Robert was in a club. He looked at the mirror on the side. He saw no reflection. Heading inside the club he saw Kato sitting down on the stool of a bar with a woman. She had short hair resting on her shoulders. A kindly smile that matched her dimpled face.

It was clear to Robert that Kato was looking at her affectionately. Despite Robert’s impression of others, he was looking at the woman who was offering him sound advice with patience. With his lips lifted and his eyes wondering if she was really such an optimist.

Then it flashed to him like a film playing. Memories that were like a film being fast-forwarded. Then he was staring at a lonely man standing in front of two graves, muttering to himself, making a conversation.

“How are you doing? I hope it’s comfy there in heaven,” he started. “If you're not in heaven, then no one can be in heaven. Is our child doing fine up there with you? I hope so.”

He pocketed his hands. “Everyone’s doing fine. They invited me to their parties and even had me spend Christmas. I appreciate it. A blessing to be in a family like yours. Your uncle and aunties… no wonder they’d have someone nice. They are good people. Kind people. I don’t know how to repay them for their kindness sometimes.”

Kato squatted down and wiped the gravestone.

“I’ve been doing mercenary work again. You always hated that. Especially during that time in Manford where I got a bullet on my arm. I couldn't help doing it because it was the only thing that I could do. They didn't know where the money was coming from, I told them. I wish they actually hated me for that. But they didn’t. Really, being part of your family was the best thing that happened to me.”

His eyes fondly looked at the name written on the gravestone: Here Lies Katey Alina, a woman whose smile brightens the dark.

“I’m planning to have one job. Once I finished this. I try to love myself. I still wish that I was the one who got hit. Every day I think that and I hate myself for thinking that. Your Ma slapped me the other day. Told me that I was still young. I shouldn’t waste it. Live a good life and try to be as happy. Your Ma, hell, everyone has been rather supportive of me that it's overbearing sometimes.”

The sunlight peeked through the trees. Kato sat cross-legged and joined his hands together.

“It’s still hard for me to do that. Maybe one day. I’d visit again, as always. This is the only place where I can find peace these days. It also helps that there ain’t no geothermal storms here.”

Robert watched as the scene faded. He was dragged somewhere and by the time he opened his eyes. He was staring at the ceiling with his face contorted. He covered his face and screamed with his hands. After screaming, he sat on the edge of his bed and placed his hands on his lap.

His eyes were sunken. A gloomy aura wrapped him. He could never go back to that place of comfort. That one spot where he’d be at peace.

“God, I’m not complaining, but if you’d give me a second chance. I wouldn’t have minded going back before that incident, you know?”

Robert said to no one. He reached out to his phone and started combing through the messages. He checked his email and saw that he was being called by Juliana to the office.

He walked straight to the bathroom unclothed. He glanced at the face he had been used to seeing every day. It came to him that he had been sharper and stronger than he’d thought he’d be. His wounds took only days to heal and he was made of stronger stuff.

If he had been injured like he used to. He would have spent a month in a hospital. It was good that his body was stronger. Not that it mattered when a bullet could put him into a grave.

“You shouldn’t be this reckless. Are you seeking death?”

Robert didn’t answer that. He shook those thoughts away and took a shower. After that, he clothed himself, wore a jacket over his dress shirt, and checked on his pistols.

Taking his phone with him. He passed through the living street, weaving through the crowd, and stood on the sidewalk. He hailed a cabbie, entered, and told them the driver to take him to Newman Street.

“NASA's Pathfinder, the space probe launched in a Delta II rocket in December last year, has finally landed on the surface of Mars.”

“The British Embassy has commented that the decision to hand over sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China was a crucial step. Though economic experts suggest that it was a way for the British to avoid what experts say is a financial crisis that will put Asia in the red.”

The radio announcements became ambient as he watched the streets. Robert wondered again how normal things are. There were local newspapers that caught what happened during the raid. Because of the noise made, the City’s Governmental body issued that there was a war on drugs.

That there were brave officers who died in the service of ridding the street of harmful substances. Although the statement lessened the attention on their activities, some people remained convinced that something else was going on.

Most of them were labeled as conspiracy theorists. The rest were people who had insights but were unable to pinpoint what the problem was. Instead opted on naming organizations and syndicates that are unrelated to the problem. If anything most of their assumptions were tamed compared to the truth.

Then again, most of these people wouldn’t believe it. Or at least they’d refused to believe that there are people in this world who could be so soulless in regards to human life.

To Robert, there was little difference. Even in his past life some people sold organs and traded them for high prices. The only difference was that they did it with science and not magic.

 

*  * *

 

Juliana waited at her desk in front of the Lieutenant’s office. She was typing on her keyboard while comparing documents. Her printer was making this scratching noise.

