Chapter XXI
Unlikely Help
Whilst Alan and Charlie were heading down towards the eastern border. Inside the cave Dmitri, had just left the computer after failing once again to break into the thing. After a few moments Jack walks out from behind one of the caves supports, he had chosen his new hiding spot well, he thought. At least he hadn’t been killed by the patrolling bots at the very least. He had decided for this little exploration that he wouldn’t bring his younger brothers, however just as he was about to start exploring, his eyes fell on the old computer however and he rushed over to it, unable to resist the temptation to have a look at it.
Jack, checking the cave to make sure he was alone, opened up the monitor to reveal the same locked screen. Which for a moment took him aback, whilst he had seen the locked screens on many of the manor’s computer systems, he had never seen one like this before. He slammed it down in frustration, the sound echoed around the cave for a few moments but as Jack checked again nobody had come running at the sound, which was lucky as an idea had come to him.
He rushed out of the cave hidden entrance and pelted upstairs to his room, grabbing his own laptop and rushing back down to the cave. Once by the old computer again, he opens it up and is once more met by the locked screen, not that this surprised him. He opened up his laptop and switches it on, a picture appears showing his Uncle Gerrard, his mum, along with him and his, at the time, two younger brothers, and begins to work. After about half an hour where he was surprised that no-one had seen him, he presses the enter key on his laptop. Next to it, the old computer also turns on, but instead of going to a lock screen, a home screen appears with several folders and a calendar on the desktop as a message appears on the screen. ‘Do you wish to decrypt all files. This action cannot be undone.’ Jack leans back in the chair and wipes his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
“Yes, I do.” Jack said to himself and clicked on the ‘Yes’ button. A timer begins to count down. ‘Six days remaining to full decryption.’ The timer reads. Jack looks at the screen, before clicking on the calendar icon and a password box opened up. He looks at the box for a minute thinking about what his uncle would have set his password to, before looking back at his own screensaver image and typing the word; ‘Laura’ into the password box, which to either his shock, horror or amassment, he wasn’t sure which one entirely, does the trick and his uncle’s calendar opened up on the screen.
However, before he can look at what his uncle was doing mere days before his death a noise from the cave entrance takes him out of his thoughts, he looks over and sees a shadow coming round the corner. Jack quickly leaves the chair and rushes back to his hiding spot, before realising to late that his laptop was still on the table next to the old computer.
Vernon walks past the central terminal and slowly sits down on the chair facing the waterfall when he hears a noise behind him.
“Hello, who's there.” Vernon said looking around at the cave failing to notice the decrypting computer or the laptop next to it. When no-one replies Vernon grabs a small pistol from the table and loads it. “Show yourself. I'm armed.” Vernon said speaking into what he had thought was an empty cave, as Alan was not due back for another hour. From behind the cave supports Jack swore to himself before stepping out realising that he would now have to find a new place to hide. When Vernon sees who it is, he lowers his weapon. “Ah, Master Jack. You scared me half to death.” Vernon said, lowering the gun, his shock at seeing the lad down here had not for moment crept in. Jack looking around and trying to play it cool as if he had never been down here before, gestures around the cave.
“What the hell is all of this?” Jack asked.
“That is...” Vernon started before comprehension dawned on his lined face. “Wait, how the bloody hell did you get in here?” Vernon asked, looking at the boy.
‘Well, the game is up.’ Jack thought to himself. “Easy once you know how.” Jack said looking at the butler. Before deciding to go back on the attack and gestures back to the computer. “Now, what is this stuff?” Jack said, the less Vernon knew he thought the better.
“Never you mind my lad. Anyway, we can't seem to decrypt it...” Vernon started before he then notices that the computer was decrypting as a progress bar with the six days remaining timer on the screen. Jack had managed to hide the calendar but not the progress bar. “How... What...” Vernon said stuttering, not believing his eyes. They had been trying for weeks to access that bloody computer and had failed at every attempt and now a thirteen-year-old had done in a day what they had completely failed at achieving.
“Like I said it's easy once you know how.” Jack said, sitting up on the table Vernon head turns back and forth between Jack and the now decrypting computer.
“Wait here.” Vernon said before he quickly exits the cave leaving Jack still sitting on the table.
Vernon returns to find Jack where he left him. Behind him come Alan and Dmitri. Alan limps over to the computer and then turns to his eldest with a look of confusion on his face, but there was also anger on the face as well, something that Jack didn’t take to kindly to as he had apparently done what none of them had managed.
“Firstly, how did you do this and secondly what the hell are you doing down here.” Alan asked looking at Jack who was still sitting on the table, his legs swinging back and forth about an inch of the floor.
