I asked Darcy what the problem was with Evan Bronte and his research department. No one here at Main Campus seems to like them. At campfire, they talk about Dr. Bronte and the research team as if they're the enemy.
In the middle of this island is 3 miles of woods. A single path joins our Main Campus, way on the west side, to the Research Center, which is located way on the east side.
Darcy said when they all first arrived on the island, they were all very excited, like they entered a new world. She said everyone got close right away, except for Sheila and the nurses, who clung to themselves. They didn't see much of the research department because they were 3 miles away. So Tom decided to invite the 5-man research team over for a special dinner. Tariq prepared a feast. So they all gathered in Central Lodge, and things were going well. Darcy said she found Evan Bronte to be quite charming and very well mannered. "We all thought he'd be still and arrogant, seeing he's world renowned in the science world, but he wasn't, at first. He even had a sense of humor," Darcy said.
“At first?” I asked.
Darcy said that after dessert
came the cordials, and the men started drinking. Tom said
something about it being easy to be the leader
here, because everyone did their job so well. Bronte raised
an eyebrow, and asked Tom if he truly thought he was the leader here. Tom looked at him and grinned and said yes he was. From
there it fell apart. They began to argue
over who was actually the leader. Bronte told Tom that Tom's father was only a little more than Bronte's puppet. I can't believe he said that! Then things got ugly. "Let's just say that when the research team left, it wasn't all handshakes and hugs," Darcy said.
The next day, Main Campus had no electricity. Tariq started screaming that his kitchen wasn't working, and Earl had no power in the barn. This was all very early in the morning. None of the lights worked, and the computers were down. "The jerk was making a point," Darcy said. No one knew how he turned off their electricity.
Darcy told me that our Security Team (Adrian, Grady, and Steve) paid Dr. Bronte a visit. Tom went with them. When they arrived at the research center, Tom had told Darcy that Bronte was waiting for them; he was sitting in a chair just outside their main building. Two guys who acted like his bodyguards were by his side.
Tom and Grady started yelling, while Adrian and Bronte remained calm. But Bronte didn't budge. He wasn't going to turn the power back on until Tom admitted who the real leader was, and that his father was a mere puppet. Tom of course didn't do it, and later told Darcy he never felt such rage. Adrian had just stood there holding his forehead with his fingertips, then told Tom to just say what Bronte wanted, that is was just words and false pride. Adrian said Bronte was just toying.
Well, Tom was furious, and didn't do what Adrian wanted. Even Grady thought Adrian was crazy. Before Tom knew it, he rushed at Bronte. Grady was by Tom's side in a flash. Tom threw a fist at Bronte. Adrian stepped in to protect Tom, but was too late. Tom was on the ground with Bronte's knee on his chest and his knuckles on his throat, and Grady was held by one of Bronte's thugs. No one got hurt, but wow.
Tom later told Darcy he couldn't believe the fighting skills of the two body guards, and especially Bronte, who's not all that big and appears to be just some super science geek. Tom said he's been in his share of street fights, but these guys were phenomenal. I reminded Darcy that Dr. Bronte had some military training.
Adrian later said that his prime purpose was to restore
power for to Main Campus, and to keep the peace, and that had Tom over–reacted,
adding fire to a bad situation. He and Tom argued for days about
how all this was handled. Adrian thought Tom was hotheaded, and Tom
needed Adrian to back him.
“So what would it take to make Adrian actually take action?” I asked Darcy.
“I don’t know… probably
a hydrogen bomb.”
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