Children of the Virus

31: Neon Negotiations

Pawel's figure emerged from the dusty haze like a specter, his eyes wild with fear. As he approached Baz, Toshiro, and Ren outside Ivan's home, his voice trembled with an urgency that sliced through the still air.

"What's wrong? Where's Alex?" His words clawed at them, desperate, demanding an answer Toshiro dreaded to give.

Toshiro's throat tightened, the weight of the news pressing down on him like a heavy cloak. He exchanged a glance with Baz, who nodded grimly, a silent signal to proceed. Taking a shallow breath, he met Pawel's gaze, the intensity tethering him to the spot.

"Alex...we know where he is," Toshiro began, softly. Each word was a careful step on treacherous ground.

Pawel's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles whitening. "And?" The single syllable held a world of hope and fear.

"But he's been taken," Toshiro continued, the gravity of the situation settling in his gut like lead. "A bounty hunter has him. They're heading for Beirut."

The silence that followed was deafening. Pawel stared, uncomprehending, as if the words spoken were in a foreign language. Then, as the meaning seeped into his consciousness, his face crumpled. The father before them seemed to fracture, lines of anguish etching themselves deep into his features.

"No..." The denial was a strangled sound, barely escaping Pawel's lips before his knees buckled. He fell to the ground, a man broken by the weight of Zo's cruelty, his sobs carving echoes into the surrounding landscape.

Baz moved to support Pawel, but Toshiro held up a hand, signaling him to wait. This outpouring of grief was raw, personal—a moment between a father and the unforgiving universe that had claimed his son.

Toshiro knelt beside Pawel, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, feeling the tremors that racked the man's body.

"Pawel," he said, his voice strong and resolute amid the despair. "I've promised you I would rescue Alex no matter what it takes." He searched Pawel's eyes for a flicker of belief. "Do you still have faith in me?"

Pawel lifted his head, his eyes glazed with tears, yet within them smoldered a spark of something fierce. "My poor Alex," was all he could muster, a whisper torn from a father's heart.

"Look at me, Pawel," Toshiro urged, his grip tightening. "Do you trust me? Do you believe I can save him?"

A moment passed, heavy as eternity, before Pawel seemed to find his anchor in Toshiro's steady gaze. "I know that you'd go to great lengths to save him, even if it meant risking your own life."

"Indeed, he would," Baz added, his voice carrying a weight of conviction that bolstered the promise.

Their attention turned to Ren as she stood there, letting out a pained cry, caught in the throes of her affliction. Her arms flailed, seeking something unseen, her face contorted in digital agony.

"Ren!" Toshiro called out, moving toward her, but Pawel stopped him with an outstretched arm.

"Let me," Pawel said, his voice now steady with resolve. He approached Ren, his face etched with concern as he observed her struggle against the invisible forces that tormented her. "What happened to her?"

Baz recounted the harrowing car chase, detailing Toshiro's brush with death and the shocking discovery of spyware infecting Ren.

"How is that possible?" Pawel asked.

Baz's response was hesitant and uncertain. "We're not sure," he admitted, before stepping forward and producing a small blue metallic disc from his palm. "Can you look after her while we look for a solution?" His request was earnest, underscored by the urgency of their mission.