Something else

If Nico was uncomfortable inside the backpack, he didn't show it. However, Mason couldn’t stop thinking he was doing something horrific, and at any moment, the police would stop him and check the contents of his bag.

From the picture Duke sent, Mason was able to track the woman to a neighbouring city that took almost two hours to reach on his bike. He tracked all her movements by hacking into the security cameras in the shopping district she had been in, but at some point, she disappeared. No camera showed her movements, as if she had disappeared from thin air, right in the middle of a busy street, and Mason had no choice but to go directly to the location.

"Maybe she is a spy or something. How could anyone disappear like that?"

The gruff voice mimicked Mason’s thoughts. He had followed all her steps, passing each store she visited, up to the point she disappeared from the cameras. There was no traffic, no crowds, and the only way to go anywhere, apart from the main street, was a perpendicular road on the opposite side that had two street cameras, and the small alley Mason was currently crouched in, which was a dead end with two back doors for the shops on either side, and two large dumpsters against the walls.

"I would rather keep looking than go back and be yelled at,” another voice said, earning the laughter of his companions.

"But why does he want us to check this place out?" A third voice chimed in. "It’s not like he cares if we find her or not.”

“He is looking for something,” the man with the gruff voice said, and instinct told Mason to hide more carefully.

“He is looking for something, but doesn’t tell us what. Where does that make sense?” The second man spoke, and Mason could almost see the roll in his eyes. “You will know it once you see it,” the man mimicked Duke's voice. His friends laughed again, their voices growing more distant. “With the extra hours he is making us work, the only thing I want to know is my bed.”

More laughter echoed, and Mason waited a few more seconds just to make sure they were out of sight before he leaned forward, about to peer around the dumpster, when a sound so soft and light he might have imagined reached his ears. But he didn’t imagine it, because he, too, knew how to be light on his feet and walk without a sound.

It was just past midnight, but there were still people going through the busy street, and the last thing he wanted was to cause a scene. Mason quickly went over the options he had, pressing his lips together as he silently slipped off the bag on his back and set it a step away behind some cardboard boxes.

Whoever was slowly making their way down the alley was highly trained and dangerous. Mason could tell that much because it was hard to pinpoint how far the person was from the light steps. His eyes moved to the bag near him, and the sound of his heart filled his ears, an incomprehensible emotion wanting to override everything else, and he took his eyes away before the sound of his breathing gave him away.

Just like that, his new plan formed. Mason ruffled his hair and shirt before opening the button of his trousers. He fixed his face in a drunken daze, about to take a step forward, ready to knock the man out if need be, when he saw movement by the corner of his eyes, and his heart dropped.

It seemed like it took forever for his head to turn and see Nico wobbling in the middle of the alley towards the man, rubbing his drowsy eyes. Remembering where he was, Nico abruptly froze, slowly lifting his head to meet the man’s eyes. His eyes widened as he looked left and right before taking a step back.

The man clicked his tongue. “What are you doing here, kid?” Despite his voice being softer than the gruffness he had spoken with his peers before, it didn’t calm Mason’s racing heart at all. He came out behind the dumpster a moment later, pulling the bag over his shoulder, stumbling on air.

“Hey, I told you to keep close,” Mason said, slurring his words slightly before he acted surprised by the presence of the man. “Oh, hey there.”

The man’s eyes jumped from Nico to Mason, his stare hard, and Mason pulled the zipper of his pants up and buttoned it. A second later, Nico stood in front of him, extending his arms to be picked up. Mason hesitated for a full second before leaning down, not because he didn’t want to hold Nico, but because if the man saw through his drunk act, the situation would change drastically and fighting would be a problem with Nico in his arms.

The man watched them in a long silence as Mason made his way towards him with Nico, wobbling a little here and there, patting Nico’s back. “You need a place to stay?” The man asked once Mason and Nico had walked past him. Mason was startled by his question, and for a moment he almost froze, his mouth unable to move. He must have been looking really dreadful and drunk to earn such empathy from a gangster. He stared at the man carefully and shook his head. “Good luck,” the man said with a nod as he walked out of the alley and met with his colleagues. Mason saw them walk away before he turned the opposite way.

Only when he was double sure no one had followed him did Mason go back to where he had left his motorcycle and sat Nico on it as he took a deep breath. “Fuck,” he grunted. “What the fuck were you thinking?” Mason said in a loud voice in the empty underground parking lot, skimming his hands through his hair, and he paced in front of Nico. “I told you to keep quiet and keep hidden. We were almost caught. If that guy hadn’t been so stupid, God knows what would have happened.”

Mason took several deep breaths, still pacing back and forth, before turning to face the child. Nico’s face was soaked in tears, his small chest heaving rapidly. Mason stopped in his tracks and took a step closer to Nico, his mouth opening and closing, but no more words left his throat. Mason lifted his hand to clean his tears, and Nico flinched, his eyes closing tightly.

“Fucking hell.” Mason took a deep breath. He crouched in front of Nico, meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry. Let’s go home; you should be sleeping.” Nico climbed quietly into the bag, and once they were home, Nico glued himself to the wall by the bed, making himself smaller than he was as he slept.