Dreams Ltd

  He asked me to return. He said that he hadn’t found a replacement!

  It felt great to run, just like that, without choosing a specific direction, giving in to the bursting energy. Life gave him a second chance and presented it so beautifully, without asking for anything in return.

  Hulk knew that Drake will be waiting for him, as he knew that he’ll go back.

  *****

  A week later I was hanging on Hulks neck and squealing joyfully.

  “Is it true?! That you decided to go back?”

  “Not just decided, but I’ve already got my ammunition and all the documents that I am on a new rate of pay.”

  Hulk’s face shone brighter than a sunny day. This morning he went to see Drake at the office and just returned home a few minutes ago, unbelievably happy, bursting with strength and confidence.

  “The training will begin in two weeks, and today we will have a magnificent banquet. The guys will come. Ren will bring his girlfriend, so you’ll have some female company.”

  I sighed happily and looked at his smiling face. It was great to see him like that - solid, agile and without deep weariness in his eyes. Now he was glowing from within.

  “How is everything going at the new shop? Have you already mastered the new territory?”

  He was talking about a place that he, without me knowing, bought in "Somerset" - an incredibly expensive shopping centre I used to visit sometimes after work. Only the most expensive and prestigious boutiques were located there. One evening Hulk just brought the documents saying that he bought a space there and I could set up a new shop if I wanted to. I won’t go on about the amount of joy that his gift made me feel. I’ve been thinking about the expansion for a while now, and Hulk’s acquisition met all the requirements perfectly. This mischief didn’t want to confess the price he paid for it, no matter how hard I tried to extort it out of him, so I gave up these useless attempts and began to happily develop a new business plan. Linda was the second person who almost cried with delight when she learnt that I needed a manager to lead our new branch.

  There was so much to do, but it was nice, exciting and inspirational.

  “The interior decorators are working there now, they won’t finish until Monday, so there is no need for me to go there. Linda is managing them.”

  “Great! Do you think we can prepare everything for tonight’s party?”

  My enthusiasm was boundless. I nodded confidently.

  “I know who can cook heaps of tasty food for a crowd of people. Can you guess?”

  Hulk laughed.

  “Do you have her phone number?”

  “Of course!”

  A minute later I was dialling the number of one of my best friends.

  “Tabitha? Hi! Do you think you could help me out today? Such a gluttonous bunch is going to be here tonight, so I have to cook in large numbers.”

  The joyful female voice answered.

  “What? Yes, I have some large pots. Will you come to help? I owe you a raspberry pie!”

  An hour after she arrived, she was seething with energy and looking younger than ever.

  The doorbell rang again.

  It was a delivery service, they brought a huge, tiered cake, decorated with white icing and flowers, which I have only ever seen in “Luxury desserts” catalogues. I took out the note, and then turned to Hulk in surprise.

  “It says only two words From Drake.”

  “Really?”

  And he smiled, like the cat who’d got the cream.

  Epilogue.

  A week later.

  Hulk enjoyed a hot summer evening, sitting on one of the benches by the shore and watching people. The sea was calm, almost lazy, allowing the beachgoers to relish a late night swim in the warm salty water. The taut palm’s trunks were creaking on the wind; music was playing at the coastal cafes. Cocktails, short skirts and colourful swimwear, tanned guys accompanied their no less tanned ladies – some home, some to the nearest luxury car in order to continue their night elsewhere.

  Paradise. This place was a beautiful tropical paradise for those who loved to swim not only in the sea, but also in money.

  There were no primitive houses. All villas were divided in three categories - expensive, very expensive, and unbelievable expensive.

  Hulk smiled. Almost gentle and relaxed. Then he took out a cigar, bought specially for this occasion; lit it, exhaled a cloud of smoke in the tropical humid air and looked around again.

  It felt good being here. The climate was allowing people to enjoy the summer all year round, and the temperature of the sea water, even during the coolest days would never go below twenty-three degrees.

  And Alex Viver was living in this paradise for three months. Alex, who caused this whole adventure to happen - the money, Shereen, Tally, Hulk and his freedom to follow.

  Hulk was grateful. But while his other half was convinced that there was nothing good about the revenge, Hulk thought that it was ignoble to let people who loved to live in such places at someone else’s expense, go unpunished.

  Injustice must be always punished and things like that had to be fixed, sometimes, fixed in the most "sophisticated" way. More so, the plan had been prepared a long time ago, and has just been waiting to be put into action.

  Hulk followed another couple with his eyes - a woman in high heels, walking a tiny dog, and her muscular companion, and grinned - what a show-off and how cheap. Vile bling, pulling the wool over people’s eyes - could anybody really like this lifestyle?

  He still had two hours before catching his plane and he could allow himself to enjoy the sunset, feeling the breeze rustling the sleeves of his light cotton shirt, decorated with boats.

  Everything went just fine. Even more than that, it went brilliantly.

  Tomorrow precious Alex will learn that his life has changed irreversibly and for good. Just with a click of the fingers, it made a sharp turn in completely the wrong direction. And the show will begin with him finding his new girlfriend wallowing in bed with her fitness instructor in Alex’s own bedroom. It didn’t take much to find out that Lillian - the girl from those photos that he showed Shereen, was having a fling with the muscular Claudio. Whether Viver screwed up as a lover or Lillian appeared to be a bit slutty or just couldn’t walk past a good looking guy - Hulk didn’t care, but it was easy to discover her private secrets.

  A short conversation with Claudio was rather successful. The handsome guy was short of money and for a hundred dollars he quickly agreed to meet Lillian at her home next time.

  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 d
ollars - 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.

  The end.