Dak shifted in his seat. The email read like a child had written it. Not a young child. Perhaps an eight eight- or nine-year-old. He kept reading. “I have more than enough money to pay you for your services and would like to discuss a job, one where you get to travel the world, find adventure, and bring ancient relics and artifacts to someone who will appreciate them. And, if we can find the people they belong to, even better.”
He paused and looked around, as if he might find the person responsible for the strange message. His little apartment was vacant and gave no answer to the conundrum.
“If this sounds interesting to you, and you’re up for it, reply to this email and we can make arrangements to meet and discuss terms. I know that you’re trying to lie low. And I know why. Don’t worry. I’m not a creeper or stalker. You come highly recommended by your friend, Will Collins. He thought you might need a little work to keep you from being bored.”
Dak chortled at the line. So this mysterious person knew Will. That explained a lot.
“If you’re not interested, no big deal. I do hope you are interested, though. Would be cool to meet you and Will couldn’t say enough good things about you, and it would be cool to meet you. I’ll leave you alone. Have a good day, and I hope to hear from you soon.”
Just below the last line, Dak read the name Boston McClaren.
He held his frown, facial muscles locked in a tightly sculpted scowl as he stared at the message, reading it two more times.
“Boston McClaren,” Dak wondered. “Who in the world is that?”
He opened a new tab and entered the name into the search bar. The page filled immediately with articles and pictures featuring a young boy with shaggy, blond hair and black-rimmed glasses. The kid was some kind of video game legend in the gamer community, being the youngest ever to make seven figures playing video games. Boston McClaren, it appeared, was some kind of savant.
As Dak read through the various articles, he learned that the boy had a keen interest in history, particularly ancient history.
Dak leaned back in his chair as he finished reading the last of the articles nearly an hour later., and he leaned back in his chair. He laced his fingers behind his thick, dark hair,hair and looked up at the ceiling. He blew air out of his mouth, flapping his lips in the process.
He thought about the last several months, the loneliness he’d endured for longer, and the sense that his life didn’t really have much purpose—at least not at the moment.
His mind wandered to Nicole, far away in the city of Istanbul. He wondered what she was doing at that moment. Was she eating? Chatting with a coworker? Looking at silly videos on the internet?
Dak didn’t know if he would ever be able to see her again. If he did, would she be waiting for him?
He sighed and sat up straight in his chair, positioning his fingers over the keyboard.
He paused, considering how he should reply, then simply typed,
So, you need a relic runner? I’m interested. Let’s talk.
Dak Harper will return as The Relic Runner.
