Ch.208Your Time Is Gonna Come!

#208

“You seem to have… lost some muscle?”

When Dexter returned to the prison after a long absence, Carranza made this observation, to which Dexter responded with a slight smile.

“I had some things to deal with.”

“No matter how experienced a corrections officer you are, or how good you are at your job, would Ray really let you take such a long vacation?”

When Carranza eyed Dexter suspiciously, he gave a vague answer.

“I had some matters to attend to.”

He deliberately avoided going into detail.

Judy, who wasn’t inside Carranza’s cell but had her head peeking out to listen to their conversation, was glaring at Carranza.

‘After everything Dexter’s been through, who are you to speak to him so casually!’

While Carranza couldn’t read minds, she could easily read expressions.

Carranza spotted Judy’s face at the doorway and pointed directly at her.

“That cute C.O. glaring at me from back there was here last week with puffy eyes, unable to focus on her work. I’m guessing that’s related?”

When Dexter turned his head, Judy was staring at him with a startled expression.

“Hmm, I wonder if it’s related.”

“You always try to slither your way out of things like that.”

Offended by Dexter’s behavior, Carranza crossed her arms, prompting Dexter to laugh.

“You’re laughing?”

She hadn’t done anything terribly wrong, and she was just showing concern in her own way, but Dexter was acting like she was an annoyance.

“No, it’s just that you sound like my girlfriend.”

Dexter casually said while cleaning his ear, but Carranza was taken aback.

“Girlfriend? Are you joking?”

“Ah right, you’re married.”

Though he maintained his job as a corrections officer for a reasonably busy yet ordinary life, times like these were annoying.

There was plenty to do within the prison, and outside of prison duties, he had four life partners to talk with about his personal resolutions.

To summarize, maintaining a superficial relationship between inmates and officers meant avoiding lengthy conversations.

So Dexter coldly said:

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t worry too much. About me, or about Officer Goswell back there.”

“…Is that so?”

Though she pretended to be cool about it, her feelings were hurt.

Carranza was upset.

‘What kind of jerk is this?’

She had been concerned because he looked thinner than usual, and the cute officer Judy behind him had been worried too.

Couldn’t he have just said something like, “Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine”?

‘What a jerk!’

Screaming internally, Carranza dismissed Dexter.

“You can go now.”

Dexter had expected her to keep him there for at least five more minutes, but she unexpectedly sent him away. He nodded to Carranza, gave a casual wave goodbye, and left the cell.

“Do you like Carranza?”

As they walked down the stairs together, Judy asked an unexpected question.

“No, why?”

“You always tease the women you like, don’t you?”

“By that logic, I must be dating Senior Dan too.”

“…You know that’s not what I meant.”

Since Judy’s question wasn’t entirely wrong, Dexter rubbed the back of his neck and told the truth.

“I just don’t want to get attached unnecessarily. I have a lot to do these days.”

“Hmm, still, don’t get too friendly with that woman.”

“Why not?”

“…I don’t like her. She treats everyone like they’re just tools for her to use.”

Dexter nodded, thinking that’s how Carranza must appear to others, though his own thoughts were somewhat different.

“What about me then?”

“Pardon?”

“What kind of person am I to you?”

Faced with Dexter’s direct question, Judy hesitated before carefully answering.

“You’re… everything to me… of course…”

“Hehehe.”

Though he couldn’t embrace her openly with others watching, it was a satisfying answer. Dexter put his arm around Judy’s shoulders and comforted her.

“Let’s go!”

“Oh, come on. Where are we going? We haven’t even finished work yet!”

Though embarrassed by Dexter’s actions, Judy didn’t resist and followed wherever he led.

* * *

In the Nevada desert, far from Las Vegas.

A tear streamed down Olivia’s face as she stood by an old, deserted road.

A young man standing beside her bowed deeply and said:

“I’m sorry. Due to recent issues with information flow within the OSA, we only just received news of Cloud’s death…”

“It’s… okay…”

Wiping away her tears, Olivia gestured for the man to get back in the car.

Olivia had somewhat expected this.

When a man who contacted her religiously every day hadn’t reached out for almost a week, she knew something was wrong.

‘Yun Lang.’

The man who, upon coming to Earth, asked to be called Cloud after the first letter of his name.

The man who always apologized to her.

The man who forgave her no matter what she did.

The man who protected her the day she escaped.

Though not her biological father, he treated her better than her real father ever did.

And now he was gone.

When the reality of never seeing him again finally hit her,

Olivia cried endlessly, until the dry desert ground beneath her became soaked with tears.

She stood there motionless until the Nevada sun dried all the tears that had fallen to the ground, then wiped away the last of her tears from her palm.

It was time to make a decision.

The time had come to execute the final plan she had devised with her secretary, Cloud.

After getting into the car, Olivia took out her phone and made a call.

“Begin Project Astrape.”

There was no turning back now.

* * *

Early morning, as the sun slowly rose.

While eating breakfast and watching the news, Dexter pointed to his plate and said to Jesse:

“Give me more bread.”

“Are you a pig? You’ve already eaten so much bread.”

