Chapter 31: A Ruckus in the Pub
Agent MX5 stood at the entrance of Mike Brew’s pub, her eyes scanning the bustling establishment. She had arrived in Dalton just a few hours ago and was already enjoying the city’s energy. There was a certain charm to its grittiness, a raw vitality that was refreshing compared to the agency’s sterile confines.
The last trace of the missing Agent CX3 was here, at Mike Brew’s pub. CX3’s photos were clearly taken as the young man was leaving the pub, but the significance of this location was still a mystery to her. Was it a place he frequented? Was it a meeting point with an informant? Who was this mysterious ‘David’?
As she stepped inside, the noise of the pub hit her: a cacophony of laughter, chatter, and clinking glasses. It was a lively place, filled with a diverse crowd that spoke of the city’s eclectic nature.
She took a seat at the bar, her eyes meticulously scanning the room. She was searching for anything that might provide a clue to find the young man and, hopefully, CX3 in turn. She could see a group of locals huddled in a corner, engrossed in a game of cards. A young couple was at the bar, lost in each other’s eyes. And then, there were the usual type of patrons: men nursing their drinks, and women enjoying their night out.
As she sat there, observing the people and their interactions, she couldn't help but wonder about the circumstances of CX3’s disappearance.
Was he captured? Did he run into another intelligence or enforcement agency? Was he involved in an accident? Is he still alive?
She ordered a drink, trying to gauge how well she might be able to pry information out of the bartender, when suddenly, a disheveled woman burst through the entrance.
“David, you come out right now! I know you’re here!”
Startled by the sudden interruption, MX5 quickly turned her attention to the commotion at the entrance. The woman’s eyes were filled with a desperate determination.
The pub fell silent, all eyes turning to the unfolding spectacle. The bartender, a burly man with an unsympathetic gaze, stepped forward.
“Shiela, David isn’t here. You need to leave,” he said, his voice gentle yet firm.
Ignoring his words, the woman continued to shout.
“David! You ungrateful boy! How dare you abandon me! You should be thankful for all I’ve sacrificed for you!”
The patrons of the pub watched the scene unfold with a mixture of shock and discomfort. Despite the woman’s accusations, there was no response from a ‘David.’
“David!” she continued, her voice growing louder with each word. “You come home this instant! The floors need to be cleaned, the laundry needs to be done, and you need to cook dinner for me! How dare you leave all the chores undone!”
Her words pierced through the awkward silence, eliciting a few uncomfortable glances from the patrons.
“That’s enough!” the bartender growled menacingly.
Standing taller, he confronted the woman, his imposing presence dominating the room.
“Shiela, you’ve caused enough trouble. David isn’t here, and you’re not welcome at the pub. It’s time for you to go,” he said firmly, pointing towards the door.
She glared at him, her eyes flashing with anger.
“How dare you. You can’t talk to me like that!”
Unfazed, the bartender walked up to her.
“You are not welcome here. Leave,” he said, cocking his head and looking down at her.
The woman cowered, clearly intimidated by the bartender’s demeanor and size. With a final huff, she muttered something under her breath and stormed out of the pub, the door slamming behind her.
As the door closed, the noise in the pub slowly started to pick back up, the patrons resuming their conversations. The bartender shook his head, a weary sigh escaping his lips.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized, returning to his customers. “Some people just don’t know when to stop.”
Agent MX5 watched the spectacle with a raised eyebrow. She had encountered many types of people in her work, but that show was quite the new experience.
Taking a sip of her drink, MX5 turned to the bartender.
“Interesting character, that woman,” she mused casually. “Who’s this David she was calling for?” she asked, her eyes flicking back to the bartender.
The bartender sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.
“He’s a kid who used to come here to wash dishes. Normally, we wouldn’t allow someone underage here, but Mike, the owner, took pity on him,” he explained, his voice filled with a mix of sympathy and frustration.
“You see, Mike figured that David wasn’t being treated well at home. He wanted to give the kid a chance to escape, even if it was just for a few hours a day, and find a way to give him some cash. David was a good kid, and pleasant to have around. He was smart, personable, and just...a nice guy, you know?” he added, a nostalgic smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Nothing like that Shiela, his adopted mother. It’s a real shame what he had to put up with.”
“Oh, I see,” MX5 replied. “Whatever happened to him?”
“Well, one day, David showed up and asked Mike for a job as a bartender. To be honest, he would have been a darned good one, too. The other bartenders and I have taught him how to make nearly every drink, and he was quite skilled. But, unfortunately, David is underaged; he’s only seventeen. Mike was really torn up about it, but he had to turn him down. The law’s the law, I guess,” he concluded, a note of regret in his voice.
Seventeen? The young man from the photos looked like he couldn’t have been older than twenty-two. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for him to be seventeen…Perhaps this is the ‘David’ from CX3’s photos!
Taking another slow sip of her drink, MX5 turned her gaze back to the bartender.
“Do you have any idea what he’s up to these days?” she asked.
“Well, I haven’t seen him for a while,” the bartender admitted. “But I heard he’s been working at a grocery store closer to the heart of the city. Seems like he’s doing well there. A good lad, that David.”
“Ah, I see. Well, thank you for the chat. The drink was fantastic,” MX5 said, setting down her empty glass. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a few bills, and placed them on the counter.
With a final nod to the bartender, MX5 slid off her barstool and made her way towards the door. She slipped out of the lively pub and into the chill of the evening, her mind already processing the new information she had gathered.
Pulling out her phone, MX5 quickly typed out a message to her boss, Tammy Gund.
“I have a lead on the man from CX3’s photos. Heading to the heart of the city to find him and gather more intel. Will update you as soon as I have more information.”
With a final tap, she sent the message and slipped her phone back into her pocket, her eyes set on the city.
Until she found this ‘David,’ she would need to find a place to stay. She had seen an advertisement for the Rising Phoenix Hotel, which looked quite upscale. Conveniently located near the city’s busiest districts, it would make an excellent base of operations.
With her next steps clear in her mind, Agent MX5 hailed a cab and directed the driver to take her to the Rising Phoenix Hotel. As the cab sped down the highway, she gazed out of the window, taking in the city lights of Dalton. The city had a certain ‘charm’ to it, and she was looking forward to unraveling its mysteries.
Copyright © 2024 by A. J. Knight
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