Agent 38: I Never Forgot You

Chapter 41: Assidue In Itinere Ad Vos

(Translation: constantly on the way to you.)

     Sarai was finally ready.
     Restlessness tingled on her skin with every movement and she felt like a shrieking tea kettle; ready to burst at any moment. The stove beneath had been heating her for ages now, and she prayed that the fire wouldn't peter out before she could complete her mission.
     Her friends lay scattered around her apartment, each praising Callie as she passed around their new weapons. Sarai spun one of the blades in her hand, legs crossed as she watched Aaron fawn over the dualies in his hands. Marie pretended to aim at objects around the house, swinging her charger around and shifting from normal to low tide ink cartridges. Overall, they looked satisfied.
     "I feel like we're ready, since we only have a day left." Callie said.
     "Assuming Gabriel's not bluffing," Sarai scoffed, though she knew he wasn't. But if she sounded reassuring, maybe she'd convince herself he was. "Which he probably is."
     "Better to be safe than sorry, though." Marie retorted. "We should be packing right now."
     She felt a twinge of impatience in her chest. She again thought of his voice over the phone, of how panicked he'd sounded, how hopeless. "Forget that, we should be on the way right now! We should've been on the way hours ago. Gabriel must already know we're coming, and he's given himself the upper hand of knowing when. We might as well just go now, to give ourselves the tiniest bit of an advantage."
     "Well, he's expecting us tomorrow, isn't he?" Callie asked. "'Cause if he is, then Sarai's right. If we leave in the next few hours, we'll at least have a chance of surprising him."
     She tossed the knife up in the air and watched as it landed back in her hand, balancing crookedly on her index finger. "I like that plan. Can we do that? Like, right now?"
     "Hold your seahorses," Marie said scornfully. "None of us have even practiced using these things yet. Aaron's are heavier than they should be, I can't switch fast between the cartridges, and you– well, you're fine. But what I'm saying is that we're gonna look like total idiots if we show up unprepared. We need more time."
     "What time?" Sarai cried, setting the blades down in her lap and waving her hands about. "We have anything but time, Marie! What if Gabriel's killed him already and we're just sitting here doing nothing? Look; when he called me, he sounded so afraid. Think about that. Alex, being afraid. When have you ever seen him scared, aside from the Metro bombing or when he's worried about one of us? When, Marie?"
     The Inkling went silent.
     "That's what I thought." She crossed her legs. "We have no time to formulate a plan anymore. If we go, we go now, no hesitation. And hey, if all else fails, at least we tried, y'know? But I can't live in good conscience knowing my partner was in danger and I did nothing about it."
     "I agree," Aaron chimed. "I say we all go back home, pack a bag or two, and hit the road."
     "...Alright," Callie worried at her fingertips. "But what if I did something wrong to the weapons? What if one of them malfunctions when we need it?"
     "I'm sure nothing will happen," Marie assured. "They look and feel great."
     Callie stared at her cousin for a minute before turning to look at Sarai. "Let's do it."
     They all swiveled to Marie.
     She rolled her eyes, grinning. "Yeah, sure. Who else is gonna save him?"
     They all stood to leave, but she announced something more.
     "One last thing," Sarai called. Her friends turned around.
     "I'm driving."

