[One hour later]
After eluding the police, we entered a small apartment on the south side of the city. Apparently it was Claire's apartment. We both entered through the fire escape outside, his apartment was on the fourth floor. There was some old furniture, an old TV in the living room, a worn-out bed in the bedroom and a rusty kitchen. It amazes me how such a beautiful girl can live in this pigsty.
[Sits]
"Okay, Claire, but one thing still doesn't smell right to me... How did you know exactly when to help me, if we've never met before?"
"It was many years ago. We didn't know each other yet, and the only thing I knew about you was the vision I had of you at the orphanage, a vision I transmitted to your father, but... in that vision, I not only saw you and that orphanage... I also saw your father…dead."
An immense anger takes over me, I stand up abruptly from the chair I was sitting in. I hold Claire's neck.
"DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW HE WOULD BE KILLED? DID YOU KNOW THIS AND DID NOTHING?"
Claire barely breathes, her words coming out in an almost imperceptible hiss.
"It's... hurting...me..."
"HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU HAVE SEEN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND NOT DONE ANYTHING?"
Tears fall from Claire's eyes, her eyes begin to close, almost losing consciousness.
"I...was just...a kid..."
Suddenly I realize what I'm doing. I'm hurting a girl who had nothing to do with this, blaming her for the actions of a man I couldn't reach. Taking out all my frustration on her... Exactly the same as what they did to me...
[Drop]
[Cough]
[Cough]
"I'm sorry, Claire. I... I didn't want to... I shouldn't have..."
Claire coughs a little more, her body slowly regains strength.
[Claire sits on a chair]
"Okay, I knew this would happen. But damn, that hurts like hell."
[Sighs]
"Do you want to know more about Isaac?"
[Both sit facing each other]
I look at that girl's face. Her bright eyes look at me seriously. The mark of my hand on your neck is very clear. And she still coughs a little.
"Okay, tell me everything you know about Isaac."
[Claire sighs]
"Well, I don't remember much more than the name. It's been a long time since I had this vision. When I met your father for the first time. I knew he was going to meet this man called Isaac, I don't remember the exact location, but I remember that he had boarded a plane, and had met him in a hotel. I remember the beach, the shine of the sun. That's basically all I remember of the vision I had of your father meeting this man. After that, just blood.
[Toby gets up from his chair and stands in front of a window that faces the street]
The sounds of sirens are still echoing outside, they must be looking for me everywhere. Claire's information is quite useful, I know that Isaac belongs to the cartel, and that her base of operations is on a small island somewhere in Central America, but I have never been able to locate it, what she told me at least gives a direction in which to look.
"Thank you, Claire. I Need to go now."
"And where would you go?"
"Somewhere, anywhere. I just can't stand by while this bastard is out there."
"You can't go…not now."
"And why not?"
"I told you before, didn't I? We are not the only ones. You need to help me find the others... Like you and me."
"I think you got it wrong, Claire. I don't give a shit about any of these people, I'm not a hero."
[Claire gets up from her chair]
"I don't believe it, and neither do you."
"You do not know me."
"Yes I know. I know you suffered as a child, I know you were always alone, and I know that when you no longer had hope for something better, someone showed up and helped you, and took care of you. And that this person was cruelly ripped away from you without you being able to do anything. I don't need to be a psychic to know that, because it was the same for me."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Maya. 8 years. He lives in a small town called Tamply, a few hours away. The girl has a special ability, she can create inanimate objects, this costs her energy, being able to produce only a dozen of these objects per hour, without becoming completely exhausted."
"Okay, what does this have to do with---"
"Her parents obviously found out about the girl's abilities. What do you think they did? They force her to produce THOUSANDS of dollars every day. When the girl refuses because she is too tired, they beat the shit out of her. They beat her so much that some days she can't even open her eyes because of the pain, and they still force her to do it. ALL. FUCKING. DAY."
"...How do you know that?"
"I saw... I bumped into Maya's father when he was going to make a deposit in the city. And I saw... I saw everything they do to her every day, he and his wife. They treat her like trash. I saw... I saw and I couldn't do anything... I fell to my knees on the floor and started crying..."
"Did you think about calling the police?"
"It was the first thing I did. But do you know what happens when the police knock on the door of a man with that much money? Anything! Absolutely nothing!"
"…"
"You need to help her."
"Why should I help her? Who do you think I am?"
"I know you are many things, but I know you will help her. And I don't need to know the future to be sure of that."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because even though I know such important information regarding your father's death. You didn't force me to say it at any point, even though you knew you could."
[Toby looks again at the street, the city, the road, the cars coming and going]
The city is silent, there are no more sirens or police lights. Everything is calm.
"Tell me where she is."