Song of the Chapter: Video Boy - Soulero (Electro)

All other covers used after this have nothing to do with the chapter - again, I just wanted the title and that's it.

(Tristam's POV)

I pull myself to my feet and rub my eyes. Sleeping on the ground by the dumpsters isn't a great idea. "Come on," I mumble, helping Braken up. He sways and almost falls over. "How much sleep did you get?"

"Three minutes," he answers. "Now marks the thirty sixth hour since I last slept for real."

"Let's get you back." I stretch and stumble toward the street.

"Me? What about you?"

"I'm fine. I slept a little." I let him hold on to my arm as we head back so that he can stay upright. He drags his feet, slowing us down, but I don't really mind. Maybe I should stop at a coffee shop or something so I can have the energy to take him back, except I left my wallet at the hotel.

We stagger together toward a bench and I tell him to sit down with me while I ask if anyone can pick us up. As soon as he's down, he leans his head on my shoulder and falls asleep. I let him rest and send out a quick request to Monstercat or one of the others.

Nitro is the first to pick up. "They live," he announces. "Hey guys, what's up?" Before I can answer, he says, "Hey - no - stop it! I can talk!" I realize he's arguing with someone on the other end. "Sorry about that. You were saying?"

"Could you send someone to pick us up in the truck? Braken can barely walk and I don't want to attract unwanted attention."

"Sure. Hang on." I can hear him talking to someone in the background. "Danyka's coming. Where are you?"

I tell him our location and he says she'll be there in a few minutes. I thank him, hang up, and try to relax without dozing off, a task which proves to be harder than I thought.

Braken flinches in his sleep and mutters something. I ignore him and try to survey the streets, but I keep getting distracted. I keep repeating the same thought over and over. I'm so glad Danyka's coming. I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm not sure what we'd do without her. I can't think clearly. I keep repeating the same thought over and over again. Braken whimpers and stiffens up. I ignore him and try to survey the streets, but I keep getting distracted. I keep repeating the same thought over and over. I'm so glad Danyka's coming. I can barely keep my eyes open. Hang on, didn't I just ... ?

Braken moans again, louder this time. A couple people give us weird looks, but I shrug them off. He told me that if he ever got too loud in his sleep, he wanted me to wake him. I don't, not yet, because I know he doesn't rest very often. I wish I could make him sleep with just a snap of my fingers.

I adjust my position to gently rub his back, something I know relaxes him. As I brush my fingers across his shoulders, however, he bolts upright, his head slamming into my chin. I hiss in pain a jerk back.

"I'm sorry," he quickly says, his eyes darting around frantically.

"It's alright," I say, rubbing my jaw. "You just ... scared me, that's all." I study him quickly and notice that even in this chilly air, his hair is damp with a nervous sweat. He's breathing hard, but trying to keep the sound down. "Are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah ... yeah, I just ... " Braken rubs his arm absent-mindedly and then adjusts the scarf around his neck. I know what he'd been dreaming about, just by watching his actions.

"You were dreaming about him again, weren't you?"

He nods and closes his eyes again, leaning back. "I see him every night." He tries to hide it, but I can see he's fighting tears.

I gently squeeze his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll always be here to protect you."

He smiles ever so slightly.

A moment or two later, the truck pulls up and Danyka waves at us. I stand up, help Braken get on his feet, and stumble up to the truck. "Thanks, Danyka," I say as I open the door and climb in. "You're a life saver."

"Aww, thanks." She grins at me over her shoulder. "I can't believe you guys were up all night, behind the Wal-Mart, of all places."

"It wasn't pleasant, I'll tell you that much." I pull Braken up next to me and slam the side door shut. He hugs his arms and tries to relax again, but I can see in his tense shoulders that he'll probably be up for a few more hours before he'll be able to sleep again.

"Good to know." Danyka pulls away from the curb and starts to drive again.

The hum of the truck is soothing and relaxes me. I doze off after only a minute. I don't wake up until Danyka slams on the brakes.

I'm thrown forward and hit the seat in front of me with a yelp. I probably should have worn a seatbelt. "What's happening?" I ask, rubbing my head where I hit it.

"MI cars. They're leaving." Danyka points out the front window. I twist a little to see and, sure enough, three MI police cars are driving away.

"What if we followed them?" Braken suggests softly.

