Dreams Ltd (68 page)

And tomorrow, with Hulk’s helping hand, Alex will get home early only to find the two love birds in full play, which would inevitably lead to his mental trauma.

Wow! What a pleasure!

The reason for Alex’s early return home would be that his favourite sports car Marjatti that he’d bought with Shereen’s money was stolen. And he is never going to see his priceless car again - what a pity!

Hulk flicked the ash from his cigar on the ground.

And this is just the beginning.

Some time ago Hulk discovered that after his arrival to the island, Alex successfully found a new job, doing the same as he did before - a weapons design engineer in one of the largest military companies on three Levels. It was a massive company with loads of offices, major development lines and huge supplies. So subsequently Alex’s salary was very significant - all that was playing directly into Hulk’s hands.

Stealing the blueprint of one of the machine guns, designed by Alex, for their team was a trifling matter. Logan Everton - the hacker from the Special Squad quickly fished it from the company’s protected servers. After that, Hulk slightly modified the blueprint (thanks to the Commission he had a better knowledge in weapon design than Viver), safely sealed the design in an envelope, took it the post office and sent it to his own home address. Before doing that Hulk agreed with one of the staff from the post office, that the stamp would be backdated by one year.

It cost him another hundred dollars - not a big loss from the budget.

Thus, Hulk had direct proof that the design of the machine gun, that the company had been successfully producing for over six months now, was stolen from Hulk Conrad by some Alex Viver. And today they found out about it.

The company director and several senior officials didn’t argue with Hulk, they’d just called in the experts to evaluate the design and a few hours later, pale and sweaty, assured him that the machine gun would be discontinued and withdrawn from the market at all Levels, and the culprit, Alex Weaver, would be punished rigorously in accordance to the Law.

Hulk was satisfied; very much so.

Because the words "punished rigorously” meant the following: Alex would be stripped of all salaries and bonuses he had ever been granted from the start. He would also be fined for the damage that his "stealing" caused to the company (which was not only profit they’d already got, but also any future profits). Hulk assumed that such a penalty would cost Alex about five to six million dollars. Subsequently, Alex would lose his house, including furniture, and everything that had any value; his bank accounts would be frozen. If Viver didn’t pay the debt within three months, he would be rightfully prosecuted by the Commission on request from his own employers.

Hulk chuckled.

The Commission had a wicked sense of humour - they didn’t recognise the ordinary prisons, and for people like Alex they’d find something a little more interesting.

Wow, how unexpectedly life can turn sometimes. You never know where you get lucky. Or unlucky...

If Alex wanted to avoid court, then he might try to visit the “Dreams Ltd” whose commercials Hulk has already seen along the coast. Who knows?..

Perhaps, the Corporation would give money to Alex, but it was anybody’s guess what they would ask in return.

Silvery icicles gleamed in Hulk's eyes, and his lips formed into an evil grin.

Whatever Alex decided to do, the money from his life-long payments would be credited to Hulk’s and Shereen’s account, providing them with a prosperous life for many years to come. Isn’t that wonderful?

It certainly was.

Hulk got up from the bench, stretched, and breathed in the fresh sea air once again.

It felt amazing by the seashore. Maybe he ought to buy a summer house here? By the time Shereen visits this place, Alex will disappear from the island forever.

Hulk glanced at his watch, went to the side of the road and hailed a taxi, coloured pink by the setting sun.

It was time to go to the airport. Despite the beauty of the tropics, he wanted to go home, where, thumbing through a fashion magazine in front on the TV, there was Shereen was waiting for him.

She liked falling asleep in his arms and would always get a little stroppy if she couldn’t press her cute nose against his neck, and Hulk didn’t like to upset her - his Curly.

He smiled, thinking about it. Then he told the driver the final destination - the airport and leaned back on the seat.

It felt fabulous to go back home. Not just to his house, not to Klendon-City, but home. Never before he had a chance to call any place that, but he got lucky, having somewhere to return.

When three hours later a whitish trail from the plane would disappear into the night sky, he would walk in to the hallway, where he’d be met by a happy squeal, smell of the softest hair, and by the most beautiful green smiling eyes.

Glancing in the rear-view mirror, the taxi driver could not help asking, “You are going home?”

Hulk raised his eyebrows.

“Why do you think so?”

“Because we smile so happily only when somebody is waiting for us at home.”

Hulk didn’t reply.

He smiled and looked outside the window, where a pink disc of the sun was slowly sinking into the sea.