Beyond The Horizon

3. Lonely Universe

3. Lonely Universe

It only came as an afterthought, but Mike still asked anyway, for he had nothing better to do, trapped in this plain flat with a silent Kane who was deep in thought. "Are you still very much suicidal?"

"I- what? Sir, that's quite a speculation you've got there." Kane pulled a face, as if Mike just stuffed his mouth with flies. After an uncomfortable pause, he giggled feverishly. Mike found it hard to decide if that was funny or scary. "No, I can't wait to be an old man who's got only two teeth left, and no, I never wanted to die. Fuck, what a horrible first impression I've made for you to say that."

Jokes. Always one more joke waiting there, prepared for any question Mike threw at him. He was irritated enough to make an ugly move, snickering, "Alex once said the same thing. He believed you'd never leave without a goodbye. I guess people are just hard to predict, right Kane?"

The smirk on Kane's face was shattered by his words, which were made to be cruel. His eyes widened, failed to contain all the emotions in one blink. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"You have no idea how much my friend is suffering, and it's all because of you." Mike muttered loud enough for Kane to hear. He didn't really mean to blame him for Alex's stubbornness, but it was the quickest way to get the last missing piece he needed to finish this jigsaw. "You could have accepted my help back then and none of this would happen-"

"Oh, so this is about your ego." Miles' insult hit right at the darkest part of his soul. Mike stood up, glaring at the lanky, loathsome man. At this moment, Mike despised him. "You couldn't help me. Nobody could. If I was given a different choice, I'd fucking take it." His voice broke slightly, but quickly Kane collected himself, changing back to his careless persona. "Make yourself at home."

Mike heard the long echoing hoot of a busy road coming through the window, interrupted by the loud thump of Kane closing the bathroom door. He sat at the kitchen table, feeling quite like a fool for this meaningless fight with his "client". There wasn't even a reason for him to get emotionally involved. Maybe Kane was right: It was indeed about his dignity as an attorney, who had always believed his job was for the greater good. Even the idea of failing to help an innocent man was unbearable, so Mike rather believed Kane was a heinous crime.

Ashamed of his own thoughts, Mike returned to the challenges he was now facing. Technically, Kane wasn't lying about his "bosses", who might later come to visit Mike for the end of Kane's working contract. In March, the last man who once worked for Fox was caught, from whom they finally got a lead. It was surprisingly easy to locate the traitor in United Earth Government, whose name Kane claimed he could not remember. "I try not to pry, just in case they decide I know too much. My job's to find the remnants of Fox's men, but interrogations were left to others."

"I don't understand. In this case, what exactly do you need me for?"

"The incident with Al after Christmas was not something the UEG cared, you know? They treat him as a fucking monument. That's why I came to you first, because you care about him." Kane glanced up at him, seemingly unaffected by the fierce argument they just had. He was again curled up in his sofa on the other end of the room, giving Mike enough space to function.

"If I let them make a story out of me case, feed it to the public and all, I'm not going to live pass this year under the spotlight, you know. This curse will have Alex killed within a day if I die. See, it has made my life quite valuable."

Mike's head shot up. "That's not funny. Your life should be valued under all circumstances."

"I'm so moved, Sir." Said Kane with sarcasm dripping from his words. There was a short period of silence, which made the air viscous and thin for Mike to breath. He was being serious. Mike realized. Kane probably cared more about Alex's life than world peace.