“I got it.”

He circled around and unjammed the paper. He looked at the monitor, redid the printing, and stood back in front. Juliana checked on her monitor, placed the documents down, and took a suit below her desk.

“Mr. Oswald. I must admit that you’ve been ruining your suit that it has become a problem. The suit that we provide can resist one hundred bullets. I’d read your report. A .50 BMG does an extreme amount of damage to our suit.  It's reasonable that it wouldn't be able to resist it. Still, I suggest that you be extra careful while fighting. The resources it takes to weave the charms of protection in the suit is expensive.”

“I understand.”

“Do you? Please refrain from putting yourself into danger.”

Robert thought that he shouldn’t wear it if that was the case. Juliana seemed to guess what he was thinking.

“Please wear your suit. It offers protection. I’m not admonishing you for risking your life, but please do it in moderation. The Commission is the one paying for your bills and the need for secrecy makes it expensive to expunge the records.”

Robert nodded his head slowly.

“You require something for me?”

“Yes. This concerns the case that you’re working on.”

She brought a file from her desk. Inside the file were printed transactions which the organization suspects to be the accounts used by Rubio Ferric to do his transaction.”

It was impossible to track them because of how he kept moving the money. Spread it thin and keep it jumping from one account to another. The Arcadian Bank, the local bank in Saint Lucius, was handling these transfers.

“Did Agent Wilson have any additional information?”

“None so far. As you know by now. It is hard to move because of the mess of the raid. They’ve gathered evidence and information from the books they found… but it leads to nothing. We are using them as evidence to prove that Rubio Ferric is transporting illegal items. Unfortunately, the warehouse that they were using did not have what we thought they were storing. Most of them were illegal substances that are used to create drugs.”

“So we still have no lead?”

“Turn the page.”

Robert examined the next page. There was a dossier of four men with only their callsigns. Sloth, Vermin, Smoke, and Strato. Most of the information on them was redacted with black markers. Robert could tell that they were working for the United States because of the seal.

“Who are they?”

“Operators. They are chasing after Rubio Ferric as well. Apparently, Rubio did something that pissed off Uncle Sam. Now they want Rubio’s head on a plate for it. You’ll be accompanying them in regards to hunting down the Halfbreed.”

“These are tier one operators… are they informed of this side of the world?”

“They half-believe it. But most of them aren’t that accepting and prefer to be on the need-to-know basis.”

“Where are they?”

“Currently on the tenth district’s clearing. They have a safe house built there. Their handler’s name is Anna Ford. Not her real name obviously, but she’ll be in charge of them. We suspect that they are after files that threaten some politician in their country.”

“What are my orders then?”

“Inform them. Keep them aware of what they need to look out for. These are deadly men, but they are also unaware of this side of the world.”

“I’m guessing that I’m meeting them soon?”

“Yes.”

She took a 3110 phone from her drawer.

“You’ll be using this phone number to contact them. They’ll be calling you through a ghost sim.”

“Convenient. What should I watch out for?”

“Don’t tell them about what they don’t need to know. Of course, they think that we’re just an ‘associate’ of Interpol. Informants that are here to watch their back while they operate in this region.”

“I’m guessing that I don’t have to fully introduce myself to them.”

“Hmm, you can decide a name for yourself.”

“I see. Where are they exactly?”

“They are staying in a cabin. It’s in Nuskarn’s Creek. Do you know the place?”

Robert searched through his memories.

“I do.”

“Good. You can borrow a car. Just try not to wreck it, Mr. Oswald. There will be consequences if you do.”

“I’d rather not take it then.”

“You will. Do you expect to take the bus every time?”

“Then I’d take it.”

She threw the car key to him. Robert left the main building, went to the parking lot, and found the compact sedan. He took the key with him, opened the car door, and rode the car out of the parking lot.

Entering the main road, he drove for twenty minutes and arrived at the main road where the creek was. He parked the car discreetly, went off-road, and started heading to the cabin where they were staying.

Walking silently, not making any noise, he found the four of them watching the perimeter while one of the four was talking to what he assumed to be their handler. He sent Anna Ford a text that he was around. Once she read the text, she told her men to watch out.

Robert went out of the tree line like a shadow and raised his hands up. He kept his hands in the air as he approached them.

“Miss Ford. May I take my badge out?”

“Go ahead.”

He took his ghost badge out and showed it to one of the operators. 

“It checks out, Ford.”

“Okay. You can keep your hands down, what should I call you?”

Robert stopped. He thought of a name that he should be using. It was both his real and fake name.

“I’m Kato Lores, Miss Ford. But you can call me Kato.”

Robert offered his hand out to which Ford shook.