Arc 3 - Chapter 52: Godspeed

(Reverence 6, 59 / 5:49PM)

The city lights sparkled under the evening sun.

As the road led them to the bustling city, the driver of the van nudged the passenger from her sleep. She opened her eyes, and her eyelids twitched from the throttle. Shaking her head back and forth, she saw the city begin to crawl closer.

“That’s Ridgemente all right.”

Luke turned his head toward the open hole, and he noticed the many lights from afar. Being fully clothed now, all of his wounds were healed, and the white bandages that blanketed him were filled in a bag.

“I hope we get to the port in time.”

“The train will leave at seven, so we should arrive no later than 6:45.”

“But Christian and Pacifica will have to get to the bridge. They have to haul it, so that way they have enough time for the detonation.”

“Lukily for us, this van is faster than a train. They should be able to fulfill their mission in 30 minutes. Max.”

Fast forward…

Driving through the city streets, David took in the many donkey-drawn carriages in front of him. Luckily for them, traffic wasn’t an issue. Looking out through the upper windows below the roof, Luke traced the many white buildings nestled in stone.

Being two to three stories tall, the yellow streetlights flickered. With the sun still engraving its rays, the white was reflected down to his irises.

—Just wished that I wasn’t some criminal. I could’ve seen cities like this without looking like an outcast.

But moving his eyes down, he took note of Pacifica’s uneasiness. In fact, both her and Christian looked nervous, but Pacifica had clutched her hands together. Straining his knees with his jagged elbows, he pushed out a smile.

“You okay Pacifica?”

“Don’t-Don’t worry about me, boy. I’m fine…”

“Are you sure? If you want, I could—”

“I said I’m fine aren’t I? Keep it to yourself.”

Luke rubbed the back of his neck, as his right palm gritted with sweat. Averting his eyes to the floor, he kept to himself. As for Pacifica, she folded her arms, with her throat convulsing repeatedly like she tried to swallow.

—It’s best to leave her alone. But again, she’s tasked to go on a mission, so she needs to keep her head straight.

“This is it Luke. Your stop.”

The van’s wheels ceased to a halt. Rubber screeching for a split second, Luke stood up almost immediately, and so did Christian. As the two hunched their backs, they both extended their hands out, and gave each other a firm shake.

“Hey man, just try to not get beaten up in there okay? You’ve broken more bones this past week than most daredevils.”

“I mean, I did win two of those fights.”

“That’s because the Boss forfeited.”

“But he did say whoever forfeits losses.”

“Eh, you got a point.”

Pulling back his arm, he pushed it into his pocket, before walking toward the set of back doors. Waiting for a split second, he heard the metal click, and they opened wide by none other than—

Iris.

Her cold eyes staring into his, he didn’t jump out into the cobblestone. No sparkle in her pupils, she cleared her throat, while her back and body were aligned with each other.

“I hope you can meet my father’s expectations.”

“I hope to. But even if I don’t, as long as I get my friends back safely, including your sister, then that’s a win in my book.”

Iris felt her eyes slowly darken.

Letting go of the van’s doors, she looked toward the van side mirrors, and noticed the cowboy’s face. He didn’t have a smirk, nor a grin, but a casual face that was perplexed with emotions. Unwilling to close back those doors, she walked away.

‘I hope you can at least reach his expectations.’

Pushing down her cheeks, a soft exhale swept from her lips. Keeping her face relaxed and calm like normal, she reached the door, and opened it wide before closing it shut.

David noticed the tension, along with how her body fidgeted under her casualness. Raising an eyebrow, he turned his head to look at her.

“Aren’t you supposed to accompany Luke?”

“You’ll need help in taking care of Gabriel. And besides, Luke will be fine.”

“I can handle him by myself. He’s just one man to handle, but Luke needs—”

“I told you he’ll be fine.”

David began tapping the wheel, and he stared forward with eyes beginning to twitch. He didn’t breathe, but rather kept his lungs filled like balloons. Shaking his head softly, he chuckled himself a small scoff loud enough for Iris to ball her hands.

—“You’re doing this to avoid Kenichi.”—

Iris remained silent. Sealing both of her lips ever so tightly, her hands were clutched over her thighs, and they too shivered. Staring forward, she kept her best to not break, to not falter…

“You may be a good fighter, but your father never taught you to lie. That’s why you're so bad at it. You nervous? Scared? Are you that fearful to see Kenichi?”

Blood began to ripple down her palms. Having her nails dig with so much force, she grounded her teeth hard. Her gums swelling in her own strain, both of her scleras strained red.

“Tell me Iris, what gives you the right to—”

“I don’t need to tell you anything!”

Using one hand, she thrust her left to grab his collar. While her right was tightened into a fist, she had it low to her side, while her eyes were engraved in veins.

David kept his face calm, all composed, but his fingers began to shallow in a bit of static. For such a woman that was always composed, her implosiveness shot out like a bullet.

“I don’t need to dump everything for you! To lay out what I think or know! You’re not my father!”

“Doesn’t mean that you should quarantine yourself. Heck, even Jenny is better at speaking her mind.”

“Just… shut up…”

Her voice trailed like a whisper. Like she was trying to contain what little composure she had, she minced her lips with calmness. Keeping her right fist on her knee, her left that held his collar quaked.

“Let’s just go…”

She let go of David’s collar, and placed her left hand onto her thigh. Grizzling her cheeks in strain, she hid her face with her dark purple hair.

