Dream Light City Chapter 10: Decision

Read chapter 10 of Dream Light City by jensrichard on NovelPedia.

Sally? Where are you? My daughter has been missing for two days now. I haven´t heard anything from her. Her GPS is still offline. None of her friends knows anything. Not even about her new girlfriend. I'm slowly entering panic mode, and I deny the thought of her being hurt. No! Not my Sally. My wife is in a panic and wants to cancel her trip to come home. I told her everything would be fine. I even called my brother. He was in an important meeting and did not have time for me. Fuck him. I'm at my office and walk by the front desk. "Heard anything, Maria?" "No, and stop denying the mighty sheriff's daughter is in deep trouble." She's always so direct. "Okay, please report her missing for me." "Sure thing, boss, and by the way, Sick was here." "You mean Zeck?" "Yes, that bounty hunter, he got that girl killer and collected the bounty." I feel a hint of joy. Some justice came after all. "That's good news." Maria reminds me of my debt to her. "You still owe me for covering your ass in that case." "Sure, I get you something soon." The truth is, I need to save my credits. I paid 15k to Zeck, and I had to bribe my rookie with another 10k to get him on my plan. He cooperated and gave me the name of the Bix minion that killed her. And yes, he had beaten her with a bat all over her body until she died. What a fucking cruel world. I need to know how close the rookie is to Mr. Bix. He must be high-ranked something. Anyway, the case is closed with the help of a bounty hunter, and the person who did it got caged. Even though we all know he did it on Bix's order. That made me think. Here I am, a corrupted sheriff trying to seek justice behind a firewall of corrupted political bullshit, and a bounty hunter can simply walk freely around and get what's needed. I start to imagine that life. It feels like a dream. A dream that I want to live. I want justice. I want to hunt down criminals without a political handbrake. I want to be out there, knocking doors down, and find Sally. This is one of those moments when you make a decision that shapes the rest of your life. Fuck this. I'm doing it. I’m quitting my job. I can't take this life of lies anymore. I look around me. Everything here makes me sick now. I can only think about Sally. What if she got beaten with a bat? As a bounty hunter, I can decide who I run after. Not the Mayor's decision. Not the gangsters. Not Mr. Bix. I'm blinded by my dream. I fucking do it. I call my stupid mayor brother again. He picks up. "John, I'm busy! I will call you when I get time. You will respect that order." There is a pause of silence. Then, I speak as the true Alpha I am. "Listen, because I will not repeat. I need your full attention." "Okay?" "Fuck you, brother. Fuck you to hell and back. I quit my job, and I'm keeping my Raygun. I'm leaving your dream world to live my own dream without any of your rules." I disconnect before he can answer. I toss my sheriff star to Maria. I walk out in the rain. It almost feels symbolic, as if I'm washing off my sins. I text my wife: "I will find Sally now." I text Zeck: "Meet me on the city mall rooftop." … I'm on the city mall's rooftop. I'll wait for Zeck here. The people I passed on the street didn't recognize me automatically. The AR no longer labels me as the Sheriff. I'm just a regular person. I feel relieved. Zeck joins me on the rooftop. "What the fuck, John?" "It's true." "You just quit and left the building like that?" "A decision I should have made a long time ago." Zeck seems unsure of the situation and asks: "What do you want from me?" "Find Sally." "And you will pay?" "No." "Why would I help you then?" "Because I'm a father who lost his daughter, a young girl in Dream Light City." That gave him something to think about. "What the fuck is wrong with this city, John?" "Let's find out and get her back, Zeck." "You are not thinking straight, and you are too emotional." "I know, I'm blinded by panic. That's why I need you." He takes my hand to shake our deal but paus