Location: Food Court

Time: 2:40 PM, 12/29/2107

“So, I’m supposed to help you then?”

Jaxon’s partner spoke as if the situation didn’t involve him. In a way, it didn’t. I was the one trying to get him involved.

After Hana left to chase down Jaxon, I wasn’t left with many options. If she was telling the truth, and I can’t imagine she was lying, there was no point trying to escape on my own. That Number would be able to find me anywhere. I was trying to act tough earlier, but after meeting her for a second time I wanted to avoid making it a third.

The one thing I did have was Jaxon’s phone. It had a single open application. A GPS tracker leading me to what used to be the park’s food court. Based on our previous conversation the target was obvious.

“Yeah, pretty much. I didn’t think I was the kind of character that would shamelessly get someone else involved like this, but there’s nothing I can do about that Number on my own. I was also thinking you might want to try and help Jaxon.” Preferably after getting me out of there.

“There’s no saving Jaxon at this point.”

“Wow, you didn’t even need to think about it. He told me you were a good guy.”

“A good guy?”

“A good guy.”

“Then sorry to disappoint, but you shouldn’t trust Jaxon’s judge of character.”

“Like I’d trust the judgement of anyone who sacrificed everything for some like me. I just thought you’d want to help the person who thought so highly of you.”

“Then you’ll be even more disappointed.”

“No, that’s fine. Personally I agree with you. It’s just, he’s your partner.” Jaxon made his choice when he threw me his phone, it wasn’t my position to worry about him.

“Currently, but from the beginning it was a short term arrangement. You recognize the emblem on my blazer, right?”

Jaxon’s partner looked to be in his mid-thirties with a stocky build. Thinning hair and a weathered face showed signs of stress advanced for his age. Overall, an easy to overlook person, except for the emblem embroidered over is heart. An image I spent most of my life avoiding.

“The Bureau of Augmented Affairs.”

“Correct. Agent Charles Crane. There have been reports of unregistered augmenteds in the area, so I was working with the police as backup.”

“It would appear you’ve found your unregistered augmented.”

“Once again, correct. I’m sure someone in your position is aware of the primary duties of the BAA. From the moment we crossed paths I was going to bring you in. It’s unfortunate, but there was never any room for Jaxon.”

“I figured something like that would be the case from the moment he didn’t want to tell me who you worked for.” That’s one of the main reasons I decided to take Jaxon’s advice. I wasn’t putting an innocent person at risk, I was putting someone who made his career arresting people like me at risk.

“I’m not going to lie to you, once I put you under BAA custody things will get tough. There’s a lot of people that’ll want to keep a close eye on you, but you can trust me, you’ll survive. We’re not the kind of people that would kill someone, or even mistreat them, unless it was absolutely necessary.”

I didn’t trust him, and I certainly didn’t like the plan he set for me. It was my only option though. Like I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t escape Hana on my own, let alone the other two after me. Working with the BAA was my best option. It seems counterintuitive, but getting arrested was my only chance of escaping.

I could potentially break out of whatever jail cell they threw me into. Theoretically, at least. When it came to dealing with Hana though there was no room for potentially or theoretically. She made that perfectly clear.

“Ah, cool. How nice. You don’t have to kill people at the BAA? Hey, you guys hiring?” A flippant voice interrupted us. “Working for the MID can sometimes be a little, you know. I really think I just need to destress. It’s just too much killing and too much paperwork.”

I turned around and matched Charles’s gaze, taking a few steps towards him. I said earlier I didn’t trust him, but he was more trustworthy than the man approaching us.

“Hey, Emelia, good to see you again. Ah come on, don’t make that face, I mean it. I for sure thought Shorty would have taken care of business by now.”

Shorty? Was that supposed to be Hana?

“She’s preoccupied at the moment.” I couldn’t speak in front of the overwhelming presence of Hana, but with him it was different.

“With the police officer, right? That kind of guy is the worst matchup for her, seriously. Their personalities are too similar.”

“Similar?”

“Yeah, you don’t think? They're both simple-minded to the extreme. Completely incapable of seeing anything after they made up their minds.”

I could see what he was getting at, but comparing still felt like an insult to both of them.

“You know, I’ve got a slight problem though. It’s really cool that you’re working on an escape plan and all, but you really should have been a bit more secretive about it. Talking about it in the open like this, I heard everything, you know. You’re really putting me in an awkward situation.”

You would have had to listen intently to find any trace of concern in his casual tone.

“I’ve got no reason to be secretive.” Charles positioned himself between us. “Charles Crane, I’m with the BAA. I’ll be taking this suspect in.”

“Yeah, I heard. Can’t say I’m interested in introducing myself to you.”

“His name is Oliver, and he’s a special agent at the Ministry of Investigation and Defense. His hobby is slacking off and his ideal career path ends in retirement by thirty.” He introduced himself to me earlier, and it wasn’t the kind of introduction I could forget.

