The Next Day
Back Home.
Tendo had been a real one, dropping me off at my doorstep. We arrived back really early in the morning, around 2 AM. I felt bad pulling him into this, but at least he was getting a date out of it. Despite my augmentations, I found I got exhausted just like anyone else and barely had the energy to scarf down some food to offset my heightened metabolism before collapsing into bed.
I slept well, surprisingly well.
I woke up to a message on my phone from a few old high school friends in the city. The ping woke me up. Looking at the time:
11:47 AM
Sighing, I got up and went about my morning routine. I idly noticed a certain delay in my movements, something that wasn't there the previous day. I could push through it as it was negligible and wouldn't really affect me, but it was a clear warning sign that my body was not comfortable with its new nervous system.
Something I was expecting... It was like asking a first-generation computer to run perfectly with the latest OS installed in it.
My body would give out eventually; it was something I had planned for, especially my muscles,but I hadn't expected them to fail so soon. This just goes to show just how fragile and how powerful my augmentations were at the same time.
I needed to plan out my next set of Augments...soon.
Eating a heavy brunch, filling my body with calories for the start of the day, I deliberately sped up my thoughts, going over what I knew and remembered from the stakeout. I had a lot of planning and preparing to do for tonight; I had been woefully underarmed yesterday... I would not be repeating that mistake. Getting dressed in a plain t-shirt, pants, and hoodie, I grabbed my wallet, phone, and left the apartment, closing it behind me. Hesitating, looking to my left at Gloria's place, I came to a decision and went ahead and knocked on the door to get some information and maybe reassure the woman.
I rang the doorbell and waited. There was no answer. I waited, then pulled out my phone and typed a quick message:
"Hey Gloria, just checking in. You okay? Any word from Ruby? I'm heading out to ask around. Let me know if anything changes."
I hit send and pocketed the phone.
It pinged before I reached the stairs.
Gloria.
Her message came in a rush, all lowercase and filled with multiple typos, like she was shaking while she typed:
"eli im at the police station still trying to push them but theyre not doing anything they said theyll look into it but its the same thing over and over im so scared"
I sighed, thumbs hovering over the screen. There wasn't much I could say that wouldn't sound empty.
"Take care of yourself," I typed back. "Keep faith. I've got a friend helping me track leads, too. We'll have a talk once you're back; don't worry, we'll find her."
Her reply came almost instantly:
"thank you eli... really thank you"
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and headed down the stairs.
The sun was high now, feeling it warm on my face as I stepped outside. I had some shopping to do.
Midtown Manhattan
I stepped off the N train at 34th Street. The station was packed with commuters. Keeping my head down, I walked my way through the crowd and made my way to Kaufman's Army & Navy. It was the first stop on my list today; I needed some armor, something that would keep me protected from bullets.
The shop's narrow storefront was squeezed between a deli and a souvenir stand, windows cluttered with camo jackets, gas masks, and faded American flags. A jingle rang as I entered the shop. The clerk, an older guy with a graying beard and a USMC cap, barely glanced up from his newspaper behind the counter. I power-walked to the back wall where the body armor hung, rows of black and tan vests on heavy metal racks.
I pulled down a concealable Level IIIA vest, one that was thin enough to be worn underneath some baggy clothes without being too obvious. Looking at the label, it said it could stop 9mm, .40, .45, even .44 Magnum rounds.
Not bad...
Checking the fit against a mirror on the wall, I found it comfortable after adjusting some of the straps.
The clerk wandered over, folding the paper under his arm.
"Looking for something specific?" he asked, his voice gravelly.
"Just this," I said, slipping the vest off. "Level IIIA, right?"
"Yup. Stops most handgun rounds. Won't do much against rifles, but it'll keep you breathing if someone pulls a nine on you." The clerk gave a small shrug. "You know how it is."
I nodded once. I did.
"Five-eighty," the clerk said, ringing it up. "Cash or card?"
"Cash."
I counted out six hundred-dollar bills. The clerk bagged the vest without any question and handed it to me along with the change. Just as I was about to leave the shop, a case toward my side caught my eye. I paused.
The clerk noticed. "Need a blade ?"
I stepped toward the case and answered the man. "Yeah... Something for heavy use, I suppose."
