The Ludicrous Escapade

The Search Continues

The car was parked in some random street while you all asked the locals about the building in the picture. You handed a copy up to an elderly man sitting on a rooftop, "Could you please tell us if you've seen this before?"

"The building in this photo, huh? I've been repairing roofs in Cairo for forty years, but I've never seen this place. But judging from the look of the building, it must have been built over one hundred years ago. That means you should find it eventually if you look south of here. The further south you go in Cairo, the older the buildings are." He gave you the photo back, "Sorry I couldn't be much help."

You quickly pocketed the picture, "No, thanks a lot. Sorry for bothering you, though." You descended the ladder and shook your head at your companions, not having as much luck here as you would've liked.

You all walked down the street and Joseph spotted a pay phone. He gave a brief wave as he walked over to it, "I'm going to call up Japan and check on my daughter." A few minutes later, he came back, not quite as happy as he usually was, "My daughter's condition has worsened. She has no strength left. She'll only last three or four more days." He stared off into the distance, "I can feel it. Dio is near here. I can feel him hiding somewhere around here. He's definitely close."

Caesar gave his friend's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "We don't have much time to waste, then. Let's get going. If we keep asking around, we have to find him."

Joseph hummed in agreement, "Yes, let's go. We'll keep asking."

The search continued and you asked almost every person wandering the streets. You weren't sure if you were imagining it, but out of the corner of your eye you could sometimes see someone peaking from around a corner. You turned around fully when you thought you heard something akin to a box being kicked. You exchanged a look with the others, "I suppose someone might be tailing us after all."

Polnareff gave a cocky smile, "You all can just stay here, I'll go see what the problem is." He turned the corner of a building and disappeared for a moment. And then another. It was starting to take a little too long.

Avdol called out to him, "Hey, Polnareff! Have you found the guy following us?" Upon not receiving a response, you all started to walk in the direction he had vanished from, "What's the matter, Polnareff?"

Caesar narrowed his eyes, "It's suspicious..."

"C'mon, answer us." Spoke Joseph.

You finally rounded the corner the French man had disappeared behind, only to see him leaning against a corner of the wall. "Jean, what's going on? Was someone following us after all?"

Polnareff kept a strained smile on his face, "E-Er... No..." He said nothing for a solid minute.

Avdol raised an eyebrow, confused by the silence, "Polnareff?"

The French man's smile faded away and he seemed to start sweating quite nervously, "N-No one was following us. It was just my imagination."

You tilted your head to the side, "I see... But why are you just standing in that corner?"

His eyes widened, "W-Well, you know... I needed to take a piss." He laughed.

"Seriously, you were taking a piss?" Questioned Joseph. "That's an embarrassing thing to do in the middle of a city."

If there was one thing you knew about Polnareff, it was that he'd only do his business in the cleanest of bathrooms. You found it difficult to believe he took a piss in some random street corner. He then stuck his tongue out of his mouth and began to angle it towards his eye? No. He seemed as though he were pointing behind him. Since he wasn't just telling you outright that must mean there's a reason that he can't. Your face lit up in realization. The enemy must be behind him.