I fell backwards in the chair, firing my pistol at the bastard that came through the shattered plywood, hitting him in the side and chest. He dropped down, then sagged like a bag of potatoes.

The rustling sound of footsteps began to pound in the distance as I felt them through the wood boards of the flood. I fished my hand into my pocket, taking out the keys for Eclain’s vice-grip and tossing them to him.

Is this Elhisia or Darlina? I pondered, not sure what to think.

“HE KILLED DEALTH!” Someone shouted from outside of the corridor.

“GONZADA SAID JUST TO KILL HIM!”

THAT BASTARD! I growled to myself, rolling to left, dodging an onslaught of bullets that filtered through the shattered plywood. None of them hit me, as their shots were wild as they fired blindly.

I spied my left, ensuring these bastards were too scared to charge in, but boy was I wrong. Two men charged in, eyes tracing the room. I didn’t fire, because I couldn’t get an angle on them. So I kept low, then switched my vision to Echo-Sight, to track their movements.

I retreated into the building, passing heaps of trash, cans and even a small bird’s nest nestled into the corner of a room, keeping myself low but mostly quiet.

“COME OUT YOU PIECE OF SHIT YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL ONE OF US AND HIDE!”

That’s what I’m doing…dipshit.

I switched on Echo-Sight, then watched ripples of sound emanate like a heartbeat with each step these bastards made.

As I didn’t have in my earplugs, Echo-Sight wasn’t as accurate as I used my cybernetic ear for all the feedback. Ripples began to spread, showing that these men were separating from each other.

On the far end, to the right, someone was heading up a flight of stairs, and based on the way they moved. I assumed it was Eclain.

I made my way to the right, following his path, then crept up a small staircase heading in the direction of Eclain

“BEHIND YOU!” Eclain shouted.

I snap back, firing fired three shots at the wall, watching the bullets fizzle through and hit one of these bastards in the chest. Four men left. I mused.

Feet thumped as the men that were once separated began to head in the direction in which the bullets came from.

The room I was in, was small and filled with trash. I did what I thought was the smartest thing, diving into the trash, whilst I saw Eclain heading to the left of the building from the corner of my eye.

I switched my eye to X-Ray through the trash and inhaled deeply, as my heartbeat thumped within my chest. Four men bypassed the pile of trash I’d placed myself in and stalked their way in Eclain’s direction.

Once they rounded a corner, I kicked myself up, switching my X-Ray vision off, then headed in the opposite direction by sliding across the desk.

The moment I hit the ground. I realised the bastards had caught wind of me, then turned their attention from Eclain to me. Shit…

I dove into a room, feeling a bullet graze my right shoulder. I ducked behind a steel beam, firing blindly with my left hand, then switched over to a pillar

“I heard about you” One of them growled!

“Who are you!?” I growled, not expecting an answer.

“It doesn’t matter who we are. It just matters that your dead!” He howled.

A riddle of my bullets hit the pillar, forcing me to squirm. I switched to Echo-Sight hoping to follow in the footsteps, but with the pillar flaking behind me, making it for me to decipher where the bastard was.

“TO YOUR LEFT!” Eclain growled.

I stepped back, keeping myself out of the bastard’s vision, then switched to my X-Ray sight, firing my wrist into his stomach, making him drop his pistol in one.

I sprang from my position, heading towards him, kicking him in the face, collectively knocking him out. I scanned the entire error, ensuring no one else crept in on us and was more than happy to see that no one else was around.

Then I heard a loud boom from behind me, which made me snap back, pistol raised. Eclain had dropped one of them to the ground, burying his fist into his jaw. Once he’d finished I looked at him pensively.

Shit…

I jumped to the side, raising my pistol and watched as Eclain’s eyes did the same. I squeezed the trigger of my pistol and heard the hammer pound twice as I did so. The bullets zipped past Eclain like the wind, whilst he too, fired at me, but also passed me by.

Two men sagged to the ground on opposing sides, and so did I. Someone was behind me? I groaned, pushing myself up, feeling the struts from my cybernetics strain as I did so.

“Nice shot,” Eclain said calmly. I turned around, noticing the man lie on the ground eyes filled with death, then turned to Eclain. “You as well.”

I took a deep gulp, feeling as my body began to feel drained as if I’d be fighting a war for three days straight. I had been, it was mental, till two days ago and now body just wanted to quit…but I couldn’t.

“You know these bastards?” I asked, noticing how Eclain nodded at their corpse as if he were familiar with them.

“Of course,” Eclain said. “That’s Rakargo and that’s Ferlno.” He said pointing through the window, which had another body outside.

“Who are they?”

“Known associates of your friend Gonzada.” He said ruefully.

That stung, but he had a right to speak his mind. I’d been antagonising him for months.

“How are they, associates?”

Eclain chuckled a low howl, shaking his head then eyed me. “Former officers fired for corruption. Gonzada was once part of their clique.”

“What happened?

“Standard stuff, fired under the last Commissioner, but Gonzada survived due to some technicality.”

“Technicality?”

“Lack of evidence Commissioner Hexan told me.”

Of course, she did, she could’ve at least told me that as well…but now my family’s gone. Fuck!

The urge to ask Eclain why he didn’t say anything before. He could’ve! This bullshit could’ve been avoided if I’d known Gonzada was a piece of shit. God damn it!

