Silence hung heavy inside Agiovity 90 when Jack finally spoke, his voice low and tense:
Jack: "…369… Jiomi."
The man behind Yuki froze. His head lowered, then he looked at the other man behind Jack and asked cautiously:
Old man: "Are… they with you?"
The other man tightened his grip on the weapon:
"I'm not sure… then where is Jiomi?"
Yuki didn't answer.
Her wide eyes began to fill with tears… not just fear, but shock far beyond what she could process.
Jack stepped forward:
"I'm a project too… we'll explain everything… just lower your weapons."
The old man behind Yuki exhaled angrily:
"Hey… kid… you're not in a position to negotiate."
But the surprise came from the man behind Jack… he removed his finger from the trigger and lowered his weapon completely.
The old man froze, stunned… then lowered his weapon too.
Yuki let out a small breath, as if something heavy had just lifted from her chest for a moment.
The man behind Jack spoke calmly:
"My name is Taz. Come inside."
The back room was narrow, its walls cracked by moisture, with a crooked wooden table in the middle.
Taz and the old man sat side by side, while Jack and Yuki sat across from them… exhausted, looking close to collapsing.
Taz: "Talk."
Jack closed his eyes for a second… then began.
Jack:
"We were in the forest after escaping from the apartment they broke into…
Armed men led by Gary were chasing us since last night…
We had to fight. We had no other choice."
A flash of smoke crossed his mind…
"Jiomi… when he stepped into the smoke…
I couldn't see anything, but I heard their screams…
And when the smoke cleared… they were all on the ground. He took down thirty men alone.
Then we knew their backup was getting close… so we ran."
Yuki listened silently… shaking her head as if reliving the moments.
Jack:
"We reached the rocky area… and that's when Jiomi said he'd stop them and give us time to escape.
We left him… and came here."
A heavy silence settled… before Taz muttered:
"…Damn that idiot."
Then he looked up:
"Alright… thank you. You can leave now."
Yuki lifted her head in confusion:
"What?"
Taz: "What do you mean what?"
Yuki: "Aren't… you going to help us? Jiomi said you would."
Taz sighed and rubbed his forehead with obvious annoyance:
"Heeey… right… I forgot. Fine. First—are you sure no one followed you?"
Yuki: "I think so…"
But Jack remembered the black car.
Jack:
"I saw a black car earlier… it wasn't just a passing car."
Taz froze… and so did the old man.
Jack: "What is it?"
Taz:
"Did he see you?"
Jack:
"He stared right at me… I don't think he didn't."
Taz: "…Damn."
He stood up immediately:
"We need to move now."
In the black car, a man exhaled cigarette smoke with boredom… staring at the store entrance.
Man:
"Who are these two? Haven't seen them before…
It's been two weeks… are they involved with him?
No… impossible. But…"
He grabbed his weapon.
Stepped out of the car and walked toward the door with measured steps… entered.
Empty.
In the back room…
Footsteps. Then his deep voice:
Man: "Hey kids… where are you?"
Taz whispered:
"Damn… he's looking for you two. Wait… I have a plan."
Then suddenly—
A sharp scream from a girl.
The man ran toward the sound immediately—
But it was a trick.
Jack jumped from the top of a shelf, his knee slamming into the man's forehead with brutal force.
"Kob!"
The man collapsed to the floor without a fight.
Taz:
"Nice, kid! Let's go!"
Taz dragged the unconscious man, threw him into the trunk of his car, and slammed it shut.
Jack and Yuki sat in the back seat, exhaustion clear on their faces.
Taz hit the gas… the car shot out of the city heading north.
Taz as he drove:
"I've been watched for two weeks… by men from the facility.
All of this because Jiomi… talked to me.
He knew it would bring them to my doorstep."
Yuki whispered:
"Jiomi…"
Taz:
"Idiot… yes. But he didn't lie.
And I'll take you to the only safe place left."
The road stretched for hours between hills, until a wide empty land appeared… and in the middle of it, a single wooden cabin.
Taz parked:
"Here… we stay for the night. Then we decide the next step."
Yuki and Jack exchanged a tired… but strangely relieved look.
Taz opened the cabin door… a soft creak and the smell of old dust.
Inside was simple: a small table, two old beds, an unlit fireplace, and a wooden box covered with a blanket.
Yuki entered first… her steps slow, her shoulders heavy. She sat on the bed's edge silently.
Jack walked in after her… looking around, then at her.
He sat in front of her… not too close, but at a distance that made her feel safe.
Jack:
"Yuki… are you okay?"
She didn't answer immediately.
She wiped the small tears stuck at the corners of her eyes.
Yuki:
"I don't know…
Everything happened so fast…
The apartment explosion… my grandfather's death… the forest… Jiomi… then those men…
I feel like my mind can't keep up."
Jack, with a calmer voice:
"…But we're safe now."
She looked up for a moment… then looked down again.
Yuki:
"Jiomi… why did he do that?
Why did he leave us?
And what was he planning…?"
Her words were an attempt to understand something no one had an answer to.
Taz was gathering tools in the back.
He pushed aside the wood, pulled out a small box… opened it.
Maps… papers… strange tools.
He sat on the chair, placed his gun on his knee, and began cleaning it slowly, his focus steady… his expression blank.
Minutes later, he spread some maps on the table—circles, lines, markings on sea areas.
Jack watched with careful eyes…
Yuki whispered:
"He… looks strangely focused."
Jack:
"I know… but he helped us. That's enough for now."
Yuki looked at the maps… then at Taz.
Something about it bothered her… pushed her to ask.
Yuki raised her voice slightly:
"Taz… can I ask something?"
He paused his cleaning for a moment.
He didn't turn… but said: "Ask."
Yuki:
"…How did you meet Jiomi?"
He didn't answer.
He placed the gun part slowly on the table.
His eyes stayed on the maps… and a heavy silence filled the room.
Jack waited.
Yuki waited.
Taz exhaled softly… then lifted his head just a little.
End of Chapter.