My eyes stopped on a Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife, the classic. Seven-inch clip-point blade, high-carbon steel, black leather-wrapped handle, stacked leather washers. The sheath was heavy-duty leather with a metal throat and a belt loop that would sit low and snug on his hip.
He reached over, took it out, and handed it to me. I tested the weight in my hand; perfectly balanced. I flipped it dexterously, earning an appreciative hum from the man. Nodding to him, I said, "Box it up as well, and throw in a sharpening stone if you've got one."
"Sure, one-twenty-five for the Ka-Bar, fifteen for the stone." The clerk slid the knife and sheath into a plain brown bag, along with the small Arkansas stone.
"Have a nice day..."
I gave a half-smile and left, "Planning to."
Stepping out, I paused for a moment before the bag began to thump against my leg as I walked. I headed straight to Paragon Sports a few blocks away; I had to get some more supplies.
Once inside, I ignored the other customers and went directly to the tactical section, starting to grab everything I needed.
Black 5.11 Rush12 backpack, compact Nikon binoculars. My eyes could see clearly in the dark now, but they weren't telescopic. I steadily ignored the dark stirring in my chest from the Codex clearing, letting me know that my could at the right price.
Shaking my head, I cursed the ache and grabbed a Leatherman Wave multi-tool, a pair of black Mechanix gloves, and a basic trauma kit. At the register, I added a pack of heavy-duty zip ties and a roll of duct tape.
Just in case.
Then the clothes: charcoal-gray hoodie, dark navy long-sleeve base layer, black 5.11 tactical pants with deep pockets. I paid again in cash and left the shop, walking out into the slowly cooling air.
By the time I got back to Astoria, it was evening, painting the brick buildings in a low gold sheen. I stopped at the corner deli on 30th Avenue and grabbed a large chicken gyro with extra tzatziki, with extra fries inside the pita, and a bottle of water. The guy behind the counter recognized me, giving a quick nod that I returned, not really recognizing him inturn.
Something to keep in mind: I didn't remember everything the old Eli had known.
I ate on the walk home, the grease soaking through the foil wrapper. It was delicious. Back in the apartment, I locked the door, dropped the bags on the kitchen table, and sank back into the couch. Something was bothering me... something important. If this party was held by Emma Frost, other than one of her many family members, then there was a non-zero possibility that he could encounter her and from what he knew of her she was most if not always a telepath with some other powers thrown in with the mix.
That was a legitimate concern. It would be a disaster to have someone inside my brain. After thinking about it, there were a lot of people who get into people's heads, and I would need some kind of stopgap. After a little hesitation, I closed my eyes, focused my will and consciousness into the codex. It bloomed open in my mind with all the rituals I had performed, from the flesh mending to the neural recalibration I had done recently. In the same way, I tried to find a way to protect my mind from outside intrusions, something like how a space marine's mind was a fortress, trained or engineered to keep out the demons of the warp.
It was a path I could take. I knew I could use the codex to do it, but I hesitated to go forward with it immediately after the recent recalibration. My nervous system was still adjusting to the superconducting dendrites; another layer on top might fry something permanently. Looking into the codex, to my surprise, I found that the crystal itself, the thing fused to my heart or, more like, my soul, was already doing work I hadn't asked for. It wasn't full psychic shielding, more like a moat, a quiet, constant barrier of energy that blurred the edges of my thoughts, made them slippery to outside probes.
A telepath might sense something wrong, but they wouldn't get a clean read, not without forcing their way in, and I instantly knew that would cost them.
It wouldn't keep out some of the entities in this universe, but it was enough for now.
Satisfied for the time being, I opened my eyes and realized I had been out for a couple of hours and it was almost time to meet up with Tendo. Then I heard a commotion from the hallway of the apartment and focusing I realized it was Gloria's voice, getting up quickly I opened the door and saw Gloria herding Matt into their home, with him complaining about something.
I walked up to her slowly, noticing that the woman looked wrecked, with bags underneath her eyes. She looked like someone who was barely holding it together. She glanced back at her door, making sure that her son was not trying to overhear the conversation.
She didn't speak right away, just stood there, hugging herself.
"Hey, how's everything..." I asked her slowly.
"They were trying to be helpful," she said finally, voice small and cracked. "At the precinct. They took the report again, asked the same questions, said they'd look into it. But when I mentioned the Frost name... the detective's face changed, as if a switch had flipped. He said they'd follow up, but I could tell. They're not going to do anything with it..."
