I woke after sleeping for twelve hours, rising to a pounding headache. As hard as I tried to force it from my head, the continuous throbbing I felt was all far too familiar. “Insert SMB headache”....Damn it I've been avoiding pain killers to avoid this, ugh!

I checked my messages and my calls, noting that no one had tried to contact me, which was frustrating. I'd called up Akatani immediately after waking, but the phone just rang.

This was more frustrating than dealing with Rex when he wasn’t feeling to help. Wait a minute, Rex can help! He could backtrace the call! Damn it...cypher you are a fool!

Headache or not, I got out of bed, showered and called Rex. As usual, the bastard never answered on the first call, unless credits were involved. If I owed him, he’d ignore my calls...mostly, but if I remember correctly, we were square. Well, according to me.

After an hour of lying on my ass, the throbbing sensation finally dissipated ice on a hot summer. I closed my eyes, feeling as the cool breeze stole what little warmth I had. It wasn’t that my body was cold, but the steel struts of my cybernetics sent a shivering sensation throughout my body from time to time. This just happened to be one of those times.

I pushed myself from the bed, got myself ready and went to the refrigerator. I pulled the freezer door open and pulled the cardboard box free. I opened it and eyed it for two minutes, feeling as icy vapour from the fridge froze my fingers tips as I stood in front of the fridge, unmoving.

The fury I felt that surged through was like Efflux Indignated, roiling within me like surging electricity with nowhere to go. The only difference was, I knew where to channel it, but the challenge I had was I had no leverage...not yet, anyway.

I left the chattel house, knocking at the back door, as the yard had no exit for me of my own. The mouth-watering aroma of eggs and bacon touched the air, leaving my stomach to growl stupendously.

The old woman cracked the door open and our eyes met. As usual, her eyes smiles, just like her lips. “hungry are we? Don't worry I made a good feast for you,” She said.

“for me?” I asked, taken back by the revelation. “you didn’t have to.”

“I know, but humour an old lady won’t you? It's been ages since I had company.”

“I ha..” I tried to say, but as she pushed the door open further, I was completely entrapped by the scent of eggs and bacon. It wasn’t synthetic eggs nor cloned pork I was used to, There was no way I could miss out on this. But Shin-Lee and Hannah not being here only made me sour.

“your body needs a bit of dopamine to elevate your mood, once that’s sorted, whatever feeling you have, would lessen, which would make you think more clearly.”

“...I see.”

I followed the old lady to the dining table, which was already set. Not only did it have eggs and bacon, but an assorted array of different meats such as sausages, beef and chicken.

Once I sat down, not having much choice as the drool from my mouth betrayed my hunger without a doubt. I wolfed down the egg. The old lady sprinkled a smidgen of curry, then pepper on the remaining egg, which left me confused. I looked up at her, but she tapped the plate then sat opposite me “Try.”

I took a mouthful of egg, curry and pepper in my mouth, and was bombarded with an array of spices, heat and yolk. The combination melded well together and made my mouth water as my tongue sizzled with excitement. “Jot bad eh?

“Noth bath at awl” I answered.

The old lady smiled, wrinkles curling as she did so. “You had a good rest I take it?”She asked me.

“yes, thank you, you’ve accommodated me well.”

“It is the job of the old to take of the youth.”

“Interesting,” I answered.

“I sense a difference of opinion.”

“Yeah…the young should take of the old.”

“It goes both ways.” The old lady said. “if the young are troubled, who would they go to?”

“I see,” I answered. “I never thought of it like that.”

“Why?”

“....why?” I asked confused.

She didn’t respond, but sat back in her chair, reaching for a beef cube, sliding it in her mouth and chewing it slowly. I could see the elation in her eyes from the bite and already decided that beef would be my next bite. “I just haven’t” I sighed.

“simple answer...good, but let me ask you this, did you find the answer you were looking for?”

“No,” I admitted.

“Good. There's no truthful answer, it’s a stress test. Well no, not a stress test, but a way to push consider another line of thought, was it tiring?”

“Very,” I admitted, rubbing my head.

“...and did you rest well?”

“I did.”

“Then it accomplished what you needed. They are times when you need to rest and think. You needed both.”

I couldn’t say the old lady was wrong, but I couldn’t say she was right either but, I did feel better...my headache even sub—wait a minute. “you drugged my tea didn’t you?”

