The Heritage of Sephtis: The Returning

9: Take Out Food

Finn stared at Jack briefly, then picked up his laptop off the floor and began typing on it. “What are you doing?” Jack asked, curious, and trying to bridge the gap. He paused and watched Finn, who hadn’t even blinked at Jack’s question. He patiently waited for any sort of response, then asked again. Silence. Jack stood and turned to go to his new room, when Finn spoke.

    “I’ll tell Jaden we talked.”

    Jack nodded and began leaving, but stopped. “What are you doing?”

    Finn took in a deep breath. “I’m researching the area in which the fire will take place next, redirecting my ip address so it can’t be traced just in case anyone is trying to track my movements, and responding to potential clients so I can move into a case after we wrap this one up, not that any of the emails I’ve gotten yet are interesting.” He took another deep breath after spewing out all that information. “I’m also setting up a ram wipe the moment I shut the computer so I don’t have to worry about anyone finding too much of anything on the computer.” Jack nodded absently, and sat back down in front of Finn. Finn looked up at Jack. “Remind me why you had that purse.”

    “I was eating, well actually I was ordering food and this girl in the restaurant shot up and ran out of the door. I turned and saw she left her purse in her booth, and so I grabbed it to go find her and return it to her. That’s when I ran into you.”

    “Ah, yes. I forgot, your the world’s hero. Helping end all the world’s problems one returned purse at a time.” Finn looked back at his screen.

    “Laugh all you want, but everything that has happened to me since I ran away has lead me to this exact place. I’d even go so far as to say it’s taking me to where I’m trying to get. I couldn’t imagine not trying to help that girl, and If I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t have literally ran into you. Why were you even there anyways? There wasn’t a fire there.”

    “Doesn’t really matter. It’s not like it’s fate.” Finn snorted. “Or maybe it was, maybe she left the purse so you’d run into me.”

    Jack laid back in his chair a bit, and looked at the ceiling. Maybe Finn was right about that. “I just don’t think I would have gotten this far without God’s help.” Finn stopped typing, and looked up at Jack. He laughed.

    “Sure, that makes more sense than a ghost woman anyways. Maybe it was an angel!” Finn kept laughing.

    “Don’t laugh! I’m serious.”

    “So am I!” Finn couldn't stop laughing.

    “No, seriously! Everything that has happened since the night I ran away has all seemed intentional! I found money while waiting for a bus, and it was the exact amount I needed! I found a homeless man that I took pity on, so I went and got food for him from a youth group handing out food, and he disappeared, so I was able to have breakfast! I ran into Jaden two times before running into you! The ghost woman has been guiding me to the fires, and told me that I’d get a guide soon, and then you appeared! I even ran into you before!”

    “So what? That’s the way the world works! You going to tell me I stopped for food at that restaurant on purpose to run into you, and not by chance? Use your head kid! The world works on chance and luck. We’ve run into each other because we’re all looking into the same occurrences. This isn’t some grand scheme by a higher being.” Finn looked back to his computer.

    “I-” Finn’s phone started ringing.

    “Let me take this. It’s Jaden.” Finn pulled out his phone, and answered it. After a while of listening to the other end of the phone, Finn jumped up with an “ok” and hung up.

    “What is it? Did something happen?”

    “No, even better!” Finn shoved his laptop into Jack’s hands. “Jaden ordered the food, it will be done in exactly thirteen minutes!” Finn smiled, and walked towards the door. “Come along ‘Mr. Spiritual’.” He grabbed his jacket and put it on.

    “I have a name.”

    “I know.” Finn opened the door, and walked through it. “And I’ll address you by it once you deserve it.”

Jaden stood staring out the window in Finn’s favorite chinese restaurant. The smell of the food radiated out of the kitchen, and off the walls, and made Jaden feel sick. Or perhaps it was something else that made his stomach wretch as he watched some bruised men speaking with a man in a suit. They had their faces patched up like teenage anime characters, and one of them had a yellowing bruise covering his eye. He turned away from the window, and his sickness left with a wave as Finn opened the door and a waft of fresh air breathed in. Then Jack walked in and the door closed, and the sickness returned.

“Finn?” Jaden moved away from the window quickly. “I thought we were going to eat at your house."

“I wanted food.” He looked at his phone. “And we have about 10 minutes left until it’s done.”

“Did you at least bring my car so we can leave?” Jaden glance quickly out the window.

“No, how could I?” Finn snorted.

“I gave you my spare key so you could use it!”

“I know, but Greg gets mad at me when I drive.”

“Why?” Jack looked at Finn.

“I don’t have a license.”

“How do you exist?” Jaden blinked.

“Who are those people?” Finn looked past Jaden out the window.

“Wh-who are who?” Jaden stuttered.

“The people outside the window, that you’ve glance out of several times now.” Finn rolled his eyes.

“Oh. How am I supposed to know?” Jaden looked behind him out the window. “They do look a bit familiar I guess?”

“I’m going to go ask them.” Finn jogged towards the front door.

“Don’t do that Finn!” Jaden yelled.

“What, scared I’m going to get shot?” Finn walked out of the building. As he left, the man in the suit got into a car, and started it up.

“Jaden, can I see your phone?” Jack stared out the window.

“Why, you goin’ call the police?” Jaden asked.

“Just give me the phone!” Jack blurted. Jaden, startled by Jack’s outburst, handed him his phone just as Finn rounded the corner. Jack set down Finn’s laptop and took the phone. The beaten men visibly shrunk back some from Finn as he pulled out his pistol. Jaden looked over at the phone in Jack’s hand, which was open to the camera. Jack pointed the camera out the window at the car. Jaden laughed.

“I would have done the same thing at your age, if I had a phone.”

“What?” Jack took a picture as the car backed up towards Finn. He jumped out of the way, and the car drove away, revealing three men with big guns. Finn yelled a curse, that could be heard inside, and Jaden covered Jack’s ears.

“There’s a kid in here Finn!” Jaden yelled out the window. Finn glared at him through the window, and rushed back around the corner. Jack handed Jaden the phone, as the gunmen began firing, and grabbed the laptop again.

“Ah…” Jaden’s eyes grew bigger, as he realized what was happening. Finn burst through the door.

“Follow me!” Finn ran to the counter, and vaulted over it through the kitchen door. The man behind the counter jumped back, and shrunk down under the counter. Jaden and Jack ran around the side of the counter.

“I’m so sorry!” Jack yelled to the man as he rushed past into the kitchen.

“Where’s the back door!” Finn yelled at a worker, literally an inch from his face. The worker pointed at the back of the kitchen with a stoney face. Finn ran to the door and ripped it open. Jack ran past a wheezing Jaden, and apologized once again to the worker as he ran out the door. Jaden stood wheezing for a second. He heard another gunshot, and ran through the door, panting. Then he slammed the door and leaned against it wheezing.