Instead, I pursed my lips and began snatching up their pistol and clips. I looked up Eclain, who didn’t budge or move but simply eyed me, unbothered. He’d just been in a shoot out, chained up and came out alive.

No stray bullet hit him.

I had to admit the bastard was lucky and tough as nails, but I honestly didn’t know what my next step would be. I pulled out the crystalline phone that Akatani gave me, and still no word for the bastard. It was coming up to two days since we spoke and I was getting quite antsy.

“I have a proposition for you,” I said firmly.

“I’m all ears, but I can’t say I’ll agree to it, after all, you just tried to kill me,” Eclain said calmly, tone laced in ice.

“Kill? Like they just did? Sounds like an exaggeration.”

“Exaggeration my ass Cypher! You accused me of colluding with that piece of shit Akatani to kidnap your daughter! HELL, if I were you in your shoes I’D KILL ME TOO!”

I turned to Eclain, my jaw sore from grinding my teeth. I didn’t want to admit I was wrong, and how ROYALLY I fucked things up, but fuck. I needed his help, I NEEDED someone’s help I couldn’t do this alone. I couldn’t keep Akatani at bay and deal with a vulture-like Gonzada at the same time.

“I messed up Eclain…royally. I trusted that piece of shit and now my family’s in danger, but I need your help. I’m willing to pay…will you help me?”

He turned to me flustered. I could see the brain computing the information. Thinking, if he should help me. If I were him…I’d probably put a bullet in my own I mused, but I’m a rabid dawg right now. So anything could set me off.

“100K in credits,” Eclain said softly.

“Done.”

“That easy for huh? Maybe I should charge 200K then.”

“The price doesn’t matter. I just need you to keep an eye out for Gonzada and let me know when he’s on the move, can you find him?”

“Of course, some people I know still keep in contact with some of his associates,” Eclain said, nodding slowly.

“What’s your account number?” I asked. “8963214*326”

I sent 250K in credits to the account, then watched Eclain fish into his pocket pulling out a rectangle-like device. He tapped a few buttons on the screen, then closed his eyes as he nodded. “Thank you.” He said softly, then left with saying another word.

Is that enough? I mused to myself, the man’s daughter’s about to die…there must be something I could do, to at least push him to help.

If I was Eclain, I wouldn’t be as motivated to help someone like me. Yes, we survived a gunfight together, but all the mental cursing and petty fights we had couldn’t be erased with credits alone.

I knew that, and so did Eclain.

I left the building, walking over one of the carcasses and heading down the staircase. A gust of wind ran up the stairs and the grass that had formed in the creases of the walls rustled.

Compared to the rest, the building was covered in grass, but that’s how I wanted it. Still, I was found. How did that bastard find me though? I pondered.

The walk from out of the building and through the ruined state of Old Bridge City gave me thought of what could’ve happened, but all that passed through my mind was how hostile everyone treated Gonzada within the department and I ignored it.

It was a red flag and I just ignored it. I let the bias of how dirty these cops were got to me. I assumed Gonzada was good, because of well mannered he was and how approachable he was compared to the rest.

Missing all the signs, when they were RIGHT THERE? I truly was a fool and because of it. I got what I deserved…but be assured, this isn’t the end of it.

It took me two hours before getting out of Bridge City on foot. Taking a cab would’ve been easier, but I had to gather my thoughts. I had to think. I had to figure out what my next move would be. Should I go after Gonzada? Or should I just wait for Akatani’s call?

I pushed it by helping the rest save Elhisia, but now, I know I didn’t have that luxury right now. Time was limited and I don’t know what Akatani wanted me to get which, was even more frustrating than I could imagine.

Dangling my wife and daughter in front of me, truly was deplorable, but what could I expect from a piece of shit like him? Nothing….nothing at all I thought bitterly.

The worst of it all was I could remember Shin-Lee’s face as she looked at me, barely moving. She shook her head when I asked about Hannah, meaning…and hoping she was good, but without being able to see her for myself. I couldn’t BARE not know!

Incoming Call…

“Cypher…” I growled.

“Never expected you to answer,” Gonzada said snidely.

“Why? Expected me to be dead from little goon squad?”

“Yeah actually, though they’d do you in and good too.”

“They did themselves in Gonzada, just like what I’m about to do to you when I get my hands you.”

“You can’t do shit Cypher, I’m an officer of the law!”

“You’re the officer of your god damn GRAVE when I’m done with you.”

“Careful now, I could write you up for threatening an officer of the law.”

I growled a laugh and balled my hands into a face, and just imagined what I’d do to this bastard when I get my hands on him. “Let’s see if those fingers work by the time I’m finished with ‘em.”

“Empty threats Cypher. You know you’re nothing but a fucking grunt who shot up Latrinians. HELL, you even went picked up one from the fucking trash heap and married her. Get yourself a halfbreed little cunt running around your place, wanna call it home. YOU AIN’T NOTHING BOY!”

The world went red, and so did my anger. My heart pumped in a vigorous manner I had never felt before. Gonzada disrespected my wife and daughter. He made them out to be nothing but trash in his eyes.

“…is that so?” I laughed, not having any other emotion to show. I don’t know what it was, but I heard a hysterical laugh resonate into my ears. I wasn’t sure whether the laugh came from me or Gonzada, but when it stopped, my mind was clear as day. “Be seeing you Gonzada,” I said softly, ending the call.