The Long Road Ahead
Act I
Episode II
The Road Ahead
Tessa sat nervously in the passenger seat of the speeding pickup. Even with her seatbelt fastened tightly she could feel her body sway to the right and to the left as the car weaved in and out of the slow moving traffic. She sat quietly. The purr of the pickups engine was the only sound that filled her ears. They moved a little faster than the cars around them. Although David was speeding, he wasn't going fast enough to draw unwanted attention to himself. To other cars, they might just be in the hurry to catch a movie or make an appointment. Through the seat of the car Tessa Testarossa could feel the grip of the black tires against the warm asphalt road. They made a right turn at a stoplight and continued on. When she glanced to the side Tessa noticed David, his straight face always looking forward. As they would weaving through traffic he would always flick his fingers over the turn signals, the clicking would go on and off as they dodged the more sluggish cars on the road.
The pair had since fled the airport, just barely making it out before any mass of authority had the chance to stop them. Early on in the drive they had cut straight through the downtown of a city. While it wasn't New York or Tokyo size, it still remained pretty decent in size for a town located in the Midwest. The buildings began to grow smaller, more space between them and the next. David and she were traveling away from the urban sprawl, sprinting toward the less densely populated country of rolling green hills and fields of cash crops. As they neared closer and closer to the country, David's speeding stopped. He slowed down, flicking a button on the pickup's steering wheel that kept the truck at a constant speed.
Tessa was nervous. She couldn't deny it as she sat on her hands. Her knee bounced up and down like a nervous tick. More than anything she was confused. The events at the airport took place so fast. One moment she was waiting for a flight and then the other she was dodging bullets. While she was no stranger to any dangerous situations, it took on a different meaning when she wasn't protected within the confines of her submarine. Teletha let out a long draw out sigh. Today was simply not her day.
David shifted in his seat. The look on his face seemingly melted into something more normal. He mimicked Tessa. He too let out a long drawn out, and quite nervous, sigh of his own. His hands relaxed on the steering wheel and his back leaned up against the driver's seat. Turning his head he looked at the young woman. She only returned his blank stare. He then looked away, head turning a little behind him before taking one hand off the wheel and plunging it into his backpack which lay behind his seat.
Watching him curiously, Tessa pulled her hands out from under her legs. One going into her lap while the other, once again, reaching for her hair. It was that same uncontrolled habit of hers. She kept her eyes locked onto him though as he rummaged through his pack. Tessa caught glimpses of a few items, a laptop, some clothes, and an old tattered notebook. For a few brief moments she thought he might be searching for a gun to smoke her right then and there. But he could've done so easily many times before that. So she watched him, not saying a word.
As David's hand pulled back, he held a bottle toward Tessa, the label on it reading a name in cursive lettering "Cherry-Cola." He just held it out to her with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile. David was waiting for her to take it.
"Oh…Oh no, I'm not thirsty!" Tessa said as politely as she could, holding up one hand. It was a lie. She was parched. That soda made her mouth water.
Not saying anything for a brief few seconds David placed the bottle in the passenger side cup holder. His was empty. David had no intention of drinking it. At Tessa's reply he let out a small laugh before opening his mouth. "Suit yourself." He chuckled bluntly with a slight shake of his head. "But you know this will be a lot easier on both of us if you trust me."
Tessa's face turned a slight shade of red in embarrassment. The way she carried herself made it clear she was still having trouble trusting David. "Forgive me, Mr. Reed." Tessa began, trying to shake off the tensions between the two. "I should be thanking you. If weren't for you I'd be face-down in the airport. I really do apologize, sir."
This response pulled another laugh from David. "Well, you're welcome, Ms. Testarossa." His head turned back to the road fully now. "I'm just doing my job."
There is was again. This young man knew her full name. It was that which truly unnerved her, but Tessa continued the conversation on nonetheless. "Your job?" she inquired, hoping this track of conversation would shed light on who exactly this man was.
David laughed again. "That's right." He said simply.
"Are you a bodyguard of some kind?" Tessa questioned, her thoughts going to Mithril. Perhaps he was one of them sent as a third guard.
"Ha!" He blurted, shaking his head from side to side slightly. "Oh lord no…I'm no bodyguard. Close though, you're close. I do things in the field like one though." It seemed like David had no trouble carrying on a casual conversation at this point.
Teletha tilted her head and turned her body a little more toward him, still twirling her hair with her fingers. "Then what do you do?" She asked bluntly.
Noticing the young woman turning her body toward him, David pivoted his head as much as he could, still attempting to keep his eyes on the road. "I find things. I find people, places, you name it. I also keep people safe, sort of like a bodyguard. But that isn't what I usually do…and on rare occasion, I do hurt people. What I do spreads me out in plenty of areas."
"So you're a private investigator?"
