Final Fantasy VII: Reflections - Book 1: Descent

SEVENTEEN

I sat in Reeve's car as we drove down the highway. There wasn't too much traffic at this time of night. Not that I cared. Pain was all I knew, the terrible ache of loss throbbed dully in my heart. Although my eyes were dry for the moment, I knew I hadn't done the last of my crying. It threatened to overwhelm me, grief as deep as what I'd felt when I'd lost my mom. Now... Kunsel was gone, too.

"You're taking me away from my life again," I sighed bitterly.

Reeve kept driving. "I know. I'm sorry..."

My hands clenched into fists as I sat in the front passenger seat, the hurt and sadness giving way to anger. Why was this happening again? I didn't understand it, the injustice of it, the unfairness of it all. I put my head in my hands for a moment, hating my father and Shinra for what they'd so cruelly taken from me. The life I'd built in Sector 8, my career as an actress, my friends, my home, and most of all... Kunsel.

"Why didn't you warn me!?" I glared at Reeve.

I knew it wasn't his fault, but at the moment, I didn't care. The pain and anger swirling inside me needed an outlet, and he was the closest I could reach. Everything I'd known, everything I'd built for myself, had just been shattered and torn apart.

His voice was steady, but I knew he was hurting, too. "I would have done that, but I had no idea your father was on to you. Cait and I have been watching his activities for months, ever since you left Shinra, but he never gave any indication that he knew where you were. However, I wonder now if that's what I was supposed to see..."

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"Most of my surveillance was done on your father, to monitor how his search for you was progressing. But, unfortunately, I think he was a decoy. Your father knew, even while you were still there, that you and I were close, more than your normal boss and employee. He might have taken advantage of that, knowing that I would focus most of my spying on him—we all do it to each other to varying degrees, and we all know about it—and that I wouldn't be paying as much attention elsewhere as I should've been. Damn, I was such a fool..."

I thought I understood. "Scarlet. That bitch must've connected the dots after she saw me at LOVELESS. But why would she have waited so long to act? That was almost a year ago."

"Tonight's operation must've taken some planning," Reeve thought aloud. "I'm sure you saw how empty the streets were. They were trying to fence you in and pin you down. Remember, though, that Scarlet and your father have other responsibilities at Shinra. And once they figured out where you were and where you lived, there was no rush to go after you. You didn't have any reason to leave, after all."

"And every reason to stay," I muttered. "Scarlet must've set this up, knowing you'd have most of your attention on my father. They must've been counting on it. He's not smart enough to plan this out on his own, but Scarlet sure as hell is. And we fell for it."

Reeve sighed. "The important thing is that you're still alive."

My eyes narrowed. "But I've lost everything! Again! My home! My friends! My career! The man I love! All of it! I hate this! Why does this keep happening!? Why can't he just leave me alone!? Why couldn't you have seen what they were doing!? Why!? Why...?"

My voice broke then, and the tears came back, flooding my face as I sat there in Reeve's car and the life and love that I'd known fell further and further behind me. I cried until I was out of breath, and then I just kept quiet for the rest of the trip, emotionally drained and heartbroken as memories of better days filled my mind.

Eventually, we pulled onto an abandoned off ramp. Reeve used his Shinra ID card on the scanner to pass through the construction barrier that had been put up some time ago. This part of the elevated highway was still being built, but Shinra didn't seem to be in any hurry about it. We drove through and followed the road until it just stopped, hanging over the outer edge of the plate like the start of some invisible bridge to nowhere. It was the end of the line.