I Will Protect My Brother

Dex typed away at his desk. The keys were holographic, projected onto the table, and the table itself cast an orange screen into the air in front of him. His mind was focused on one thing: Where was Noa? Dex had called him several times. Normally, he’d just go to his house, but with the fiasco at the club, he’d been working overtime. He hoped Noa was safe. Even more, he hoped Noa had nothing to do with any of it.

“Want some coffee?” said a Keeper with light brown hair tied in a bun. She had chocolate-brown skin, big expressive eyes, and a curvy figure that she kept in shape with constant workouts—her toned arms and slim waist were proof of that. She handed Dex a cup. This was Keeper Sasha, Dex’s partner.

They had trained together at the academy and applied to work in the same section. Both hated meeting new people and had wanted at least one familiar face when they got there. Sasha leaned over to see his computer screen. Dex tried not to stare at her chest as she got so close.

Dex prided himself on being professional in every aspect of his job. He was extremely fit, studied hard, and never overstepped authority. He liked being the model Keeper. He’d never dream of starting a relationship with a coworker. But when it came to Sasha, his body had a mind of its own.

“Why are you looking into that sector?” she asked. “I heard you chased a bloody perp through there, but we don’t have any jurisdiction in that section. That’s on the other side of Central.”

“I know,” Dex replied, “but that’s his last known whereabouts. I don’t want to lose him. All I know is that after he disappeared there, Club Polarity suffered one of the biggest attacks ever the next day. They could be connected. When we raided that rebel’s base, all of them were trying to help him escape. I’m just lucky I got as close to him as I did.”

“Doesn’t your younger brother work there?”

“I don’t have any siblings.”

“His name is Noa, right?”

“Noa and I aren’t related.”

Sasha turned and leaned in close to his face. She stared into his eyes, making Dex blush. Sasha was a stone cold professional and took her job very seriously. However, no matter where they were, it felt like she was always pressuring him to make the first move. He scooted back in his chair. She smirked and straightened up.

“The Dog of Sector 6,” she said. “You just can’t help but hunt. Stay on that trail, and you’ll sniff him out.”

“I hate that name. I’m not a dog.”

Sasha put a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll find them, Dex. I promise.” Her voice was sweet. With that, she walked away. Dex watched her go. Her uniform looked snug, her walk a little uncomfortable—she must’ve stretched it out again. Dex shook his head and turned back to his work.

He picked up his coffee mug and prepared to take a sip.

SLAP! A hard pat on the back sent the coffee spilling onto his uniform. The black liquid didn’t stain but rolled off the fabric and onto the floor, leaving him clean.

“Aw, really?” Dex groaned, standing up. “Who in the hell would—”

Behind him stood a small older man with a long white mustache, grinning. Dex quickly saluted.

“Captain Trill! Sorry, I—”

“No, it’s alright,” said Captain Trill. His grin didn’t waver, as if it were tattooed onto his face. “I clearly pulled you out of some deep thought. You’ve seemed distracted lately. I hope you’re not still worried about that perp who got away. It was your first raid, after all. We all make mistakes.”

“No, it’s not that,” said Dex. He glanced down at the circular disc-shaped robot bumping into his foot. He moved aside, letting it roll toward the spill on the floor. As it cleaned, a memory flashed in his mind—he and Noa as kids.

Back then, Noa’s parents had already passed. Noa and his sister had moved into Dex’s house. Dex’s parents always yelled at Noa for being messy, then turned and yelled at Dex for letting Noa make the mess in the first place. Dex didn’t know if they were related, family friends, or even who Noa’s parents had been. All he knew was that he’d gone from being an only child to suddenly having an older sister and a younger brother.

Whatever trouble Noa got into, Dex got him out of it. And when they both crossed the line, Tamara would discipline them. First, there was the bloody man running by Tamara’s apartment and disappearing. Then Noa not answering his phone after the massacre at the club. When Dex arrived, Noa was nowhere to be found. And now neither Tamara nor Noa were picking up their phones. Dex cleared his throat, snapping back to the present.

“I think I’m just tired, sir,” said Dex.

“Tired?” Captain Trill raised an eyebrow. “You’re too young to be tired! I think I know the truth...”

“You do?”

“You’re thinking about how the new uniforms really show off Keeper Sasha’s curves, aren’t you?”

“What?! I’m not thinking about that!”

“Ah, to be young again! I must say I’m jealous. She has the body of an hourglass—with a lot of time.”

“Sir, I—”

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed the time you two spend together.”

“We’re partners, sir! We have to spend time together.”

“Sure, sure. Anyway, I see you’re looking into Sector 4 on your computer. You know you’ll need Captain Zero’s permission to search there.”

Dex scratched the shaved side of his head. He had no idea how to track them down without risking trouble for himself—or possibly Noa.

“You know,” said Captain Trill, “I’ve got a craving for one of those breakfast sandwiches from Mayberry’s Sandwich Shop.”

“Mayberry’s? They’re closed until tomorrow morning. They only open for breakfast.”

“Exactly. And you know the best one in the chain is next to that auto shop... Where was that again?”

“The one in Sector 4?”

“Ah, that’s right! But alas, I’m too old and frail to go myself and wait all night for breakfast. You wouldn’t mind going to Sector 4 and waiting for them to open, would you? Hunt down the prize, my dog. You’ll have to stay there all night on this mission.”

Dex smiled and saluted. “Yes, sir! You can count on me!”

“And take your girlfriend with you,” Captain Trill added as he walked away. “Can’t have you disappearing on a solo mission!”

Dex dropped his salute, mortified. “She’s not my girlfriend,” he said to himself.

***

As Noa rode his motorcycle down the road, he noticed an orange flickering in the distance. As he got closer, the source of the light became clear: his apartment. The same place where he’d left his nephew.

The night air glowed with the flames engulfing the Pile Apartments. Noa slammed his motorcycle to a stop and quickly parked before rushing toward the crowd of tenants gathered outside. The building was completely consumed by fire—flames roared out of the windows, and thick black smoke filled the air.

A few Keepers were trying to calm the chaos, shouting for people to stay back, but Noa barely registered their voices. His eyes scanned the crowd frantically.

“Tochi? Tochi?!” he yelled, shoving his way through the sea of people. “Has anyone seen a kid around here?”

No one answered. He shouted again, louder this time. “Has anyone seen a kid around here? Black and white hair, green eyes!”

A tenant turned to him, shaking their head. “I was one of the first ones out. I didn’t see anyone like that.”

Noa’s chest tightened, and his stomach churned. He looked back at the blazing building, his mind racing. Without a second thought, he sprinted toward it.

A Keeper stepped into his path, blocking him. “You can’t go in there!”

“My kid is in there!” Noa shouted, shoving the man aside and charging through the front entrance.

The lobby was choked with smoke and fire. Noa coughed violently, pulling his shirt over his face as he pressed on. The stairs loomed ahead, and he bolted for them, climbing as fast as his legs could carry him.

When he reached his apartment, he didn’t hesitate. He threw his shoulder into the door, slamming it open with a loud crack.

Inside, the room was chaos. Flames licked the walls and furniture, and part of the ceiling had already collapsed. Noa froze, his breath catching in his throat.

A woman lay pinned under a fallen beam. Her lifeless eyes stared back at him, and her face was streaked with dried blood.

Noa gagged but forced himself to move. He couldn’t stop. Tochi was in here somewhere. He had to find him.