I give him a sideways glance. "What about getting you back?"

"I'll be fine." He scoots forward in his seat, stretching the belt, and points again. "What if they're not going to the police station? We need to follow them."

Danyka pulls forward. "He's right. We could be passing up valuable info. If it gets too risky, we'll turn back."

"Fine," I say reluctantly, "but no one gets out of the truck unless it's on fire."

The truck drives slow, always keeping a safe distance behind the MI cars. I had no idea she had so much experience following someone inconspicuously.

I'll admit, I'm nervous. I'm not sure why, though it might be because we could get in serious trouble if they find out. A quick glance at him tells me that Braken is nervous, too, even though he was the one who suggested it. His knuckles are white as he grips the driver's seat headrest. Danyka is the only one calm, like she's done this multiple times.

I'm starting to think this entire trip is pointless, especially since I'm still fighting to stay awake, but then Danyka whispers, "One of them turned away. Which one do I follow?"

"The one breaking away," Braken says.

Danyka turns and subtly drives after it, leaving the other two.

"What do you think will happen if we get caught?" I ask.

"We're not going to," Danyka says.

"They're pulling into that garage," I say quickly, noticing the car driving down under a building. "Pull over and go into that store for a few minutes to seem natural. We'll stay here."

She obeys, turning the car off but leaving the keys in case we have to get out on short notice. She enters the store and I keep my eyes glued to the building the MI car drove down. It looks sort of like a warehouse or a big empty building. What would they be doing in there?

"Leo, wake up." Braken's shaking me and I wake with a start.

I sit up and rub my eyes. The sun is high in the sky, Danyka's still in the store, and it's about noon. "How long ...?"

He shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. I saw two men in all black walk in there. They had another guy in handcuffs between them, but no one seemed to notice or care. I watched them go in and then maybe ten minutes later, I swear I saw a flash of light in the window, and then I'm pretty sure I heard some sort of gun shot - "

"Hold on." I stretch my arms and then turn to face him. "You think they shot the guy?"

He nods vigorously. "If this is the MI, we're in trouble. If it's not ... we're in bigger trouble."

A man walks out of the building, holding a hand radio and wearing sunglasses. Even with the glasses, I can tell he's looking at our truck.

Danyka walks around the vehicle and gets in. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

I nudge Braken's arm and he ducks his head. "Tell her," I say.

He takes a deep breath and repeats what he told me. I add in quickly that I was asleep and that we're going off of his word only. He glances at me and seems to shrink into his scarf. He knows I don't really believe him.

Danyka thinks for a moment. "I'm not sure that's what you really saw and heard, Braken."

"Can we really be too cautious, though?" I say, trying to defend him.

The man I noticed earlier stares to walk toward us, saying something into his radio.

"I guess not, but we don't want to cause unneeded panic," Danyka says, thinking.

Braken pokes my arm. "Guys ... "

"I don't think they're MI," she says, interrupting him. "They look a little different, but I don't think they're the enemy here."

He pokes me again. "Guys."

I turn to face him. "Yeah?"

"He's coming closer."

I look out, and sure enough, the man is significantly closer than last time I checked. Even through his sunglasses, I feel his glare burning into me. "We have to go."

Danyka turns the key and the truck rumbles to life. The man picks up his pace to get us before we drive away.

"We have to go NOW."

Even as the words leave my mouth, Danyka slams her foot on the gas pedal and we lurch forward. There's a lot of traffic, and I think we're going to get stuck in our parking space, but she swerves like a maniac right into it, barely avoiding getting hit by two cars and hitting one herself.

Braken screams in terror and grips his seatbelt with white knuckles like it's going to save him, even though he didn't have time to put it on. I remember that time he was in a crash. While nobody was hurt, he almost had a full on panic attack and I had to come pick him up, since his father was unwilling to help.

"Calm down!" I yell at Danyka. "The last thing we want is to get pulled over!"

At first, I don't think she hears me, but eventually, she slows and drives normally. I breathe a sigh of relief and allow myself to relax. I glance at Braken to make sure he's okay. His face is pale and he's shaking, but I think he'll be fine in a few minutes.

"That was exciting," I say to lighten the mood.

Danyka laughs. "Good to know. I'll remember that next time I'm driving."

"NO!" Braken and I shout at the same time.