Arrogance: Volume One of Ebb & Flow

Chapter 11 - The Docks

We hop in my truck, heading toward the city of Crimton. For the first time in our friendship, Aubrey has nothing to say. She's quiet and reserved; her phone isn't even out. I turn on the radio to fill the silence; anxiety tends to fester if left alone. The last thing I need is for her to chicken out before we get there. Some generic-sounding house music is playing—ideal for zoning out on a long drive. The thirty minutes pass quickly, and I see the sign for Crimton as I turn off the highway. I lower the music and finally address my silent passenger.

"Alright, where are we headed? We can't just drive around looking for crimes in my truck."

"Head over to the docks."

Crimton's Docks used to be the biggest supplier of jobs a couple of decades ago. Dozens of shipping freighters went through several dozen massive warehouses daily to house all the goods. All that stopped when a fight between a group of Cowls and Capes tore through them, and the city shut it down. The loss of hundreds of jobs meant a lot of angry laid-off workers, who, over time, turned to crime—so many directionless people with nothing to do but band together in smaller groups that struggle for power. Prostitution, robbery, assault, drugs, and murder, Crimton has it all. The good news is anything we do here is unlikely to get the cops called. I am free to do whatever I deem necessary tonight. This place is a lawless zone full of people who will never be missed.

I park my truck behind an abandoned convenience store across from the opening to the docks. The convenience store has been stripped down to nothing but the walls. The windows and doors are gone, and everything is covered in copious graffiti. I turn the engine off and look at Aubrey. She's in the process of putting her wasp helmet on. I hadn't noticed before, but her outfit has a theme. She's wearing yellow leggings, black boots, and a leather jacket, really leaning into the wasp motif. We wait silently; I check my phone and see we've been parked for thirty minutes.

"Aubrey, do you not have a plan?" I asked.

She doesn't respond immediately, and when she does, it's changed by the helmet. "No, I have a plan. And that plan is to wait until a crime is being committed, and I'll rush over and stop it."

She is a moron. How, after three weeks, do you not have a plan? Does she believe that idealism and hope will carry her through a fight? Any hopes of being able to hang back and watch are lost to the wind. If I let her go out there, there is a chance she will die. It's unfortunate that there isn't a webpage for local criminals. I would have liked more information about the movers and shakers. Crimton isn't a large enough city to have a Heroes' Union or a BNA office, so I'm going into this blind.

Is my need for excitement and emotions causing me to take an unnecessary risk? As someone who doesn't have to worry about making emotional responses, I should be able to produce clinically precise decisions in every scenario. But now I find myself sitting in a vacant parking lot with a carefree idiot and no plan in sight. Neither of us has any tactical gear or protection. If this goes poorly, tonight could be Aubrey's first and last night as a Cape. A slight tingle passes through me at the thought. Regardless of Aubrey's naivete, I cannot back down now. All human beings are inherently selfish, and unlike other people, I have nothing to counteract my selfishness. If this city burns, I won't bat an eye if it can give me what I want. Nothing and no one will get in my way of gathering more pieces.

My phone reads eight-thirty. I would've thought the Crimton docks would be a hive of criminal activities. Not that crime has business hours, but we haven't seen another person. From what I know about this place, there should be at least a few addicts purchasing drugs. Something is different about tonight. I roll down my window, and the scent of garbage and wet cigarettes fills the air. I've never liked the smell of tobacco, and after the party, I'm not in any hurry to inhale smoke anytime soon. Aubrey hasn't said a word since she answered me, and I'm not hurrying to break the silence.