“Why are you in such a rush?” Olivia asked, lagging behind a hurrying Nole.

“What are you talking about? The press conference was over, and besides, I didn’t want any of the Enforcers to see me.” They made it to the side alley he normally used to get to and from the Square and the library. “We’re almost there.”

“Were you satisfied with the news?”

Nole paused, going over the information that was just presented to them. The only part that really bugged him was the Chief claiming that the witness was not part of a gang. Nole had been certain that the Pents were these witnesses, as they were the only ones present and had appeared to know him. He tuned around and saw Olivia stepping along behind him. The only other possibilities are Olivia or, more likely, Zane.

“I’m disappointed,” he responded. “You guys may not realize it, but people rely on that fountain’s water to survive.”

“Did you used to use that water as well?”

“We had our own supply, but still, the citizens shouldn’t have to make sacrifices for such a silly excuse for crime. Really, there’s no need to close the fountain.”

“Why do you care so much?”

He mulled over the question. Why did he care? Even though water was a scarce resource, he’d never had trouble getting some for himself and his siblings. The fountain didn’t mean anything to him, so why was the issue bothering him so much?

“I don’t know,” he answered finally.

They continued in silence until they came upon the City Library. He led her around the side of the building to the rickety fire escape ladder. It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve climbed this ladder. Creaks echoed against the brick walls surrounding them as Olivia noisily climbed after him. As he ascended, he was reminded of his back pain with each rung.

At the top, he gently hopped over the ledge and stood in shock as he witnessed the mess around him. If he didn’t know any better, he could’ve assumed they were on the wrong rooftop. The entire area was in shambles. The futons were thrown into one corner and clothes were untidily tossed about. Even the makeshift bathroom was a wreck - the wall struck down and the pipe crushed, spurting a slow trickle of water. What happened here?

The shuffling of Olivia’s footsteps didn’t interrupt his gawking. Who could have done this? Caden? No, why would he? Were they looking for something, or someone? He strolled around his former home, poking at formerly tact objects, like the porcelain of the toilet or the shreds of the blankets. He got to the area where he and Caden had sat only days before, where they discussed their mother. Caden’s neat stack of newspapers had become a scattered array of loose-leaf, covering the floor like in a birdcage.

Kneeling in place, Nole brought his hands to his face in frustration. Were they looking for me? What if Caden were here and they settled on him instead? The terrifying possibilities filled his mind and unrelenting visuals followed. Is he…

“Is everything okay?” came Olivia’s voice from behind him.

“It’s a mess,” he replied, removing his hands from his face. There was no reason to hide the situation. “This place has been ransacked. I thought I’d find Caden here, or at least a clue to where he might be, but there’s nothing.” His knees touched the floor and he brushed the paper-lined surface with his fingertips. 

“Is anything missing?”

A hysteric, almost maniacal snicker escaped him. Olivia had posed a legitimate question, one that should have been answered properly, but at that moment, the futility of his search and the seriousness of his own situation with the Enforcers sunk in. Everything was going south: his relationship with Suri, the hope of finding Caden, the possibility of clearing his name, finding Murphy’s killer.

“Missing,” he scoffed, crinkling the nearby newspaper pages in his fists. “So much is missing.” His words were barely audible. “My family, my friends, my home.” He couldn’t discern the feeling that was consuming him. It was like a mix of rage and despair. The papers shook in his grasp, and it took him a moment to realize that it was his fists that were shaking them.

Hurling them aside, he banged his hand against the surface. “I have nothing!” he shouted. He didn’t care if anyone heard him or not. Whoever was looking for him could come and find him for all he cared. A lump formed in his throat, but he couldn’t cry because of the elevating anger overtaking him.

Olivia didn’t speak, only observing him. He hadn’t even heard her move during his outburst. “Why?” he asked, his voice more calm, “did you save me at Murphy’s shack?” She didn’t reply immediately, but when she did, her voice was steady.

“What are you saying?”

“You didn’t help me at the bar earlier, so why did you save me from the Pents? Why didn’t you let them kill me?” He turned his head halfway, just enough to see her from the corner of his eye. “You should’ve let me-“

He was stopped midsentence by a blow to the head. Falling forward from the force, he turned to see Olivia holding her bag by the strap and deduced that it she had hit him with it. “Hey! What’s your problem?” he argued, bolting to his feet. Although it didn’t look it, the bag, or at least its contents, was a lot sturdier than he’d thought.

