Salvation 2035

Chapter 45- Clues

『Lindy』

     "I can't believe you actually tracked him down," I congratulate Richard. "I knew you had connections... but this is insane."

     "When I put my mind to something, I get it done," he brags. "Now all we have to do is wait."

     I don't know how many times I've said this, but Richard, on the surface, seems pretty dumb. The last little while I've spent with him, all stemming from what I thought was the simple task of tracking down Tsuki (which has somehow eluded us), has really opened my eyes. I wonder, how long has he been planning this? By 'this' I mean raising a revolution. How long was he thinking of pulling me into this? Whatever the case is, it looks like our target has arrived. It's great that there's a ton of abandoned cities around- it makes for a great place to hide away from all the surveillance. Richard is wearing a full-face mask to conceal his identity. He really likes playing the role of the vigilante, huh.

     "Are you Raphael?" I ask the young man who just parked the car.

     "Sure am," he walks over to me. "Who might you be?"

    "Lindy," I respond. "Do you have the target?"

     "I do, but there's a slight problem," Raphael shifts nervously. "Well, actually, you did say you preferred the target to be alive, so I'm not sure how big of a deal this might be."

     "You killed him?" I inquire.

     "Not me directly, but that's a long story," Raphael dismisses my question. "Take a look for yourself."

      He opens up the trunk to reveal the lifeless body of the man known as Thomas Batts. I'm no doctor, so I have no idea what possibly could have done him in.

     "Age was not kind to him," Richard comments.

     "What happened to him?" I ask.

     "Stun gun or something," Raphael shrugs.

     "That old bastard probably had a heart attack." Richard scoffs. "Good riddance."

      "Well, I guess you did bring him to us, which was all we asked," I conclude. "Let's sort out the payment, then."

     "Wait a sec, don't you have a partner?" Richard stops him. "Should they be here to collect the money too?"

     "Ah, he couldn't be here," Raphael stares away, wistfully. "You guys have connections all over the place right? I mean, you reached out to me, after all."

      "Yeah, what about it?" Richard quires.

     "How about I just collect half of the payment if you help me track down someone," he requests.

     "We're busy people, sorry," Richard shrugs. "It's less of a hassle if you just take it all."

     "I understand, but," he rummages around in his jacket for something. "If you see this guy, let me know." He hands me a picture.

     I freeze for a moment. "How... how did you get this?"

     "I have connections, just not enough," Raphael reaches out for the photo, but I refuse to give it back.

    "What do you want with him?" I ask firmly.

     "He's a friend of mine, but I've lost track of him again," he laments. "Actually, he was my partner for the job we just did, but he said he had to go north. I just want to know he's safe, that's all."

     "You know Tsuki?" I breathe. Richard looks over my shoulder at the picture. We exchange shocked glances.

     "Yeah, when we were teenagers we used to hang out," Raphael reminisces. "How do you know him, anyway?"

     "He was like a son to me," I study the photo carefully. It seems relatively recent. His look seems a lot more subdued than it used to be, but it's expected since he was in prison, after all.

     "I see," a soft smile appears on Raphael's face. "I'm guessing we share a common goal then."

     "Did he say where he was going?" I inquire.

      "He just said he was heading north," he shrugs. "I know he doesn't want to stick around here, so it makes sense that he'd try to leave. I tried to tell him that very soon, things would change, but he wasn't convinced."

     "What do you mean by 'things will change'?" Richard cuts in.

     "The way this country operates," Raphael tells him. "There have only been whispers, but they're clear nonetheless. The first step- whatever that may be, is supposed to happen in the next two days. After that, apparently, everything will be clear to us."

     "You won't be disappointed," Richard assures him.

     "So you know too, huh?" Raphael questions.

     "Of course," Richard nods. "Remember to keep quiet about it."

     "I know the revolution is important, but right now I'm concerned about Tsuki, so can we please address the current situation?" I interrupt.

     "Well, all I know is that he's headed north," Raphael confesses. "Oh, and his hair's black now."

      "I guess it's the best lead I've had in a while, so I'm grateful," I thank him. "The thing is, I don't remember Tsuki ever mentioning your name to me."

     "Oh, back then my name was 'Curtis'," he informs me. "I changed it when I ran away from home."

     "Curtis!" I recall the name instantly. "You treated his cigarette burns, right?" I remember almost everything Tsuki told me. I was always very attentive to him. Also, I kept a journal back then, and recently have been sifting through it for any leads that could possibly help track him down. The memory of that particular incident begins to diffuse through my mind, painting a vivid picture. It isn't a particularly happy one.

      "Yeah, that was me!" He seems shocked that I remembered.

     "Well, thank you for taking care of him," I beam. "It goes without saying that you can trust us to find him. I mean, we've already been trying, but he's good at staying hidden."

      "Then I guess my work here is done," Raphael smiles, heading back to his car. "We'll meet again, yeah?"

     "Of course," I assure him. Raphael then drives away, leaving myself, Richard, and the body.

     "Well, this has been a good day!" he exclaims. "I was hoping to smack this bastard around a bit, but I guess this saves me some time. Oh, and with Martin dead, old man Crystal will be a mess, which is perfect! It's also great to know that we've got talented people backing us. This'll be the smoothest revolution in the history of all revolutions!"

     "Yeah." I wish I could share in his enthusiasm, but I can only think about Tsuki right now.

     "I'll tell Nao all of the good news, especially the part about her little bro being out there!" He disappears off to some other place.

     Soon, I'll be able to see Tsuki again. It's been so long... will he even recognize me? I didn't really change too much, but still. The day he got those cigarette burns was one of the last days I saw him. So many heartbreaking things happened then... I pray that he's doing better.