Wanderers in the Dark : Part 1

by Carlos Vergara

  ‘What’s up with the mask? It’s not like it’s going to help them this time around when I get my hands on them.’

  ‘Don’t get too confident,’ Luther said.

  The distance between the two cars got close. With his weapon trained on the target, Mark fired several shots, with two direct hits, but it didn’t have an effect. The culprit kept running without so much as a jerk from the impact.

  He yelled in frustration.

  ‘Perhaps something that provides much more of a punch than the standard firearm might help,’ Luther suggested, passing a grenade launcher to Mark.

  ‘When did you get this?’

  ‘I had it ready since yesterday. I thought it might help.’

  ‘Talk about discretion. This is fireworks and a show right here.’ He smiled and fired the weapon.

  Both detectives watched the grenade latch itself on the vehicle’s boot before detonating. The car crashed it into parked cars along the kerb

  ‘Presto!’ Mark said, smirking.

  The two detectives exited the cars with their weapons trained at the vehicle as they approached the blazing vehicle.

  As the detectives were closing in on the car, the driver’s door flew out, followed by the culprit whose uniform was still burning away, revealing a navy-blue body suit underneath that was unscathed.

  What the hell are you? Mark thought.

  The culprit tilted their head, taunting them. It lasted for a split second, after which, Mark and Luther were chasing the enemy through the streets on foot.

  ‘This person is really pissing me off,’ Mark said, passing people in his way.

  ‘We will get them.’

  ‘What I’d like to know is what that suit and mask are made from. It’s got scratches but sustained zero damage on it. Not even a crack or dent.’

  ‘Whoever they are, identity must be important to them.’

  ‘Well, in a few moments that won’t matter.’

  The streets ahead were becoming clearer, presenting Mark and Luther with another chance to apprehend the culprit without bringing harm to any bystanders. They followed the culprit into an alleyway before venturing into another which ran between the apartment buildings.

  ‘We got them,’ Mark said.

  Suddenly, the culprit leapt into the air and ascended the buildings, bouncing off the windows and walls like a ping pong ball.

  Mark stopped in his tracks and watched in surprise. ‘What the hell? Since when were they able to do that?

  While the culprit was making advances on their escape, a helicopter flew over which caught their attention, since Evelyn was inside.

  Evelyn was flown via helicopter high above the buildings. She could see her colleagues were still in pursuit of the culprit. ‘Mark, Luther, keep on the culprit’s tail. I’m going to converge on them from the front.’

  ‘Will do.’

  The helicopter flew ahead where the buildings were gradually becoming taller as they followed the passages deeper into the city.

  When Evelyn was taken to an appropriate distance between the culprit and her. She slid the door open and took off her black jacket, which revealed a dark grey, tight body suit with a small firearm strapped around her thigh and chain around her chest.

  This time I won’t let it end like before.

  The detective jumped off the helicopter, entering the fray below.

  The culprit noticed Evelyn descending into the passage. He glanced back at the two detectives, who were running on foot, and noticed the distance between them had grown considerably.

  He came to an abrupt stop by gripping the building wall with one hand. With their fingers dug into the wall and foot resting against it, the culprit appeared like a monkey suspended along a tree, as they scanned the area around closely for Evelyn.

  The area was quiet. The sound of cars and people could barely be heard from where they were positioned. The culprit remained hanging on the wall before they continued to leap forward, building to building. He moved slowly, taking caution while moving forward. They kept their attention fixated on any subtle movements or sounds around them, as if listening for Evelyn.

  Just as the culprit was about to land on the next building, a bullet hit his foot, causing him to fall. The culprit managed to regain grasp of the wall and stayed still, looking everywhere for a sight of a moving shadow, then prepared to move, but more shots came flying at him from the opposite rooftop. He evaded the incoming attack and quickly ascended to the rooftop to continue with his escape.

  The culprit continued running and hopping over rooftops. More bullets came passing, with some coming an inch close to his body, then the barrage stopped. He looked back with curiosity, while he was still in the air. Nothing was in sight.

  Suddenly, a chain wrapped his leg and reeled, pulling the culprit toward the nearest roof. As he reached for the chain whip, it reeled again and tossed him around the rooftops and walls. This repeated several times, until he broke free of the chain and proceeded to make a run for it, but a camouflaged hand caught his head and slammed him to ground.

  The culprit struggled to see the detective, as she was invisible. He took out a dart knife and retaliated, striking at the air to attack the detective, however, the knife touched nothing.

  He doubled his efforts to attack the detective. It was fruitless. The knife was knocked away, followed by a powerful hit to the chest and head, which dropped him in an instant.

  When the culprit finally caught his breath again, he spoke. ‘Well done, detective… You finally caught me.’

  There was no response from the detective.

  The culprit chuckled. ‘Reveal yourself. I’m unarmed and out of the shadows. Isn’t that what you intended?’

  When the culprit didn’t get back up, Evelyn deactivated her camouflage suit. She stared at him, keeping a safe distance between them.

  ‘We meet again,’ he said.

  ‘Take off your mask,’ she demanded.

  ‘I think not.’

  ‘Why? You appeared forthcoming by stepping out of the shadows. Why stop now?’

