The debrief lasted an hour of a half, and I felt like I was going crazy after answering each question prudently.

I told them everything, as it was up to the point of when infiltrated Devil’s Reach. After that, I added my own fiction and ensured the details matched what the Cobra Squad agreed to.

However, during the entire debrief, I noticed how haggard and jaded both Stelyne and Colonel Levisay were, which could only mean one thing.

It wasn’t my place to ask, sadly, so I kept the question I had at the bottom of my throat, and just waited for this entire charade to finally end.

“Everything matches with Cobra Squad,” Stelyne said with a smile.

“It does.” Colonel Levisay said, eyeing me coldly.

I stared back at the Old War Hero, unfazed by his intimidation tactic. I used it as well in my time at Dawn Light.

The only time I felt fear, was when I was in the Latrina Empire, living amongst the citizens under Hortot Calisum, the man truly was a piece of shit and more.

I watched the man burn people alive, who simply asked for water. He strangled one of his Generals on live television because he lost a skirmish against the Antillean Federation.

Colonel Levisay? Yes. He was intimidating. But he was no monster. His eyes had a soul. Hortot Calisum? Had no form of a soul within his eyes.

There was no way in hell, I was ever leaving Shin-Lee within Latrina after assassinating Hortot. I may have gotten away freely, and there hadn’t been a bounty placed on my head, but knowing his son Farsungt, he would’ve boiled Shin-Lee alive if her relationship with me was discovered…and that was something I certainly wouldn't have allowed.

“Is there something on your mind Colonel?”

“Many things are on my mind Son, but I don’t whether to shoot you or praise you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I gave General-Commander Hilacrux a call because something didn’t sit well with me.” He said.

“The Grand-General Commander of the Antillean Federation Army? Wow…the man to end the Eight Day Battle at Stellions Rift. The battle that stopped the Third Continent War from taking place”

“…so it’s documented,” Stelyne said.

“The real hero is the man that killed Hortot,” Colonel Levisay said, “…anyways Cypher. I read your file. Your real file, not that bullshit you gave us when you applied here.”

If you did…you’d know I killed Hortot, which means you still didn’t read the real file…sir, I thought.

“That’s top-secret sir, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to kill you and Stelyne,” I said with a dry laugh.

“Cut the jokes Cypher!” The Colonel snapped.

“Fine,” I said, feeling fatigued.

“Did something happen out in the Carib Waste?” Colonel Levisay asked, folding his arms.

“…something always takes place in the waste sir, you know it.”

The Colonel took a long look at me, planting his hands on his desk tapped with his fingertips continuously.

Once he was satisfied with his glare, he shook his head and pursed his lips in annoyance. “Dismissed.”

I pushed myself up and headed for the door. “Did you kill you really kill Emperor Hortort Calisum?” He finally asked. I stopped, shocked by the question then eyed him unsure whether to smile or groan. He did get the real file…holy shit. I clenched my jaw, then gave him a gent smile and nodded. “I did.”

“Humph…” He grunted.

The door slashed open and I took my leave, praying that my wife and daughter were still alive.

◆◆◆

The rain fell from the sky and across my body, leaving me more jaded than ever. The surrounding buildings looked like concrete slabs with charred windows.

Celaron Security System, still, I found the location of its headquarters weird, but I guess nothing can beat cheap rent.

Below the stairs and beyond the streets, people were coming and going, strafing in rows of twelve as they made their way through the small borough.

I could care less about how peaceful they seemed, with the sparkling variety of colours they wore and the array of leather that people wore here.

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An old man, 80 years by my estimation, twenty meters from up the street, sat behind his cart with his pipe dangling in his mouth.

The succulent scent of the meat wafted down the streets, forcing a growl from my stomach, and pissing me off. I need to eat.

“How much for the skewers?” I asked, noticing the array of vegetables attached to it. “20 Credits.”

I swiped creditstrip against the machine, the approval ding went off. I grabbed one of the skewers, inspected it, noticed the beef, green peppers, pineapple and smiled.

The skewers succulent beef melted in my mouth, filling my mouth with its juiciness. My stomach bellowed across the street, putting me to shame. I took another bite, tasting the sweet acidic taste of the pineapple, green peppers and onions and began to slowly mix it with the meat before gulping it down my throat. I took another three bites, finishing the skewer.

I felt as a thousand eyes drifted towards me, as I stood at the head of the line, ordering skewer after skewer after skewer. “YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT WANTS TO EAT YOU KNOW.” A woman screamed at me from the back of the line.

Heh...I didn’t even notice a line had started, but my stomach came first. I finally finished after buying my fifth, after a lady with blonde hair and pierced bottom lip cursed me out for holding up the line.

I gave her a wink and stepped out of the line, bumping into an old lady by mistake, I cupped underneath her arm, catching her before she fell and she shrugged me off. “DONT TOUCH ME YOU METAL BASTARD,” she screamed, drawing everyone’s attention to me again.

Once the old lady was steady, I released and left her to her machinations. The majority of the older generation hated the enhanced. They saw it as a perversion of naturality, something they didn’t have back in their day.

