Deus Ex Human Revolution: Shadow's Showdown

Chapter 10: The sky won't fall forever.

Detroit – Park / Laura's Apartment.

Laura didn't come home, she ran straight ahead, ignoring the raging car horns. One of the cars nearly hit her, but she didn't even care. She showed the driver her middle finger and walked away. After maybe a quarter later auburn-haired girl found herself in a park lit by the dim light of street lamps. An oasis of peace amidst the concrete colossi. A solitude for her shattered soul. Everything that Laura needed now. Walking down the pebbly path she found an empty bench nearthe edge of a small pond and sat down on it heavily. The girl focused her gaze at one randomlychosen point and stayed like this. After a long moment, she leaned slightly forward, resting her elbows onher thighs, and looked down at the pebbles. She was angry with herself because she couldn't contain her emotions and reactions. Adam shouldn't have seen all of this. He shouldn't have seen her weak and scared. He'll probably ask questions, or at least starts to wonder why. That won't help her at all. Everything was fucked up just like her whole life. Laura was shaken and completely lost. In a fallen silence sound of the incoming message was as loud as a shout. Reluctantly, she reached for the smartphone to her trouser pocket and checked what could it be this time.

„It won't rain all the time

The sky won't fall forever

And though the night seems long

Your tears won't fall forever„

There was no visible number or sender name. After all these strange events, she should be scared, but somehow the words calmed her down. The auburn-haired girl looked around the area, but no one else was there. It was getting late, so she went back home whether she wanted to or not. Without even taking off her shoes, Laura immediately turned on her laptop and tried to track down the sender. After a long and fruitless struggle, she cursed quietly. The trail had gone cold. For lack of any focal point, she had to give up further digging into the subject. She just wondered if the sender of the message had anything to do with the Red_Dragon.

She didn't step to the window today. The sight of Adam would only worsen her condition. Laura was already thinking about what will happen tomorrow when she comes to the company and how she will avoid a confrontation with the Chief of Security. She decided to call Frank. He doesn't sleep anyway, so he won't complain about the late hour. Apparently, Pritchard could read her mind because the phone started ringing before she even reached for it.

"Laura! Listen carefully cause I'll say it only once. I feel lousy and won't be at the company tomorrow."

"Could this be the salvation I crave?" She thought and decided not to interrupt him.

"Are you there?! Say something!" he said irritably.

"Yeah, and I'm listening," she replied.

"Well, all right then. Tomorrow morning you will take your computer and all the things you need, then come to my place. We'll work outside the company. On the way, you will drop by my office and copy the exact data. The details and address are in the e-mail."

"OK, the mail has arrived. I'll be there tomorrow, bye! "

"Just don't dawdle and don't treat it like a school trip!"

For the first time, she wanted to kiss him. Sitting with Pritchard at his house is a hundred times better than lurking around every corner with soul on her shoulder. His whining will be like music to her. The biggest problem will be getting into the boss's office, but maybe she'll make it in time before Jensen arrives. Before she went to bed, she had copied the attachment from the e-mail onto her phone and packed a spare laptop, which only held files about the company.