Chapter 22: The Plaza

"You confident about this assh*le?" Marina asked after slamming the files of what they had committed.

I nodded once. My intellect wasn't sure if I got the actual one and yet we are still unraveling where the kids took off by his mobs. My mind split into two.

    "Why did you plan to take the kids away and murdered the first victim and their parents?" I asked.

    "So you can see the people you murdered Jonathan," He said with his fist beginning to tighten its grip like he was about to strike.

Marina does not care that we know one another because she didn't ask so.

    "The people who worked for you, why slaying them?" She asked.

    "Because that's what the Criemsons do as their signature"

    "Now you want to talk about the mafias huh?"

    "Sh*t why the fuck he's confessing?" I said to myself.

    "Jonathan, I know you have some answers there beneath your tongue" He speaks tough once more - he's pissing me off so I invented a lie.

She glanced at me with wrath blazing in her eyes. 

    "I don't have an exact clue what he's f*king talking about and he might be part of the Terracotta I say" I answered with all the confidence and lies inside of my voice.

    "And how do you know that he's part of them?" She asked.

    "They have marks on the back"

    "Take off your shirt!" Marina yelled. He raised his hand and let Marina take his shirt off slowly.

Unfortunately, the mark wasn't there. "What in the actual f*ck? He supposed to have that tattoo so how on earth he knows what happened at South Harbor?" I yelled within my sanity. 

    "I don't know which of you I can rely upon my guts with, you're still coming with me you bastard" Marina grabbed the man and then put themselves out of the interrogation.

    I signed out after succeeding in the investigation except for the missing children.

The WCA hasn't tracked James's kids but they'll try again and again until they are found.

I was preparing to meet Wayne at the plaza I hope he gives me good news about the city he lives.

I called a cab after arriving four blocks ahead of the street where Greenflinch prevails. The plaza was kilometers away from WPD so probably it'll take some time to drop my anchor there. 

    A lady pops up like the last time I moved in before. The cab offers me a beverage but I declined.

I lay my eyes on the window to see the afternoon cityscape. Neon lights began to blaze upon the streets, billboards glare the facade and a dim of lights lit every window of the buildings.

Star glimmers and the moon flickers by the clouds passing by. The city will barely relinquish its noise from the curfew so I have to sneak my noise under the sky. 

    "Wayne I'm here, where are you?" I contacted him after I pulled myself out.

    "Behind the Heart of Plaza," he answered back so I followed his voice.

    At the building where I'm standing forth and the highest among the buildings standing throughout the plaza was this building whose height was ahead of the Burj Khalifa.

I walk around the hedges of the building until I reach the back of the building. The road was covered with dust and silence.

A closed cafe stands behind the building as I halt my stroll and the rest are continuous buildings that are shut off by the curfew.

He was sitting on the stool beneath the umbrella that dangles with ivies.

    "You still ugly as hell" I greeted him.

    "How ya goin' assh*le?" He gave me a rough hug after he watched his eyes at mine.

    "The Virus you were talking about earlier mate?" I laid my palm onto his both shoulders and let them seat on the stool once more.

    "Still haven't gotten the cure but my co-worker told me everything is going on outside the barricades" he replied after he concealed his lips while I nodded twice.

    "The virus kept evolving and the old-time virus truly rewrites its description now"

    "You saying?"

    "Every mob that lurks beneath the city or behind the shadows was infected and some are normal" I let him talk and I hummed as a reply to let him speak more.

    "The blood vomiting crap now evolved which made a new virus called Hybriterage Virus made people gain strength, good hearing, and more like powers I may say"

    "The f*ck you talking about? I don't have any space to give you a chance from this mockery of yours"

    "I ain't tell sh*t but a bullsh*t news and that's true, you should ask your partner about it"

    "Alright I'm open, I wanted to hear more,"

    "This virus came from an experimentation that went mistaken and then fleed outside of the South-Western City barricade and lastly it blends to the virus previously" 

    "The more they use it the more they'll weaken but at first they're strong as a demigod"

    "How do you know?"

    "I and my pals are not currently working and studying on it"

    "I'll watch your file after you send it to my chip" He bounced his chin.

    "The gangs on each district had invented a drug for sober f*cks, alcoholics, maniac and drug addicts to sniff it in to get the power and fantasy like the virus until they rot from their demise"

    "The virus can infect the animals?" He nodded.

    "When did this crisis begin?"

    "Before districts had been built" He answered and then I caress my chin.

    "The symptoms?"

    "When the victim has red veins that popped up on their skin and began to feel numb within their body it means it has the virus that made you feel like an Olympian. The other one is if you have red eyes and swollen throat it means you have power like the bats. The other remains the same as the past but it became more severe than the last time" He let his words out confidently.

    "How did the mad scientist make this?"

    "I have no idea how mate but the only thing I know is they use genetics from the animals and the virus to combine but nothing else more I can comprehend about the new virus" He confessed.

    "How's the f*cking with Marina?" He asked as I zoned out from the happening.

    "Watch your mouth" I grinned. I hold the truth within me - waiting for the good moment to toss it into his arms.

    "Any good about your investigation and you solve any of your tasks?" 

    "Robert Pahlm is here at the WPD" He was dumbfounded as he heard his name after years that has passed off.

    "Holy f*king crap, I thought he was buried beneath the reaper" He laughed.

    "He was part of my investigation, involved in a mob's illegal trading and the murder of Larry Dennison"

    "From Winter News?" He raised a knickknack with a smile still. I nodded.

    "Are you confident from the information you gave me about the Virus?".

    "Nothing else but this virus can only be seen who is always going back and forth outside the barricade and inside the walls.

The virus they held are related to their names or tattoos mate and that's the only sh*t I know from it"

    "You still remember at South Harbor?" I crossed my forearms as I raise my chin

    "Barely I can think of, why mate?"

    "Those bastards were involved in my case and they wanted to triumph over us once more" I sprouted my brim with a scowl.

    "The f*cking Terracotta?" He asked and I pass him a nod with pity to those bastards.

    "We are not sure about our suspect and I believe they're just a decoy or not part of the killings so I desire you to accept me a favor" I requested.

    "Sure it is cobb" He slammed the table before he set his weight reversed to hear my words.

    "If you can break their mug on TPD, will you check out for the violet van that went out the hyacinth barricade?"

    "Sure, why not but if something off happened to me, I'll haunt ya, and what's the plate?"

     "Then my face is too ugly that you can turn it off and by the way, I'll send it to you" We shake our hands with the contentment of meeting again like after sniffing dopamine.

    "I miss drinking whiskies and beers with ya" I agreed.

    "You can stay with me first, I got some leftovers for you to drink down" I offered him a stay after we stand away from the stool of the cafe.

    "No need to brother, I want to be hungover but I have a job mate" 

    We wave our goodbyes after a hug of hellos.

I watch him take off and let our thread one another torn once again but if we encounter somewhere - this camaraderie bound within us will evermore create a recent one.

As I raise my chin to keep an eye on the luminous stars and glimmering spheres outside of the atmosphere made I wonder what will be next after this.