His age and build were similar to Jaxon’s, but the two presented themselves completely differently. The sleeves on Oliver’s blazer were rolled up past his elbows and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck. His hair and eyes were mismatched as well. Blond with red streaks and one blue one green respectively. Although perhaps most notably he was wearing a pair of closed ear headphones that he never took off, even when talking.

“Hey, now, I might work at the MID, but I told you earlier, I’m not here for them. I was sent after you as a personal request.”

“Then any issues of jurisdiction are even more clear. The BAA will take custody of Emelia.”

“I’d be fine with that, really. Despite what our little miss might be thinking about me, I wasn’t looking forward to killing a 17 year-old girl. If we’re laying it all on the table, it seems like my boss found out about this, and she’s probably coming here to stop me. The thing is though, it was a super important person that made the request. So, you know, I feel like I can’t just let you go. Maybe you could try roughing me up a little? Make it look like I tried to stop you.”

“You can’t be serious.”

I found myself agreeing with Charles, but for differing reasons. Just from what I gleaned from his attitude I couldn’t imagine someone like Oliver ever volunteering himself to get roughed up. For whatever reason, he was messing with Charles.

“Of course I am. Make sure you don’t hit my face though.”

“This is ridiculous. If you want I fight, go find Hana, or that lunatic, Sara. I’m leaving with the girl.”

Leaving with the girl? I wasn’t pleased with being treated as luggage, but considering my circumstances I decided to overlook it. Any semblance of pride I once had melted away the first time I had to sleep out in the rain on a cold summer night.

“Interesting. You know, I was just going to pretend I didn’t hear you earlier. Something was off though. Such a high profile target appeared before you, and you weren’t even mildly shocked. You just accepted everything. Your partner goes missing and someone like her shows up. Shouldn’t you be suspicious? And then when you noticed me, you got defense.”

I wasn’t thinking about it, but Oliver had a point. Why did Charles believe everything I said? Besides, he should have panicked the moment he saw my face.

“Huh? What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing much. It’s just, how did you know it was Hana? I only heard Emelia refer to her as ‘a Number’. And she didn’t bring up that woman, Sara, at all.”

“She, she brought it up before. When she was warning me about you.”

Had I? I’m fairly certain I didn’t bring up Sara at least.

“She didn’t. I’m pretty confident in my hearing.”

“I don’t have to listen to this. Emelia, come on. I’m taking you out of here.”

Charles reached out toward me, but I avoided his grasp. Oliver was definitely my enemy, but he was right. Something about this didn’t make sense.

“I feel like I’ve stumbled into something complicated. Is the BAA behind this whole thing, or are you just a rogue agent? No, wait, don’t answer that. I feel like if I learn anything more I’ll be buried in paperwork.” Oliver rubbed his forehead as he spoke.

“You’ve got no proof of anything. Emelia, he’s just trying to trick you. Remember, he’s one of the people after your life.”

I started walking backwards, away from them both. It looked like Charles wanted to follow me, but Oliver’s presence was keeping him in check.

“At this point, I don’t care if I’m being tricked. I haven’t met many people that look more disingenuous than Oliver. Still, I think I’m safer listening to him on this one. You’re definitely hiding something. I’d understand keeping secrets from me, but why try to lie to an agent from the MID? Whatever you’re hiding, it’s more than I want to deal with.”

Earlier I’d miscalculated my position. Out of desperation I made a mistake anyone should have seen coming. I didn’t think Jaxon was the type to lie, so I trusted him.

But just because he believed something to be true didn’t make it so. I should have known to doubt everything. This whole situation was just too convenient. Running into a wayward police officer, just as the three of them simultaneously closed in on me.

What are the odds? It’s far more likely that Jaxon was just a piece of a game he didn’t realize we were playing. He was an unwilling failsafe. Positioned perfectly to direct me to the next stage if I managed to survive my first encounter.

The only miscalculation of whoever orchestrated this was the fact that Jaxon was the only reason I survived in the first place.

“So she says. Looks like you’ll have to deal with me now.” Oliver pointed his arm towards Charles and snapped his fingers, only there was no sound.

In the next instant Charles' body was thrown through the air, but he disappeared before making contact with anything. He reappeared behind Oliver, who silently snapped his fingers once again, this time propelling himself shoulder first into Charles, sending them both flying through a rundown food stand.

I didn’t waste any more time. I wasn’t sure how long their fight would last, or even who I wanted to win, but I knew I’d never have a better chance to get away.

At his point survival seemed to be off the table. Having somehow become the target of a proxy war between the BAA and MID, I was screwed even if I somehow managed to lose Hana. Ah, and let’s not forget Sara. Rather than feeling fear or anger, the knowledge of my almost certain death made things easier for me.

There was nothing holding me back. I wasn’t a victim to save or a target to capture. I was already dead, and willing to try whatever it took.