TPO, 2020
“Leo, does he have the files?” SJ said. She was sitting, her body leaning over the wall. Patrice stood, hands on his waist. Everything they had been fighting for 38 years was about to fade away.
Leo looked on his screen circumspectly.
“SJ, it’s over now.” He heard Patrice saying.
He saw SJ scratching her hair.
“We can’t run eternally.” Patrice said.
“We’ve done nothing wrong, Patrice. We don’t deserve this.” SJ said.
“Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now.”
“We have to fight, Patrice.”
“He has the files now. It’s over SJ.”
“Guys…” Leo said. He zoomed in the footage from the locker room.
“We can find another way.” SJ said.
“We’re too old for that. We can’t hide anymore.”
“Guys…” Leo shouted.
He saw SJ and Patrice turning their heads towards the camera.
“What’s up?” SJ said.
“The locker…” Leo zoomed in.
“What’s with the locker?” Patrice said.
“It’s empty.” Leo said.
SJ stood quickly. “What?”
“They haven’t found anything in the locker.” Leo said.
“Are you sure?” Patrice said.
Leo zoomed in more. “They opened the locker but found nothing. The looks in their faces imply it too.”
“If the files are not in the locker, where are they?” SJ said.
“Tough question for me. I imply you walk out now.” Leo said.
“What is Christos doing?” Patrice said.
“He’s on his knees. Zander is trying to help him stand.” Leo said.
“We’re walking out.” SJ said.
They started packing.
“We locked the files in that locker.” Patrice said. Leo heard via the comms.
“Someone has stolen the files.” SJ said.
“Only four of us knew about this.”
“Rayhan is dead. It’s only three of us now.”
“Something is not okay.”
“Unless Rayhan is alive, all this doesn’t make sense.” SJ said
They finished packing and walked out.