Slowly walking away from the van, Luke turned his eyes toward the South, where the train station was supposed to be. Placing both of his hands into his jacket, he kept his posture firm, as he knew Iris wouldn’t go with him.

But he heard a voice.

“Luke!”

Turning around, he noticed Pacifica standing on the edge of the van. Keeping his hands in his jacket, he remained his boots firm on the sidewalk, as the buildings near him blocked the sun.

“It’s Stan… if you ever see him, tell him that I—”

“You’ll see Stan again. If I’m getting everyone back, I mean it. No one from us is going to die.”

Both of her hands held the back doors, but her fingers grew an exuberance of static. Like fire ants were nibbling at her nails, down to her bones, her throat quivered relentlessly.

“That’s my promise to you. And it’s also a promise for Stan as well.”

A tear rolled out from her right eye.

Feeling it stream like a small rapid, it was quick, once it caressed her neck down to her collar. Sniffling once, and then twice, she quickly cleared her throat for mucus.

“Pacifica. Please make sure you live. For Stan and Christian. The same goes for your brother as well. Can you promise me that?”

It was only her and her three brothers, but it was reduced to two. But even so, she cherished the most she could. For so long, she thought she forgot the pain of grief, until that same thing happened.

Now having a single brother, her hands that grappled the two doors tightened. With that horrific memory playing in her mind, all she could do was grind her teeth… before giving Luke a nod.

“Y-Yeah… that-that I could promise.”

“Then see you on the other side.”

Waving his hand, Pacifica closed the back doors hard.

Having arms and hands to his sides, he walked with a carefree attitude. Unfitting for him, he was supposed to have a hunched forward back, or a shy step to his boots. Staring into the direction of the train station, he felt all of his bones relax.

While hearing the van prowl to life once more. As it drove off into the city, Luke walked forward.

________________________________________________________________________

(Reverence 6, 59 / 7:03AM)

Before they hit the road…

Having his hand on the handle, David waited as Christian and Pacifica piled into the back. With Luke already settling in, he was still asleep, but he knew it would be time when he would get up. Wielding their perspectives weapons, David checked the pistol he had on his holster.

But he heard a door sway.

“David! Hold up!”

Running toward the cowboy, was a chubby man wearing a tuxedo.

In his right hand, was a black suitcase slicked with sweat. As his body shivered and jumped with each step, it wasn’t long before that same man reached David.

“You okay Boris? What seems to be the issue?”

“There’s no issue… gasps… just here. Take this suitcase… gasps… it’s for Luke.”

David extended his right hand out, and grabbed the suitcase rather gently. Seeing Boris huffed air through his mouth, he bent forward, making him look like he had run a marathon.

Ignoring the heavy breathing man, David analyzed the black paint, and the smoothened edges. Nodding his head back and forth, he didn’t need to open up, as he knew what the suitcase laid. Lowering his hand, he finally furrowed his brow, as the coarse wheezes rummaged his ears.

“You should go back inside. It’s not good to push yourself like this.”

“I’ll be fine… I always have been…”

“Yet your paleness is getting worse.”

Raising a hand up to his chest, he scratched the fabric of his tuxedo with dull nails. Scratching off pigments of dry lint, sweat floundered down his temples.

“It’s a good thing that they didn’t see this as valuable. I am good at hiding treasure, aren’t I?”

“You see that thing as a treasure? It’s not that important in a fight.”

“But for Luke it is.”

David heard the back doors close, making him turn toward the van. Knowing Pacifica and Christian were finished preparing, it was only the two men who talked under the morning sun.

A sun that didn’t bestow its deathly rays; not yet at least.

“Joseph bestowed me with that suitcase. Not only that, but he promised me to keep it safe, to keep it hidden. I can’t let harm bestow this piece of tech.”

“You still taking orders from him?”

“Yes. Yes I do. Do you not trust him?”

David gruffed out air through his nostrils.

Feeling his arms and shoulders tremble, he turned around, and took a few steps toward the driver’s door. With one hand in his pocket, while his other grappled the handle, he opened it wide.

“Maybe… I don’t know… anyway.”

Pushing himself in, the back of his head rested against the headrest, and so did his hat. With the driver side door still open, he then turned toward Boris… who began to cough.

Although it was light, he had one hand raised to his mouth. Having it balled, Boris cleared his throat, and gently breathed through cliffed nostrils.

“Just get some rest will you? You look like you’re on your last legs.”

“I suppose you’re right. My body isn’t getting any better…”

Droplets of blood stained his skin.

Although he heard Iris settle on the passenger seat, all of his attention was on Boris. Noticing traces of red smear his lips, David felt his eyes wrinkle. From the way Boris held himself, the way he stood, it was as if he was putting up a front.

“Here…”

With one hand in his pocket, he softly took it out. From within, was nothing more than an inhaler, the same one Boris uses.

Boris took it from David’s hands, and raised it toward his lips. Clicking down the top button, a gust of air swept into his throat, and marinated his lungs. From each airway being stripped from dust, he blinked, and then coughed harshly through a dry throat.

“Thank you David. It’s been such a while since I used it…”

“No problem. Hey Boris.”

Closing the driver side door, he pushed his foot down on the gas pedal. And with the key pushed into the ignition, he turned it clockwise, and roared the engine to life.

“Godspeed.”

“You too.”

Putting the van into reverse, Boris saw the automobile roll out from the driveway. As it began its descent South, he continued to rub his chest, as the coughing from earlier took a toll on his lungs.

But all he could see was the van disappearing into the distance, like a tiny dot dimming into the horizon.