Purgatory

Chapter 32

Curse didn’t get another mission on the surface until after the New Year, but even then he wasn’t allowed to go alone.  While Purgatory suspected every hacker currently enlisted, they could find no hard evidence against any of them and therefore could only suspect.  It was reported the day after his mission that Curse was missing, but his guardian returned saying he had died.  Never the less, observers were sent out to find him.

It was kind of lonely without Curse at meals.  Even though we were quiet most of the time, it was nice to share friendly silence or even to have the option of starting a conversation.  If anyone from Freedom Squad ate around the same time we did they would join us which allowed for a bit of a segue into life without Curse.  I still missed his quiet presence, however, with the constant chattering from Uvine, Alice, and Milea.

I finally got my first solo mission as an observer, but only after several odd and uneventful assessments.  The mission was listed as solo, but only in the respect that Cole would not be following after me to watch for any mistakes.  I was to join up with two other observers and watch a group of children play.  One child named Elle Gabel was already tagged by Purgatory as a possible, and Observer Harper had been watching over her for about three months now.  He reported that her friends could possibly have links to the Other Realm, and thus two other observers were assigned to watch what Harper could not.

I met up with the two observers in the Gabel residence located in the historical district of the city.  The houses were rustic and dated back further than a century old, some likely two.  They were made out of brick and stone and wood and refurbished on a regular basis to ensure these historical monuments didn’t weather away with time.  Only the rich lived in these homes because they were so high maintenance, and the only modern addition to the homes were the sleek and expensive vehicles that were parked in their driveways.

There was an apparent party at the Gabel residence made apparent by the festive streamers and bold lettered sign next to their mailbox.  Children around the age of ten and eleven were running about the front yard playing a game of laser tag while the parents sat on the porch watching and chatting amongst the group.  The sun was setting in a brilliant display of orange and gold through the thick layer of ancient winding trees as I approached the two observers.

“Glad to see you found your way alright,” Observer Harper said to me in greeting before motioning towards the woman next to him.  “This is Observer Parish.”

“Observer Diederich,” I introduced and shook their hands firmly.  All the while Harper kept his eyes pinned on Elle.  “So, have I missed anything?”

“Not really,” Parish responded as she casually looked about the group of children, and I turned to face the wild bunch.  “They’ve been outside since the start.”  I looked up at the sky momentarily and thought about how much I enjoyed playing outside at their age.  Somehow in a matter of two or three years my fascination with the outdoors changed drastically, and I wasn’t certain if it was due to Naddia’s death or if it was my coming maturity.

“Tonight should yield some profitable data,” Harper responded.  “Most of these kids will go home and those who stay for the sleep over will likely try to commune with the Other Realm using the Ouija board Elle owns.”

“Those things actually work?” I asked skeptically as I turned my attention back to the children at play.  One little boy ran around quickly zapping all the other children before ducking behind a bush dramatically.  I could see his imagination at work as he pressed himself up against the brick wall and acted like he was checking the ammo on his laser gun.  This was more than a game to him, and I couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“Yep, those things are legit in the right hands,” Harper replied.  “Elle has come in contact with several entities, but I’d be ready for anything.  I’ve encountered a couple of Pucks with her.”