Adrik leaves his apartment to look for one of the street vendors, as he needs to fill his stock since he is one of those who eats for pleasure. When he has been rowing for ten minutes along what was once a main road, he locates a square with a statue whose head has been torn off, orphaning the body of one of the first architects who dared to rebuild hospitals and schools a year after the tragedy.
Here the sea level is not so high, so you can walk without problems until you reach a block of apartments covered by last night's snowfall.
This place brings back many memories, as a childhood friend lived here when he was just a tadpole of five years old. How many times they ended up burning groups of Nerinis, sizable beetles with a sting on their snouts, he cannot recount.
Leaving nostalgia behind, Adrik remembers his real goal: the top floor. After performing three systematic knocks, a girl who must be no more than twenty years old opens the door for him. He didn't remember anyone else living in this house other than a friend, so the presence of the young woman before his eyes causes him more confusion than surprise.
"What do you want?" she inquires, hostile.
"Take it easy. I'm here to see Alex, is she at home?"
She examines him thoroughly with her pupils and calls another woman to come to the entrance.
"You again, Adrik?" says the woman, "I always wonder why I saved your life that day..."
"Because you're a beautiful person," Adrik replies without being able to help a smile.
The two embrace to the surprise of the other girl, who already looks at Adrik with more confidence.
"Come in, please...," Alex says.
"Thank you, Alex, won't you have coffee...?"
"Don't abuse..."
Adrik didn't remember how clean this apartment always is. It is to be admired that in this day and age, Alex can find the resources to take care of her home like this.
"What can I do for you?" says Alex.
"I wanted to ask you if you have any food left over to lend me. You know I'm not used to asking for these things, but..."
"I give it to you on one condition. When you get your pay I need you to give it back to me..."
"But Alex...," protests the other girl.
"Don't suffer Lara, he's someone you can trust. Come with me, Adrik."
"You promised me you'd help me find Ellen!" insists Lara.
"Give me five minutes..."
Adrik follows Alex into the kitchen, where he receives a loaf of bread and a whole sausage that looks very interesting. As he prepares to put the food inside his trench coat, she grabs his arm with a strength that could be signed by one of the gang members in this neighborhood.
"Lately girls Lara's age have been disappearing on these streets. I need you to return the favor I did you and investigate the situation, please..."
"Who is this Lara?" asks Adrik.
"I have taken her into my home. I found her two weeks ago on the street, starving and with bruise marks all over her body."
Adrik glances at Lara, who is reading one of the books recovered by Alex from a nearby library that, before the tragedy, housed the largest number of books in the city.
"Do you think she was raped?" inquires Adrik, lacking finesse.
"No. I did an inspection and found no signs of struggle or penetration."
"I never remember that five years ago you were a nurse...."
"Memory has never been your strong suit. Remember, you owe me a round of beers because of our last bet..."
Adrik bursts into a fit of laughter that he manages to stifle before he draws the attention of Lara, who continues to concentrate on her reading.
"That gang didn't have enough members to make it a fair contest..."
"You lost anyway…"
"I'll make it up to you, then."
The two clash hands, driven by the desire to see who is the stronger.
"Give me two days, and I'll have news regarding the disappearances, but I can't promise anything," says Adrik.
With her look, Alex has already said it all... She trusts him and his methods to subtract information from unwanted individuals. Besides, Adrik owes her one...
Well, several.
This woman saved his life two years ago when a group of bandits took him by surprise. Being over forty years old, the gang in this territory does not take her seriously, and she takes advantage of this to act as a smuggler for people in need. Nevertheless, Adrik always gives one piece of advice to anyone who still doubts her: never tickle her, it could be the last thing you do in this city consumed by its own desperation.
"I'll take my leave, then," Adrik says in a hoarse voice, "I don't suppose you'll be taking Lara away from your side..."
Alex smiles mischievously and accompanies him to the entrance, but not before receiving one last sidelong glance from his protégé.
Alex closes the door behind Adrik, and he's once again alone in the urban thicket. At the very least, tonight, he will be able to eat a decent meal until his paycheck arrives.