Дмитрий Леонтьев – The evil will come for you (страница 5)

“Why don’t you believe me?” William asked, his eyes wide with bewilderment.

“Because I’m married to a madman,” she teased, leaving the room.

“Thank you, my lovely and only wife,” William muttered to himself.

“I heard that!” Linda called from the corridor.

“Oh, women!” William sighed deeply and turned back to the monitor.

“This is my chance,” he whispered, tracing his finger over the map. “I’m sure.”

By way of introduction, William was a university lecturer at the local Oil and Gas University. He was thirty-three years old, tall, slim, and blond – these were the only features that set him apart. His lifelong dream was to earn a PhD, and he was determined to achieve it by discovering a new oil field. For six years, he had been working on this idea, searching for any evidence of oil leaks, poring over old documents and geological maps. That morning, he finally felt he had a breakthrough.

“Okay, okay,” Linda said, suddenly re-entering the room. “When?” she asked, her eyes full of skepticism.

“What do you mean ‘when,’ darling?” William replied, surprised.

“And with whom?” she continued, staring into his eyes.

“Tomorrow! Tomorrow I’ll discuss it with Head of Department and think it over, so I suppose I can give you a definite answer then,” William said.

“I suppose you’re planning an expedition without any female colleagues,” Linda said, frowning at him.

“Yeah, thanks for the advice. Without them, it would be so boring,” he joked.

“I’m serious!” she replied, perplexed.

“Of course not!” he laughed. “But…” He was about to continue, but Linda cut him off.

“No more ‘buts,’” she said, moving closer and kissing him passionately.

CHAPTER 2

“Today you learned how oil is formed,” William said to the group of first-year geology students. “Our class is over – you’re free to go.”

The students immediately jumped up from their desks and hurried out of the classroom. Watching them rush out as if escaping from prison, William couldn’t help laughing.

“Bye, Mr. Hill!” they called as they left.

“Goodbye! Take care,” he replied.

“Kids,” he said to himself, amused, once the room was empty.

Gathering his lesson materials, he left the classroom, and was about to lock the door when a student standing behind startled him.

“Excuse me,” the student said.

“Da…” William began, but caught himself. “You scared me, Jack,” he added, shaking his head.

“Sorry, Mr. Hill,” Jack replied.

“Can I help you?” William asked.

“Sorry to bother you, but your lecture on oil was really interesting and I’d like to read more about it. Can you recommend some books, please?” Jack asked.

“Well,” William said, “I’d love to recommend all the books by William Hill, but you should start with ‘Geology of Oil and Gas Fluids.’” He locked the door.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Hill,” Jack said.

“My pleasure,” William replied with a satisfied smile.

CHAPTER 3

“May I…?” William asked opening the Head of Department office door.

“Come in, Will,” James Brown replied.

“I promise it won’t take long,” William warned as he entered.

“No problem! Tea, coffee?” James offered.

“I’d love some fresh coffee,” William said, placing his documents on the guest table.

“Alright,” James said, moving to the corner where he kept the tea and coffee.

“So, William, why have you come?” he asked.

“I’d like to take a few days off for a research trip for my dissertation,” William said, accepting a cup of coffee from James.

“William,” James said, “you know how much I respect your research. Of course, I want a new PhD in my department, and I won’t stand in the way of your dream.” He poured himself a cup as well.

“Thank you very much, James,” William said, taking a sip. “Mmm, divine.”

“But, if it’s not a secret, where are you going?” James asked.

“It’s no secret,” William replied, sipping again. “The place is about 300 kilometers from here.”

“Wow, that’s far,” James said.

“Oh, I can show you,” William said, pulling out a printed map from his documents.

“We’re here – this is our city,” William began.

“Yep,” James confirmed.

“I’ll drive to the next town, then head south. At this crossroads, I’ll turn left toward the river, then right along the river. I’m not sure about the road quality near the river, so I think I’ll leave my car near the forest and walk the last few kilometers,” William explained.

“Okay, Will. Why are you so sure you’ll find any evidence of oil there?” James asked.

“First, I noticed a gravity anomaly in this area, according to satellite images. There’s also a landscape anomaly. I plan to collect samples for further research,” William said.

“Will, it’s a promising site, then,” James said, extending his hand.

“Thank you for your understanding and support,” William said, shaking his hand.

“By the way, who’s going with you?” James asked, still shaking his hand.

“No one,” William replied.

“It’s dangerous to go so far alone,” James cautioned. “Consider taking someone, maybe your colleague Charlie Henderson. He’s strong and reliable, and I’m sure he’ll be helpful.”

William thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, sure! And maybe I’ll take a student, too.”

“What student?” James asked cheerfully.

“Jack!” William replied.

“Jack?” James echoed, recalling all Jacks.

“Yeah, Jack Miller. He just asked me for a book on oil, and I think this trip will be better than any textbook. Better to see something once than hear about it a hundred times,” William said.

“That’s right!” James agreed.

* * *

“So!” Linda said, sitting at the dinner table, “when are you leaving ?”

Holding a bottle of wine in his right hand, William opened it with a corkscrew.