David laughed a little harder. "No, not exactly! Once again, you're somewhat close."
"Oh, so you're a secret agent." Tessa giggled jokingly, slowly letting a smile cross her face.
A wide grin crossed David's face, clearly enjoying Tessa's joke. He was trying hard not to burst out laughing again. "Like James Bond, from those movies?"
Teletha felt herself open up to this young man. He might not be as untrustworthy as she had thought before. "Ha, yes. Like James Bond."
David let out a huff of air, calming himself. "No…" He stated slyly. "…But that sure would be really fantastic." His fully body turned toward forward again. "I love those movies." He admitted with a gleeful smile. "Bond is a classy gentleman. Me on the other hand, not so much"
Oddly enough, Tessa noticed the grin on his face. She noted how it looked legitimate and not some fake façade of happiness. Silence feel between the two as Tessa eyed him. David simply just continued to smile. "Well you seem like a fine young gentleman to me if that means anything." Teletha said with a grin. "Not many people would pull a young lady like me from the middle shooting." She was making reference to the airport which David pulled her out of.
"You think so?"
"Of course!" Tessa answered, she then turned her head to look out the windshield. They had passed into the country. In front of her she saw the start of some rolling hills off in the distance. And to her left and right, on each side of the road, fields of green prairie and wheat swayed in the wind.
Her answer just seemed to delight David more. "Thank you. It's always nice to hear things like that." His grip on the steering wheel tightened up just a little more, as if Tessa's answer seemed to bolster his ego.
"But if I may ask, Mr. Reed…" Tessa was cut off by David, who was still grinning to himself.
"David, just call me David. Mr. Reed makes me sound like an old man."
Tessa continued from where she left off, only correcting herself. "Ok, David…Why exactly did you pull me out of the airport?"
The grin slowly faded from David's face. But his expression was still soft. He wasn't angry. "I work for some people who are very interested in keeping you alive, Ms. Testarossa." David only nodded as he explained. "While I can't say whom, for both of our sakes, I can assure you that you're people, Mithril, weren't the only ones who have the information in your bag right there." He nodded his head in the direction of Teletha's suitcase. "That said I'm going to need you to trust me. If you trust me, we'll have a better chance of getting you back to your people in one piece." David paused for just a moment, letting his words sink in. "Can you trust me at least that far?"
His words gave Tessa a little bit more confidence. "Y-Yes…Yes, I think I can." She stated silently after a bit of hesitation before her voiced picked up with another question. "But can you at least tell me where we are going?"
Slowly nodding David began to speak. "Seeing as how our 'friends' back at the airport found you with relative ease, I figured it best we stay off the main grid as much as we can. No hotels, no credit cards, and no phones that even have the slightest possibility of being listened in on…They are looking for you, Ms. Testarossa…" He paused for a second, letting out single chuckle "…and unfortunately, now me as well."
Teletha reached toward her suitcase, flipping the leather off the top to reveal a small laptop. "Can't we just use this?" She asked.
David shook his head. "No…At least not yet. Anything being sent over an open line is at risk." He raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Unless that computer has a very long wireless range and some god-like secure connection." It was an attempt at a joke, one that didn't go over very well.
She flipped the cover back over her leather suitcase with a bit of disappointment. "But where are we going then?" Tessa inquired.
"Somewhere safe." David began "I know a few places that might be well suited to disappear in while we work on getting you out of this little mess and back into your people's hands. Boy, do I sure hope they're looking for you."
It quickly fell silent once again. Either way she was going to have to go with him whether she liked it or not. Tessa still was twisting her grey hair in her fingers. Her lips pursed. The sun began to fall, the sky starting to glow a light hazy orange-yellow. It was a different sunset than was she was used to Merida Island. She wasn't exactly sure what to do. On one hand, she felt like she had been rescued, while on the other she felt like she was a prisoner. She was unable to make contact with Mithril as soon as she wanted. But if David was telling the truth, that would be a mistake.
"Mr. Reed?" She uttered silently, sounding a bit uneasy, forgetting to call him David.
"Hmm?" Was the only reply she received. David didn't take his eyes off the road.
Teletha finally reached for the Cherry-Cola. With one hand she gripped the bottle while the other twisted the red cap off with a hiss of carbonation. She lifted the bottle to her lips, taking in a long drink of the fizzy, cherry-tasting beverage. It was refreshing. Just that simple drink sent a shiver of relief down her spine. "Thank you again."
Although it was dark in cab of the pickup, Tessa catch sight of a picture taped to the dashboard. It fluttered a little bit as the truck rolled along. She strained her eyes to see it through the darkness. They had been driving for a number of hours now. The sun had fully set and the black sky was now twinkling with little stars. With the lights of the dashboard, Teletha Testarossa gazed onto the picture. David had caught this action by Tessa. He watched her as she leaned forward toward the photo.