A deathly stare was all she gave him. He’d never seen her wear such an expression of irritation. Her breathing wasn’t rapid, but faster than usual.

“Don’t ever say something like that,” she hissed.

Her actions had set him off. “What?” he asked in an annoyed tone. He knew what she was referring to, but wanted to push her. “Saying that you should’ve let me die?” She narrowed her jade green eyes, freckles rimming the fury in gaze. Her mouth opened slightly, as if to say something, but nothing came out for a few seconds.

“You have a lot to live for, yet you wish for death.” Nole was surprised to hear her voice shaking with every word. “Even with everything you have, you don’t value any of it.” She took a deep breath before continuing in an unwavering voice. “Don’t you dare take life for granted.”

The words sunk in as he stared her down, massaging the back of his head. Life for granted? She's talking about her brother, he thought remorsefully. The anger inside him dissipated and her expression softened.

A rickety noise from the fire escape broke the silence. Caden? Nole rushed to the ladder to identify the person coming up to the rooftop, but Olivia seized his arm. “We don’t know who that is,” she warned. Even though she was right, Nole’s common sense wasn’t ringing through.

Ripping his arm free, he jogged to the top of the ladder and spied down the side of the building. Following the grating sound of rusty metal, he located the source of the clamor. On the fourth level of the fire escape were two climbing individuals. Despite being unable to get a clear view of their faces, their Enforcers hats were unmistakable.

They must have heard the shouting.

Sprinting back over to Olivia, he relayed the information urgently as not to give her a chance to reflect on the fact that she was right about hinting that it wouldn’t be Caden.

“Is there another way down from here?” she asked, her voice edged with intensity. Normally her tone was calm, even when faced with danger. It was only moments before, when she was lecturing him, that there had been a change. And now, her voice again, was displaying an emotion that Nole hadn’t seen on her before – fear.

“Unless you can scale a vertical wall with no footholds,” he offered sarcastically. He couldn’t decipher her feelings. Why is she acting so strange all of a sudden? Her demeanor has totally changed, again.

As the creaking of the metal and the two voices coming up the ladder became louder, she became noticeably frantic.

“We’ll hide behind the ruined walls,” she instructed, dashing to the former restroom area he and his siblings used to use. He followed her and ducked behind the remains.

“Why don’t we just take these guys out like we did back at the bar?” Nole asked. With his back injured, he, too, didn’t want to engage in a physical fight, but he still wondered why she hadn’t suggested fighting. Does she know I’m hurt? It wouldn’t explain why she’s scared though.

His thoughts ceased as soon as the two Enforcers made it over the ledge and strolled about the rooftop. They were both fairly young looking. Rookies, Nole guessed. Even with the discomfort in his back, he knew he could take them. Both the man and the woman were equipped with batons and Tasers, but no guns.

It seemed as though they were merely checking the area, and not looking for anything in particular. It was only a matter of time before they reached the crumbled walls obscuring both Nole and Olivia from view. “We need to go,” he whispered to Olivia. Her eyes followed the Enforcers’ every step. “Hey,” he whispered a little louder, “we have to go now. They’re only rookies, so if they see us, we can take them down easily.”

A buzzing voice came from the female Enforcer’s radio. Shoot. One wrong move and we’ll have to face the whole cavalry. Throwing on his hood, he turned to Olivia. If she won’t take the lead, I will. “Olivia,” his whispering was sounding more and more frantic, “I don’t know what your deal is, but we can’t stay here. Caden obviously hasn’t been here. It’s a dead end.”

She didn’t even acknowledge him. When he put a hand on her shoulder, she jolted back almost reflexively, sending a broken piece of porcelain sliding across the floor.

Before either of them could react, the male Enforcer’s voice rang loudly.

“Who’s there?” he demanded. Nole imagined them pointing their weapons toward the source of the disturbance. “Come out!” the Enforcer ordered.

“We have to run,” Nole whispered desperately. To his relief, Olivia appeared to be responding to his words. “You go first, and I’ll follow behind.” She scooted into position as the Enforcer’s voice bellowed louder. “Go!”