“There isn’t one, really. I just want to see an end to your wild days, that’s all. I’m not here to punish you if you do wrong, but I can reward you if you do right. I have 87 businesses here in England and more abroad, and everyone who goes through this program is offered a position within one of my companies. No-one will discriminate because of your past and I’ll get monthly reports regarding your conduct. I expect them to be exemplary. If they are, and a majority of those who have passed through the program here get good reports, then you can expect further rewards.
“You’ll work weekends and holidays until you leave school - and I’ll be getting your school reports as well—and then you’ll be offered full time positions in one of my companies. In each of your rooms you’ll find a pack containing a list of all the companies I own and a link to the website which details each and every position available within the Wells group. Take the pack with you, have a look through it and decide what you want to do in the future.”
Wells closed the folder and rested his elbows on it. “Do you like the things in your rooms?”
The boys all nodded in agreement.
“Well, they’re not yours, but they are examples of what you can aspire to. If you stay with the program until you’re 21 you’ll each receive an interest free loan as a deposit for your first home. I’ll also put money in a trust fund which you will be entitled to on your 30th birthday—again, if you’re still in the program. It should give you something in the region of £100,000.”
He paused to gauge their reaction and got two positives, while Steven stared out of the window disinterestedly.
“The alternatives,” he raised his voice to ensure Steven’s attention “are these: carry on as you are and end up in prison by the time you’re eighteen; or you could keep your noses clean for a few years and try to get a job when you leave school, but that won’t be easy with your records, so you’ll probably go back to crime and end up in prison anyway.”
Wells focused on Steven for a moment. “Let me tell you about prison. It doesn’t make you a man and you have no friends inside. You’ll be beaten up on an almost daily basis and men, big men, will have sex with you. It doesn’t matter how tough you think you are, there are always tougher men in prison. “
“That’s rubbish” Steven scoffed. “My uncle was inside for three years and he said it was easy.” He waved his arms around. “Anyway, I could nick enough stuff to make my room at home look like this one in a week.”
“And how are you going to enjoy your new toys when the police seize them and you’re in prison?” Wells asked.
“Well, they won’t catch me, will they?”
“Is that because you’re too clever for the police?” Wells asked him.
“Too right!” Steven said defiantly.
“Which is why you’ve been caught... what is it now, 97 times?”
“That doesn’t count. The police can’t do nothing cos I’m not old enough, so I don’t bother trying to get away with it.”
Wells said, “If you’re clever enough to fool the police, then you’re clever enough to know that crime doesn’t pay. If you’re not clever enough to know that, then you’re not clever enough to fool the police.” All three enjoyed the look of confusion on Steven’s face.
“You boys think about what I’ve said and I’ll see you in the morning. Please be in your rooms by 9:30 this evening, and don’t worry if you hear your doors being locked. Just think of it as a taste of what you can expect if you fail the program. Goodnight.”
When Wells left the room Mark and David resumed their game of pool.
“What have you nicked from your room then?” Mark asked Steven.
“A few CDs, some DVDs, stuff like that. What about you?”
“Nothing,” said David.
“Me neither.”
“What? There’s loads of great stuff up there. Who’s gonna know?”
“You don’t get it, do you, Steve?”
“What??”
David and Mark shook their heads and resumed their game, while Steven went in search of treasure.
Gordon Wells entered Steven’s room just after first light and drew the curtains. There was no movement from the bed so he pulled back the covers and got the reaction he wanted.
“What time is it?” Steven groaned sleepily.
“Just after seven. Get dressed and meet me in the hallway in fifteen minutes.” Wells had to wait twenty minutes for the boy to appear.
“Did you think about what I said yesterday?” he asked Steven.
“Yeah...”
“And did I convince you to take a different path?”
“Look, all that stuff is fine for the others but I don’t need it. I don’t need your job, I can look after myself until my brother gets out and he’ll look after me and I’ll be fine. I don’t need no-one’s help.”
“Sorry you see it that way. I was hoping I could convince you that you were doing wrong but now I’ve got to try a different approach. Follow me.”
Wells led him to a metal door and opened the three locks. He pushed the door open to reveal what looked like a sound studio, with a huge panel of knobs and switches underneath a full-length window. Through the glass Steven could see what appeared to be two dentists’ chairs. Wells led Steven through a door to the second chamber and gestured to the furthest chair.
“I’m going to strap you in now. Don’t worry; I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll be back in a moment and I’ll be sitting in the chair next to you.”
Wells returned to the other chamber and busied himself at the control panel for a few moments before returning to his chair and strapping himself in. Nothing happened for a while, then without warning the temperature seemed to rise twenty degrees and the room took on a red hue. A blinding white flash followed and as quickly as the temperature had risen it was back to normal.
“What was that? Did you just brainwash me?”
Wells unstrapped himself and helped Steven out of the chair. “Come with me, we haven’t got long.” He led Steven out of the room, into the hallway and to the front door. He looked through the spy hole before gesturing for Steven to do the same.
“What do you see, Steven?”
“Nothing, just the drive.”
“What’s the weather like?”
“It’s raining again.” He pulled away from the spy hole. “What am I supposed to be looking at? Rain? I’ve seen rain before.”
“Just keep looking and tell me when a vehicle arrives.”
Three long minutes passed until Steven finally spoke. “A minibus is here. Now what?”
“Just keep watching and tell me what you see.”
“Okay, it’s stopped outside. Someone is getting out... he’s opened the side door...someone’s getting out. Hey! He looks like Mark. And that one looks like David. How can that...hang on, that’s...”
“Correct, Steven. It’s you.”
“But how...”
“Later. We have to go, right now.” Wells dragged Steven back to the room and secured the door from the inside. He went through the process again, strapping Steven in and setting the controls before strapping himself in. The heat came again, as did the red hue. The blinding flash signaled the end of the ordeal. This time Wells took his time in releasing Steven, obviously no longer in a rush.
“Come with me, Steven, and I’ll explain what just happened.” Steven followed in silence and took the offered seat across from Wells at the dining table.
“What’s going on? What just happened? You did brainwash me, didn’t you?”
“No, Steven. We just went back in time.”
There was silence for what seemed an eternity while Steven Howe contemplated this. Then: “Yeah, right. That’s impossible.”
“Then explain what you just saw. I mean, look out of the window. Bright sunshine, not a drop of rain in sight. The ground is bone dry. How else would you explain that?”
He was answered with silence as Steven tried to make sense of the last few minutes.