The Secrets We Keep, Ch. 2

Chapter Two: On The Run

Sera hit speed dial and waited for the inevitable click. “Hey Jakoby, I need a bag tonight.”

“This was a long run,” he noted, casually. Sera pictured him propped up comfortable in a trailer near the outskirts of a city.

“Yeah, I was living in a delusion, thinking we were finally free.” Sera dipped into the closest cybercafé, ordered a drink, and ducked into a corner booth that faced the entrance. “Watch your back, alright?”

“Understood.” He kept it easy, making sure to stay calm so as not to alert the very prominent panic button beating in her chest. The two hung up and respectively followed their plans for the next move.

Before leaving, she grabbed another cup of coffee to fuel the next few sleepless hours. The journey to the next safe house would not be simple, unless of course she was very lucky. Weak clouds hid the morning sun as she walked down the street on a mission. By the time Sera arrived at the train station, it was almost at the highest point in the sky. After grabbing a ticket from the booth, there was a fifteen minute wait for the next shuttle. In the meantime, she kept a watchful eye on the people waiting on the open platform. Each minute passed by painfully slow; Sera stayed on her toes, gripping her backpack tighter and tighter, until the train arrived.

Sera wandered to her small roomette and shut the sliding door. Once the trees were running past the train, she fished out a notebook and began writing a letter to Kira.

Getting off the train required the last of Sera’s caffinated energy. The chaos of everyone unloading at the same time and piling into an open area was prime real estate for getting attacked and wisked away to Brennafold. She bustled into the swarm of people and navigated quickly to the exit. The station dumped out onto the busy city streets of Bamur, not far from Jakoby’s place. Sera kept a brisk pace until reaching the downtown housing section, where the crowd dispersed.

Three blocks down, she recalled Jakoby telling her from their last meet up. Those three blocks felt more like three miles. She reached the last house on the block and was met with an open door.

“Long time no see,” Jakoby greeted. Sera slipped past him and found herself in the living room.

“Not something you hear every day.”

Jakoby grabbed one of the duffel bags on the couch and threw it to her. It felt full of bricks. He then handed Sera a basic black phone, similar to the one already on her hip. “Remember to destroy that one the moment you pass near Lakewood. Better it not here nor there.”

Sera nodded as he spoke, swapping the phones.

“You good?” Jakoby stopped double-checking his bag and looked to Sera’s distant expression.

She shook off whatever was crossing her mind. “Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing new.”

Jakoby stood with a sigh, “We can’t keep running forever Sera. We either deal with the hand we dealt ourselves or…”

“Or what? I’m tired of it - I want a normal life. I‘m tired of the killing. I made a mistake back then - thinking this would solve all my problems. It only created more.”

“You were a kid when you made your deal, you can hardly blame yourself for wanting to escape your situation at the time. But as long as your Deal stands, you’ll still be a Reaper.”

His words stung like a fresh burn. Sera tightened the strap on her bag and stormed out the door. A sunset view only reminded her of what she thought she might never see again. Jakoby joined her shortly after, staying silent so Sera could collect her thoughts.

“We deserve a way out,” she whispered.

”Although that’s true - this is where we are.”

The two went over their next steps one last time before parting ways. Where to go. Who to trust. How to find each other in emergencies. A routine they’d likely forfeit if given the chance. Running has taken its toll. Sera looked over her shoulder as she and Jakoby began their opposite journeys.

No matter how much she hated it - Jakoby was right.
Like always.

They couldn’t run forever. Something had to change - they needed their lives back one way or another.