The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Two

Kade and Cali entered Endocrine a little past midnight, exhausted, broken, but alive. Many years ago, Cali had a place in Endocrine, she wondered if her things were still there. Together they drove to her apartment, which was not far from where Kade lived.

"I need to see if my mother is okay," Kade insisted.

"Now?"

"I'm not sure if she's alive."

"Either she's alive, but asleep, or she's dead and... well, also asleep. My point is, you can't show up in the middle of the night unannounced, smelling like a desert rat and looking like, well, a desert rat. Sorry, I'm tired — my brain is not too sharp right now to think of clever names to call you. Let's get you cleaned up and rested, then we can go over there. You said she hasn't seen you in months, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then what's a few more hours?"

As much as Kade didn't like to admit it, Cali had a point. They entered the apartment and stumbled through the door. The apartment was small and barely had any furniture. It looked like the kind of place that she could walk away from in five minutes and not leave anything behind. Cali went to her stash spot and found a dusty canister that had been untouched all the years she had been gone.

"I cannot believe this is still here," she said, plugging the canister into the filtration system. "It's like I never left."

"These units are air sealed, so it's like being in a vacuum. It sort of preserves everything."

Once in the door, Kade immediately peeled off his dirty and disgusting clothes and dropped them in a pile by the floor. They were covered in stains and smelled like they had been in a sewer. A crusted blood stain ran along the side of his right leg and he was afraid to look. The blood had clotted, but it was mashed with dirt and sand.

"Do you have a first-aid kit?" Kade asked.

"I'm not sure, I had some stuff in the bathroom at one point, but I haven't been here in years."

Cali returned with some clean clothes and told kade to wear them. "I found a first-aid kit," she said. "I'll get a bowl of warm water, and some rags."

Cali went to the kitchen, opened up some cupboards and drawers, and then returned with some rags.

"Are those clean?" Kade asked.

"Clean-ish."

Cali knelt down and tended to Kade's leg. "This is nasty," she said.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Don't mention it."

They took turns getting cleaned up. Cali went into the bathroom of her tiny apartment while Kade looked in the pantry for anything he could eat. She didn't have much, but he gorged on some stale crackers and a can of corn. Once Cali was done with the shower, it was Kade's turn. Once they were both clean, they sat in the living room.

"So what's the plan?" Cali asked, sitting on the couch.

"The good news is that no one knows that we know each other," Kade said. "That gives us an advantage. You can go to Mr. Saigon. Tell him you're a rider looking for work. See if you can gain intel."

"I think we should go together," Cali said. "I don't know this guy or what he's capable of."

"Fine. We'll go together. But first, I need to see if my mother is okay."

Later that night, Kade passed out on the couch while Cali slept on a single mattress less than ten feet away.

In the morning, Kade awoke feeling better, but still not one hundred percent. He had no idea what was wrong with him, but chalked it up to being physically and mentally exhausted over the past couple months. After a morning meditation and stretch, he and Cali left her apartment.

They walked down the street, their statuses set to unavailable, which hid their profiles from the network and allowed them to blend in discreetly without fear of being recognized by any of Saigon's goons.

They approached the apartment where Kade's mother lived, remaining hopeful that she would be inside. With a pit in his stomach, Kade entered the building and rode the elevator to the eleventh floor. Ms. Casey's apartment was at the far end.

Being separated by so much distance over the past few months, all he wanted was to be with his mother, to see her face again, tell her that he loved her and that he was sorry. Now, only a few paces separated him from his mother's door. He walked up with trepidation and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

He placed his wrist against the sensor and scanned in. The door clicked open. He and Cali entered the apartment. It was dark and cold, showing no signs of anyone living there. His heart grew heavier with every step.

Kade entered each of the rooms anyway as Cali hung back. She wasn't exactly the supportive type, but knew how much Kade's mother meant to him.

"Did she move?" she asked.

Kade looked at her and shook his head. She couldn't see his face, but could tell by the way he was hanging his head that he was hurting inside. She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry, Kade," she said.

Kade felt like someone had shoved a dagger through his heart. He pulled away from Cali and needed a moment to himself to collect his thoughts. He walked over and sat on the couch. His posture deflated, slouching forward he rested his head in the palms of his hands and cried.

"We all go sometime," Cali said. "On to a better place."

The words were meant to comfort him, but they missed their mark.

"Let's go," Kade said.