Inselheim stopped chewing on his croissant and put it down on his plate.
“Excuse me? Did you say millions?”
“Well, not from any fault of mine. I hope to avoid needless suffering, but I know Kalakia. He doesn’t care for human life. Just look at the vicious animals working for him. A recent killing by one of his people was utterly indescribable, I must tell you. The authorities counted dozens of stab wounds in one of the bodies. Dozens! Close to forty, if I’m not mistaken. That is pure insanity, wouldn’t you agree?”
Inselheim sat there, dumbfounded.
“Considering the hostile environment Kalakia has created for innovative men such as yourself, what you and the Neutralaser team achieved was nothing short of miraculous,” said Stirner, not skipping a beat. “And Kalakia wanted to shelve it. Your life’s work. How did that make you feel?”
Inselheim’s head felt suddenly hazy. He looked back on the past weeks and months. He grew tense when Vidrik entered his mind and he felt a terrible ache in his stomach.
“I wanted them all to die,” he said, as an ominous feeling came down on him.
Stirner nodded approvingly.
“I understand completely,” he said. “How long could we have survived with the spectre of nuclear war hanging over us? Rogue nations are pursuing arms. Conflict is inevitable. And the stakes are getting higher each day — not to mention all those close calls we’ve had. The Cuban Missile Crisis. Goldsboro. The Norwegian Incident. How many lives does this Earth have? You were right to develop the Neutralaser. Without it, the world is coming to a horrific end. It is inevitable, isn’t it?”
“Right,” said Inselheim. “My father told me the same thing. Only pure luck helped us avoid catastrophe so far.”
“Your father understood not only how crucial armament was for survival, but also how advances in weaponry could save lives, rather than taking them. He was a wise man.”
“He was,” said Inselheim quietly, lowering his head.
“The era of nation-states is over. Nations are impotent when it comes to global problems. They are doomed to fall into conflict. We need to evolve to the next level of civilisation; otherwise it’s over for us.”
Inselheim knew what Stirner was getting at, and it terrified him. But he could not help agreeing. The world had irreversibly changed since the inception and rise of The League Of Reckoning, and there was no going back from it.
“What if I told you that you could still develop the Neutralaser?” said Stirner. Inselheim suddenly left his thoughts behind and perked up. “What if your dream could still become a reality?”
“What do you mean?” said Inselheim with a quiet voice, seduced by the idea.
“I want to fund the mass-production of the Neutralaser. Ground-based and satellite. I’ll provide you with a place from which to work and all the resources you need.”
Inselheim felt unsettled by Stirner’s generous offer, and immediately began to scrutinise it. Was Stirner messing with him? If not, what did he have planned for the Neutralaser?
“Don’t just hear it from me,” said Stirner. “There’s someone here you should talk it over with.”
Stirner looked over Inselheim’s shoulder. Inselheim turned around, and his jaw went slack. Brunswick was walking toward him from the door like in a dream. He rose slowly from his chair in a state of numb disbelief.
“Kimberley?”
“Michael,” said Brunswick as she embraced him.
“Take your time,” said Stirner, getting up and walking away.
Inselheim finished hugging Brunswick then cupped her cheek with his hand, his face softening at the sight of her. She rubbed his arm in return.
“I’m so glad to see you,” said Inselheim.
“How are you?” she said.
“Much better now,” said Inselheim. “Are you ok?”
“Yes, they’ve taken care of us,” said Brunswick.
Inselheim searched around and noticed they were alone. Brunswick locked her arm around his, and they walked together out to the yard, the grass plush beneath their feet. The sun and open space now felt rejuvenating to Inselheim, but only because of Brunswick’s sudden appearance. Before that he could barely sense it. He looked at her again to confirm that she was real. They walked in silence, and Inselheim enjoyed the brief reprieve from the nightmare that had become his life. Having Brunswick there was like getting a shot of the most magnificent drug in the world. The effect would wear off eventually, but for the time being it was good to have her.
“The team?” said Inselheim.
“They’re holding up, considering the situation. I’m proud of them.”
“I can’t wait to see them,” said Inselheim.
Neither Brunswick nor Inselheim mentioned Aiko, Lena or Jonas, or Marius and the other five who The League had brutally killed, but the long, sudden lull acted as a sombre reminder.
“Where are they keeping you?” asked Inselheim.
“In the most luxurious prison you can imagine. We’re upstairs.”
“I can imagine it. I’ve been upstairs as well.”
“Really?”
Inselheim nodded and smiled.
“It’s a relief to have access to showers and fresh clothes,” said Brunswick.
“How did they find you?” said Inselheim.
“That’s the thing,” said Brunswick. “I called in, and Anke Müller got in touch with our contacts at NATO. These guys showed up in their place.”
“Strange,” said Inselheim. “Do you think she sold out?”
“Possibly. I would have done the same thing in her position.”
“What did they tell you so far?”
“About what they want?”
“Yes.”
“They want us to mass-produce the Neutralaser,” said Brunswick.
“They told me the same thing.”
“We’re not here for our charm.”
Inselheim stopped walking and fell to the grass. Brunswick sat beside him and stretched her legs out. She had on a white t-shirt and loose-fitting black pants. Her hair, tied into a bun, looked dry and brittle. She had developed wrinkles beneath her eyes. Inselheim was in no better shape. He knew he had lost weight, and that he had grown more greys. Recent events had left them both showing the signs of long-term stress.
“I don’t know if I trust this Stirner guy,” said Inselheim.
“He’s not to be trusted. This is all an act,” said Brunswick.
“So what do we do?”
“We have to make the most of the situation. Besides,
