The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Eight

Kade was badly wounded and had no time to heal. Every moment that passed was one step closer to him and his mother suffering an unspeakable fate.

Coming down from his hit of ghost, he was already feeling immense cravings for his next fix. He had been clean for over a year now and was not sure how he wanted to handle that situation, especially while embarking on the most dangerous mission of his life. Going through withdrawal presented all sorts of problems.

Kade passed by three ghost heads on his way to Chu's Wisely, but didn't bother to stop. Walking with a slight limp, he entered the coffee shop and scanned in. Mr. Chu wasn't expecting Kade to return so soon, but was delighted to see him.

"Mr. Casey, welcome back," he said. "What can I get you, the usual?"

As with most shops, customer service agents were a relic of the past. While Mr. Chu's coffee shop was automated as well, he liked to spend his time there, interacting with guests.

"If the usual is a new bike and weapons, than yeah."

Mr. Chu looked around before discreetly nodding and inviting Kade into the back. Kade followed a few paces behind.

"You're limping," Chu commented. "You take a spill out there on your bike?"

"Not exactly."

"I take it your meeting with Saigon did not go well."

"No... no it did not."

Kade and Chu entered a small service elevator, which took them down to the basement. That's when Kade pulled off his helmet, revealing his bruised and swollen face. He had a busted lip and a cut over his right eye. Chu took notice.

"You should see the other guy," Kade said ironically.

Chu stared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing. "That was a good one. You're a very funny guy."

It was a lame joke as old as time, so Kade wasn't sure why Chu found it so funny.

"So you need a new motorcycle and some guns?"

"Yes, can you help me?"

"Of course, of course," Chu said smiling. "You've come to the right place. Mr. Chu can get you anything. But, there's one thing."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Kade asked, expecting some outlandish condition.

"Last time we spoke, you said you were going to call Saigon and accept the job."

"Yeah."

"Why then did he hurt you?"

"I guess he didn't get the message. Not really important now, is it?"

"Did he take your bike too?"

"No, but my bike is old and may not make the trip. I need something with a lot more power. Something fast and can handle the harsh terrain. Something with gadgets. It's like you said, for a trip like this, I want to stack the odds in my favour."

"There are delivery trucks that routinely make this trip to Tri-City – they carry everything from passengers to supplies. Why doesn't Saigon just use one of those?"

"You know, I forgot to ask as he was stomping my head in. He's your old buddy, why don't you ask him?"

"Okay, okay, let's not dwell on matters that are outside of our control. You said you need weapons too?"

"Yes, do you have any?"

"Please, don't insult me. I have everything. What did you have in mind?"

"Something small, but packs a punch."

"Okay, so a powerful bike with gadgets and a small weapon that packs a punch. Got it. When do you need it by?"

"Yesterday."

Again, Mr. Chu laughed hysterically like it was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

"Okay, wait right here. I'll make a call."

Kade took a seat in the coffee shop while he waited for Mr. Chu to procure the items he requested. The coffee only served to enhance his desire for ghost. He fought the urge and focused on the cup in front of him. When he finished that, and the refill, he began to be overwhelmed with boredom. His feet were twitching and his arms began to tingle. Worst of all, he had a dull headache, which grew in intensity by the minute. Through deep breaths and other relaxation techniques, he tried to ignore the insatiable pull back to the dark side.

He buried his head in his arms, which were folded over each other on the table. His mind continued its decent as he slipped further into a state of despair and dependency. In such a weakened condition, he was not capable of making rational choices of his own volition. The drug had taken over and he was on the verge of becoming a full-blown ghost head junkie again. 

Eventually, he could no longer fight the withdrawal symptoms and he submitted to temptation. His head snapped up like a man possessed and he shot out of his seat. Placing his helmet on his head, he cranked the oxygen on full blast. He closed his eyes, inhaled a deep breath, and then opened them again.

He marched outside with a confident swagger and headed East toward one of the ghost heads he had passed by earlier.

"Hey, pal," he said. "You selling?"

"Whatchu need?"

"Ghost," Kade said, looking over his shoulder. Drugs weren't illegal, but they instilled paranoia and delusions. An irrational fear was just one of many mind-altering states of the drug.

"How much you need?"

"Give me 100cc... no 200... actually make it 300."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, 300 it is. That'll be 600 units."

As soon as the transaction was done, Kade found himself in a private area behind the coffee shop. He sat on the dirty pavement, away from prying eyes, and he took out one capsule of ghost. He stared at the capsule and couldn't believe he was in this place once again.

Ghost was a drug that could be taken on its own or mixed with oxygen to give a person feelings of invincibility, recklessness, and euphoria. It was highly addictive and often used as a way of escape. It was developed after the fallout when people lost nearly everyone they ever cared about — not just family and friends, but their favourite restaurants, musicians, and entertainers. They lost their ability to cope and needed a substance to deal with the pain. There were no more celebrations or backyard BBQs, no more vacations or promotions, and early retirement took on a whole new meaning. Society went into a smokey, red-alert, mayday tailspin. In an instant, hopes and dreams were gone and life became a countdown until the end. There was nothing much to live for. People now focused on doing whatever they could to survive.

The mind of an addict was a terrible state to be in and Kade vowed to never touch the substance again. Yet, through circumstances beyond his control, the evil talons of the drug had sunk its claws in and had an inescapable influence on him. It took everything in his power to stand up and walk away, but that's what he decided to do.

Despite having just paid an arm and a leg for three capsules, he knew if he went down that path, he may never return.