Chapter 6

When Lucas wakes in the alley beside the tunnel, all he can think about is getting back to Emma. He gathers his bearings looking around the interior of his car. Everything was in place, as if nothing had happened, except Lucas was now unarmed. He started his car and drove as fast as he could back home.

Nearly missing several other vehicles, he made it home much quicker than he should have. Sprinting through the doorway to the lobby, straight through Ernest’s digital body, past the elevator, and up the stairwell as fast as his legs would take him. When he finally made it to his apartment he burst through the door. Emma was fast asleep on the sofa with the holo-vision still playing.

She woke at the sound of the door being thrust open so violently and looked at Lucas. Worry was spread across her face like it were sunscreen. She began to shout at Lucas.

“Where in the hell have you been? You run out of here without saying a word, after we get some of the worst news we could have gotten!”

“I met with the first contact, he told me to come alone and didn’t give me much time.” Lucas explained. He was relieved that she was okay, and certain that The Sensei was trying to stir him up, perhaps to test him. Lucas didn’t appreciate being tested, nor did he appreciate Emma being used as a tool to do this. “He calls himself The Sensei, and he seems like he is serious about his business.” Lucas thought he saw a shift in Emma’s eyes at the sound of The Sensei’s name.

“That’s a stupid name, but of course he’s serious. This is heroin.” She said without emotion. “While you were gone I started contacting some of the other contacts. Turns out the second and third work together, along with the fifth. They’re going to be meeting us in the morning to discuss continuing the partnership without Elijah.”

“How many did you contact?” Lucas asked, shocked at how much she achieved in the time he was gone.

“I called the second through the ninth; but only the second, third, fifth, and seventh answered. The second, third, and fifth work together like I told you so they only took one call. The seventh was a woman, she answered then hung up on me.”

Lucas wondered if it may have been the same girl who answered for The Sensei. Obviously the contacts know each other on some level, perhaps they’re part of the same gang. This was all too much for one day.

“Let’s get some rest, we’ve got another big day ahead of us tomorrow.” Emma said. She got up from the sofa and led Lucas back to his bedroom. They got into bed, kissed good night, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

.

Lucas was falling rapidly towards the earth. Flailing each of his limbs violently trying to stop his ever going descent. It seemed as though he would never reach the ground, continuing to fall for what seemed like hours, until he saw it. There was a small patch of land emerging from a silky blue ocean. As this small island grew larger, and Lucas continued flailing, he noticed a man standing on this small island. It was Oliver. He was standing there, watching Lucas fall, laughing maniacally. The closer Lucas came to reaching the island, the louder Oliver’s laugh became. The irritating cackle was ringing in Lucas’ head when, finally just as he was about to hit the sand, he awoke sweating profusely.

He wiped his forehead and brushed his hair back with his hand. Catching his breath, he looked over at Emma. She looked as though she was having a pleasant dream. He looked over at the clock, it was 3:23am. Now feeling wide awake, he slipped out of bed silently and tip-toed out of the room.

He wasn’t hungry, actually he was feeling quite nauseous. He went to the fridge and began drinking an exorbitant amount of pepto-bismol. This didn’t seem to help, as the next thing he did was filled the kitchen sink with his expelled stomach contents. Now feeling wide awake and completely drained, all he wanted to do was think of ways out of this problem.