A MAN WITH NO HOME
Tell me, sweet stranger, do you know the story of Normant Lumensky, the man from a mystical land universes away from Earth? Making an ark out of his chains, he turns from a prisoner of war into a fugitive.
A WOMAN AGAINST THE WOR...
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EARLY JUNE WAS MADE for the great rovers, the ones that hopped in red cars and set forth to new landscapes once the days became longer than the nights. Early June was the beginning of every bad plan, the manifestation of every bad idea. I did not know what it was about that time of the year, but when summer commenced, I just could not sit still. I was never weary, nor frightened, the long sunny days and the bright evenings hexing me with their frivolous disposition.
I had only had two hours to read through everything that was in the red file—the profiles of the Celestial Crystal's thieves, where their phones had last been tracked, their family history, their whereabouts, and everything else that may be of importance. Then I had packed my things and hit the road running.
Even though I had pondered over the idea of dumping Abel and acting like I had never met him, I was highly aware that it was impossible. After everything that had gone down with the crystal, Clairvoyant did not trust anyone with the company's missions. That's why she had hired additional members—in this case Abel—to make sure that no one dared get out of line. I bet she would be calling us every day, or have someone else do so, not only to get the mission's progress, but to also hear Abel's voice on the phone. As for him, he would happily hand over to her our secret plans and, eventually, betray us. Which was why it was crucial he did not become aware of our mission.
The plan was simple. Once we found the Celestial Crystal, the media would rush to meet us, to meet the triumphant volunteers who had risked everything for such a special cause. That would be the moment we would reveal everything, for the whole world would be listening and Pioneers wouldn’t be able to cover their crimes for once. The files and the records that proved their crimes were ready—Stella had access to all of that, so it hadn't been that difficult to piece it all together. What had been more difficult for her was the knowledge that she was about to betray her own mother, but that was a story for another time.
Since everything was ready, we could have done that by now. We could have revealed that it was Clairvoyant the one who had ordered the Celestial Crystal to be stolen; that Pioneers wasn't just an online wellness company but a fraud and a hoax; that the members of Pioneers didn't work only for the highest good but also for the satisfaction of their own greed. But who would have listened? Who would have been quick enough to both believe us and spread the news before everything that put Pioneers in a bad light was taken down? Many people had tried it—former employees, family members of people who had suffered because of the company, ambitious reporters. But their comments, posts and attempts to appear on the television had all gone up in smoke. Something more than recklessness and strong will was needed.
So here I was, steeped in adrenaline, trying to persuade myself that everything was going to work out even though I had no idea how exactly that would happen. At least I did not need to wait for Austin. I did not even need to park outside his apartment complex. He was already at the side of the road, in his white shirt and black backpack.