When she got close enough Tessa could make out the image. It was of two people, a young man and a very young little girl. Tessa's eyes squinted in the darkness. David, he was the young man in the picture. Out of the corner of her eyes she glanced in his direction, comparing the details which, for the most part, remained the same. In the picture David had thick brown hair, cut short and clean. He had lightly tanned skin with soft brown eyes. He looked younger then to. Unlike now when he looked roughly the same age of Tessa, perhaps a year or two older. He was smiling in the picture, but not some smile of fakeness, an actual smile of happiness. When the picture was taken David seemed to be having a good time. Then Tessa noticed the large baseball field in the background. And just like the hat he wore in the present, there was that bright red letter 'C' and the words "Chicago Cubs" on a wall behind him.
David didn't say a word. He watched as Tessa examined the picture.
Tessa shifted her eyes to the little girl. Their features were almost identical. She too had the same tan colored skin, brown hair, brown eyes, and they even shared the same blissful smile. They were family she thought. That little girl, no older than perhaps nine at the time the picture was taken, had her arms wrapped around David's neck as they sat in the stands of the baseball stadium. What drew most of her attention was the blue cap the little girl wore. It was almost too big for her head. It was a close resemblance to the one David had, only cleaner and newer. There was a possibility that they were even the same blue cap.
"That's my little sister." David said warmly. "You like her?"
Heart nearly bursting out of her chest in surprise, Tessa jolted back in her chair. "I'm s-s-s-so sorry." She pleaded as she stuttered.
"Sorry for what?" He responded with the same sense of warmth, not taking any offense in Tessa looking at the image.
"I thought it might be a little too private to ask about!" She admitted. Becoming calm again Tessa spoke. "You two look happy. When was that picture taken?"
"A number of years ago, before I got involved in all of this. She likes baseball…" It was clear by his smile the memories of that day came back to David's mind "…If you couldn't tell from the picture."
"Do you miss her?"
"Every single day." David mumbled. "Our mother didn't stick around when we were kids. She…left…our father for someone else, if you know what I mean. And our dad was always busy with work, so it was usually just us two. Not that our dad didn't try, but sometimes that's just the way it was. He brought home the money. So she and I got really close. It was us two against the world."
"Oh…I'm…I'm so-."
The smile returned to David's face. "It's fine." He stated simply.
Tessa's hands were on her lap, folded politely. She felt a little ashamed of bringing up something that could've been uncomfortable. "Where is she now? Will you see her soon?"
David started to nod. "I see her soon. She is being watched by some people my father knew. When I'm done here I'll be taking her back home with me…I have to admit it's been a long time since I've seen her in person. But we exchanged letters for a while until…" His voice trailed off into some silent ramble.
She nodded in return, only raising an eyebrow when she couldn't understand him anymore. Then David's voice suddenly changed.
"Are you hungry?"
A small bell rang as David pushed open a glass and metal door. He held the door open for Tessa who followed close behind. In front of them stood a chrome bar and behind that a kitchen. Small booths surrounded the walls of the restaurant. Just above the bar was neon lettering stating the words "24-Hour Diner." David quickly scanned the building. Everything seemed to check out to him. As expected, the place wasn't exactly humming with life, the number of guests not even surpassing ten. But it was out of the way and quiet, that's was the main factor. Slowly, he and Teletha moved away from the door and walked briskly towards a booth and table near the far end of the small rectangular shaped building. They were near the fire exit, a quick escape if they needed to make one.
Tessa walked close behind David on the alternating black and white tile. Her black business jacket and suitcase she held firmly in her hands. She couldn't help but notice that they got a few odd stares from the people behind the counter and from those few who populated the taken booths. Unlike David, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Even without her Mithril uniform, walking into a 24-hour diner at 11:00 at night disguised as a business woman wasn't exactly normal in these parts of the world. But either way she stuck close by.
Upon reaching their booth David spoke up. "Here, hand me your jacket." He held out one hand, waiting.
Raising an eyebrow Tessa did as she was told. Lifting her jacket she held it out to him. She watched as he quickly and stealthily pulled his handgun out from where he had hidden it behind his back and stuffed it into her black business coat. David then held out his hand, motioning for Tessa to sit down. "Please." He said, taking on last look around the room. The coast was clear. No one was following them.
As Tessa sat down an odd smell crept up her nose. It made her nose wrinkle. "Uh…What is that smell?"
"It's a 24-hour diner, what do you expect?" David replied light-heartedly as he sat down on the dusty booth. He set Tessa's black jacket beside him, just in case.
Her nose continued to take in the smells. It was a strange combination of burnt coffee, eggs, and grease. It smelt like a bad mess-hall. Across from her David didn't seem to mind as much as she did. Everything also had a faint smell of dust. It was sort of like she had stepped back in time.