  ‘Because some mysteries are best left a mystery.’

  ‘Like your identity? What do you have to lose?’ She strode toward the culprit.

  ‘Nothing at all. But you do, and you know it.’

  ‘Why did you want the supply ship destroyed? What effect were you trying to achieve?’

  ‘The effect I wanted to achieve was to stop it – all of it.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘All of this. All of this will end, detective. I’ll see to that personally, even if it’s not by my own hand.’

  ‘I stopped you already, you’re not going anywhere anymore.’ She stopped in front of the culprit.

  The culprit laughed. ‘Your services are only effective here. Outside this,’ Glancing toward holes on the surface above. ‘Everything is vulnerable, even hope.’

  ‘Is that what you want? To rid us of hope. All we are trying to do is survive.’

  ‘I won’t let that happen.’

  ‘Is that why you corrupted and killed a man who was trying to save us from our plight?’

  The culprit dropped his gaze on Evelyn. He paused. ‘I didn’t expect to see naivety in the Interpol’s leading detective. I suspected you would have found something on the research and work the man was doing, given the fact that you are an investigator.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘That man was only serving his own agenda by systematically creating modified crops that would infect people, thus plaguing them with a condition that would last forever, while generating profit for pharmaceutical conglomerates and investors in the industry. I don’t think you saw the profit he was generating off the record.’

  ‘What a claim. Did you come up with that by yourself?’

  ‘You only need to look, detective. Then you’ll understand why I did what I did. Haven’t you realised how so many of the people are suffering from something? I mean, look at your colleagues. Your fie
ry friend suffers from chronic hay fever. The colleagues with the missing limbs, despite not looking like she is suffering, is anaemic. Or have you chosen to neglect it because you’re in denial?

  Evelyn went quiet. She couldn’t entirely refute his point. She recalled Mark having have long periods where he would be sneezing. He would sneeze to the point where it would hurt him. While with Martha, she always appearing lethargic in many of their encounters. Though she never knew she was anaemic.

  ‘You can’t disagree with me, can you?’

  No, I can’t... Evelyn could have said, but she didn’t. ‘You make an interesting point, but this is where you’re stopped. It’ll be the last time you ever do anything again.’

  ‘Don’t be too certain. I intend to wreak havoc upon humanity and I will not let anyone stop me. That man was one of the reasons why I despised humans. You’re fragile, malleable species that act only on selfish desires within a system created you created that feeds off those desires in order to progress in society. It’s a disease… and you intend to continue the same practice on another planet. You don’t deserve to. I won’t allow it.’

  Evelyn edged closer to the man. ‘That’s a nice thought. You can let it percolate in your mind in prison for the rest of your life.’

  ‘That’s if I’m in prison, detective. So long as I’m out here, I’ll do what’s necessary.’ The culprit slammed a device to the ground, which blasted the area in smoke, making it impossible to see anything around.

  Evelyn ran toward the culprit, but he was gone. She searched the area and went to the edge of the rooftop and couldn’t find him.

  Damnit!

  Mark and Luther barged onto the rooftop, through the exit door, finding their colleague troubled.

  ‘Where’s the culprit?’ Mark asked.

  ‘Gone,’ she said.

  ‘But how?’

  She looked away. She glanced around the road but there was no sight of the culprit. However ashamed she felt, she also felt satisfied with her work this time, as she now had an idea of what the culprit was after.

  CHAPTER 20

  ANOTHER TRIP TO the infirmary was advised to Alyssa to have her injuries checked on.

  Eikichi accompanied her, despite being told not to several times by her. He sat and waited outside in the waiting room as she was being tended.

  The nurse checked all her wounds, and to their surprise, all of Alyssa’s cuts, abrasions, and bruises had disappeared.

  ‘My word,’ the nurse said. ‘that was fast. It was only a few nights ago that I was tending your injuries, and now, they’re gone. That’s amazing.’

  Alyssa didn’t say anything. Once the check-up was done, she left the room and found Eikichi staring intently at something.

  ‘Eikichi, what is it?’ Alyssa asked.

  ‘Take a look,’ he said.

  Alyssa moved closer to get a view and saw a reporter discussing the events.

  The most recent event being televised involved the explosion of the supply ship during a law enforcement operation, which was intended to provide the students with the necessities during their stay on Mars. It was reported that none of the supplies were damaged and was the result of the demands of the culprit, who was the prime suspect for the bombing at Ascent University.

  ‘Who in their right mind would do this?’ Eikichi asked.

  ‘Someone who disapproves with what’s happening here,’ Alyssa said, her eyes on the news report.

  The pair returned to the Common Area to discuss the event with the group. Whenever they passed students, teachers, or security guards, the main topic they spoke about was the event. They ventured through and joined their group by the sofas, who were in the same discussion as everyone else.

  ‘This is nuts,’ Janice said, holding his phone as she continued to watch the report. ‘And the person who did this is nuts as well. Why the hell would someone do this? Like seriously.’

  ‘Beats me,’ Ali said, ‘I’m trying to figure it out myself. I believe this person doesn’t agree with what we’re doing.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’ Janice asked.

