The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Kade sat on his bike, adjusting his helmet. It felt good to be on a set of wheels again, back in his home city no less. He had waited a long time to see his mother and could not wait to lay eyes on her. For this, he went solo.

He pulled out of the underground parking facility and cruised through the city. It was midday, but it was dark and cold, consumed by perpetual state of dull orangey smog. People went about their day, most of them blissfully unaware of the evil underpinnings that controlled everything from an ivory tower. Compliance or ignorance, he was guilty of it too, but most were not living in fear as he was.

For some reason, he felt like an outsider who didn't belong. He felt more at home at the monastery. Returning to Endocrine felt like returning to a life that he had left behind.

Although his identity was cloaked, he knew there were ways around that. In the hyper-connected world in which he lived, it was next to impossible for a person to truly hide. The anxiety of not knowing what was coming was nearly crippling. At every stop, Kade was constantly looking over his shoulder, allowing paranoia to seep in and assume everyone was out to get him.

Following the address Tanjoban had given him, he maintained a low profile by choosing back roads that didn't have a lot of traffic. Upon arrival, he circled the block a few times just to ensure he wasn't being followed. 

Pulling into an underground parking garage, he dismounted his bike and entered the building. According to Tanjoban, his mother was living on the fourth floor. His heart pounded with anticipation as he felt this day would never come.

He rode the elevator up and found his mother's unit. Now standing in front of the door, he scanned in, which captured his digital profile and sent an alert to the person on the other side. He could hear shuffling as he waited patiently in the hall. Some other people entered the hallway, which made him nervous. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had fallen into a trap. Keeping an eye on the others, he scanned in again.

The other people entered a suite on the same floor, which put his mind at ease. He was carrying a gun that he had acquired from Mr. Chu, but he didn't want to use it.

The door opened and Kade's mother immediately started to cry. It was as if she was looking at a ghost. She reached out, pulling her son inside, and hugging him.

"Kaden, my sweet little boy," she said, squeezing as hard as she could. "I'm so happy to see you."

The emotions where too overwhelming and soon Kade found himself sobbing uncontrollably as well.

"I love you, mama. You don't have to worry no more. Your baby boy is home."

Kade and his mother entered the living room of the small apartment and Kade saw how she was living. It was set up just the way she liked it, with food and oxygen to last her months. 

"Tanjoban set all this up for you?" he asked.

"Yes, he's an angel. Please come inside, take off your helmet, I want to see your beautiful face."

"It's so incredible to see you, ma," Kade said, taking a seat on the couch and pulling his helmet off.

"You as well," she said, still teary eyed. "You have no idea how long I've waited to see your face again. To have you show up one day and sit with me, it's just... words cannot begin to explain. It's a dream come true."

"I feel the same way. Are you well?" Kade asked.

"These last couple of months for me have been really difficult — not knowing where you were, if you were alive and safe. I had to assume the worst and that broke my heart. I had to endure many stressful days and sleepless nights. A mother should never outlive her son and the thought of something happening to you absolutely crushed me."

"I felt your pain as well," Kade said. "I was beaten, drugged, and threatened. I was given an impossible mission and if I did not carry it out, they told me they'd kill you. I was given one week to deliver a package and after that week had passed and I was nowhere near the drop point, I feared the worst. Over the past three months, I have felt an incredible amount of guilt, crippling guilt, but I didn't give up. Well, actually, I did once. I tried to..." Kade stopped himself. "Let's just say I was in a very dark place. But I found a light that guided me. I made it back to you, so that's all that matters. I promise to put an end to all this and never leave your side again."

"That sounds nice. I'd like that."

"I found a girl," Kade said proudly. "I really want you to meet her. She saved my life, and she'll be the first to remind me that she did so on more than one occasion."

"I would love to meet her. What's her name?"

"Her name is Cali. She's... well, she's not like anyone I've ever met before. She's tough and doesn't take you-know-what from anyone. But she also has a kind heart. Underneath, she's just as broken as the rest of us. I think we make a good team."

"That's so wonderful. I hope you two go on to raise a family and live happily ever after."

Kade laughed. "I don't know about all that, ma. It's still very early stages. We're not exactly official yet, but... I'm hopeful. For the first time in my life, I'm hopeful."

His mother smile adoringly and squeezed his hand.

"When did you get back?" his mother asked.

"Late last night, so I haven't fully recovered from my trip. I'm feeling a bit dehydrated."

"I'll fetch you some water," his mother said. "Would you like something to eat. I can make you some lunch."

"Lunch would be lovely, but please, allow me to make it for you."

"Don't be silly, you need to rest."

Kade proceeded to tell his mother how he went to her old apartment and asked around. "Nobody had heard or seen you in months. I didn't know where you were, what happened to you, or whether or not you were still alive. As soon as I found out from Tanjoban, I came to see you."

"So you didn't make the delivery?" his mother asked. "Did you ever find out what you were delivering? I can't imagine what would be so valuable that nearly got you killed?"

"Honestly, I have no idea what was in the package. I guess I will never know."