فصل 5

chapter-5 : destiny

Former EGG David Welch was barely twenty-one years old the night his destiny collided with the Elgen. In fact, his birthday had been the day before, and he was still tired from staying up too late with his college roommates.

The moon was unusually bright that night, and even that played a part in his fate. Welch was delivering pizzas for a local company, Sasquatch Pizza, when he was sent out on a delivery to the Elgen building.

He had parked his car, a ‘72 Camaro in need of a paint job, in the restricted delivery zone in front of the new Elgen building. He thought that the building and grounds were impressive, with a seven-story-high tower and laboratory with a bronze-colored, mirrored glass exterior.

The entire twenty-four-block area had been developed as a research park, and he was always glad when he got called there on a delivery, as many of the people who worked at the buildings were rich and tipped well. Once, someone tipped him a fifty-dollar bill—a near fortune for him.

That night he was about to get out of his car when he noticed a shadowy figure creeping through the cactus garden near the building’s front windows.

Recently some of Welch’s coworkers had been robbed making deliveries, so he kept alert. Welch lifted the vinyl pizza carrier bags from his backseat and got out of his car, locking it behind him—something he rarely did.

The figure in the shadows seemed too active, too intent, to be a homeless person looking for somewhere to sleep. Welch wondered if they were trying to break into the building. That too would be odd, since there were obviously people inside, who, Welch reminded himself, were waiting for their pizzas.

With his arms full of pizza boxes he started up the front walkway toward the entry. That’s when the darkened figure cocked back its arm and threw something at the front window, breaking a large, jagged hole in the glass. The sound of shattering glass was followed by the wail of an alarm.

Welch’s first thought was that he would be blamed for breaking the window, as he appeared to be alone and was within throwing distance of the window. A man in a gray-and-black security uniform appeared near the front window, looking directly at him.

Then the vandal sprang from the garden, sprinting diagonally across the building’s front walkway in Welch’s direction. Instinctively, Welch dropped his pizzas and took off to intercept the man. Welch was built for pursuit. Even though he was large and muscular, he was also quick. He had played both linebacker and lineman on his high school’s football team.

Welch leveled the guy, who was barely half his size and at least ten years older than him, with a waist-high tackle. Then he picked him up by the waist and carried him over to the front entryway, where there were now three security guards rushing out of the building.

“I caught this guy,” Welch said. “He threw a rock through your window.” “It was a brick,” the head security guard replied. He was a stern-looking man with a broad, flat nose from being broken multiple times. He was a few inches shorter than Welch but even broader of shoulder. He looked at the man in Welch’s arms, then shook his head. “You can put him down. But don’t let go of him.” Welch did as the guard said.

“His name is Dominic. He used to work here in the accounting office. They canned him yesterday. I think he just lost his severance.” He turned to the guard next to him. “How far out are the police?” “About five minutes.”

“Let them know we have the perpetrator.”

The disgruntled employee, Dominic, suddenly tried to free himself from Welch’s grasp. Welch clamped down on him until he cried out, “This is brutality! I’m going to report you! I’ll sue!” The head guard laughed. “What a wuss.” He looked into the man’s face. “Unfortunately for you, Dominic, this man doesn’t work for us. He can do whatever he wants.” “I’m going to sue you for everything you’ve got!” he shouted at Welch.

Welch laughed. “What I’ve got? I’ve got a lot of school debt, a broken-down car, and some textbooks. I don’t think a lawyer would work for that.” Dominic continued to rant. “I’ll report you to the police. You have no right to hold me against my will.” “That’s where you’re wrong,” the head guard said. “We have every right to hold you. And prosecute you.” “You’ll pay for this. I’ll make you—”

At that moment Welch belted him across the face, knocking him out. The man dropped to the ground. Welch looked anxiously up at the guards. “Sorry. I hate whiners.” A broad smile crossed the head guard’s face. “Nice punch.” The other guards nodded in agreement. “Well done.” “You think I’ll get in trouble?” Welch asked.

“Nope,” the head guard said. “We saw exactly what happened. Dominic threw a brick through the window. When you tried to stop him, he assaulted you. It was self-defense.” “That’s what we saw,” one of the other guards said.

The head guard nodded. “We’ll erase that part of the security tape, just in case.” “Thanks,” Welch said.

A police car pulled up to the curb and two officers got out. They walked up, looking at the unconscious man on the ground. Finally one of the officers asked, “Is that the guy?” “That’s the loser we caught vandalizing the building,” the head guard said. “He threw a brick through the window.” The officers looked over at the building. “That hole?” “Yes, sir.”

“Why is he unconscious?”

“The pizza guy tried to stop him and the man attacked him. It was self-defense.” The officer looked at Welch, then at the man on the ground, then back at Welch. “He attacked this guy? He’s half his size.” “He was out of control,” the head guard said. “He was trying to get away.” “If you’re willing to testify, we’ll book him for assault as well,” the cop said.

“Of course we will.”

One of the officers squatted down and shook the man. Dominic groaned.

“Sir, please roll onto your stomach. We’re going to handcuff you.” Dominic was still too dazed to offer any resistance. The police officers handcuffed him. “Can you stand?” “I—I don’t know,” he stuttered.

The officers lifted him up, then walked him to the squad car, placing him in the backseat.

After the police car drove away, the head guard turned to Welch. “I’m starving. You brought some pizzas?” Welch nodded. “Yes, sir. Let me get them.” He ran back over to where he’d dropped his boxes and retrieved them. “Sorry, they’re probably not going to be hot after all that.” “How much do we owe you?”

“Thirty-nine dollars.”

The head guard handed him a hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change.” “Thank you.”

He put out his hand. “My name is Patrick.” “David,” Welch said.

The guard lifted the lid of the box. “You like this stuff?” “The Monster Meat Lover?”

Patrick laughed. “No. Delivering your . . . meat lovers whatever.” “It’s a job. I’m working my way through college.” “What are you studying?”

“Criminal science.”

“With your build, you could play football.” “I did. Lost interest.”

“What’s your last name?”

“Welch. Like the jam.”

Patrick smiled. “All right, Welch-like-the-jam. Looks like you can handle yourself in a jam. Do you want a real job?” “Doing what?”

“Security detail here. You can work at night, go to school in the day. I guarantee it will pay a lot better than delivering pizzas.” “I meet girls delivering pizza,” Welch said.

Patrick laughed. “But do you impress them?” Welch didn’t answer.

“You’ll impress girls working here. Not that every girl doesn’t want a . . . pizza delivery boy.” “Now you’re mocking me.”

“Am I right?”

“I can see how that would be true,” Welch said.

“Good. Do you have class tomorrow?”

“Until three.”

“Come at four; I’ll take you in to HR and get you hired.” “Wait. What does it pay?”

“The position starts at fifty K a year. With benefits. Insurance. Christmas bonus and paid vacation after six months.” Welch had never even made half that. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it. The stars aligned tonight. I’ve got a feeling you’re supposed to be here.”