Farisia Rising

Warehouse

They hit the ground floor and took a side exit around to the garage.

And they would've made it in record time, had a morbid discovery in the alley not stopped them. A homeless man stood aghast in the cobbled corridor, staring up at something. When Reggie followed his gaze, he spotted a mutilated body about ten feet up, pinned to the wall. Blood ran down the bricks like seepage from a cliff facing.

He was still studying the scene, when a voice jostled him. "You've seen some things, young man." He flicked his eyes over, to the raggedy hobo.

"What?"

"That, or yer a psychopath," his ruddy cheeks plumped as he grinned. He had checkerboard teeth.

"Not this again," Reggie rolled his eyes, "What is it with old men in wifebeaters playing armchair psychologist?"

"Yanno. Psychopaths are like cats."

"Cats?" Eva blinked.

"Meow," the old man stuck his index fingers up to each side of his head, to mimic ears.

"Any more elaboration you'd like to give on that?" Reggie grunted, with deadpan disinterest.

"Nyah. Psychopaths are like cats. When you stop feeding them, they go somewhere else." The old man hobbled closer, an unnerving lurch in his walk. "Advice for the lady."

Reggie's eye twitched. I oughtta deck you. Who do you think you—

"When they nuke us again, it'll be your kind that survives," the old man said. "You'll run the world as you see fit. And only those you favor will pros-purr. See what I did there?"

"Can I kill him?" Reggie asked Eva.

She shook her head.

"Youuu have a hand up," he was back to addressing her. "Feed. Him. Well."

"Let's just go," Reggie moved to shuffle her away. But something caught his eye. There was a small scrap of paper, folded and tucked into a crack in the brick. He pulled it out and unfolded it.

"Angie's," was all it read.

Of course they'd know the coordinates of everywhere I've been. I must've led them right to the warehouse. Angie's a rebel asset, so odds are when they find her, she's not long for this world. Cateye likely left the note when she killed this poor sap, and gauging from the blood, that was maybe twenty, thirty minutes ago. I honestly...don't think she banked on us finding it this early. 

From here to Angie's would take about forty minutes, traffic accounted. Killing everyone inside would take maybe twenty, and in theory, she'd be too distracted to check where I was in that time... So if we start there now maybe we can stop her, or at least catch her in the act— That is, if she's doing it in the order I think she is. Her writing looks messy, rushed, like the idea had just occurred. Chances are iffy. Still—

"We're not actually gonna do it, are we?" Eva squeaked.

"This is getting annoying," he darkened, pocketing the note. "I think I'll indulge our dear stalker."

She was livid. "You cannot let her lure you into a warehouse filled with explosives! No telling what she's planning!"

"If we go now, I think she'll be there," Reggie predicted. "And I doubt she'd detonate anything if it meant her dying too." There was a rumor of a smile on his lips. "But me—I don't have that problem."

Eva stiffened. "Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it does."

"We'll see what it means," he shrugged. "Now let's get to the car."