All around her the walls were decorated with chrome, black, and white. On occasion there would be a splash of hot-rod red or some kind of electric blue. The clocks had strange numbers, often being styled off of a car speedometer. It was all rather odd. This retro feel of the diner perplexed her. Even the music did so. Across the room, back near the main entrance, stood a multicolored metal jukebox. From where Tessa sat she could see interior of the machine working as it slowly pulled records around, spinning them as the music played. The music box must've been connected to the speakers that were lazily wired around the room. She could tell when the needle on the record started and stopped. It played only from a select group of records, rock n' roll hits from the 1950's, aside from a few other songs that the workers in the establishment put in themselves.
An older woman with a strong southern drawl and wrinkled face walked up to their table. She looked between Tessa and David for a moment, sloppily chomping on a piece of gum before reaching into her apron and pulling out two small laminated menus, placing one in front of the each of them. "What can I get ya'll to drink to-o-o-onight?"
Tessa looked curiously at the menu, flipping it over in her hands. She found the section with the drinks. "I'll have a tea, ma'am." She stated with a smile. The old woman was quick to scribble Tessa's request down on a notepad.
The woman then turned to David. He looked up at her and grinned. "Cherry-Cola, please."
Without saying words the woman wrote down their orders, slowly walking backward toward the bar. This left Tessa and David alone on the far side of the restaurant.
"You must really like Cherry-Cola, David?" Tessa began as she took the slightly-off white napkin, unfolding it, and placing it across her lap.
David chuckled softly. "Hey, it's my favorite, Ms. Testarossa. You aren't going to see me drinking coffee. I can't stand the stuff. Give me a Coke any day! It's especially great if you get it in a nice ice-cold glass bottle too." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.
Tessa pushed some hair out of her face. "You come to places like this often?" She asked as she placed her back against the cushioned plastic seat.
"You could say that." David replied with a tiny shrug. "When I'm on the road like I am, most of the time I don't have time to make my own food. You might say I find myself in places like this on a regular basis."
"It must be hard being on the road so much."
Once more David shrugged. "Not really. But what about you? I assume you're quite the traveler yourself."
"You might say that…" She mumbled. "…I end up a lot of places, but sometimes I never get a chance to see them myself."
There was a look of confusion on David's face. He didn't know what she meant.
Tessa got a grip on the end of her black skirt, pulling on just a little as she examined David's confused face. "How much do you know about me David? I know you know my name. I know you know I work for Mithril…But what else?" She wanted to see if he knew she was a captain for Mithril, she wanted to know if he knew she was a Whispered. If that was the case, there might be a whole other problem already.
Surprised, David leaned back, his elbows coming off the tan speckled table. "In all honesty, all I was given when I set out was a name, a picture, and who you worked for…"
This caused Teletha to raise an eyebrow. 'At least he doesn't know too much' she thought to herself.
"…In all, that's all I have. I was only given that and the order to make sure you get back to your people alive. Other than that, I know almost nothing…Besides what I've learned after meeting you that is."
"You're not just telling me that David, are you?" Tessa sneered jokingly.
"I'm telling the whole truth. I swear on my father's grave!" David laughed, holding up one hand as if swearing an oath.
Tessa herself soon leaned forward on the table, a soon action mirrored by David. "So…How did your people get a hold of that information, or is that something you can't tell me?" She jeered playfully.
David smiled widely, showing his white teeth. "Let's just say if you know the right people, you can get almost anything. While I know Mithril is a secret to most, there are a few people I work with who know of your little group." Tessa wasn't going to get anything out of him and she knew it.
Flipping through her menu, Tessa was going to turn the conversation in a different direction, although she was soon to be interrupted by the waitress returning with their drinks. The old woman set Tessa's tea on the table and then David's cola. "I'll give you two a little more time to pick your food." She turned to Tessa for a brief moment, a funny look on her face. "You better make this young man pay for your meal, ya' hear? He looks a little shifty to me; don't let him run off and stand you up with the bill. Keep your eye on that one." She said with a wink. And with that joke the old waitress walked away.
It was a joke David didn't exactly find funny. He sat there in silence rolling his eyes with a cross look on his face. His eyes darted back down toward his menu. David wanted to avoid the joke entirely.
Quickly covering her mouth, Tessa attempted not to laugh. "She is right though." Tessa said finally bursting out into a giggle. "I don't exactly have money on me."
Slowly, David's chest began to shake a little. He too began laughing, even if just a little bit. He shook his head. "Yeah-Yeah, don't worry Ms. Testarossa. I got you covered." He flipped the menu around in his hands.
"Oh…and David?" Tessa said with a bright friendly smile.
"Hmm?"
"Please, call me Tessa."
Author's Note's
I'll spare you the long author's note this chapter!
But please review, tell me what you think!
Mr-Watch
PM me if you find any error and I'll be sure to fix them!