“barely, but how else did you expect to get rest? Hmm?”

I bit my tongue and took a bite out of a sausage, the sweet taste of the meat, lingered on my tongue for three seconds, then went down the throat tenderly.

“don’t worry lad neural hemicrania is cancelled out by curry and pepper, so those headaches of yours will subside,” The Old lady said with a smile.

It didn’t hit me at first, but I realised how cool my head felt whilst my tongue was on fire. She's right…I don’t have the throbbing sensation anymore.

The old woman’s lips curled into a smile again, then she slapped the table, pushing herself up. “once you’re done you can see yourself out.”

“how much do you charge for an extended period?” I asked.

“1800 credits for two weeks.”

“1800? Sounds like a deal.”

The old woman turned around, and crept back towards me, she outstretched her left arm, and I followed suit with my right. Once the approval ding went off. I got up, not saying a word, but feeling thankful for the hospitality.

The sun hit me straight in the eye, basking me in its warmth. I didn’t know what type of day to expect, but I at least hope to hear from Akatani.

The wait was truly torturous.

◆◆◆

The bastard never returned a call, even after I made thirty of them. If anxiety was blood, then that was what coursed through my veins, filling me with so much frustration and anger, but mostly regret.

I wished I’d done more for Hannah and Shin-Lee. I wish I was a better father…husband. I know my hands were stained with the blood till to a tank full of men, but I had food to put on the table, and I never regretted any of it.

Have I killed men that should’ve lived? Of course, but I’ve also rid the world of men that should’ve never seen the light of day after leaving their mother’s womb.

I brooded for a good hour, watching the corn sway from side to side on a hillside.

Behind me, was a park with monkey bars, a see-saw and a split tunnel, an archaic form of entertaining children. However, despite that, it was well maintained.

I couldn’t even say it wasn’t being used because of the multiple of how worn certain spots of grass was were within the city.

It was pleasant, and I was enjoying it because there was nothing I could do but wait.

Incoming Call…

“Cypher,” I grunted.

“I just heard the news,” Naedon told me.

“Stelyne?”

“Yeah…I didn’t expect Darlina Weitson to come into the fold, does she have many claims to anything?”

“Doesn’t matter what she claims. IF she can get the lineagecube, Elhisia is fucked.”

“Royally…”

“Has she come to?”

“Not as yet.”

“Damn it…what’s the hold-up?”

“I’m not sure, but the doctor wasn’t satisfied with her readings and gave her a sedative.”

“…ah, the shock from Zanton’s death.”

“Possibly, we’re not sure.”

“Keep me updated, alright?”

“Will do, but question why didn’t you return for the debriefing? You went against the plan.”

“Not intentional, I had some personal issues.”

“Personal issues? This is 10 fucking million credits Cypher! Don’t fuck this up!”

Whilst I get 300 Hundred Million, I thought ruefully.

The urge to bury my fist into Naedon’s face boiled up, but I took a deep breath and allowed the cool winds to quell my anger, slightly. He doesn’t know…he doesn’t know.

“You’re right.” I admitted, “it was an oversight on my end, it won’t happen again.”

Naedon didn’t say anything, but I took that as his way of understanding me. If he didn’t, he would have to take that up with his god damn self!

“ Naedon, Darlina sent some men after me,” I said.

“What?”

“I’m fine” I snapped. “But keep your guard up. Ensure Elhisia’s fine and don’t worry. I’ve sent a message back to Darlina. I don’t know her, but keep an eye out on Elhisia. I don’t think they’re close.”

“Don’t worry about Elhisia, we’ll guard her till she wakes.”

“Good.”

I ended the call not having the urge to speak any further to Naedon and rolled back onto the grass and watched as the clouds passed me by.

Eventually, after staring into the sky for two hours with no word for Akatani after a further fifty calls. I pushed myself up and began heading towards the hostel.

Incoming Call…

“Cypher.”

“I found him Cypher,” Zade said ecstatically.

“Akatani?!” I asked, feeling excited.

“No…Eclain, I found that rat bastard!”

I took a deep breath, feeling like the heat from breath scorched my lips. I licked my lips to cool them, then I finally asked what I’d been wanting to after thirty seconds of silence. “Where is he?” I growled.