Chapter 6: 10 million
Abdi: (Waits for Noor reaction- he nods the affirmative) Ten million dollars we can do…
Caller: But a minute ago it was one million and he wasn't even sure he could do that… Why's he changed his tune so quickly…?
Abdi: That was the maximum that was available in cash… I have informed my employers that an electronic transfer would be more practical…
Caller: (Pause) All I wanted was lost wages… All I wanted was thirty thousand dollars… I earned that money…! The checkout chicks were getting paid more than me to turn up at midday…! I was getting up at in the middle of the fucking night…! Do you know what it's like to try and sleep at nine o'clock in the morning…? Why couldn't you people just pay me what you owed me…? Was it too much to ask…? (Zack returns to the office- takes a seat at the back of the room)
Abdi: I understand that Tom. I understand perfectly…
Caller: (Shouting) No you don't!!! You don't know anything…!!! I'm going to blow up that store and every other fucking store I've been to…!!!
Abdi: TOM… Wait a minute… You don't have to do this…
Caller: Yes, I do…! It's the only way you people take anything seriously…! I should have killed your fucking daughter…!
Abdi: (Teeth clenched) Tom… This isn't helping your situation…
Caller: What about that bitch paying you…? What will it take to make him take me seriously…?!
Noor: (Barely controlled) I am taking you seriously Tom… Believe me, I'm taking this very seriously…
Caller: (Nasty) When was the last time you checked the water level, Noor…?
Abdi: You're going too far now, Tom… If we don't get back to negotiating the fiscal terms immediately then I'll have no choice but to inform the Boss… Do you hear…?
Caller: (Pause) What are 'fiscal' terms…?
Abdi: (Patiently) That means money Tom, 'fiscal' is the same as 'finance'… It's just another word for it…
Caller: How are you going to give me ten million dollars anyway…? Are you just going to put it in my savings account…? What good is that if you can tack me…?
Abdi: Maybe you should have thought of that before you went ahead with your plan…
Caller: Well maybe I'll just go with plan B, Abdi! Maybe you can just shove your fucking fiscal up your ass…!
Abdi: Tom… It's not too late to give yourself up… The Boss will have to be involved but no one's been hurt… No real harm has been done… (Pause) If you stop this now then a good case can be made for… For everything you've been through…
Caller: It's too late for that…
Abdi: Well, maybe there's another way… A way for you to hurt the… Your former employers… And maybe you can do some good while you're at it…
Caller: What the fuck are you talking about…?
Abdi: You're right… We can't really give you the money… But you could give it to charity… I could arrange for that to happen…
Caller: (Pause) I don't know if I'm really the charitable type…
Abdi: You know why I was allowed to give you ten million dollars Tom…? It's because my employers were secure in the knowledge that the money would be retrieved after you were you now… (Pause) But if the money was given to an international charity then it would be almost impossible to get it back… I could draft a contract for Noor and his superior to sign…
Zack: We're not doing that…! (Stops dead when Abdi raises his hand in alarm- Noor is frozen to the spot)
Caller: Who's that…?
Abdi: That's Zack… He's what you call a general manager of all the stores in this state…
Caller: How long has been here…?
Abdi: He just got back a minute ago… He's been organising the cash payment…
Caller: How did you go Zack…? How much did you get…?
Zack: (Abdi gives him a nod) Ahhh…
Caller: Don't fucking lie to me! I'll press the send button right now! You like beans Zack…? You better, 'cos they're about to be served raw… With a fucking meat salad…!
Zack: (Shaken) There's about five hundred thousand dollars…
Caller: And you'll sign whatever Abdi gives you to sign…?
Zack: Yes… Yes, I'll sign it…
Caller: Ha! Who wants to be a millionaire! Who should we give it to Abdi…? Is there a charity for cat lovers? Or have the fucking Chinese eaten them all…?
Abdi: I happen to know of a charity for homeless people in Africa… It's one I contribute to myself…
Caller: Fuckin Niggers! Yeah…! Let's give it to the dirty little aps…!
Abdi: And the financial system is almost impossible to track in Africa… I think you'll find it to your liking quite well…
Caller: (Pause) How will I know it's been done…?
Abdi: Have you got the internet…?
Caller: (Pause) Yeah… What do you think I am…? A fuckin retard…?
Abdi: It's probably best that we stick to matters of business Tom…
Caller: You do… Don't ya…? You think I'm a fucking retard…
Abdi: Anyone who can construct a time-delayed explosive device has my interest Tom… Despite any pre-conceptions I may have held previously…
Caller: (Pause) Okay… What about the internet…?
Abdi: If you can make a facetime call to my phone then I can make a live recording while I draw up the contract…
Caller: What if you trace the call…?
Abdi: There may be some risk involved as you only have our word that the Boss have yet to be involved… But it's really not any different to the phone call you're making right now…
Caller: How do I do a…? I've never done a Face time before…
Abdi: (Takes a deep breath) Tom, if you can assemble a home-made bomb then you can work out how to make a face time-call…
Caller: What's your number…?
Weekly Power Status
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