FATHER'S PRIDE
This is the third and final 'installment' in the Second Son series. I believe it could probably be read alone but it follows on from the other two stories.
This story is in the same genre as the last two (terribly failed James Bondish action with subliminal political opinions), but not as much ELF this time as it's written for my ENF friend, Kristan.
This story written for her and her site :)
***TEASER***
The large underwater building glowed a dozen shades of blue in the deep ocean, illuminated by the bright lights of labs and offices.
It was late at night, and only one level was still lit up.
Nathan Bridger peered through his glasses as they sat on the tip of his nose, scanning several pages of notes and data. He looked as though he was trying to distract himself from something irritating him.
"You *are* being hypocritical," Robert Bridger responded to something he'd just said as he stood near him, dressed in civvies.
Nathan sighed and took off his glasses, "Robert, for God's sakes, it's centered on aquatic protection. It's a research station. It's hardly similar to what you're doing."
Nathan Bridger put his glasses back on again and turned back to his work. The two of them were alone in a large laboratory, which looked a lot like sea deck on the SeaQuest with it's water tank, silver metallic walls and science equipment.
Robert ran a hand through his wavy dark brown hair irritably as he looked over the tank, "It's not the job content, Dad.."
Nathan scoffed, still in good humor, "Listen, I'm enjoying this project okay? It's something I've always wanted to do."
He went back to his notes, "As much as I disagree with what you do, I don't come to *you're* place of work and admonish you for it."
"You invited us here!" Robert exclaimed.
Nathan looked up from his work, "That's because I was excited to show the both of you what I've been doing here!"
Robert sighed, "My point is, that I constantly have to defend Party Operation to you, and then you go and do something like this."
Nathan looked up at him, legitimately shocked, "Something like this!? This is more like Green Peace than Section Seven."
Robert looked at him seriously, not flinching, "Green Peace is a terrorist organisation."
Nathan stopped in mid-movement, halfway through looking into a microscope, "You're joking!"
Robert opened his mouth, "Of course I'm not joking!" He threw his hands up in the air, "I can't believe you! You've always been like this!"
"Robert, settle down," Nathan told him irritably. Robert was acting like an irrational teenager again.
Robert huffed irritably, "Look.. whatever."
He turned around and stormed out of the large room.
Nathan turned back to his work in disbelief, "Unbelievable," he muttered.
***
Robert walked out of the lab through the central room, passed the water fountain, and towards a small office room.
He pushed through the door marked with his father's name and entered. The room was small and only held a desk and several cabinets lined with books.
"He's not listening to word I've said to him," Robert bitched as he strode in.
Lucas Wolenczak, also wearing civilian clothes, turned around from the readings he was looking over with fascination. He gave Robert a blank look.
"About this place," Robert said humorlessly.
Lucas was still confused, obviously still distracted by what he'd been reading, "You mean, the Aquatic Protection Center?"
Robert stared. Well duh.
"Yeah," he responded, "There's something not right about this, Lucas."
Lucas chuckled slightly, "Not right?"
Lucas rolled his eyes, realising. He let the paper book he was holding drop down to his side, "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the fact that your Dad doesn't like what you do, would it?"
"No, Lucas," Robert explained patiently, "This 'project' will eventually turn into an organisation."
Lucas lifted his eyebrows, humoring him, "That's a good thing, Bobby. You should check out what they do here," he lifted up the book to refer to it, "Our waters are getting so polluted..."
"Lucas, would you listen to me?" Robert halted him, "It'll be a weak, non-governmental organisation and will attract fanatics."
"Everything attracts fanatics, Bobby," Lucas informed him matter-of-factly.
"But Lucas, it's the *type* of fanatics I'm worried about; people with power."
"Listen, I don't think you should worry," Lucas reassured him, "I think there's very little scope for aquatic protectionists turning into terrorists while your father is running the place."
"That's not what I'm worried about," Bobby sighed and walked over the desk to lean on it.
He turned to Lucas, "And Dad has relatively less control than what you think, Lucas."
Lucas casually slapped the paper book down on the desk and walked over to stand closer to him, "Listen don't worry about it okay? It'll be..."
He was cut off as the door was kicked open.
Both of them jumped in fright.
"In here!" an armed man called.
Robert instinctively stood up and pushed Lucas behind him, just as another four armed men jogged into the room.
"I...I thought there was no one else in the building," Lucas commented inappropriately as they stared in complete shock.
The final man to parade into the office was a graying man in his late 50s. He was considerably less suited up than the other four, but still dressed for combat, "Get down on the ground, face down," he ordered authoritively, as the rest of the armed group surrounded the two shocked civilians.
Robert immediately got down on his knees, putting his hands up in the air to surrender. Lucas looked over at him quickly, hesitating.
One of them fired a warning shot into the air.
***
In the lab, Nathan jumped as the gunshot sounded from down the hall.
"Oh my God.."
He remembered that Robert and Lucas were the only ones in the building at the time.
He snatched off his glasses and ran out of the lab.
***
Lucas and Robert lay face down on the ground, hands spread out in front of them, while the apparent leader shuffled through all the other papers.
"What are you looking for?" Lucas demanded.
"Urgh!" he cried, promptly receiving a kick in the ribs.
The man lifted his leg up and kicked Lucas again.
"Hey!" Robert cried. He hesitated for a moment before pushing himself up off the floor. He was grabbed immediately from behind by both arms.
He struggled for a few moments before stomping hard on his assailant's foot and elbowing him in the stomach.
The other two struggled to restrain him. The young agent grunted as he was kicked in the knee.
"Leave him alone," Lucas yelled at them, in pain and irritation.
"Lucas, stay on the ground!" Robert yelled.
He grunted again as the soldier in front of him slammed him in the stomach while two held his hands behind his back.
During the beating, Lucas had managed to stand and was now being restrained by his own assailant who was pulling has hands right behind him, "I said leave him alone!"
The older man who was not involved in any fighting sighed in exasperation and tugged his gun from its holster. He pointed the gun at both the captives.
"The next one to put up a fight gets a bullet," he warned.
The room went silent and the younger Bridger took his threat seriously, stilling almost completely. Lucas tugged on his captor, looking as though he was ready to spit on someone.
The gun swung in Lucas' direction.
"Hey!" Nathan Bridger cried out as he ran into the scene.
The leader spun his arm and fired a shot, hitting the new trespasser in the shoulder.
Bridger fell, hitting the ground hard, just as Lucas and Robert call out his name.
The leader who fired the shot let his arm drop to his side and walked over to Nathan Bridger. Revealing nothing through his facial expression he looked down at him, “Just the man I’m looking for,” he said.
***END TEASER***