There’s not a single pair of eyes on me.

Even among the people monitoring the area, none of them seem to pay any extra attention to the two of us walking into the rubble, where once stood the heart of this city.

Perhaps it’s Alfred’s presence. His long stride steps evenly behind me, despite the rough surface we stand atop. Stone and concrete, that’s impossible to tell which floor it came from.

We enter further into the ruins, beyond the view of all the other staff. I look to the side, then scan my way around. Every direction looks the exact same. Just gray with shadows. Finding nothing of particular interest, I come to a stop in the shade of the one ‘wall’ still left standing, away from the clear noon sky.

Turning around, Alfred stands waiting, his heavy trench coat still in the low autumn breeze.

“Remind me,” I begin, “How long do we have here?”

Alfred checks his wristwatch.

“Eight more minutes, on the dot.”

I look away at the sun.

“That’s eight minutes too long then. I didn’t think there’d be a whole lot we could find. Coming here only confirmed that.”

I’m given no immediate reply, so I study the area another time. But once again, all I see is rocks. He did a thorough job as always.

“Why not have a look anyways. Never know what we might find.”

Alfred says. I turn my side to face him.

“Our time would be better used elsewhere. They’ve probably already searched the place many more times and with many more people.”

Alfred nods once, looking down at the ground in front of him.

“Well, regardless, I think it would be best if we stayed our full time. Wouldn’t want them to think we don’t appreciate the opportunity.”

Hearing his thoughts, I place my hands in my coat pockets, and listen to the faint noises from the distance, as I prepare to stand for another few minutes.

My gaze wanders around the buildings still standing in the vicinity, and those that’ve fallen in the collateral. My thoughts can’t help but wander as well. After all these weeks, even reaching into months, I still find myself wondering what it was I thought I could accomplish before starting out. But it’s always been this way I suppose. He’s always been the one who decided how much I was allowed to know. I just hadn’t realized it back then.

“You know, Alfred, I’m actually kind of relieved,”

Alfred responds as a formality.

“And why’s that?”

“He’s been rather quiet for some time now. I was beginning to get a little worried that he no longer had it in him.”

“And by that you mean?”

I put off his question and return promptly with another one.

“Have you gotten back from them yet?”

Alfred knows almost intuitively what I’m asking about.

“No not yet.”

I give a silent sigh.

“Tell them it’s very important.”

“I’ll make note of that.”

“Also tell them to throw in this time’s list as well.” I tell him, though knowing fairly well that any attempt is most likely futile. But as if on queue, a soft buzzing disturbs the peace.

I remain completely silent as Alfred answers his phone. No matter how hard I try though, I can’t hear what’s being said on the other end.

“Yes.” He replies.

A long silence on his part follows.

“Of course.” He finally says. “We’ll be there.”

I watch him slip the phone back into his pocket, awaiting the news.

“They said there’s something important we need to see.”

I wait a few seconds after he speaks, expecting there to be something more.

“And the information I asked for?”

He shakes his head.

“Still nothing on that part.”

I look away once again, disappointed, but not surprised.

“Our train will be arriving in twenty minutes.”

Before stepping towards the path back, I take a final look over my shoulder.

“You know, Alfred, I never had the motivation to be better than him before.”

I say, as I turn around to face him.

“But I think I’ve found it now. So that’s why, it’s good to know that he’s back.”

----------------------------------

A young man and a woman come to meet us at the front of the busy station. Alfred hands the man our two small suitcases, and he quickly disappears into the crowd.

Following the woman’s lead we step our way up the wide stairs leading up to the station entrance. I tuck the paper I was reading into my pocket before entering the front door.

We’re quickly brisked away to the front of the line, where our guide parts.

There’s an array of staff standing at long makeshift tables, going through the belongings of each passenger, before sending them on their way. Alfred nudges me forward, having gotten caught up in the commotion.

We walk straight down the aisle, earning a moment of attention from a few of the nearby passengers, but not a single one of the staff.

As we enter the waiting lobby, the density of the crowd drops significantly, and I’m finally able to get a good look at the station.

A tall glass domed ceiling, and a second floor with restaurants and other kinds of shops. The sunlight from above shines off the marble floor. People scatter like ants up, down, and across the floors. Quite the sight, but I’ve come to expect nothing less, especially for a station in a major area like this.

There are a total of sixteen waiting docks, eight on each side.

I follow Alfred to the seventh dock on the left. All the seats in the waiting area are full, but the attendant there notices our arrival, opening the gate down to the train platforms and directing us downward. Alfred gives the attendant a nod as we pass by.

We head down the steps, leading to the wide expanse of rows of platforms, raised from the ground and the rails in between them. Alfred puts out his right hand before we’re off the stairs, signalling the side we’ll be waiting on. I follow him to the near empty portion of the platform. The other side packed with passengers awaiting another train’s arrival.

Standing in the shadow of the floor above us, we wait without a word between us. The sun’s heat doesn’t reach where we stand. The cold isn’t something I’m not used to, but even through my thick winter coat, there’s a chill that spreads all over.

I take my hands out of my pockets and hold them up to my breath. I can feel them warming up, but it’s only then I realize I still can’t move my fingers.

From the distance, I can hear a train approaching. Then another.

Not a minute later, a gust of air comes from behind. And just as the bags behind us begin to rise, and the passengers begin to shuffle about, there’s a second wind, as a train pulls in on the rails in front of us.

The door to one of the two passenger cars opens, and an attendant stands waiting on the other side.

Alfred steps forward. He’s already at the doorway when I remember to move. But right before I do, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

“You dropped this.”

A voice from behind says to me.

It’s a familiar voice, but one I haven’t heard in too long.

I take the folded piece of paper from the hand by my side.

The voice speaks again, but in a soft whisper.

“I’ll be at the capitol next. In the meantime, my sister will be looking for you. Don’t trust her.”

I put the paper back in my pocket, then quickly swivel around.

But all I see are the backs of a crowd.