Chapter Nineteen
The gentle breeze brushed against my cheeks. I heard birds squawking above me, and the crashing waves several metres below. I held my right hand up to shield my eyes from the strong morning sunlight, and looked out over the ocean. The dark blue sea sparkled with a white diamond topping as it lay calmly in front of me.
I loved being up here, on the Aqua Helipad, which sat on top of the twisted metallic glass frosted building. I would often come up here alone, just to watch the ocean and to hear its roar. I particularly enjoyed it when sea spray shot up and sprinkled over my skin, the cold sensation temporarily dampening me with its salty surrender. But there was nothing better than actually swimming in the briny deep itself, being surrounded by the warming waters that soothed my soul.
I peered over to the giant steel helicopter, which looked like a big fat bird with tiny dreadlocks sprouting out of the top of its head. I reached up and felt my own dreads, twirling one around between my fingers. It was thick and spongy, and fell back against the side of my face when I let go of it.
Babajide said that we were leaving at 11 sharp, so I was intentionally half an hour early. I thought that the crispy breeze might clear my head, and perk me up. I also thought that it would help me to think more clearly about what to do today. Should we trust the Ventus or not?
As if the Fates themselves were playing with my life like a chessboard, I heard the heavy fire door that led onto the Helipad creak open, and turned to see their bodyguard, Captain Harris, sneak through. He looked awfully suspicious. His large hulking body doubled over as he turned away from me, reaching shadily into his right pocket. He hadn’t seen me, so I decided to get closer to him. Perhaps he had a secret communication device that he was using to contact the Inimicus? Or maybe he was waiting up here to have a meeting with another double agent?
I had to know what was going on, so I hid behind the helicopter, peeking out at the commanding man. He finally found what he was looking for in his pocket and pulled it out. After placing it between his lips and lighting it with a match, he inhaled slowly. The cigarette seemed to bring him some sort of ecstatic relief, and as he blew the stream of smoke through his pursed lips, he smiled happily.
“I know you’re there,” he told me, “I saw you creeping up on me.” He took another puff. “You really shouldn’t be up here by yourself. But I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine. Is that a deal?”
I walked out from my hiding place and approached him slowly.
“Deal,” I replied, putting my right arm out to shake his. He switched the hand that held the cigarette in his mouth, and then shook my hand firmly.
“I’m Visola,” I told him, “it’s weird that we haven’t been properly introduced.”
“Captain Harris,” he replied, continuing to puff away on his cigarette. He unclenched my hand and then took the cigarette out of his mouth. He looked at it longingly.
“I really should quit. It’ll be the death of me. But it’s the only thing I really get enjoyment from.” He cleared his throat. “When, I’m on missions, that is.”
“How long have you been smoking?” I asked him.
“Ever since I was sixteen. Back then, it was cool to smoke. And I was young, in the army. Everyone did it.”
He continued to stare at his beloved smoke-stick, until he finally placed it back into his mouth. I looked at his chiselled face. He was actually a very attractive man, for someone who was much older than me. And even though he had usually acted tough around us, in this moment he seemed vulnerable and authentic. His body had collapsed slightly, and he wasn’t so tense. He seemed nice.
I leaned against the wall, where the door he had just walked through was. I considered trying to befriend him, and find out any information I could about the Ventus. But then I realised that there was no point. I knew I could trust them.
He copied my stance; continuing to savour every single puff of his cigarette.
“So how did you become a Captain?”
“If I told you I’d have to kill you.” I assumed he was joking, but he didn’t smile. I furrowed my brow in confusion. “That’s a joke.”
I laughed politely.
“Well, it isn’t really. The Government wouldn’t be too happy if I told you their secrets.”
“Sounds exciting,” I replied, “it sounds like you’ve had an amazing life.”
He nodded in agreement. “I have. I’ve travelled the world. I’ve met some amazing people. But the ones who I’ve enjoyed working with the most are several feet beneath us.”
“Really?” I questioned in shock. He nodded.
“Yep. At first I hated them. I thought that this post was beneath me. But I quickly realised that I was the luckiest man in the world, getting to work with such important people.”
He smiled, earnestly. “After Niyol was stabbed, I got to spend a few weeks with them and their family. They’re great people. Warm. Loving. Affectionate. I’ve learnt so much from them. Now I know how to be a better father.”
I looked into his dark brown eyes, but his gaze was off into the distance.
“You have children?” I asked him. He nodded again. His cigarette was almost finished.
“I have a little boy. He’s only seven. He means everything to me. But, unfortunately, with a job like this, I’m lucky if I get to see him for Christmas.”
“That’s awful.”
He shrugged, taking one last puff of his cigarette before flicking it away and blowing out a long stream of white smoke.
“It’s my duty.”
He checked his watch, and then turned back to the door, pulling it open with a lot of force.
“We’ll be leaving soon. I’ll round up the others.”
Just as he was about to disappear into the darkness of the building, I grabbed his thick, muscular arm.
“Captain Harris?”
He turned and stared at me, his kind but cold eyes cutting through me like a knife.
“Yes?”
“Is it hard to spend so much time away from your son?”
His eyes began to well up with emotion. He cleared his throat, choking down the sentiment, but stared back at me proudly.
“I do this job for my son. I do it to protect him, and every other innocent person. I’ve seen things that you couldn’t even imagine: horrors that would destroy your very soul. But the Ventus; I believe in them. I believe in you too. The Elementals can change the world and make it a better place. And I want my son to grow up in a world where he doesn’t have to see the things that I had to.”
A small crease in the right corner of his mouth appeared. I thought it was a smile, but before I could tell he had disappeared into the darkness, and the door slammed shut behind him.
I wandered back over to my little perch, sitting back down on the metal bars that held me above the crashing waves. Even though there was a sandy beach beneath me, I was still as near to the sea that I could get from my own private vantage point.
I looked out into the sea, trying to make sense of Captain Harris’ words. They repeated in my mind.
The Elementals can change the world and make it a better place.
He believed in us so much, that he was willing to give up everything he loved the most to help us succeed.
Although I felt proud, I was also devastated. What if we couldn’t stop the Inimicus? What if we couldn’t make the world a better place?
Just before I was about to throw my head into my hands and weep, I heard a noise. It was the fire door. I peered round, hoping that it might be Captain Harris again, or Shasa. But it wasn’t.