  ‘I think this culprit disapproves of us being here and what we’re doing. I don’t know if that’s the reason why they’re doing this, but that’s what I suspect. I can’t think of any reason beside that.’

  ‘You think this person has a grudge against us?’

  ‘Possibly. Whoever this person is, they hold a great bitterness towards something or someone, which is a feeling too great for them to ignore, that’s why they had acted upon it.’ He received a phone call. ‘Excuse me, I have to take this.’ He left.

  Alyssa glanced at Clara who was beside Yannick. ‘Are you feeling better, Clara?’

  Clara offered a weak smile. ‘I am,’ she said, holding a bottle containing a maroon liquid. ‘I have to start drinking this now.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Pomegranate juice. It’s to help with my fatigue.’

  ‘Does it?’

  ‘It does. It’s a big help. Though, aside from that, I’m just concerned about what’s happened on Earth since the law enforcement officials haven’t been able to catch the person responsible for these acts. Yannick and I are both concerned.’

  Alyssa looked at Yannick, who appeared troubled.

  ‘What’s bothering me,’ Eikichi said, ‘is the fact the culprit is really good at what they’re doing. The detectives still don’t know who they are or how they’re doing this.’

  ‘Maybe they do, but they’re not telling us.’ Janice said. ‘Well that’s what my mama thinks anyway.’

  ‘But that wouldn’t make sense then. Why hide someone’s identity from the public when the chances of finding the person responsible for these crimes would be higher if the public knew about it?’

  ‘Don’t know.’

  ‘Perhaps it’s someone the people look up to.’ Alyssa said. ‘Someone the people respect and follow… a role model.’

  ‘Like who?’

  ‘I don’t know. But if that was the case, it would be understandable for detectives to keep the identity hidden. It would cause panic for everyone because people will have difficulty in putting their trust in someone again.’

  Everyone kept quiet, pondering the event.

  ‘Well, we should consider ourselves lucky,’ Janice remarked. ‘Nothing’s happened here. I think we should go about our day and resume with what’s important to us right now.’

  ‘Which is?’ Eikichi asked.

  ‘Our Arms and Military exam. I don’t know what to expect, and I’d rather be prepared as best as I can be before it happens.’

  The group got up and exited the Common Area.

  Alyssa realised Ali had disappeared. She went looking for him and found him in a room alone, video chatting with someone. She watched him from afar and listened to his conversation.

  ‘Papa, please listen,’ Ali said. ‘I’m doing this because I want to help you, I want to help the family. I want to help everyone. We’re not the only one suffering.’

  ‘I don’t care about anyone else outside the family,’ Ali’s father said. ‘You are a part of this family, and we have our way of helping already. What you are doing here is doing what you want to do. You think you’re being selfless, when actually you are being selfish. You can stay here with family and still live well. You can help your family here. And I’m sure Salima would accept you again if you come.’

  ‘Salima is nice. But I’m not interested in being with someone now. There are far more important things I must do right now. That is not one of them.’

  ‘And you believe that what you are doing is.’

  ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘Fine. If this is how you want it, fine. Don’t call me again, or anyone else from the family. You are no longer my son. You are no longer a part of this family.’

  ‘Papa, please…’

  ‘No.’

  The call ended.

  Alyssa was shocked. She couldn’t imagine the impact this was going to ha
ve on Ali, who did nothing but sit and stare at the screen after the call ended.

  ‘Ali…’

  She walked into the room.

  Ali turned around and appeared startled by her call. He looked ready to burst into tears as he faced her. ‘Alyssa.’

  ‘Your father can’t just do this to you.’

  ‘You heard?’

  ‘More than I care to admit. Your father can’t do this.’

  Ali looked away. ‘This is how it is with my culture, Alyssa. I can’t do anything about that.’

  ‘There’s gotta to be something you can do.’

  ‘Do what? My father is doing this out of fear.’

  ‘Then you have to give him some assurance. Get the Dean to talk to him. Maybe he can persuade him.’

  ‘He wouldn’t listen to him.’

  ‘Well, you have to try.’

  There was a pause.

  ‘Where is everyone?’ he asked.

  ‘Gone to the Great Hall to prepare for the Arms and Military exam.’

  Ali wiped his tears from his face and shook his head, as if trying to overcome the impact the event had on him. ‘Please don’t tell anyone about this, Alyssa. This is a family matter. The group doesn’t need to get concerned over this.’

  Alyssa went quiet. She wanted to tell the group.

  ‘Please, Alyssa.’

  She nodded. ‘Okay.’

  Alyssa didn’t know how to respond to Ali’s situation. She understood Ali’s father to be afraid and concerned for his son’s wellbeing but the extent of his actions to guarantee his return was ridiculous.

  When they arrived, there were several groups positioned in different parts of the hall, focusing on their training exercises for the exam, as well. All of them appeared proficient in the offence and defence formations they learnt in class, demonstrating a high level of teamwork between one another.

  The pair spotted their team already working together and joined them. They were asked for their whereabouts, but they kept quiet.

  Everyone started with their training. Each person was well informed of the positions of everyone in the group and what each person had to do. However, execution of the work was a different story when members failed to remember the role to play.