OPERATION: YOUNGBLOOD | Peterick

Chapter 10

Patrick confirmed his credit card information and printed out the ticket. His flight to Osaka was in exactly one week.

There was so much more to do besides booking a flight. Patrick didn't even remotely know where the hell he was going to stay and where he was going to be searching. He knew he needed to begin the research, but the couch just looked so comfortable. Just a little break, he told himself.

An accidental hour long nap later, Patrick finally pushed himself up to eat something and sit down on Google Maps. He spent the afternoon clicking and dragging and making notes on possible base locations. There were a few suspicious areas and old buildings that caught his eye. Granted, those pictures haven't been updated in years, but it was worth a shot.

Patrick decided it was time to take the research books back. He dropped them all in the passenger seat of his car and drove off to of the library.

When they were checked in, Patrick realized he was going in general direction of his sister's house. They hadn't seen each other in awhile, and he decided it was time to pay her a visit. Especially since it could be his last.

He arrived in less than a half hour and prayed that she would be home. He didn't give her any warning of showing up on her doorstep, but she still answered the door and grinned widely when she saw her brother.

"How are you Patrick? It's been awhile, you look great!"

"I'm good, and thanks, same for you."

The two smiled sweetly at each other until Megan realized Patrick was not going to say anything more. Her joyous look faded and she rubbed at his shoulders where her hands sat.

"What's wrong Patrick?" He fiddled with his fingers.

"Can we sit?"

Megan handed one of the steaming mugs of coffee to Patrick and kept the other for herself. She sat down on the leather couch across from her brother and pushed the long hair behind her ear.

"So what's been going on?"

"...I'm going to Japan next week." She seemed taken back that it wasn't something worrying like a terminal illness.

"Okay...why come all the way here to just tell me about your trip?"

"It's not exactly a trip," he continued. "It's for work. Well, kinda."

"What do you mean 'kinda?'" She seemed more concerned than before.

"I uhh...got put on suspension." Her eyebrows shot up. "But I was so attached to this case I couldn't drop it just like that. I've been doing a little more research and I'm going to Japan to bust the guys involved."

"How are you going to do all of that if you were put on suspension? Isn't that, like, illegal? And why are you suspended? What happened to my goody two shoes brother?"

Both of them chuckled lightly and Patrick rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well uhh, it's kind of a funny story actually."

He retold the awful story, but surprisingly didn't feel as bitter about all of it that time. Megan paid full attention and nodded and responded at the appropriate points. She didn't even seem phased about the guy on guy thing. Patrick made a mental note to talk about that with her later.

"So then where are you going in Japan? Is Pete going with you?"

"Oh god no!" Patrick laughed with disgust. "I haven't talked to him since the suspension and I definitely don't plan to."

"Okay so then who will you be going with?"

"Nobody." Megan opened her mouth to speak but Patrick cut her off. "And don't give me the lecture, I already got shit from Joe. I'll be fine."

Megan looked at him sadly but nodded her head. Patrick felt an instant pang of guilt. She was only looking out for him.

"But, I kind of wanted to come here to let you know where I would be if I don't come back."

"Patrick-"

"No, listen. It's always a possibility, and honestly this is a big risk. I'm not going to go see Mom, but if something happens to me, tell her...y'know...that I love her and all."

She nodded sadly again and got up to give her brother a hug. They held each other tight in the embrace and Patrick could feel his shoulder dampening. When they pulled away he wiped the the tears off of his sister's cheek.

"Be careful, promise?"

Patrick nodded and sniffled. "I promise."

When he returned home, Patrick punched in Joe's number into his phone and sat on the couch while it rang. His best friend picked up moments later and Patrick took a breath to start into what he said to his sister.

"Hi Joe."

"Hey Patrick, what can I do you for?"

"I just wanted to uhh...to ask if you could take over things for me if I don't come back from Japan." Patrick could practically hear Joe's smile drop.

"Hey, I don't want to hear you talking like that."

Patrick sighed. "I know, but it's always a possibility. I can't take any chances. I've already told my sister, but that's it. I don't want the rest of my family to be worried about me."

"Yet it's okay for me to be worried about you?" Joe retorted. Patrick rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean." He ran his fingers through this hair. "Anyway, everything should already be settled in case something happens. I just want someone 'official' basically."

"Alright alright," Joe agreed. "But there's a catch."

Patrick sucked in a breath.

"You have to call me every night, or at any time if something doesn't seem right. I have the right to stay updated."

Patrick shrugged. It wasn't as bad as he thought. "That's fair."

"And one more thing," Joe added. "You have to email me all of your trip information. Your flight details, like the plane, and the time, and basically everything on the ticket. What city you'll be in, what hotel you'll be staying at, everything."

"Why would you need all of that?" Patrick scoffed.

He hesitated a little bit. "...Like you said, just in case anything happens. If they need information to figure something out, I've got it."

"Seems a little much, but whatever you need in return."

The two finished the conversation and Joe reminded him once more to be safe and be smart. Patrick agreed without rolling his eyes and hung up with the promise to send his friend all of the information. He found a possible hotel but waited on booking it in case anything changed. He still let Joe know anyway.

Patrick went up to his bedroom and decided to start planing what to pack for his trip to Osaka.