Simons POV
"Simon Tam?" A bored looking guard asks from outside the holding cell.
"Yes?" I ask, stepping forward.
"Daddy's here," he grins. "Time to go." He pulls me out among taunts from the other men in the cell. At the entrance leading to the station he hands me to others who lead me through to where I see my father standing. He doesn't waste anytime before starting to reprimand me.
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
"Pretty nearly," I answer like a brat, but I am sick of him.
"We got the wave at the Friedlich's. I had to leave your mother at the dinner table," he's showing more emotion about that then he has the past week as I tried to explain what was happening to River.
"I'm sorry, dad. You know I would never have tried to save River's life if I had known there was a dinner party at risk," I just didn't care what he thought of me anymore, his anger meant nothing.
"Don't you dare be flippant with me. I just spent two thousand credits to get you out of here, and I had to walk through that door which goes on my permanent profile." He looked at me, searching for any sign of remorse, there was none to find. "Are you trying to destroy this family?" I know enough not to point out that his lack of compassion for his daughter has already destroyed this family.
"I didn't realize it would be so easy." He looks almost hurt and for a minute I feel bad. "Dad, I-I didn't do anything."
"You
were in a blackout zone!"
"Talking! To someone who might be
able to help River. And I'm going right back there," he'll never
understand, he has too much faith in his precious alliance, he
whispers in Chinese too quickly for me to catch his meaning.
"This is a slippery slope, young man. You have no idea how far down you can go, and you're not taking us with you," his voice is full of fear, and hatred.
"Meaning what?"
"I won't come for you again. You end up here, or get mixed-up in something worse; you're on your own. I will not come for you," he pauses, but I only stare blankly at him. "Now, are you coming home?" I look at him for a minute, then step forward, pulling him into a hug.
"Give that to mother for me," I tell him stepping away, and starting to back up. "Thank you for getting me out."
"What? Simon," he calls commandingly after me.
"Tell her I'm sorry that she's lost both her children now."
"Simon Tam," he yells but I turn from him, striding out the front door of the station.
The alley in Shaiming was dark, and seemingly deserted. I walked through quietly, looking for any sign of the man I had meet with earlier. I still didn't know his name. I was afraid either he had taken off with the money, or hadn't escaped the officers.
"Simon Tam," I almost smiled to hear his voice.
"What is your name?" I asked, turning to him.
"They call me Adam."
"Adam?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The first," he nodded.
"And your real name?"
"They took it away from me at the school. I no longer have any recollection of who I was before. We should hurry."
I follow him as he leads me down a twisting path through alleys I couldn't tell apart, all the while worrying about River. My loving little sister, would I find her as odd as Adam was. Had Adam been a fun child, eager to learn? How much had the school broken him?
"Here," Adam lifted a rusted gate enough for me to crouch under, then followed me. The gate shut loudly behind us, or maybe it just seemed loud in my terrified head. Adam led me through a dilapidated series of hallways until we stepped into a giant warehouse room. Three men stood as we entered guns drawn.
"You," one of them shouted. "Arms up!"
"Huh?" I glanced at Adam who kept walking to them; apparently I was the one being ordered.
"Ma shong!" He cocked his gun and I immediately threw my hands in the air."
"Check him," he ordered one of the other men who, quickly searched my pockets and patted me down.
"Nothing."
"Watch him." The man to the right if me cocked his gun and pressed it to my temple.
"I think there may be some misunderstanding, if you just."
"Shut up," the man shoved the barrel of the gun against my head. I swallowed, and shut up.
"Let's see the money," the man took the bag from Adam, dumping the bills on a bent dirty table. The scanned the bills, and smiled. "Let him go." The gun was pulled away from my head, and the man stepped back.
"Sorry about that," the one in charge apologized stepping forward. "Names Thomas, nice to meet you. You met my boy Adam already, and fellow you were up close to with the gun, that's Jacob. Quiet man over there is Shinji."
"Um…hi." I give them all a slight wave.
"You understand we need to be cautious, make sure you weren't playing us for a fool, you know."
"Yes, I understand."
"Right then. Seems you're on the level, and Adam here says you may be in a bit a trouble with the big law makers."
"I would wager that, yes," I nod.
"Well then, shouldn't take more than a week or so for us to get things together, we'll give you a place to sleep through then."
"Thank you," I nod.
"Hate to have to take your money like this, but you understand the greater purpose."
"Just get my sister back; I don't care about the money."
"Family man," he clasps my shoulder. "I like that. Adam!"
"Yes?" Adam steps beside him.
"Make up a second bed for our friend here. He'll be staying with us."
"Yes," Adam nodded. "Come with me." I follow him down another hall to a small storage room. I assume it used to be a storage room. There are two cots in it now, and Adam begins to put sheets on the second cot.
"Here let me," I take the sheets from him, and he backs up to sit on the other cot.
"She's very important to you."
"Yes," I answer, sitting on the half made bed.
"That's good." He nods to himself. "When I, when I first got out. It wasn't good for a while. The things they do to you. It's," he paused. "It's hard getting used to the real world again. Things seem, askew."
"I'll do my best for her."
"That's good," he nods again, laying back on the bed and shutting his eyes. With a sigh I follow suit.
