Finally, My First Lead

Jack’s apartment was sleek and modern, decorated in a black-and-white color scheme. It was spacious for one person but far too small for a family.

In the corner of the living room, Tochi sat quietly, absorbed in a tablet, his finger gliding across the screen at a steady pace. In Jack’s bedroom, Noa tilted back a bottle of whiskey, drinking deep. Jack watched him, caught somewhere between disgust and admiration.

“You want to save some for me?” Jack asked, “You know, since it’s mine.”

Noa wiped his mouth and handed over the bottle. “I’m going through a lot, okay?”

“Yeah, obviously! You went through almost all of it. How am I supposed to drink this now that your mouth has been all over it?”

Noa ignored him. “First the massacre, then Tamara disappears, now the apartment goes up in smoke? I’m gonna end up dead.”

“You’re not gonna die,” Jack said. “We just need to think this through. You know anyone else who could be involved in this? Didn’t you say it was meant for someone named Rose?”

“Oh yeah! The flash drive was meant for them. I bet if I find Rose I could get some answers on what the hell is going on. They might even know where Tamara is.”

Jack sat down at his sleek glass computer desk. Next to his lamp, a gun rested on a stand. Noa picked it up, turning it over in his hands.

“This real?” he asked.

Jack glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah. Found it in a dumpster. Pretty cool, right?”

“Just don’t let any Keeper see it.”

Jack smirked. He pulled up a search engine on his screen. “Where do you think Rose might live? Sector wise.”

From the other room, Tochi’s voice broke the silence. “Done. I’m done.”

Jack turned to see Tochi trying to hand the tablet back to him. Frowning, he motioned for him to come over and took the tablet from his hands.

“There’s no way you finished them all,” Jack said, scrolling through the files. “I loaded four books on here.”

“Yeah and they all are for babies!” Tochi repeated. “Don’t you have any video games?”

Jack shook his head. “Each one of these books is at least 200 pages. You read every one?”

“Yeah.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “And you remember them all?”

Tochi nodded.

Noa leaned back. “He’s a fast reader.”

Jack scoffed but decided to test him. “Alright then…” He scrolled down. “Page 123 in The Lizard King’s Declaration. What happens to Merlo?”

Tochi scratched at his hand. “Page 123… course that’s when M-Merlo is taken hostage. Taken hostage by Taylor.”

Jack blinked. “Why?”

“Because he has to escape the castle. Very dangerous, but very predictable.”

Jack stared at the screen. He turned to Noa, stunned.

“He’s right.”

“No duh,” Noa muttered. “Can we focus?”

Jack ignored him and turned back to Tochi. “You like puzzles?”

Tochi nodded.

Jack stood and left the room for a moment. When he returned, he was holding a pyramid-shaped Rubik’s cube, its colors scrambled. He handed it to Tochi.

“Here. Try this. You know how it works?”

“Yeah,” Tochi said, running his fingers over the edges. “Mine is a cube. It’s back at home... Can’t I message my friends at least?”

Noa sighed. “Tochi, we’ve been over this. You’re not going back home and you’re not allowed to talk to anyone!”

Jack shot him a look. “Will you calm down?” He exhaled, shaking his head. “This is my fault. A drunk and a bartender. Mom always said I was an enabler.”

Noa scoffed. “An enabler?”

“Yes, enabler! I enable you to drink and act like a idiot! He’s a smart kid.” Jack smirked. “Guess they didn’t let you near that part of the gene pool. Every decision you make ends with things catching on fire.”

Noa’s face twisted in anger. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“You think I don’t know that?” he snapped. “Why does everybody else get to be born better than me?!”

Jack sucked his teeth. Touchy subject. “Let’s just try to look for this ‘Rose’ person online, ok?” said Jack.

Meanwhile, Tochi continued studying the scrambled pyramid puzzle in his hands, his fingers running over the edges. He stared down at the puzzle in his hands, tracing the edges with his thumb.

“Rose,” he repeated. “242 West Gleason Street. W-West Gleason Street.”

The room went still. Jack and Noa exchanged a look before Noa crouched down in front of Tochi, his voice suddenly urgent.

“What did you just say?”

Tochi’s gaze remained fixed on the puzzle. “Rose. 242 West Gleason Street. This is a pyramid. I wonder how they made it…”

Noa grabbed him by the shoulders. “Tochi, where did you hear that name?”

Tochi blinked, realizing that Noa was serious. “Mommy.”

Jack stiffened. Noa’s grip tightened. “Mom? Mom what? Have you been there?”

“Y-Yeah.” Tochi nodded absently. “It was cold for some reason. The air. Very cold. February 12. 242 West Gleason Street. We saw Rose. I don’t remember where. Lots of machines around.”

Jack leaned in. “You sure? What did she look like?”

Tochi hesitated. “All I remember about her is a seahorse.”

Noa’s brow furrowed. “Seahorse? What about Rose? You don’t remember anything else? You know Pi to the 100th number, but you forget?”

Tochi flinched. His face crumpled.

“…I’m sorry...” Tochi’s whole body tensing as he began to cry. Noa shot to his feet, furious.

Jack shoved him back. “Stop yelling at him!”

Kneeling beside Tochi, Jack murmured “How about those games, dude? Their on my TV.”

Noa let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand over his face. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t mean it. You know I wouldn’t hurt you. I, I’m just… trying to figure this all out. And I’m afraid of what might happen if I don’t.”

“Yeah,” Tochi said, “I don’t want a bum, I want my mommy.”

Silence.

Noa’s face went pale. The weight of it settled on his shoulders. He’s always the bad guy.

Jack cleared his throat. “You like TV?”

Tochi nodded.

Jack forced a smile. “Alright. Let’s turn on the TV for you.”

Jack lead him to a couch in the living room and clicked on the television. The glow of the screen flickered across his face as he stared, fidgeting in his seat but otherwise calm.

Jack stepped back inside his bedroom and quietly shut the door behind him.

“Okay, so what’s the—” He stopped. “Noa?”

The room was empty and Jack’s bedroom window was open.

Jack’s heart sank. The gun was gone.

Then—

SCREEEEEECH!

Jack rushed to the window just in time to see Noa speeding away into the distance.