The Seventh Day

9. Mater Procellas

I looked forward to the weekend. Mostly because it meant a trip back to Seris. It meant some real time with Ma again. A physical visit might not be much different from my video calls, I was prepared for that. I was prepared for her dementia to have worsened too. I was prepared for her to stare blankly at the ceiling the entire duration of my visit.

What I wasn't prepared for, was saying goodbye.

Not today.

I shut my eyes as the plane began its taxi. Nothing could compare the excitement of seeing her again. Not Siobhan's peculiar smile. Not even the fact that Riquebourc had made both Horatio and Oskar travel with me this time.

And then the engines died.

My eyes snapped open. My first thoughts were that it must have been a mechanical failure, but Horatio had conveniently disappeared. Then there was Siobhan, who stood facing the cockpit, nodding at someone behind the curtain.

No. The plane had stopped intentionally.

I let out a low growl, "What now?" I demanded, sitting upright and unbuckling myself to head to Siobhan. Oskar beat me to it though, with an added, silent shake of his index finger.

I didn't lash out at him for once, only watched as he made his way to her. Yet for all the words that the man possessed, he said absolutely nothing as Siobhan whispered something in his ear. He didn't respond, didn't nod. He didn't even wince. Oskar stood absolutely still. As if he were an emotionless brick.

That couldn't possibly be good.

My bodyguard finally broke from his stiff stance, and I could make a single "OK," before he walked towards me, still quite rigid. No smiles. "You went out for a stroll last night Theo." It wasn't a question.

Shit!

I had two choices here. I could either admit I had pretended to go to bed while in fact, I had taken a stroll to find the stupid church. Or I could lie through my teeth.

Obviously, I chose the latter.

I made no immediate movement, not wanting to appear suspicious. Instead, I waited for a reasonably appropriate amount of time, casually propping one leg over the other before I spoke, "Are you going to pull Eli for this, too?" I demanded, my jaw tightening a little as I feigned ignorance.

"You told me you were going to bed and went for a walk instead," Oskar continued as if he hadn't heard me. He took a seat across, looking directly into my eyes with raised eyebrows. I looked back just as boldly. Lying was mostly about the confidence portrayed after all.

I shrugged, "Couldn't sleep," I said, not breaking eye contact.

Oskar sighed, shutting his eyes now as he let out a long, loud breath of air. He still looked just as unimpressed when he reopened them, "The streets have cameras, you moron."

Of course, they did.

He was cornering me and it might have begun to work, but I didn't let it show. I couldn't. So I cocked my head higher, "And?"

I wasn't sure how long we were going to continue this dance either. Regardless, if I had talked my way around the university board ... around Dea, I could handle someone like Oskar.

He took in another very slow breath, however, shutting his eyes again, "Theo," he said, voice tethering the edge of calm as he opened them, "you came in with a phone, with contact lenses," he began, "you stabbed a man in the chest with a fucking pen before he could react." Oskar sighed again, "And now you ditched me to go for a walk in the middle of the night because you couldn't sleep?"