Identity Unknown

Chapter 4

Nathan felt confused. What else did he not know about his uncle, he wondered. 

"Let's find it first." He said. 

"I searched all the drawer's, its not there." 

"I found this door locked." 

"I got in through there." Said Pauline, pointing at the ceiling. 

"You are a spy, do you work for the CIA?" 

"I used to but now I work alone." 

"As in a freelancer?" 

"Yes." 

"Cool." Said, the teenager in a cheerful manner. 

"If the laptop is not here, then it must be at your home." 

"Uhm. Yeah, probably." 

"Can you take me there?" 

Nathan was still skeptical. 

"If I wanted to hurt you I could have done it already. Now will you trust me?" Pauline asked. 

"Fine, I'm only doing this because I want to find my dad. He is the only parent I have left now." 

"Where's your mom?" 

"It's a long story and I just met you." 

"I understand. Let's go now then before those guards wake up." 

"I thought there were no guards tonight." 

"Well, they were guard's. I just put then to sleep, temporarily." 

Nathan chuckled. 

He and Pauline left the building right at that moment. 

She drove all the way to Simon's house only to find it burning. 

The police as well as the firemen were there. 

Nathan was shocked. 

"What the hell?" He asked. 

Pauline noticed Arnold standing there with a police officer. 

"You have to come with me. It's not safe there." She said. 

"But If I leave, they'll suspect I did it." 

"Okay then. Go and lie. Say that you were with a friend or girlfriend. Whatever the case may be." 

"Luckily, I am a great liar." Said Nathan, smiling. 

Pauline immediately drove off as the teenager got out of the car. 

The police did not even notice her, nor did Arnold. 

"What's going on here?" Nathan asked, with a surprise look. 

His uncle rushed towards him and offered the young man a hug. 

"Oh, Nate. I thought something bad had happened to you." He said 

"I'm fine, I just needed a walk. What happened?" 

A police officer walked towards them. 

With a straight jaw and a very lean face. He stood there with a writing pad in his hands. 

"This is officer Sander's, officer this is.." 

"You must be Nathan." Said the police officer, interrupting Arnold from finishing his sentence. 

"Yes. I am sir."  

"I need to tell me everything you know about your father." 

"Anything, like?" 

"What was he doing at night?" 

"Sleeping obviously." 

"As in on his laptop?" 

Nathan breathed heavily. 

"I don't know, maybe do his work stuff. Why would even know what he does on that old thing?" He asked. 

"Because we believe that you were using the same laptop to do some of your school research." 

"My laptop was fried, and I needed help. So I used his sometimes " 

"And did you notice something strange in his file's?" 

"Not that I can say. I had my own USB drive. I saved my files and never did any search on his." 

The police officer looked at Nathan in a suspicious manner. 

"Look, if my nephew says he knows nothing about those files. It means his telling the truth. He would never lie to a police officer." Said Arnold. 

"Of course not. Excuse me fellas." Said Mr Sanders.  

When the fire was finally extinguished, the neighbors returned back to their homes to rest. Nathan, although uncomfortable. He slept in a spare room at Arnold's home. 

His uncle had no children nor a wife. He's modern mansion overlooked the beach.  

"Did you eat anything?" He asked. 

"Yeah. I'm good." 

"Well if you need anything, tell me." 

"Before I go. Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure." 

"Your dad, his laptop. Did you ever find anything weird in it?" 

Nathan rolled his eyes. 

"No. I never search his stuff. I never had any interest at all." He said. 

"Are you sure? I'm family. You don't have to hide anything from me." 

"Dad was always free with lending me his laptop. He wouldn't have borrowed me if he had anything to hide." 

"Hmmm. What about his date?" 

Nathan became worried but he did not show it. 

"The woman he was supposed to meet?" 

"Yes. Where does she stay?" 

"He never even told me her name. Why would he give me her address?" 

"But you are his son, I'm sure he would've mentioned something." 

"Well, he didn't. I guess his date was more important." 

Arnold was covinced Nathan was telling him all the truth he knew.  

"Hey, your dad loved you. And I will try all I can to find him. Once we find his laptop we will be able to find out what kind of trouble he's in." 

"What do you think is in his laptop anyway?" 

"I think it's about a project we once worked on. A prototype that we had decided to shut down after seeing it's danger." 

"A prototype of what?" 

"A weapon. One that is worth millions." 

"Why would you create a weapon?" 

"It was not meant to be a dangerous. It was something that was supposed to stop war, but the after effects of the weapon were uncalled for." 

Nathan was shocked. 

"Your company deals with machinery design, why did you have to do weapons?", 

"As I said before. We never meant any harm. We did what we thought would bring peace in many countries." 

"So is it like a biological weapon?" 

Arnold nodded. 

Nathan covered his mouth in shock. 

"Is there any way to destroy that weapon?" 

"Not yet, no " 

"But what if it gets intro the wrong hands." 

"Then we will have to find a vaccine." 

"A cure?" 

"Yes, before people become infected." 

"Is there any way I could help out?" 

"Well, since you know computer. You should come by the office when you're free. I have pamphlets I want you to give out." 

"Will I get paid to pass them out?" 

"Of course." 

"I'm in."