It wasn’t like all cybernetically enhanced had a choice in the matter, it was just the cards they were dealt. If they wanted to live a ‘normal’ life, getting cybernetically enhanced was their only option.

The problem was when the aftermarket industry caught on to the need for ‘enhancements’ Not like some people needed the enhancement. They chose to get the enhance, because they liked a particular aesthetic, that possibly did nothing for them in their life, but that’s what people thought.

If the dopamine hit was conducive to their life, they’d get the enhance, feeling all the assets and liabilities that came with it. Good or bad, nothing is as ever perfect. Sadly.

I made the turn, heading towards the nearest Taxi Hub. Once I got there, my eyes were filled with people…like sand. I was amazed at how congested this city was, but more so with how many people were looking for a cab.

In the sky, cabs were coming and going with trailing smoking ascending and descending. Everyone here wore a mask, something I hardly did but was forced to do by purchasing one from one of the vendors in the nearby shops.

“Where to?” the cabbie grunted, squinting at my arrival.

“BLED Headquarters, “ I asked.

“Humph…get in.”

The cabbie had a round face and a cigar dangling from his bottom lip. The colour and thickness of the cigar matched his brown bottom lip and unlike most cabbies, he kept his eyes on the road and tried not to engage me in conversation. I like this…I pondered to myself.

Incoming Call…

“Cypher,” I answered.

“Cypher…Gonzada.” Zade said.

“Anything?”

“I’m only getting off duty now.”

“…oh.”

“Don’t worry I’m heading straight to your place right now.”

“…as in, you’re leaving BLED HQ?”

“Yeah.”

“Do me a favour, see if you can get the phone I had on me, those two chuckle-fucks probably took it off me or something.”

“Don’t worry, I have it…I took it from evidence after I found out you’d been released.”

“Wow…thanks, that means a lot to me, you don’t even know.”

“Don’t mention it Cypher. You were there for me when I was suspended, this is the least I can do.

“Thanks, Zade…I really do appreciate this.”

“Never a problem Cypher.”

The cabbie swerved left sharply, and I hit my head against the door. A sharp throbbing pain began to form on the left side of my head, exactly where one of those BLED bastards had hit me. I ground my teeth in annoyance then swallowed deeply, hoping that the pain would subside soon.

“Cypher…I know you’re not one to talk but talk to me. I never knew you had a wife till last night. Now to hear that she was kidnapped by Akatani has me on edge. Talk to me brother”

“I don’t really wanna talk Zade. I feel like shit, I just came back from the waste. My body’s aching, my soul is crying. I’m fucked up!”

“I understand brother, but yo—“

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND SHIT ZADE. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED THEY COULD BE DEAD FOR ALL I KNOW.”

A drilling pain, resonated with my chest and felt as my heart was about to explode. I took a deep breath and tried slowing my breathing down, but as I held my oxygen in, I could hear my heart thumping in my chest like a jackhammer to concrete. Loud and Booming.

“We’ll find out how they found out. Don’t worry, I have some theories of my own.

“Theories? I already know who did this!”

“You do?”

“Of course…it’s that bastard Eclain.”

“Eclain? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember what you told me? You suspected he had ties to Akatani?”

“I did…when was this?”

“You’ve got to be shitting me Zade. This was I got conscripted for that bullshit Investigation for the Commissioner!”

“I remember that shit detail you had that got you fired, but Eclain?”

“Yes. Eclain. You told me right before the meeting that I need to watch my back. The case we did with the vending machine fraud, where I’d capture Akatani’s kids, that I was now in his sights. You even indicated that there was a possible link between Akatani and Eclain, so I needed to watch my back.”

“It’s not rin…OH…YEAH! I remember now. Fuck! I’m sorry Cypher, my brain feels like mesh these days, doing that mundane Dispatch work has fucked with my memory.”

“It’s fine! But I need you to check your phone, ensure it wasn’t cloned or bugged. I spoke with you last night right before I left. I’m certain that bastard relayed the information to Akatani!”

“Holy shit…FUCK Cypher, god damn it!”

I groaned to myself. The words were at the tip of my tongue, but I had no right to same them. Akatani did me a favour, by ensuring Shin-Lee and Hannah was right, how the hell would I know the bastard would’ve used Eclain to get to me. I should’ve known! I hissed to myself, but in truth…I forgot about that bastard. That punch he gives me. I’ll make sure to return it…tenfold.

“Where’s Eclain!?”

“I don’t Kn…I’ll look into his locale. Just give me some time, I’ll check to see if my phone’s been bugged.”

“Bring me the phone. I need it.”

“On it.”

“Good, meet me at my place.”

“I’ll be there in thirty.”

“Zade.”

“…yeah?”

“…thanks again.”

“No need for thanks brother, godspeed.”

The call went down and put my head back, trying to get some form of rest. I looked up at the cabbie, noticing he’d rolled up the privacy screen, to block out communication between me and him. Great

I tapped the destination display in front of me and changed my Destination from BLED Headquarters to my home.

The cabbie turned to me, gave a slight nod, blowing smoke from his lips, then turned his head back to the oncoming traffic. “I’m gonna murder Eclain. I swear it.”