“So you’re telling me Kong is working for an oil company in Malaysia and the folder I helped him steal will help him get promoted?” said Zip, aka John to the love of his life Elle, aka Absolutely-the-World’s-Most-Brilliant-Master-Thief to himself alone in the shower. He even had a song he sang to himself before going to bed in unfamiliar hotel rooms, away from Elle, following the tune of Old McDonald Has a Farm;
“I’m the world best thief of all,
E, I, E, I, Yo.
And all you suckers can’t catch me,
E,I,E,I,Yo.
With a run, run here,
And a jump, jump there,
E,I,E,I,Yo.”
Granted he couldn’t sing to save his behind, his somewhat childish attitude towards life had always been his saving grace. He could get away with murder if he wished to. All he had to do was put on a sweet innocent half of a smile on his face, plead innocence of all charges and voila, he’s off to another lucrative assignment. It helped to have a handsome face (Elle sometimes called him Brad in bed just for kicks) and his 6 feet tall frame (surprising for someone whose job was dangling on a wire atop skyscrapers) made him blend in with the European crowd. Only Raoul and Kong knew where he truly originated from and that was told in confidant after a drunken spree of bar hopping to commemorate their first 50 millions mark 7 years ago.
“I didn’t know what he’s really up to until I came across a clipping on the BBC’s website. The Malaysian oil company is proposing an alternative fuel and they claim it’s 100% environmental friendly because it’s not oil,” added Raoul.
“But how did you connect Kong with that? Oil companies all over the world are coming out with researches on alternative fuel but so far no one is coming out with anything decent. The most they can boast about is hybrid cars, or electric cars, or solar cars,” said Zip.
He was still pissed at Kong for leaving him behind in Mr. Benedict’s room. When in a life threatening situation like that, the smartest things to do is to literally walk out the front door like a free man. He did just that. He smashed the sensor box with a metal chair he found in the room and then casually dumped his black getup over the window. He chose Mr. Benedict’s Armani after much contemplating, because the cut was too modern, not his cup of tea, but that was the only inconspicuous suit available.
After a quick shave and prayer, he walked out the door and sauntered up to the elevator. The door opened up, revealing a middle aged man in a straw hat. Zip put on his charming semi smile and said good evening to Mr. Benedict and took the elevator down to the lobby.
And now he found himself discussing oil with his partner in crime in a café downtown. He was still reeling from the rush of meeting the owner of his stolen suit when Raoul called him on his cell, promising explanation on Kong’s action.
“What you don’t know about Kong is that he’s born a Malaysian, but bred in different foster homes in Scotland. His mother was Scottish and she took him home when the divorce was finalized. She died in a car accident; Kong was in the backseat, strapped to a baby seat. They couldn’t locate the father so foster care it was. That was how I met him. We were adopted by the same foster family who treated us like dirt, using us for farm labor. When we reached 16 we both ran off to Europe and the rest is history,” added Raoul.
Raoul then said that Mr. Benedict wished to sell his discovery to the highest bidder. That highest bidder was supposed to be the Malaysian oil company until Mr. Benedict decided to back off on the deal and sell the patent to an American oil company instead.
“But where does Kong fits into all this? And enough with the background story Raoul, I only care about the present. Like how my other best friend could leave me to the dogs over a folder with the word ULAM on it. What the hell is ULAM anyway?”