Tyrone was not a planner, no, he was something else. Instead of making a plan, he would think about all possibilities and leave room for something he could not predict and then act. It made little sense to others but it also meant that there was little that could surprise him and even less that he wouldn't find a way out of.
This wasn't to say that there weren't times when he didn't find himself stumped; in fact, it probably happened to him more than to everyone else. But while cynical, he was also stupidly optimistic; the duality of human nature, a condition he readily accepted and found a way to make sense of.
Sitting in the restaurant with this girl whose name he didn't know yet, he simply stared at her and watched her eat. A moment later, he decided to get something for himself: a serving of rice and a crazy amount of meat.
His ridiculous buy attracted the girl's attention.
"What are you doing?" she asked wondering why he ordered so much food. Granted, it was mostly meat but it would be too much even for three people.
"Protein, it'll last long in my system, heal broken muscles, and help me sleep when I'm ready to," he replied curtly. In truth, Tyrone was preparing for a few things by ordering so much meat. To starve, to get unbelievably exhausted and his muscles sore, and to be unable to sleep.
"Won't you get sleepy after eating so much?" the girl asked.
"Tell that to adrenaline" he replied halfheartedly, his gaze on the glass wall as he stared at his car across the street outside. For some reason, the people following hadn't found them yet, which he found odd.
****
How was Tyrone to know how much of a mess he just made? While Justin and Doc were not amateurs, they had made a few mistakes today. The greatest of all was not checking the shop to see if there was someone else in. That was how the girl got away. Worse still, she was their primary target.
The second mistake they made was with the taxi driver. He was no one, just another Salerian. They weren't known for their intelligence or anti-recon skills, in fact, despite having many geniuses in countless fields, they were mostly simple-minded. Those who stood out by having complex thought processes often found themselves stifled by society and cast out of social circles. They either learned to adapt or turn into nobodies. It was just the way of the Salerian people, complex concepts to them were troublesome. They were capable of it, but often too lazy to bother with it. To them, hard work and diligence were king.
But this driver has managed to stay ahead of them on the road the whole time. They attributed this to driving experience but a typical Salerian Taxi driver would stop the car to confront them for following him and nearly ramming into him. This driver didn't; he didn't continue on the route; he didn't speed up and turn the situation into a chase. Instead, he flipped the board, took a calculated risk, and disappeared. They had tried to take a turn and follow, but they didn't understand how Salerian's drove, not like that Taxi driver did. The traffic made it impossible to turn so quickly, and if that wasn't enough, the stunt that the Driver pulled caused a few clashes on the road. Despite it only being some simple scratches, men and women got out of their cars to argue and fight about it.
Fortunately, they had a tracker. Although it disappeared, it had stopped for a while not far from here. They could check that out.
****
"You could get constipated," the girl continued to argue as Tyrone awkwardly at, visibly disturbed by her presence, but he forced himself while she watched in amusement. She wasn't Salerian, but she understood them. This man, however, was different; he didn't talk, think or act like them. He was an outcast, a loner. It was evident in how he chose a secluded seat allowing him to see everyone in the restaurant, in the way he sat by an edge and had this odd atmosphere around him like a bubble. It was as if he was in a different world despite sitting across the table from her.
He wore his emotions on his face, but she still found it a challenge to figure out what he was thinking. Because while his expressions were almost comical and perhaps a little silly, there was depth in his eyes, and he seemed to know that, so he always averted his eyes from her. What he seemed to want her to see was his wrinkled or raised brows, his squints, his deliberate glances. He was communicating without words in a way she could understand. He was leading her thoughts, and despite being conscious of it, there was nothing she could do.
There was simplicity to him, and yet complexity. He was an open book but hidden behind a closed door or tall wall. He gave this feeling that he was easy to figure out... irrelevant almost and yet at the same time a dangerous or maybe even evil enigma. Everything about him seemed negative, but he was almost useless, even stupid.
Nothing about him made any sense.
"Again, tell that to adrenaline," he replied, bringing her back to earth from her thoughts.
"Shouldn't we be hiding?" she asked still very much concerned about the situation she was in.
"No. Someone will come for that car and your phone. We need to be here for them, it's best if they chase us from behind. If we can't see them chasing us, they can surprise us, and they could turn ugly," he patiently explained and continued eating.
Not long after Tyrone finished the meat on his plate, a car pulled up behind him, and two men got out, forcing Tyrone to shake his head.
"What's wrong?" the girl asked.
"They're foreigners. Foreigners attract stares, and with so many eyes on them, they are crippled." Pausing for a moment, Tyrone turned to the girl and, for the first time, put a face to the person in front of him.
As he observed her, she simply stared back defiantly but soon that defiance started to wane. There was just too much in his eyes for her to take in. Nervousness, determination, curiosity, admiration, maybe a little lust but it felt different from lust she knew. He didn't look at her sexually but with interest.
"You're curious" Tyrone complimented, at least he thought it was. No one could ever really understand his choice of words and they all chalked it up to him being cringe dramatic or acting sophisticated. He wasn't acting, he was sophisticated.
"Curious?" the girl asked.
"I'm Tyrone" he introduced himself.
"Miranda," she replied with a smile, and he nodded simply.
"Wealthy?" Tyrone asked offhandedly.
"What?" Miranda asked back in confusion.
"I assume you're rich?" Tyrone repeated simply.
"Why?" she asked instead of answering the question.
"You're not Salerian and most people don't come into this country or make a normal life here unless they have family here. Parents? or Parent?" he asked, but the feeling of that question felt like it was more for himself than her.
"You don't have family here." Tyrone's frown deepened, and his eyes slowly turned sharp.
"You are not simple. Fuck!" he suddenly cursed.
"Let's go" he stood up and walked away trying hard not to run as she followed.
Stopping a taxi he got in without bothering to ask where it was headed. Wherever it went, they would follow.
"Chatter" he suddenly said to the driver.
"Where?" the driver asked back.
"Cone Park" he replied.
Yes, he changed his mind after noticing there was no one else in the taxi, meaning the driver would go anywhere. He was a taxi driver himself so he understood what decided one's route.
"3k" the driver replied casually.
"Just drive," Tyrone replied, if a bit rude.
"What happened?" Miranda finally had the chance to ask.
"I realized you are not as simple as you seem so the problem is not as simple as it seems. Those people dare show their faces because they dare do whatever it takes to find you." Tyrone replied.
"Start talking. Who are you and why are you here?" he asked, this time he sounded a little bit tired.