Extraordinary Mistakes II - Blood Ties

A safety measure

Aminu sits on the bus stop with his expensive earphones waiting for Padma to arrive. He asked her the day before which route he ought to take, but she suggested instead that they meet.

As promised, she arrives right on time and smiles. He turns off his music, Sade, and greets her with a shy smile.

Padma's day started even earlier than it usually does. She couldn't sleep at all, kept waking up. Her mind wandered to every possible question that Aminu could have about his new job. More than lying, which wouldn't pose such a difficulty, hesitation would be detrimental and could jeopardize the entire thing. Even put his life on the line.

You don't know what they are capable of. She remembers Marianne telling her. That they are set to having him and that nothing would keep them away from him. It's better for Aminu, for his sake, that she's by his side. Any slight resistance to answering his questions and he would sense she wasn't being completely honest. That would be enough for him to leave. Him leaving isn't a possibility that the Council could accept.

She went through every possible question. Every possible scenario. The specificities of the work they do there, how she could sugarcoat it so it would be just an omission rather than a lie.

The first thing that concerned Padma was the place itself. While the Institute had a modern aesthetic, their lab was inside a perfume factory. How would she explain to him that it's somewhat secretive what they do, but that it isn't wrong? That nuance, how to explain it properly? Aminu's thinking is too black and white, she knows. 

So, she practiced it. It's a safety measure. That would be her sound bite. Safety measure against foreign spies, safety measure against national terrorists like Moore and the Angel of Death, safety measure against commercial theft, other private companies wanted their technology.

It was three in the morning when Padma realizes that she needs her brain to be fully functional.

Pull yourself together.

She turns her phone upside down, takes several deep breaths, smiles, and activates her ability. All the tiredness is gone. She gets up instead and sits in her living room, reading some scientific papers from Eurasia.

When the second bus they take finally stops, they walk for a bit and reach the factory. The sun has already set, but the streetlights haven't turned on yet.

"Is this it?" Aminu looks at the entrance of the factory. It has a big yard with an electric fence all around it.

"Yes, it's a safety measure, you know, keep it safe from enemies."

"Enemies?"

"Foreign. National, like Rachel Moore and other private competitors. On the outside, it's a perfume factory and inside a lab."

"Oh."

Padma takes several deep breaths, trying to control her heartbeat. She texted Saif on the way there, letting him know how much longer she'd take. An expensive SUV stops near them and opens the gate. The driver doesn't even acknowledge them, but the rear window opens and it's Madeleine Clark.

"Ikubor! Hello!" she waves enthusiastically. "do you want a lift inside?"

He accepts and they both enter Madeleine's car. Inside, it's a level of luxury that Aminu had never experienced. He had been inside the Parker's Bentley and Abigail's BMW, but they were regular, expensive cars. Madeleine had a window that separated her from her driver. The backseats were organized in a way that she could fit six people there, facing each other, the seats were more like couches and she had a table to put her laptop on.

"Do you want something to eat? Drink?" Madeleine smiles.

Apparently, it also has a mini bar and pantry. Aminu isn't sure where. They politely decline the offers.