Hope of the Dying World

CHAPTER 29 - THE RED-HAIRED

Gentle waves of the sea, cold wind that blew through his face, and the smell of the sea salt. Ferran awoke from a deep sleep and looked around the area. He was sitting in his pickup car's driver seat, located at the end of the pier and facing the calm sea.

He remembered what had happened to him inside the bar.

"A dream?" He asked himself. "But what am I doing here?"

He got out of his car and he felt the pain all over his body then he realized that it's not a dream! He faced the side mirror of his car and saw his swollen wounds which he gained by beating the man with a tribal tattoo.

The big question is, how did he get to that place? He does not remember that he drove there and he also doesn't have an idea that he needed anything in that place.

After a moment of thinking, the surroundings are getting brighter 'coz the sun was starting to rise. Ferran chose to stay to watch the sunrise that he rarely does because he was too busy at work.

When the sun was high, something significant entered his mind. He planned to go to the bar again. Maybe he can accumulate information about the incident in the comfort room yesterday but when he reached the bar, it was closed, and only opened every night.

He could do nothing but strike his steering wheel because of so much anger. He felt that he might uncover a little information about something that may lead him to discover where the disease originated if only the unknown person didn't intervene.

He went home to change clothes but he saw Blair sitting near the front door of his house.

"Good morning—what happened to your face?"

"Just got into a fight."

"Oh. Bad for you. Let me put some ointment—"

"No. I'm fine."

"Okay. By the way, what happened to your investigation? Did you find the culprit?"

"Not yet." He put the key in the keyhole and unlocked his door.

"Oh. Do you want any help, uncle? I might—"

"Is it not time to go to school? Hm? Blair?"

"Uhm..." She looked away.

"Go. You're late." Ferran checked the time. He is late for work.

Blair heavily sighed before bidding his goodbye to his uncle. Ferran just shook his head while watching his niece riding her bike.

'That kid... a stubborn one.'

After a while he drove to the station, and immediately asked the police in charge at the front desk.

"Ferran, what happened to your fa---"

"Is the Chief there?"

"Ah yeah but he---" He did not listen to anything else his co-police said because he immediately went straight to the office of their Chief. He didn't even knock and just opened the door.

"Chief---" He stopped and felt ashamed after he saw the Mayor of their town, Mayor Daniel Tolentino. "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation but I have to tell you something Chief and it's urgent."

"Officer Ferran---"

"It's alright. I'll just come back some other time." Said the Mayor then tapped Ferran's shoulder before he left.

"What is it, Ferran?" The Chief asked in a serious tone while staring at his wounded face. He doesn't even ask why his face is like that.

"Chief, there's an incident in the bar yesterday, and I want to investigate it thoroughly. There was a man who took a drug and---"