Chapter 2: New Faces
As morning finally broke, the city came alive as its occupants awoke from their slumber to go about their lives. This post-pulse world was far from pretty but when it cam down to it, not that much had changed. People still worked, still socialised, they had adjusted to the new world order. It was considered a depression but that was only on the surface. If you scratched at it hard enough you would find the same values from before. There were still rays of hope, of joy and of love.
Something else that had not been affected by the pulse was coffee shops. They were still a popular stop off point for workers in the morning. In one particular old-fashioned shop, there sat a rather insignificant young woman. With shoulder length blonde hair, tainted with streaks of black, her face bore no remarkable features. Despite this, her brilliant green eyes coupled with a tightly compact mouth gave her a subtle beauty not immediately apparent at a glance. There was certainly an air of mystery to her as she sat alone dressed in a tight black sweater and worn blue jeans.
Paying no attention to the hustle around her, she had sat, hands cupping a steaming cup of coffee. Occasionally she turned to stare into the dark morning sky, but other than that she offered very little movement: content to soak up the friendly atmosphere of her cosy surroundings.
The bell above the wooden entrance gave a shrill ring and a tall bulky man stepped into the warmth of the shop. He appeared to be a man of some importance. Wearing smart black trousers, a maroon red shirt with the buttons loosely done, and a long black trench coat. He certainly gave the impression that he was one of the rich businessmen. His face though was in stark contrast to his lower half. Covered in creases and lines, it was clear he had been through tough times. His eyes looked tired and his fringe hung awkwardly around his forehead. His dark hair straggled and out of place, looked as though the only time it was washed was in the frequent Seattle rain. It was also clear he hadn't shaved recently, as rough stubble ran along his chin.
Upon entering he had immediately clocked the young woman and proceeded to pull up the wooden chair opposite her. "Hello Jess", his voice was firm but warm. "What news do you have for me today?" Jess sunk back into her chair and studied her new companion before answering.
"You know I can't take this much more Gray!"
Gray laughed revealing a perfect set of teeth that betrayed the rest of his harsh features.
"I know but what news", he inquired, still smiling.
"He just sat on his stupid bench again. Eight hours Gray, I had to stand in the bloody rain for eight hours!" She paused her forehead was tense. "You know he can't help us. First of all he doesn't know where she is and secondly if she were going to contact him she would have by now don't you think. I mean maybe she thinks he's dead or something."
Gray sat back letting out a sigh as he took the news in and processed it. "So that's what, five months and still nothing."
"Actually its six." Jess smiled before taking a sip of her coffee, wincing as the hot liquid burnt her tongue. "What about you, what did you get?" She asked.
"Well Mr White was a little reluctant to answer my questions…at first."
"Sow what did you get?"
"Nothing really, the bastard knew nothing about 452. Not since she left his sorry ass in that messenger place before the Terminal City massacre anyways." Gray had sounded distant as he spoke, gazing out the steamed windows of the coffee shop.
"What did you do with dear Ames?" Jess raised her thin eyebrows playfully as she spoke. Gray turned his attention back to her.
"Well to get the treasured information, that he knew dick, I had to go through some pretty standard torture routines. I tell you those snake cult boys are bred well. But you know if you bleed someone enough then even the strongest will scream. I enjoyed making the stuck-up shit beg, before I tore his throat out." Gray was clearly pleased with himself that much Jess could see. She loved this dark streak in him, he was the only person she knew who was as brutal as she was. Shaking her mind clear Jess refocused her attention back to Gray.
"What do we do now then?" She asked.
"This Logan seems to be our best shot at finding 452", Gray replied.
"But it's been six months! I mean come on, when are you gonna realise he's a dead end?" Gray just stared at her, one eyebrow arched suggestively.
"Oh…shit!" She gave in. "Looks like it will be another night down the park in the rain, just me and Logan Cale." Jess folded her arms like a child in a huff. Gray reached out and put a hand on her cheek. His touch was rough but comforting and warm.
"Trust me", he said, "This will work, I know it will. Logan will lead us to 452 and then everything else will fall into place."
"Even if we find her, do you really think you could take her on?" Hope had crept into her voice as she spoke.
"Come now my dear, 452 is good but me…well I'm something else", Gray replied confidently.
"You most certainly are", agreed Jess.
"I tell you what Jess. After Logan has led us to 452, just for you, I will rip out his spleen and you can dance in the rain of his blood. He can make amends for all the time he has cost us. How does that sound?" A sick smile spread across Jess's face at the thought of this.
"That would be wonderful", she replied excitedly. Smiling once again, Gray stood up and tossed some money on the table.
"For the coffee. I'll see you same tomorrow and hopefully we shall have the news we crave." With that he turned and left, leaving an excited Jess anticipating the night ahead.