Chapter 85: The Clock Ticks…

Derrick Ryder’s observations on Diana and Anthony Grazhe.

He’s just like his fucking mother. I can’t believe his dad was stupid enough to give Diana that drive. I thought I cleared everything out so they wouldn’t be involved…

Juliet, you sure love making my life difficult, couldn’t have just left me to rot, could you? I cleared out Diana’s systems, but that’s only made her paranoid. She’s been a pain to find, mostly hidden under Annie’s nose ever since she found my bug. It was because a drone entered her house. A spider. Belonging to Ripley Donovick.

My resources tell me he’s been around in Little Requiem recently, entered it’s underground to meet with Skeleton. And who else has been stirring up LR? A new face going by Dreadwire. Metal Heavens pinged him as a Gold, meaning she’s working with the kid who got the BUG to her SIM. And they know stuff, about The Uncaged, he mentioned Missy… so he’s working with The Iron Devil. I just need to gauge what to do about Soul Killer.

I’m conflicted, that thing needs to die, and she’s a walking flytrap. I’d use her anyday if it meant dragging that thing out, but Anthony…

He was never meant to get involved in this. But I lost her scent, I don’t know where she went after the auction. Soul Killer knows this city’s hidden corners, thrives in them…

Diana Jones. Diana Ulrich. Her father won’t let her disappear so easily, bastard probably goes on a first name basis with The Uncaged, Skeleton at the least. He’ll try and get her back, but right now he needs to find her. Anthony’s his best shot…

And mine. I’m sorry for letting him get dragged into this, Juliet. God, I need a fucking drink.

3:47 PM

August 24th

Anthony

Shit, shit, shit! Every day, the clock was ticking and people in our squad didn’t know what was wrong with Diana. Only an — oh I hope her mission goes well. Or a — calm your tits Anthony, they’re bigger than your girlfriend’s.

My aunt had to know something, at least, I thought she did but she regurgitated that Diana did a job well done and was currently undercover or something.

Then why was I left with not-

Message from Diana:

Hey Anthony, sorry for not updating you. Auction went well and they invited me to their super secret dinner afterwards. It escalated and now I’m at a private resort with Simon and his friends. They have the cutest puppies here btw. Investigation’s going well into The Gourmet and Soul Killer. Won’t say anything else on the mission.

I read the message. Then read it again, hoping for some kind of clue in there that secretly screamed ‘I’m in danger!’ or ‘My frame’s been hacked!’

No, it couldn’t be the last one, her Frame was entirely internal and unless someone dug into her vertebrae to get it out-

Okay, I was making this worse for myself.

Calm down, Anthony.

”Hey.” Choirmen entered my office as usual without permission. “Those reports on Interflame almost done?”

”Working on it.” I muttered.

“And on the Yuzhou skirmishes with Crimson Soul?” He added.

”Working… on it.” I repeated.

”And on-“

”Working. On. It.” I stopped him before he could ask about the bomb delivered to a SynTec corporate’s vacation house. Who even vacationed in Westcrook?

”Always so dependable.” Choirmen leaned on my door, smoking up a cigarette. “Any updates with Diana? This mission of hers must be big if it needs to be kept from us. Your aunt tell you anything?”

”You know how she is.” I distracted myself with my screens, not reading anything but losing myself in the drawls of text. “Hey, didn’t you stop smoking when Tyler was born?”

”Yup.” He took the cigarette out from his lips, looking at it mournfully. “But you’re not the only one that has it rough right now.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I tried to make our conversation lighter. ”On the bright side, with all the extra work you’re cooking up, a promotion to First Rank’s right up your alley.”

”It better be.” He huffed smoke. “My hair’s gonna go gray from the stress, need some better payments for a good cosmetics mutation or else it’ll be so white you start thinking I’m Diana.”

”Her hair’s silver.” I pointed out.

”An older… huskier… blacker… Diana.” He joked.

”You’re not that old.” I puffed. “On the threshold though, soon I’ll be expecting you to walk in with a cane every time you step in. Or complain about back pain.”

”My back does in fact hurt.” He said flatly. “Because I’m carrying this fucking squad right now.”

”And Diana.” I wasn’t letting him get all the credit. “As soon as she’s back… you think…?”