     The midday sun beat roughly down on the windows as the Splatoon made their way to the Splatlands.
     Sarai gripped the steering wheel so hard as she drove, it made her knuckles white. Unease shivered through her body as the car accelerated ever forward, knowing that any unexpected movement would to more damage to them than anything Gabriel could do.
     It seemed like today, everyone was on the freeway, but there was no traffic whatsoever. Now, Sarai would've been happy about this is she were a more experienced driver, but she wasn't, so she couldn't. Seeing every single vehicle around her racing at almost ninety miles an hour on Hammerhead Bridge was rather terrifying, and she'd considered pulling over and giving the wheel over to someone else at least seventeen times within the hour.
     But she held herself steady and unyielding, and so far it was working, so really, it was fine.
     After around two hours, the cars around her had all melded away into the scene ahead, leaving the road near empty and clean. Inkopolis Bay shone brightly far to her right, Anarchy Bay glinting in the sun much further.
     Hour three rolled around, just as boring and plain as the other two. The only upside was that they'd finally entered the Splatlands. Callie slept quietly in the corner, Marie occasionally vomited out of the backseat window, and Aaron blasted music from his spot in the third row, where earlier Sarai had folded down the seats and cluttered the space with pillows and blankets, expecting a possible overnight drive. She stopped at some point at a gas station in the middle of nowhere to refuel, grab snacks, and then they were off to the races again.
     The tension in her shoulders slowly eased away as the road gradually became deserted. Sarai's hands burned on the steering wheel as the sun beat down on her, magnifying itself through the windshield. Hour four came and went as she shifted course, driving off the beaten path, and set her map to the spot where her partner was. She felt determination setting in, consuming her desperation. With each ticking second, her hands tightened on the steering wheel and she grew more rageful than a minute before. Nothing would be stopping her now.
     Aaron suddenly dropped into the passenger's seat, nearly kicking the steering wheel as he went. "So, how's it going?"
     She glanced at him before turning her eyes to the road again. "Fine. Why?"
     "Just wondering."
     He went silent for a while.
     "Are we almost there?"
     She scoffed. "That's why you came up here, isn't it?"
     "No!" He protested. "I... wanted to... play with the..." his eyes scanned the dashboard. "...the air vents. Yeah."
     Sarai laughed. "You're an awful liar."
     "Could you just tell me if we're close and stop making me feel bad?" He grinned. "I'm bored and we've been driving for, like, four hours."
     "Well, you could've come up here to talk to me earlier." She pointed out.
     He repeated his question. "Could you just tell me if we're close? Please? 'Cause now you're making me feel bad."
     Sarai chuckled again, checking the map on her phone. "Yeah, sure... uh, looks like another two hours."
     He groaned, throwing his head back. "Two hours? Really? Ugh. We've been on the road for houuuurs. Can't we stop?"
     She waved her hand at the empty expanse beyond the windshield. "Stop where, Aaron? In the bushes over there? Or the bushes in that spot? Or, oh, I know, in the bushes a few hundred yards away?"
     He rolled his eyes, staring out the glass. "No, no, just..." Suddenly he squinted, leaning forward, and pointed at something in the distance. "What's that?"
     "What's what?" Marie clambered into the front seat, curious.
     "That." Aaron pointed again.
     Sarai brought the car to a quick stop, peering out the window. She turned her head and just barely caught a flash of light in her peripheral vision.
     She leaned forward, spreading her hands across the dashboard. She couldn't see it too well from here.
     Adrenaline burst through her veins.
     It could be Alex!
     She ripped the keys from the ignition and practically threw herself out of the car. She heard Aaron shout, "where are you going?" as she closed the door.
     She beckoned to him and the others, creeping on silent feet towards the flash of light she'd seen. Sarai closed a hand around one blade, unsure but desperately hopeful that her partner would be beyond the bushes.
     She heard the car doors open and quietly close behind her, and soon Marie joined her at her side. She turned and watched Callie amble groggily towards her with Aaron.
     Marie's weapon charged almost silently and the Inkling crouched, jerking her chin as if telling them to do the same. Sarai obeyed, slowly parting the overgrowth.
     "It's a car," Marie breathed, squinting through the scope. Sarai heard the light click of a trigger and saw the cartridges switch from normal to low-tide ink. "There's someone in it. And another dude walking around it. It's about fifty yards away."
     "Does it look like-?" She started.
     She shook her head slightly. "Can't tell. Brush's in my way."
     Sarai flicked a finger ahead. "Let's get closer, then."
     They slowly advanced, only moving when the wind blew, barely breathing when it didn't. As they got closer, voices came into earshot.
     "Stay in the car," grumbled a first voice. It didn't sound like Alex. "Or I'll lock the doors and keep you in there."
     There was no reply.
     She glanced at Marie.
     The Inkling shook her head with the tiniest shrug. "Still can't tell who's in the car," she whispered.
     A pair of boots came into view, startlingly close. Sarai resisted the urge to jump back and remained still. They weren't his.
     She heard the whisper of another voice, so quiet she couldn't recognize it. She prayed silently in the hopes that some higher power might hear her; please let it be him.
     Sarai crept closer, gently parting the way with precise movements. One hand remained poised over one of the daggers attached to her hip as the people ahead came into view.
     A cargo truck sat in the middle of a tiny clearing, the brush so thick she almost couldn't see it. There was a wide path behind the car, too, indicating the owner had driven through it.
     "You gonna help?" Muttered the first voice again. "Or just sit there and mope?"
     Sarai suddenly recognized the voice with a jolt. She'd talked with him before, many years ago, in a life that she considered not her own. Gabriel's best friend.
     Lyle.
     She listened for a minute, eyes narrowing. His voice had grown significantly deeper, but she knew the odd accent to his voice. She was sure it was Lyle. Why was he here and not at the base? She couldn't see any more cars; he was alone. And who did he have with him?
