing quietly and confused by Mommy's silence and tension, sat Charlie.
. . .
Earlier – Friday in London
Penelope was struck by immediate wariness upon meeting the man who called himself Dr. Werner at a small cafe in London's North Side. He was polite; friendly and self-effacing in an easy attempt to be non-threatening. He spoke of Paik's business dealings with an unburdened simplicity, telling her things she already knew and dancing at the edges of what she did not. His tall, thin form moved with efficient grace and he insisted on a short, open walk to a nearby park. All perfectly safe and clearly visible. No threat. He was perfect.
He reminded her, on some animal level, of Benjamin Linus, and the wariness kept firm. Desmond was scarce minutes away with Charlie in tow and she could summon them with a single press of a button on her phone, which she kept ready in her pocket. In addition, she'd sent a message to Richard Alpert just before arriving at the cafe. He hadn't picked up, but he traditionally was good about getting his messages.
The sun was high and bright, shining through leaves in the little park. She caught herself looking up at them with simple enjoyment as they walked past other small packs of people. The doctor never did. "So, how long were you with Paik?"
"Mmm. Some five years or so. I was working with another institution before that; a related company." Something about his tone tickled her spine and her fingers brushed the little phone. "I didn't like the direction they were taking. It seems to be a theme for my career." The words were mournful.
She kept her tone cheerful. "Well, I hope your next takes a better turn."
"After all this? I do think so." He turned and flashed her a smile, stopping his pace in a broad piece of field. Other walkers moved around them, giving space. "I have a few plans. Ah, this is a good place to finish our talk. There isn't much more to say."
Penelope took a hunch, pressed the button anyway. The phone began to connect, silently, waiting for Desmond to pick up. "Well, what you've shared has been valuable. I'm very concerned with Paik's activity towards my father's company and this does all go to my concerns. Better to be educated though, of course."
The doctor smiled. "Of course. I'm happy to have helped. I've been quite worried it wouldn't do any good."
The phone sat silent. No one was picking up. Color began to rise up the back of her neck. Should she follow her hunch and run?
"Oh, my ride is arriving. Do you see them?" He gestured towards a sleek black car that pulled to a curb, some hundred yards away. "Right on time. I did enjoy our talk, Mrs. Hume. I'm sorry it was under such circumstances. Please don't run."
She froze, hand still in her pocket. She fixed her eyes on the narrow face, still blandly pleasant, now utterly unreadable. On reflex, on a whim and a hope, she pressed redial instead. She could only hope the phone would pick something up.
"Doctor, what is the meaning of this?" She kept her voice firm. "I hope you don't have something untoward in mind."
"There is no need for rude conduct. You and I will be entering that vehicle, very calmly and quietly. I'm afraid I have some need of you."
She flicked her eyes toward the car, and saw within it a short little figure with tousled hair.
. . .
Ann Arbor, Michigan
"Charlie!" The voice called out, wild and frightened from the phone, and Richard nearly dropped it. "Why do you have him? What are you doing?"
The next voice was far more muffled, and yet familiar. Alpert had just returned to his hotel room after a second visit to the DeGroots. This one had given him time to view footage of Thomas Mittelwerk. The man's timbre was unmistakable. "As I say, we have some need of you. Come, we disembark shortly. Come, now, and no harm done."
Rustling sounds, a clatter, and then, after a mutter of anger, the bleating sound of a cut off connection. Richard gripped the phone in his hand, knuckles white. There was a message waiting for him as well, missed in the chaos of the DeGroots' rustlings, and he relaxed his grip enough to bring it up. He absorbed the information – Penelope's brief notice of her cafe meeting and Desmond's location in relation – then began to combine and assess it. A tangential fragment of his mind spared some admiration for Mrs. Hume's preparedness. Under the circumstances, she'd done as much as she could.
Now his mind worked quickly. It was an old talent of advisory need. Put aside emotion temporarily to process a proper reaction. A woman and her child were in peril. A fact, and it angered him deeply. To perform any assistance, he must react with less emotion and proper planning. Also a fact. He closed his eyes and thought.
Mittelwerk. Island link. Claims need.
Disembark – word implies ship, not car, not air – depart, take off, drive, leave, he chose disembark.
Mother and child. Passive situation. Controls mother. Controls other? (Ben?)
Desmond unmentioned. Charlie with mother. Desmond in trouble. All locations, England.
Desmond – ported at St. Katharine Dock. Close to cafe location. Safety unknown.
Ship. Imminent situation. Quicker action for better outcome.
He opened his eyes and prepared to make two phone calls. One to the DeGroots, to see if they knew anything about Mittelwerk in regards to a ship, and second, to arrange the most immediate flight from Detroit to Europe. Then he could let anger return.
Then he would have to make the third phone call. To warn Ben and Hurley. To let them know what was coming.