“I’m starving after being in the hospital.”

“Seriously. I’ll have to buy more bread after work.”

Jesse grumbled as she put several slices of bread in the toaster.

[…It has been reported that a total of 48 citizens have been abducted by unidentified vehicles in Reno and Carson City as of yesterday. The state government is facing ongoing criticism for its delayed response, inadequate warnings, and slow search operations…]

“What… nearly 50 citizens kidnapped? The world’s a scary place.”

“I know, right? Who would do such a thing…”

As Dexter and Jesse were focusing on the news, Dexter’s phone rang.

“It’s Himena.”

Emily Lee, who was eating cereal next to Dexter, looked at the phone on the table and handed it to him.

“Huh? What’s up so early in the morning?”

-Dexter, something terrible has happened! Come to OSA headquarters right now, hurry!

“Oh? Okay. I’ll be right there.”

After taking the call, Dexter rushed to the bedroom and hurriedly got dressed. Jesse, standing in front of the kitchen, asked with a puzzled expression:

“What’s going on? Why?”

“I don’t know, Himena just told me to come to OSA headquarters right away.”

“W-wait. Then I need to get dressed too.”

“I’ll change quickly as well.”

“Emily, why you?”

“Himena might need me too.”

There was no time to argue.

The three of them quickly changed clothes and headed to North Las Vegas City Hall, where OSA headquarters was located.

[…Schools are being evacuated and closed due to biochemical terror threats. Due to consecutive biochemical terror threats, evacuation orders have been issued for schools in North Las Vegas, and the schools have been temporarily sealed off. We advise Las Vegas citizens to stay indoors if possible. Once again…]

As the urgent voice of the news anchor came through the car radio with warning messages, Jesse realized the gravity of the situation and spoke to Dexter in a tense voice:

“North Las Vegas is where OSA headquarters is.”

“It seems like a serious incident if they’re broadcasting it to the general public like this…”

When Dexter’s group arrived at North Las Vegas City Hall, police officers and deputy sheriffs from the Las Vegas Police Department and Sheriff’s Office were maintaining roadblocks in the middle of the road, controlling access.

Many citizens were mixed together, either begging the police and deputies to let them in or getting angry—it was nearly a riot situation.

Dexter’s group also realized they couldn’t proceed further by car, so they got out and headed toward the barricade.

Meanwhile, they spotted Judy, who had also received a call from Himena, arguing with the police.

“I’m also involved, please let me in!”

“We’re not in a position to let anyone in right now. Please step back immediately.”

Seeing this, Dexter approached the police with his OSA general ID and explained the situation.

“Dexter!”

“She’s with me. May we enter?”

As Dexter passed through the barricade, he asked Judy:

“Did you get a call from Himena?”

“Yes, yes! W-what’s going on? Is, is Himena okay?”

“I don’t know yet either. Let’s calm down and see what’s happening.”

With Judy joining them, Dexter’s group entered past the barricade into a desolate street with some abandoned cars.

As if confirming that a biochemical attack had really occurred, there were even people wearing hazmat suits.

As Dexter’s group proceeded further inside, they encountered OSA agents in suits and the Rapid Response Team in OSA combat uniforms.

“Mr. Dexter!”

Agent Jake, looking haggard, called out to Dexter.

“Agent Jake! Where’s Himena?”

“She should be evacuating with the remaining personnel inside the headquarters. First, take these.”

Agent Jake handed over a bulletproof vest and a service rifle.

Though Dexter accepted them, his face showed confusion.

“Suddenly giving me a gun… what’s really going on?”

Agent Jake, unable to take his eyes off the main entrance of North Las Vegas City Hall, told Dexter:

“An abomination has invaded OSA headquarters. It seems they came in through an entrance connected to the sewers.”

“What do you mean…?”

After putting on the bulletproof vest and taking the rifle, Dexter questioned Agent Jake:

“So Himena is still in there? With the abomination?”

“We’re communicating with her via radio, but…”

“Give me the radio, quickly!”

Learning that Himena was still inside, an anxious Dexter snapped at Agent Jake.

“Two external Rapid Response Teams are about to deploy to defeat the abomination…”

“You son of a bitch, stop talking nonsense and give it to me! Right now!”

Agent Jake, seeing Dexter angry for the first time, handed over the radio with a bewildered expression. Dexter grabbed a ballistic helmet and grenades from where the Rapid Response Team was stationed and headed straight for the city hall entrance.

Though they wanted to stop Dexter, who had just recovered from his injuries, the three women didn’t hold him back after hearing that Himena was still inside headquarters.

“Even though he’s recovered, it was only days ago that he was so badly injured… what should we do, really…”

Judy, unable to stop Dexter, squeezed her eyes shut.

“Should we go after him now?”

“No. If we put ourselves in danger and fail to save even one person, Dexter will be in trouble. We shouldn’t create situations where Dexter ends up in difficulty in the first place.”

Emily’s cold assessment rejected Jesse’s suggestion, but the other two women had to acknowledge she was right.

“Please, let everyone be safe…”

Though she didn’t believe in God, Judy clasped her hands together and prayed with closed eyes.