Retrograde

Chapter 2 • Flash Drive

• Chapter Two •
Flash Drive

Cael took a detour. Instead of going home, he went to the bar first. He still looked shaken up as he sat on a bar stool, turning his glass of Hennessy around before downing what little of it was in there. There weren't many in the wood-featured bar, save for the bartender, Cael, the two people playing pool, and the resident drunk. Behind Cael was a flat-screen TV, showing a commercial for Trader Trust. 

"Greedy sons of bitches..." the bartender grumbled, gritting his teeth to the point it made Cael cringe. 

He pushed his empty glass away. "You are always complaining about something, Nash. So what is it for today?" Cael asked with mock interest. Nash scoffed, taking Cael's glass and cleaning it.

"I don't complain too much. You complain too little. You got too much goin' on in that brain o' yours. But look at this shit." Nash nods his spiked head at the TV, and Cael only looks over his shoulder long enough to see what it was without much care. 

"And?"

"And it's just another way the Rich are making money. I heard Trader Trust isn't a bank. It's a front for some cryptocurren-shit for the Syndicate and their people."

"So, you heard, you just don't have evidence?" Cael rose a brow in skepticism.

"At first I didn't believe it. I found this out a month ago from this dude who did this whole research thing on it. The fucker was singing like a canary until he disappeared two weeks later and then reappeared. The birdie was singing a different tune then, and his article disappeared. Total Big Brother vibes from that."

If Cael was convinced, he didn't show it. He waved it off. "You're right. I have too much going on in my brain."

"Yeah, I saw how you walked in here like you saw one of those super-freaks. What's going on with you today?" Nash's question made Cael go into his pocket, feeling the flash drive that he had pocketed.

Cael leaned towards the counter, resting his hands on top. "Swear that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

Nash looked around the bar, before leaning over the counter himself. "Give it to me."

Cael pulled out the flash drive, holding it in a fist. "Well, you know that I had that car accident, right?" he spoke low.  "I've been feeling like some...pieces are missing. And today, I was getting in my car. There was a woman already there. I thought she was trying to rob me, but she just...asked me if I remembered."

"Remember what?"

"Who I am."

Nash whistles. "That's some heavy shit."

"And...she gave me this." Cael showed Nash the flash drive briefly before putting it back in his pocket."

"The hell is a Sabin?"

"I don't know...but I'll find out." And just then, Cael's phone rang. He pulled it from his other pocket and the caller ID read Clarice. He answered.

"Hey, babe, where are you? Late work or something?"

"Uh no, I just dropped by Blue's, talking to Nash."

"Anything wrong?"

"Actually—," Cael started, but his mind went to the woman that had been in his car. Watch your girlfriend. But he didn't know what she meant by that. Was she warning him to protect Clarice or warning against her? What did she know about Clarice? "—I had a day. I'll tell you about the shit that happened to me when I get home."