“Sir shouldn’t you look more carefully into this” nagged Linda, shoving the piece of paper into her senior.

Cardo with his half closed eyes sighed, “How many times have we had this conversation already, as I said even if we found them alive and kicking they’ll be a deadweight to society”

“Are you a psychic sir?”

“No, what’s the point of this again” asked Cardo, mocking Linda’s random question.

“Then how would you know sir, how would you know if those kids would end up as a criminal”

“Huh? Through the countless report in that cabinet, now go away” said Cardo, clearly agitated.

“Then, if those reports decided the children from the slums future, why are you a policeman sir? You’re raised from the slum right?”

“That’s right” replied Cardo, closing the door to his office “but I didn’t become a policeman cause I wanted to. You think I’m opposed to finding those kids because of some reports? Wrong, it’s because I know. I know that if we indeed found them, the only thing waiting for them is hell. Living at the slum, I am no different from them. At the age of 6 I witnessed 2 of my sisters die of hunger, at 13 my 2 close friends were shot down at a drug raid, burdened by the increasing tuition and unable to find a job at 16 I spent my days at a gay bar looking for gigs having my back spread open at night, getting paid by those disgusting ugly motherfuckers for their pleasures, At 17 I resorted to stealing, scamming, even selling cocaine, I was fortunate enough to not get caught, unlike my brother who’s now rotting at the city jail, At 18 I was able to enter the academy not because I was competent but through falsified documents. And why am I telling you this? Its because you’re so annoying Linda, I felt the need to educate that bird brain of yours, that slum breeds the same kind of people, and if not for the law I would have razed it to the ground. I am planning to resign anyway so fell free to disclose what you have heard here ”

Unfazed by Cardo’s confession and with a glint of determination in her eyes Linda replied, “But you’re here sir never mind the past, you’ve put uncountable number of criminals behind bars, isn’t that enough sir, enough to atone for your sin, enough to call you an admirable man, sure you’ve suffered a lot by living in the slum, but you are here sir, a proof that the people of the slum are not at all the same kind, I won’t be disclosing what I’ve heard, and I’m sure that the children that kid is looking for would be admirable people in the future”

Giving up on convincing the bird brain in front of him, He could only sigh

“You’re really annoying… Why are you so sure?”

“Please read the report, sir”

Pausing to read the report, Cardo took the keys out his pocket and threw them to Linda,

“You’ll be driving”

“Yes sir” enthusiastically replied Linda.

-

“Why just now? Two more kids are missing because of your negligence” yelled Gerald, ready to lunge at Cardo.

“I’m sorry about the last time we met but, how are we supposed to find those kids if all you’ve written are their dreams and aspirations? I admire that you took time to actually teach them but you didn’t even leave a contact number” replied Cardo, lowering his head.

Gerald refuse to believe that the cop in front of him was the same person he met last time, instead he turned his head to look at Linda.

“Hello, my names Linda”, having read what Gerald was thinking and knowing Cardo’s usual attitude, she continued, “And yes that’s the same guy”.

“The name’s Cardo kid, I think we’ll get along fine, lets hear the whole story”

Thus Gerald, Liah and Sam spent the afternoon narrating how the kids disappeared one by one.

“Ah, now that I remember a homeless man on the outskirts of the slum told me that Jonathan went inside the woods with someone, I think we should check there.” Said Gerald.

“Um, okay but you’re not coming with us” said Linda, pointing out the dangers of going with them, if perhaps they did found the culprit in the recent kidnapping of the kids, there would surely be conflict.

“Well it’ll be fine, I think the kid plans to work in this field anyway, I shall call it early exposure” said the laughing Cardo, guilty of refusing to listen to the kids report, he wanted to build a favorable image towards Gerald.

“You’re irresponsible as always Mr. Cardo, but I like it” chimed in Gerald,

“told you we’d get along” said Cardo, winking. “Miss Liah and Sam would stay though”

“Yes please take care” replied Liah.

Watching the police car drive away, “So shall we go home too?” asked Liah, turning to her side to face Sam, but to her surprise Sam was nowhere to be seen.

“S-Sam!”

-

Feeling lighter now that they’re moving to find the kids, ‘Jonathan, Anica, Justin, Gela, just wait a bit more’ Gerald preoccupied with his thoughts didn’t notice his phone flashing.