บท 56: Finding the two

As Atticus sped through the neighborhoods of Riverdale, his eyes were constantly fixated on the needle of the EMP(Electromagnetic Pulse) detector device. He turned around every street as per the movement in the needle, but after taking multiple turns across the tree-lined roads of the sub-urban, he couldn't find any place where a large amount of electromagnetic pulse was detected.

Feeling dejected, he decided to give a last run at the Police station to try out his luck.

He turned towards the fifth cross when suddenly he saw the needle turn all chaotic.

A smile sprang on his lips and, he swiftly turned his car around and drove towards the alley as his gut was pretty sure that he would find them there.

He randomly parked his car outside as the alley was narrow and started walking ahead as he could hear some noise at a distance and after inching close he saw a small crowd.

There was a woman who was shouting at the top of her lungs and other passerby people had surrounded her.

"I am not gonna repeat it again. Give me your social security number."

As he inched closer, he saw a little girl, probably in her teens hiding behind the leg of a man who was standing apologetically. There were a couple of apples strewn on the street.

His EMP device had stopped whirling. It was now pointing in the direction of the man, so he barged in.

"Excuse me, Excuse me!" he said and made his way through the crowd.

"What happened ma'am?" he asked looking at the female who was visibly enraged.

"These suckers tried to steal apples from my store and were trying to sneak away. And when I have caught them red-handed, they aren't co-operating. And look at what mess they have made." She said and pointed at the apples on the road. "My apples ain't cheap mister. They are one dollar each! So you better pay or I am gonna hand you over to the cops for stealing" she said snapping her fingers in front of Morpheous.

"I am not a thief!" mumbled Morpheous.

"Then why didn't you pay?" she asked sarcastically.

Morpheous looked at her calmly and said, "You said I can take them, so I took them."

Atticus laughed in his head after hearing his reply but decided to zip it as the lady looked like she could lose her shit at any point in time.

"Holy mother******, what argument are you giving. You either pay me twice the price, for wasting my time or I call the cops!"

"Ma'am here!" said Atticus and handed over a twenty-dollar bill. "I hope this will be more than double the value that you are looking for."

"Do I look like a charity case here?" she yelled at Atticus and gave him a scornful look. "I want my money fair and square and I don't want these shitty people to keep escaping every now and then. I want them to learn their lessons. There are no free lunches in this world."

Her nostrils flared as she kept yelling.

"Ma'am, let me apologize on their behalf this time. I will teach them a lesson at home," said Atticus and thrust that twenty-dollar bill into her hand.

"These are your kids?" that lady exclaimed.

Atticus looked at them for a moment and then nodded.

"But you look well off. What have you done with them?" she lamented and put that twenty into her fanny pack.

"Halloween party outcomes!" said Atticus and chuckled. Then looking at Morpheous and Eva he said,

"Kids, into the jeep. Now!" and looking at the crowd around, "Well gentlemen the show is over for now. Thank you. Thank you."

And when people started dispersing he turned towards them and asked,

"Hungry?"

Little Eva who was till now hiding behind Morpheous, peeked a bit from behind. The eyes of this old man seemed benevolent and kind to her. Way different from any other human that she had seen today. She looked up at Morpheous and then slightly nodded her head.

But before Atticus could respond or say anything, Morpheous slightly bowed his head and said, " We shall be forever indebted for your help sire but no thank you." and saying that he held the hands of Eva and started walking away.

The hunger was visible from their eyes, for it had almost been two days that they had eaten anything properly. But his pride was way too much to allow him to be gullible again. No one had ever called them a thief or insulted them in public in such a derogatory way.

So Morpheous had deduced, the humans from this place were not trustable.

"I am not a mean person like them," yelled Atticus trying to convince them to come back to him but they kept walking ahead.

The EMP device in his hands started whirling again as the two started moving away from him. Atticus looked in their direction for a while and then something struck his mind, 'I can get to them if I can act the old school way,' and a smile etched on his face.

"What an old man has to do to get some help?" he said and sighed loudly. Then he acted as if bending down and picking up the apples was big trouble for him. He had laid out the net. Now it was time to wait for them to be trapped.

"Morpheous! He needs help! Look at him!" exclaimed Eva as she saw Atticus struggling. There was visible pain in his eyes, every time he attempted to bend down or get up.

Morpheous hesitated for a second and then returned back and quickly picked up the remaining apples from the street and handed it to Atticus.

"Thank you son!" replied Atticus and then took two apples and handed it to them and said, "For helping me out!"

"You have helped us enough sire!" said Morpheous and refused politely but Eva didn't. She was hungry and was looking at that apple as if she was doting on them, This place was weird. There were no fruit trees around to replenish their hunger.

And seeing the way his sister way eyeing the apple, Morpheous couldn't say no anymore. He cared more about his sister than his pride! So he took the two apples and bowed again and turned to leave.

"Don't you want a few more for your friends?"

And a shocked Morpheous turned back.