By all rights he shouldn’t be having this problem, shouldn’t be confused or indecisive about where to go. The reports had been clear cut and simple with sightings of Zweil headed down this very road over an hour ago in the direction of the Ember Harbor District. According to them Josiah should’ve gone ahead and allowed his transport to take the right fork and speed down towards the cargo ships that might even now be taking Zweil out of his reach. Instead he’d barked out an order to the vehicle as soon as he realized where exactly the other road led, causing it to stop rather suddenly right in the middle of the fork.
Something is telling him that the harbor isn’t where he should be going, that Zweil isn’t there and it will only be a waste of time he doesn’t have. The small voice in the back of his mind, the one that he’d learned to listen to as a child, the one that told him to duck and dodge and when someone had him in the crosshairs, is telling him to go left instead, that he’ll find Zweil in that direction. Josiah hesitates because there is nothing in that direction anymore, at least not anything particularly habitable. The estates and housing facilities in that area had been destroyed in the Steam War, the decade long battle that had raged across much of Shangri-La between The Land of Fire and The Land of Water. Those were painful years, especially for those Bonded pairs who originated from opposite lands and for the children of such unions who had been disdainfully referred to as steam brats due to their mixed heritage.
Many families had suffered on both sides and the devastating fighting had only seen a resolution about seven years ago, a year before Josiah had left the Crimson Elite. Most people had tried desperately to move on, and Fire and Water now enjoyed a cooperative and almost unbelievably joyful peace but some things had been unsalvageable. The area formally known as the Flicker District was one of those places.
That area had been heavily hit during the fighting, leaving only grief-stricken and destroyed families and the haunting shells of the places that they’d once called home. Shortly after the incident the area had been unofficially renamed the Charred District and was carefully avoided. Even now, almost a decade later, there are still dead unaccounted for and no effort has been made to reclaim the land from the ash and debris that covers it.
By all logic Josiah knows that Zweil shouldn’t be there, that the man has no reason to go there, not when he’s so close to the harbor and the possibility of safe passage across Fire’s borders. Still Josiah can’t shake the feeling that Zweil doesn’t seem to be the type to run like that, not to that extent, or the disturbing reminder that most animals liked to slink off to be alone when they’re dying. Josiah knows that the other man isn’t some wild beast but he’s all too aware of the fact that he doesn’t actually know the extent of his injuries. All he knows is that something within him is screaming, telling him to go left instead of right.
With a bitten off curse Josiah takes manual control of his transport and with a harsh jerk speeds down the left fork and towards a place that he shouldn’t even be thinking about. His implant chimes in his ear and he grits his teeth, knowing that Eagan is on the other end and that he’s about to have to explain himself. With a resigned sigh he opens the channel between them.
“Marx, what in the hell are you doing? Your locator has you heading for the Charred District. What happened to Ember Harbor? Has there been an update that I don’t know about or did you see Zweil?”
1“He’s not at the harbor Eagan. I know he isn’t.” Josiah keeps his voice calm and steady, careful to hide his own doubt.
Eagan is silent for a moment and when he speaks again his voice is level and cool, so at odds with his normal informal teasing that Josiah knows the other man is dangerously close to true anger.
“How pray tell did you find that out, Marx? Do you have some secret informant that I don’t know about or something?”
“Actually I have several but that’s another subject entirely. I just know that Zweil isn’t at the harbor; he’s not trying to escape all of Fire he’s just trying to get away from Frisch. It’s just a hunch but I’m asking you to trust me, Eagan. I’ve never led you wrong in the past.”
“Remind me to point out all of the things that are wrong with that statement before I fire you for this later, Josiah.” Eagan sounds resigned and slightly irritated but he isn’t demanding that Josiah turn around so everything is alright.
Plus Eagan normally threatens to fire him about once a week because of his more unorthodox techniques when it comes to negotiation and interrogation, so it’s almost become a routine between them.
“Thanks, boss.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t thank me yet. If you’re wrong and Zweil gets away I’m handing your ass over to Frisch and his people when they start screaming for blood over this fuck up. Anyways I’ve got a medical unit and Marcel mobilized and on alert. They’re not too far behind you but they’ll wait for you at the crossroads since you didn’t seem to think back up would be a good idea right off the bat. Either one can be to your location in a little under fifteen minutes. You are to maintain an open channel at all times; otherwise, I’m sending in the cavalry. I’m not going to take the chance of losing you