“Firstly, I know how to hack into this stuff and secondly…” jack shrugged before continuing on. “I was just exploring.” Jack said, his tone was polite but there was an edge on it, letting his dad know that he wasn’t going to get any more information on that subject. Alan looked at him ready to argue but they are both stopped from coming to blows when Dmitri laughs and goes to look at the screen for himself and then returns slapping Jack on the back. Causing the boy to stumble of the table and land luckily on his feet on the rocky ground.
“Is it really going to take that long though.” Dmitri said trying to return to his usual serious tone as he looks down at the countdown, although still seriously impressed that they were now in the computer.
“Yep, these things take time. But I was able to gain access to Uncle Gerard calendar, as it was only behind a password.” Jack said opening the calendar back up showing it to the rest of the group and hoping to the gods that his dad wouldn’t ask for the password, as he didn’t know how he would react to his brother’s password being his wife’s name. But fortunately Alan makes no such inquiry and Vernon goes over to the computer and starts looking through the calendar before stopping on one date.
“What the hell is this?” Vernon said as he clicks on the date highlighted in red to reveal an appointment with a person called ‘Brydon Briggs’ at ‘Prostead Bridge’. Alan comes over and looks over Vernon shoulder.
“Brydon Briggs, who the hell is that?” Alan said looking confused, he had never heard the name before and looked to the butler, knowing that if anyone in the room would know it would be Vernon, but the butler simply shook his head.
“I don't know sir. But he was the last person to see your brother according to this.” Vernon said looking through the other dates but seeing no other appointments.
“Dmitri prep the chopper.” Alan said and Dmitri nodded knowing what Alan was planning to do without being told. Vernon on the other hand objected.
“Master Wolfrick where the hell are you going off to now.” Vernon said, it wasn’t just the fact that the last time he had left on a mission, he had returned looking half dead, but the fact that he had used the excuse of his injuries to opt out of the mission to the east, leaving poor Charlie to attempt it in his place.
“To Prostead bridge.” Alan said simply. Vernon however had thought of another reason why this was a stupid decision.
“Never mind that that meeting was over two years ago now. Your brother died shortly after meeting this man.” Vernon said as Dmitri returned from prepping the chopper.
“Don't worry old man, I'm going with him.” Dmitri said as the two made their way towards the landing pad.
As Vernon makes his way back to the computer station, he discovers that Jack was still sitting at the monitor, not doing anything, just sitting still.
“Are you alright there kid?” Vernon asked as he looked at the teen with concern. The old butler remembered a situation with the pair of them like this, four years ago, when Vernon had had to go and find the Wolfrick brother’s to tell them about the death of their mother. Dave and Nick had been easy, as he had thought that both were too young to properly understand, although he had his doubts recently about Dave.
That however, had left Jack, whom it had taken Vernon a lot longer to find. He had finally located the boy hiding down one of the passages to the cave system. Having been terrified away by the screams. When Vernon had told Jack that his mother had died, he hid in the cave for three days... When Gerrard eventually found him curled up by the small inside lake, and he was no longer a boy anymore.
“Why does dad keep doing this. Leaving us I mean.” Jack said, not looking over at the butler, instead keeping his gaze focussed intently at the screen in front of him.
“Your guess is as good as mine master Jack.” Vernon said as he strode forward a few paces, but what came next stopped him right in his tracks.
“Does he even like us?” Jack asked, he was entirely serious on that point, because the way his father had been acting over the past few years, made it look like he didn’t want to have anything to do with them from his perspective.
“You must never think that master Jack.” Vernon said as he walked towards the teen, a horrified expression on his face, and he would certainly be having words with Alan when he returned to discuss this statement and how it came about.
“Why. He’s hardly here anymore, ever since mum died, he just fucks off whenever he wants too with no thought for anyone else.” Jack said, starting to vent his frustrations. It wasn’t just that fact, it was all the shit that happened after Alan left, like the questions that would start from his three younger brothers. Vernon looked at the eldest Wolfrick brother, knowing exactly what he was getting at, having seen it a few generations previously, only that time it had led to the eldest Wolfrick brother leaving the manor, never to return. And the old butler would be dammed if that was to happen again.
“I suggest that you talk to your father about your frustrations Jack.” Vernon said as he knelt down in front of him, hoping that it would help get the point across more clearly.
“Why. He won’t listen anyway.” Jack replied.
“I still think that you should, your father might even surprise you on that count.” Vernon finished before exiting the cave, leaving Jack to ponder his words, and hopefully gather his courage to speak to Alan about his problems.
