One: The Search (Chapter 2)

This is beyond perfect. At least, for me and the boys.

You imagine my surprise when I saw Jay and Ming.

You’re probably wondering where the other boys are. Well, I told them to stay behind and hunt other Type Ones while I took Brian, Matt, Chris, and Buck with me to find Jay.

This wasn’t about a paycheck anymore, it was about winning. Jay thought she won when she left me in the warehouse rubble. Boy, she was wrong.

Now you’re probably wondering how I got out. After Jay ran for it, some of my boys found me and pulled me out. We searched the whole grounds of the warehouse, Jay and Dale were gone.

Even Ares had disappeared. Ares was the boy who fought Jay and Dale. Ares wasn’t his real name, but the one TechOne had given him.

I only know these things because Ares tended to steal my business, and I mean literally sometimes. I hated him.

Anyway, after that me and the boys went from town to town keeping an ear out for any sign of Jay.

We had caught word of her after she and Ming did some shopping and were caught on some cameras Brian hacked into. So we headed there to the mall. Then… well… you know what happened next.

Now we’re heading to her house. She keeps saying that we’re almost there, but I don’t think she knows what almost there means.

After a long while we come across a log cabin. Jay gasps. I can see why.

Windows are shattered, the door barely hangs off the hinge, and we can see things scattered inside.

Jay races inside, “Dad? Dad!” she shouts. I look around, once inside, and see things scattered everywhere. Signs of struggle are evident.

Jay goes room to room, not that there’s that many, looking for her dad. She makes her way to us, and with a panicked look in her eyes says,

“I can’t find him anywhere. It looks like they, whoever they are, searched everything and everywhere.”

“Who do you think would do this? Do you have any enemies?” I ask her calmly. “I don’t know! We don’t have neighbors and we don’t talk to the people in town.” she stutters.

“Hmmm…” I hear Brian mutter, “Considering the fact that Ares come after you…”

“Who?” Jay interrupts. “The boy who attacked you,” I answer, she nods back.

“Anyway, if TechOne sent Ares after you, what if, TechOne did this too?” Brian finished.

Everyone pondered this for a minute. “I wouldn’t put it past them,” I hear Buck say.

Jay nods slowly. “Why don’t we grab what we think we’ll need, and head out,” I suggest.

Again Jay nods, I think she’s in shock. Together we collect food, water bottles, toiletries, and some extra clothes. I notice that Jay grabs, what looks like a notebook.

We set off back into the woods, Jay looks back every now and then, I guess to see if she can still see her house.

All around us birds chirp, twigs crack beneath our feet, and squirrels scurried up trees. All I can smell is pine needles.

That’s Michigan for you. Peaceful and quiet. I could never leave it.

Yes, it was full of bad memories, but it was home.

Anyway as we walked everyone was silent. No one dared to speak a word. I think that we all felt the tension and knew that if someone spoke the air would fill with accusations and yelling.

So, of course, Ming opened up her big mouth.

“Sooo… what have you guys been up too?”

“Probably burning down buildings,” Jay retorts.

“Actually the building had faulty wiring, so it would’ve burned down anyway. So, technically we just hurried the process.” Brian interjects.

Suddenly the unexpected happens. Ming, of all people, whips around and smacks Brian across the face.

“SHUT UP. That warehouse was my home, jerk. You destroyed it, probably killing all the kids, and my parents!” she says, tears streaming down her face.

Jay wraps her arm around Ming’s shoulders and leads her away to calm down. As they walk away Jay makes sure to give Brian a super dirty look.

I find a rock to sit on, while we wait. Brian rubs his cheek.

“Dude, seriously, you’re lucky she didn’t kill you.” I scold him.

He gives me a pointed look then says, “I was just setting her straight, ok? Listen, it was going to come up now or later, better we speak our minds now rather than later.”

I nodded knowing he was right. So, as soon as the girls came back I asked them if they had anything they didn't have to get off their chests.

Jay squeezed her lips together and then started to rant.

“About what? The fact that you’re a clod wad? Or the fact that you killed people. INNOCENT people, just so you could get paid. In fact you should have been the one to die that night, you and your boys.”

With that she grabs her bag, and walks away. Ming quickly followers her not wanting to be alone with us. We soon follow.

Once again, we’re silent. The tension has thickened, instead of fading. It seems sharing our feelings didn’t help.

I adjust my bag, and sigh.

After a long day of walking, we decided to make camp.

I start a fire while the others set up a few tents. One for me and Brian, one for Buck, Chris, and Matt, and one for the girls.

The girls made sure to set theirs up close enough to the fire to stay warm but far enough to be away from us.

The tensions so thick, not even a sword could break it.

We cooked some hot dogs, and granola bars for supper.

After supper, Buck takes first watch. The rest of us sit go to our tents.

I’m sure were all thinking the same thing: ‘This is going to be a long trip.’

 

Done