Chapter 44 - XLIV. | Hark! Thy distant troubles...! (1/2)
Gina sat up in her chair. ”Master Roman! Where are you? You haven't contacted me for weeks.”
”How did your phone get destroyed?”
Gina squinted. ”You dropped your phone, and it exploded.”
”Master Roman, why are you lying to me? And moreover, why are you sucking at it?”
There was a pause, then a sigh of exasperation.
”Hi, Voreese.”
Another pause, and Roman cleared his throat.
”Did something happen?”
”And?”
”You stole a plane from the Vanguard?!”
laughed Roman.
”Wait.” Gina's brow lowered. ”What happened to your private jet?”
”It's not fine at all, is it?”
”How did that happen?!”
”I think it is!”
”Fantastic. In that case, I have news for you, too. You remember Hector, yes?”
”Everyone in Atreya thinks he's a mass murderer,” said Gina. ”He's gotten pretty infamous. And Abolish may or may not be trying to kill him now.”
Again, there came a pause. was all Roman said.
”He got into a fight with them just yesterday.”
”I think so. He's not alone, anyway. There's another servant with him.”
”A man named Colt. He has two young children with him.”
”Hard to say. Hector seems to trust him, though. I've been trying to help them as best I can.”
”Also, more importantly, I've learned that Abolish intends to destroy a small town called Harold and blame the attack on Rendon.”
”They're going to do it thirteen days from now. I thought the events from yesterday might've changed their minds, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Desmond's been yelling at Karkash but not to much effect.”
”Two of the Abolish guys. I believe there are now seven Abolish servants in Sescoria.”
”Where are you heading next? Do you have a plan?”
”One which won't mind that you stole a plane from their allies?”
”Then you'll have to ditch the plane or hide it somehow.”
”How is the Queen doing?”
”They attacked you?”
”Master Roman...”
Gina's brow furrowed. ”Sir, how much danger are you in?”
”Stop telling me not to worry. I know you're lying. Just tell me the truth.”
”Your plane is going into a tunnel?”
”You're pathetic, Master Roman.”
He hung up.
She shook her head and set her phone down. After a few moments, however, it started ringing again, and she picked it back up.
It was her turn to hesitate. ”I inferred it from watching the news.”
”The reporters were very thorough.”
”Don't worry, sir. Hector is here with me.”
”He's busy with something. I don't want to bother him.”
”Oh, look at that. I seem to be going into a tunnel now, too. Bye.” She hung up.
Roman called back immediately, and Gina just let it ring. Then it fell quiet for a minute, and just when she was getting back into her work, it started beeping. She checked the text messages.
i forgot to tell u sumthing important
She called him back. ”Now what?”
”Huh? By herself?”
”You want me to track her down?”
”Yes, sir.”
”I'm sorry, sir. I can't do that.”
”What, are you going to fire me?”
”Master Roman, the information I've gathered isn't enough. We need the names and powers of all the enemy servants, along with any kind of actionable details about their plans. Just knowing that they intend to destroy Harold doesn't help us. As things stand, we can't beat them in a straight fight, especially without knowing what they're capable of.”
There was a long pause. he admitted.
”By the way, I recorded yesterday's news footage of Karkash. It's not much, but it might help you convince the Vanguard of Abolish's presence in Atreya.”
”I would have sent it to you later.”
”Let me know when you get your hands on a better device, then.”
Roman gave a sigh.
”No, sir.”
”Actually, sir, I intend to let them kill me for no reason.”
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
'Wake up,' said Garovel.
Hector's eyes popped open, and he looked around. The twins were with him in the backseat, and when he locked eyes with Stephanie, he saw her face scrunch up and knew she would start crying if he lingered. He decided to exit the vehicle.
He met a harsh sun and a barren landscape. Not a single tree could be seen in any direction, though the waves of heat over the horizon made him wonder if his eyes could be trusted.
”Over here,” said Colt.
Hector turned to see Colt reach into the dirt and pull. A huge door rose out of the ground. Dust kicked up all around the man as he revealed a manmade hole in the ground. They both looked down at the ramp leading into the darkness.
Still groggy and aching all over his body, Hector scratched under his eye. ”W-where are we, exactly?”
Colt thumbed behind himself. ”East of Walton.”
Hector squinted, only then noticing the buildings in the distance. They fluctuated on the horizon, seeming almost a mirage against the heat.
Colt fetched the children from the car, along with a flashlight, the latter of which he handed off to Hector. And all together, they ventured underground, Hector leading the way while the reapers brought up the rear.
The ramp curved gradually right as they descended, and soon, they discovered an even floor. Hector found a switch on the wall and flipped it. Incrementally, flood lights in the ceiling illuminated a much larger chamber than Hector had expected.
There had to be upwards of fifty vehicles in this place.
”Damn,” said Colt. ”Some friend you got here.”
The reapers began browsing.
Hector looked at Colt again. ”So I guess... you talked to Gina while I was asleep?”
”Not for very long. Only to get the coordinates to this place. She did say to call her back when you were awake, though.”
He raised an eyebrow. ”Why didn't you just wake me up, then?”
”She said it wasn't urgent.”
Bohwanox floated up behind Colt. 'He's lying. He told Gina all about how you needed your rest.'
Colt's glare only seemed to make the reaper happier.
'It was very touching,' said Bohwanox. 'He cried.'
The man rolled his eyes and walked away.
Bohwanox lingered with Hector. 'Alright, so maybe he didn't cry.'
Hector tried to reply but found no words available. He wasn't sure he understood Colt and Bohwanox's relationship. He wasn't sure they did, either.
As he wandered toward Garovel, Hector pulled out his cellphone, but he was interrupted before he could find Gina's number.
'Hector, look,' said Garovel, pointing. 'A Revenant cruiser. And look! A wall you can crash it into!'