She looked at me.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I know it's not enough, but a friend is helping me. We're looking into some things, and we have a lead. I can't promise we'll find her tonight, but we're not going to stop."
Gloria's eyes filled with tears, but she let them fall. She stepped forward and hugged me fiercely.
"Thank you, Eli," she whispered against my shoulder. "I mean it."
I patted her back once, awkward but sincere. "Go get some rest. I'll call if we find anything."
She pulled back, wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand, and nodded.
I watched her disappear inside, then went back into my place.
I quickly changed into the clothes I had just bought. Stripped down to my boxers, I strapped on the Level IIIA vest, feeling the Velcro snugly around my ribs. Over it went the charcoal-gray hoodie and dark navy long-sleeve base layer, and then the pants. I packed in the tags, binoculars, and the multi-tool, along with two extra mags for my gun. The Ka-Bar went low on the belt, sheath hidden under the hoodie hem. I tucked the gloves into one of the pockets, ready to be used later. I rummaged through my clothes and found an old balaclava and tucked it into the backpack.
Lastly, the Glock. I slid it into the IWB holster attached to my belt for easy access and tucked the hoodie over it.
I looked in the mirror one last time.
Fuck it, let's do this...
I made my way to the meeting point where Tendo and I had decided to meet. I walked down the block and found his truck waiting. I got in quickly in the back seat, giving him a once-over.
He was wearing a tuxedo.
I gave him a dry look. Looking behind, he raised an eyebrow, taking in the backpack and the way my jacket hung a little heavier than usual.
"Fuck, man, you carrying iron... ?" He questioned me seriously.
"Don't ask..." I said pointedly, knowing I didn't have a license for it. He sighed as he started driving, glancing at me through the rearview.
"If you get caught, I don't know you..." He said with a half-smile. I replied back in amusement, "Same."
It was quiet after our banter. Surprisingly little traffic for a Friday night. We crossed the RFK Bridge in near silence and reached a block in the Upper East Side. Tendo slowed, scanning the parked cars.
"How are we gonna do this?" he asked. "I'm picking up Cassie here. What do we tell her?"
I thought for a second. "Tell her I'm a friend you're helping out. You're dropping me off on the way to the party, in the same general area. Keep it simple. And once you're inside, text me."
Tendo nodded slowly. "Good plan. I'll send you updates when I can."
Reaching the house, Tendo killed the engine and stepped out. I stayed in the car; it would have been weird if I got out too.
A minute later, the front door opened, and Cassie stepped out.
She was a tall, top-heavy blonde, maybe twenty-two, wearing a low-cut green dress that caught the streetlight in a way that made her hard to ignore.
Tendo greeted her with a quick hug and a smile, I could hear in his voice. "Hey, Cassie, you look amazing."
She laughed softly. "You clean up nice yourself, Officer."
He helped her into the passenger seat, then glanced back at me. "Cassie, this is Eli, an old friend. He's hitching a ride; we're going in the same general direction."
Cassie turned her head toward the back seat, looking at me with a curious smile. "Hi, Eli, I'm Cassie."
"Nice to meet you, Cassie. Tendo's been talking you up," I said, returning her greeting with a smile.
Damn, Tendo's got good taste,
She settled in and started chatting with Tendo about the friends they were meeting at the party. I stayed quiet in the back, watching the city slide past. We drove north, traffic thinning as the city gave way to quieter streets, then suburbs, then the long, dark stretch toward Westchester.
Tendo eventually slowed and pulled off onto a side road near the forested area, about two miles before the Frost estate's private lane.
Perfect.
He killed the headlights and turned in his seat.
"This is your stop, dude," he said to me. "You got your phone?"
I nodded.
He held out a fist. "Be careful, man."
I bumped it. "You too."
Cassie looked at us a little weirdly, yet smiled, "Good luck, Eli.... whatever this is."
I smiled at her, then got out of the car, closed the door softly, and watched the truck pull away. I looked around; trees loomed on both sides, with sparse lighting from the streetlights. I adjusted my backpack and made my way into the forest, hoping in my heart the day wouldn't end in tragedy, and steeling myself to deal with whatever happens.
This is it...