     Sarai turned and beckoned to her friends. "Aaron, go around the clearing to the opposite side," she breathed. "Callie, go midway around. Marie, do the same but in that direction," she waved a hand at her right, then to her left. "I'll stay here. The minute you see me get out, I want all of you out, too."
     They nodded and took their spots.
     Sarai waited for the Octoling to turn his back as he messed with something on the windshield, then slowly crept out of the bushes, holding her ink coated dagger in hand.
     Suddenly the man turned. He didn't even have the time to react before she'd shoved him onto the front of the car, pinned him to it with her forearm, and set the edge of the blade against his throat.
     "What the-?" Lyle stammered.
     She leaned towards his ear. "I'm going to give you five seconds to tell me where Alex is. Or you die. Are we clear?"
     He stared ar her for a second, then recognition flashed in his eyes. "Sarai? What are you doing here?"
     "She's asking the questions here," Marie hissed as she slunk out of the overgrowth, the laser of her charger trained on Lyle's forehead. "and I suggest you answer."
     "What is happening?" The Octoling cried.
     "You're not answering my question," Sarai nuzzled the blade closer to his neck, enunciating her next words slowly. "Where is Alex?"
     She heard something banging on the windows of the car and swung towards it, her hearts skipping several beats at once. Was it him?
     Sarai backed away from Lyle, extending her arm as she went to keep the dagger at his throat. The windows were tinted a deep black, so she couldn't see who was inside.
     She turned her glare onto the Octoling. "Open the door."
     "Do it yourself," he shot back, defiance burning in his voice.
     "Fine," she swapped blades, instead grabbing the uncoated one and sheathing the one covered in ink. She raised it again. "Now open it."
     The man hesitated a moment before begrudgingly twitching a hand toward his pant pocket and pulling out a ring with a single key.
     She stepped back to give him room to move and he stuck the key in the driver's side door, then grabbed the handle and creaked it open.
     "Get out here before this chick kills me," Lyle muttered to whoever was inside.
     Sarai felt her world slowing as the man moved away from the car. Her hearts began to race and she held her breath as the door slowly pushed open.
     A small Inkling boy, no older than eleven or twelve, stumbled out of the car. Fading yellow bruises peppered his skin, along with a few bleeding cuts in random places on his body.
     Sarai stood there, stunned, and whirled to Lyle. "Who is this? Why do you have a kid in your car? And why is he-" she waved an arm at the boy's appearance.
     "Don't look at me like that!" Lyle cried defensively. "I'm here 'cause I jumped ship, I'm not with your brother anymore. The kid escaped a few days ago and crashed his car. I found him on my way out and I'm driving him back to Splatsville, but now my car's outta gas and we're stranded here."
     "You could've started with that!" She yelled back.
     Aaron knelt by the child's side, asking him who he was and how he'd gotten there.
     Sarai rubbed the bridge if her nose. "You said you're not with my brother anymore," she said to Lyle. "how long has it been since you left?"
     He thought for a moment. "Maybe a day."
     Exasperation flooded through her veins and she stamped it down. This very well may be her only lead to finding her partner. A few paces away from her, the rest of the team was flurrying around the boy.
     "So you know where Alex is?" she asked, fully expecting him to say no and leave her to continue the hunt for her partner.
     He nodded.
     Sarai paused. "You... you do?"
     Lyle raised a brow. "Yeah." He turned and pointed at the half-beaten trail behind the car. "Just follow that, and you'll find the base eventually. Same place the kid escaped from."
     She stepped around the car and gazed down the makeshift path. It was only grass, overgrowth as far as the eye could see, but she could've sworn she could spot tiny structures far in the distance.
     He's there, she thought, a fierce longing tugging at her chest again. Way over there. Probably in a dirty, cold room with nothing but his dead phone to keep him company. I could be there in an hour. Less. She remembered how she'd walked endlessly through these same plains, wandering miles and miles in the span of a day. I could be there in just a few minutes. Holding him again. Seeing him again. Hearing his voice. It would be so easy.
     Doubt wormed its way into her hearts as she glanced back to her friends, to the little injured boy who likely just wanted to get back to his family. Then back to the trail.
     Desperation drew her towards him.
     But common sense held her back.
     She walked, defeated, to the little boy, and knelt down. "What's your name?"
     He stared at her for a long moment, as if debating whether he could trust her or not. She saw a flicker of realization in his eyes. "I'm Nicholas."
     Sarai recalled the name with a jolt. "Nicholas? I.. I think- do you have an older brother?"
     "Yeah," he replied weakly.
     "I know your family!" She said, reaching out and grasping his hand. "I met them when we went to Gabriel's old base to find you. They miss you so much."
     The boy's eyes lit up. "They do? They're looking for me?"
     She nodded and watched tears forming in his eyes. "We'll get you home to them soon. I promise."
     A few minutes later, as they all piled into the car that now lacked a bit of space, Sarai found herself staring out into the distance, longing to be where she couldn't.
     She clambered into the third row (basically the trunk at this point) with Nicholas, wondering if it would be improper or rude if she asked him about Alex. The boy had certainly been with him for a while, if Lyle was telling the truth.
     Nicholas settled into the corner, tucking his knees in and staring out the windows as the car began to move.
     Sarai leaned against the door of the trunk, debating. Lyle said Nicholas had escaped from the same place where Alex was now. That meant he had to have known him. Right?
     "Hey, um, Nicholas?" She started. The boy looked up at her with tired eyes. "Did you.. maybe happen to know a guy named Alexander? Lyle says he was there with you."
     "Oh." His eyes fell from tired to saddened. "Yeah. He got me out, but he wasn't fast enough to get himself out. Are you..." he paused. "going to save him?"
     Sarai nodded. "Is he- did he look alright, at least?"
     The boy thought for only a moment before shaking his head. "Not really."
     Silence ensued as that longing yanked at her chest once more. She looked up as the boy began to speak again.
     "If you're going to save him," Nicholas met her gaze, his eyes hardening. "be fast."

oh god that took so long dudebros
but hey i delivered cuz we got 3k words so tbh i think its fine idk tho
hope u enjoyed, sorry for any grammar issues or typos
Word count: 3060