”Second-Rank. Definitely. Depending on how good she does on this mission of hers, I wouldn’t be disbelieving if she gets put straight into First-Rank. Silver Grade, but she’s still a hard-ass worker, can see why your aunt gave it to her.” Choirmen took another drag. “Not that your SIM was worthless.”

”My SIMs still worth a lot, controlling people with your voice doesn’t exactly come cheap.” Yeah, besides, it takes a bigass toll on you. Everyone has the wrong idea because my aunt and grandfather have put in the idea of what my power should be under a Tier III and Silver microscope.

”Anthony. You’re Tier II, at the very least, you should be a Second-Rank.” Choirmen looked at me with steadier eyes.

”I know.” Agitation bit me. “I’m getting there.”

”You’re not.” He pointed out without any emotional easing. “You were putting in good work back when you were trying to impress Diana, but aside from the hotel… you haven’t done much here. Everyone knows Diana took out Tonguelasher, not that you didn’t hel-“

I wasn’t letting myself be pushed like this again. ”I’m the reason she survived that fight. I… I know I’m a fuckup okay, I’m fucking up right now by not getting these reports done! But like I said… I’m working on it!”

”’Kay Anthony.” Choirmen snubbed his cigarette with a spray of blood. “Then don’t fuck up anymore.”

Choirmen left and closed the doors behind him, the noise drumming a hammer blow into me… as I opened my reports… I groaned. Was this what I should be doing when Diana’s in danger?

Potential danger?

I didn’t know anymore, but as I began writing up witness transcripts and attaching images into a cohesive story. I knew not to fuck this up. That’s what she would want me to do.

———

Sitting alone with my dad, eating dinner, I couldn’t help but stare at that message… something was off. If I was like Diana, I’d be able to piece it together in a flash, but instead… I had to make due with my good old Anthony brain.

”Tony… you alright?” My father was busy chopping tomatoes, yet he still had some sixth-sense about me.

”Yeah… just worried.”

”About what?”

”Diana’s in… trouble.” Why was I like this? I even lied to Diana about not telling my dad the truth — I just knew he gave good advice, that’s all. I just needed to listen to it better.

So, I told him everything.

He gulped. A large swallow he only ever did when he was hiding something from me, like a christmas present or something. “What didn’t you tell me?”

”Anthony…” He brushed his moustache, sign number two when he was keeping a secret. “I don’t know what you mean.”

”You’re hiding something.”

”…Anthony, I just gave her your mom’s things. An old Warpcube she kept from her police days, thought it would help her investigation into… Soul Killer.”

”You-“ My mom had done an investigation into Soul Killer? Was that why she-

No, Anthony, stay focused… my mom… was troubled… when she died. Even before that virus got her. Virus…

”It’s nothing with that, she got this from my aunt.” I shook off the feelings of that day. “An Auction with the rich and mighty, then she never came out… hope she wasn’t auctioned off.”

I meant that as a joke.

I’d stayed that night for hours, only leaving to see Ripley who is… a cunt. That was who Diana trusted with the Gold BUG? Maybe I should- no, no, that was stupid. Even if Ripley was planning some heinous crime, I knew he helped Diana out with the Indra issue, and that he had a reason which I…

I looked at my father.

…Could understand. His mother. No, this had everything to do with Simon Jugosla, The Gourmet, and Soul Killer. My only tangible lead was Simon Jugosla, but how do you track down a famous chef like that? Maybe I should contact Ripley and figure out if he can get me into knowing someone who can follow Simon.

Where even was this private resort? She would say so, right? Unless there was no resort. They didn’t want me searching up a place I’d find no sign of her in then.

’Ding, dong.’

The doorbell rang, and I let my father suck on his misery as I dashed there with my mutated speed. We had a little challenge to see who could get to the door first.

I opened the door, only to see a man in a suit who I most definitely didn’t recognize. He was tall, and his hair was parted in the middle to lead two long perfect sheets of black hair down to his shoulders. He had thick sunglasses on and I already knew from the start… this man was corporate.

”Hello Anthony.” He gave a disgustingly practiced smile. “My name is Royce Keagan. I’m here to see you on behalf of Brian Ulrich.”