The Farther You Run

He finally found it, the gas station. With deep-seated tiredness, he walked slowly to the old, rigid gas station. While carrying his bag in his hand. He notices 2 gas pump displays in the front, while 3 cars are parked neatly at the shop side. The Gas station is located in North Dakota, 20 miles from any nearby city, making the shop solitude and hidden deep in the forest. Gary walks slowly but surely. His steps never falter despite being tired after 20 hours of driving and 150 Miles of a road trip. He was happy that he finally found the place his father had written in his last will. He took a deep breath before opening the front door. The place was clean and well maintained; he looked around, looking for a worker but found the place empty.

“What can I help you, boy? You lost” a scruffy, broady man startled him. The man had a white mustache and a long beard. He wore a tank top that showed his tattoo. He looked like a pirate, Gary thought.

‘’Good evening, sir. My name is Gary’’ He smiles, trying to look his best. He knows his face is haggard, and his red hair is unkempt.

‘’So?’’ The man raises an eyebrow and crosses his hand. His protruding belly showing.

‘’I...I have a letter from my father here’’ He took a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and showed it to the pirate guy. ‘’He told me I should go to this station and ask about a guy named Jared. Do you know anyone named that?’’

The bearded man looked at the letter intensely. ‘’You are Malvin boy?’’

‘’You mean, Matthew Malvin? yes, he’s my father.’’

“He’s dead?’’ The man sighs, disappointed and dejected.

‘’Yeah, he passed away 2 months ago. He left me this letter, stating that I should go to this location’’ He looked down. The thought of his father still saddened him.

‘’I’m so sorry about your loss, kiddo. But, I'm afraid I can't help you very much. The last time I saw him was a year ago.” The man offered his condolences.

“You sure?” Gary pleaded.

“Sure as I can be” Jared stopped mid-sentence. “Could I see that letter again?” He asked. Gary gave him the letter. “This reminds me of something. Wait a minute.” From his back, he took a stack of papers from his shelves. There he took out a worn-out mail from Malvin.

“The letter came 3 months ago, it was from Marvin.” he opened the mail.

‘Jared, it’s been a long time since I met you. Hope you’ve been well. I’m sorry I couldn't visit

your shop. I know how much you hate the city and its bustling. I couldn't fault you in there.

The city is dreadful, but I know how lonely living alone can be. So, I sent you a package,

hopefully, it will arrive very soon.

Your friends, Marvin.’

“The package never arrived, and after a long time, I forgot about it,” Jared explained. “Does he leaves you anything else besides this letter, kiddo?” The man flipped over the letter and compared the two letters.

“No....nothing I could remember. The letter he sent was short and clipped. I was hoping that maybe you could tell me.”

“I’m afraid not, the last time we saw each other. We had a big fight that ruined our friendship. I was shocked when he sent me a letter. I thought he wanted to reconcile. Marvin and I are not friends by definition. We both lost the same person we hold dear. I knew him because of your mother. Your mother and I were cadets at the police academy and partners at the police station. I became friends with your father after she married him. But, even so, we are not that close.”

“You knew my mother?” Gary gasp.

“Of course! The fiercest woman I’ve ever met. Patricia is someone you don't want to cross with. She will tear you down like a bulldozer, we used to call her. Iron lady,” the man smiles and eyes faraway, lost in nostalgia. “It was a huge loss for us when she died in the car accident. The precinct never feels the same without her; she is an officer through and through; she upholds justice more than anyone”

“She sounds amazing; father never told me much about her.”

“Marvin took it hard when she passed away. You were no more than 2 years old at that time. No matter how we try to help him, he always shuts himself. But not that I'm any better either. I left the police not long after your mother’s gone. I run this place now.” Jared looked around the empty shop. He didn't get many customers. The kid’s probably his first customer in the day since the guys who parked the cars left pretty early last night. But they will do. Gary can't help but cast his eyes down to the floor where he put his bag. It saddened him to think of how his mother’s death affected many. While he thought about it, the panda keychain he hung on his backpack made his mind tingle. He tries to remember what it is.

“Wait a minute - I think I remember something!.” He quickly crouched down and took the Panda keychain. “My father gave me this before he left for Madagascar, a gift, he said.”

“Let me see” Jared offered his hand, and Gary gave it to him. Jared inspected the keychain closely. It was a panda with a big heart sign. He notices a small dot of red light in the panda's left eye. He pulls a screwdriver from one of the cashier drawers and pops off the panda’s eyes. When all of a sudden, the head fell off, and there was a USB hidden inside.

“That must be the package,” Jared muttered before grabbing a laptop from the employee-only room. He brought it to the cashier's desk and put the USB in. There were 2 files located inside.

- Patricia

- Lingudo

Slowly Jared clicked the Patricia files. Inside there were 100 photos of the crime scene. Pictures of a guy shot, stabbed, and killed. It was a gore image.

“Wait! Do you see it there?” Gary pointed to a small hummingbird mark in the guy's arms. The guy was lying in the grass with a pool of his own blood. The guy is bald, and his throat was gapped open like someone had sliced it open. He had multiple stab wounds in her abdomen. They moved to the next picture and found the same mark. All the pictures have the same mark on their body, be it arms, calf, leg, or belly. They are all marked. They move to the Lingudo file. The folder consists of a black and white blurry image of a guy in a suit and hat getting out of a sedan car. A small group of men walking together, and a photo of them on the dock taking a smoke. There are a total of 30 pictures. There is small audio located at the end. The voice is shaky and buzzed.

‘’If you find this audio, I'm dead or locked away. Gary, my son. I’m very sorry to unload

this to you. You should know your mother was not dead in a car accident. She was killed by

the Lingudo mafia, an organization she tried to take down before her death. I managed to

uncover their track for the past 13 years, and I hope you can bring her death to justice. I'm

sorry I couldn't be there for you. They know too much about me, and soon they will find you. 

I’m so sorry, son. Madagascar is my last hope to derail their trail off me. If I'm not back

by then, go to Jared. He’ll know what to do.”

The audio is cut immediately. Gary didn't remember when tears had fallen from his eyes.

“They killed my father....” He sobbed.

“We will avenge him, kids, I promise you that.” Jared's voice hardened with determination.

“We will find that son of bitch mafia and make them pay.”

“We will” through his tears, Gary nods. There is a fire in his eyes.

Gary notices Jared has his eyes glued to one of the mafia pictures. His brows pinch together and his mouth down. His head suddenly glanced to the black sedan car parked outside, then glanced back to a picture of a young blond man with a heavy frown guarding a black sedan.

“What is it?” Gary asked. He had wiped his tears with his jacket. But, his blue eyes are still red from the sudden revelation of his father’s news.

“We gotta go-” when the bell from the door ding loudly.

“Hey pops, you have the popstar restock already? My guy has been waiting for it.” The man demanded; he wore a glaring red jacket with tiger embroidery. The guy has old-fashioned blond mullet hair. He looks like a high school punk, but as soon as he notices the kid’s appearance, he stops talking, his hand slowly itching to his pocket.

“Gary, go now!” Jared commands.

He immediately grabbed his bag with the command and ran towards the counter. Making his hide behind the wooden counter. A sharp shot of a gun hits the counter within a second after he hides. He looked in Jared's direction, and the guy ducked at the counter and grabbed a shotgun from underneath the counter. The heavy reload of the shotgun rang the whole shop with a single click. The red jacket guy is thrown back when the bullet hits his body. Blood seeps from his wound, and the red has become together with his jacket. At the cashier counter, Jared had taken out the USB, immediately grabbed Gary's shoulder, and took him to the employee-only room with a door leading outside.

“C’mon, the other won’t be long behind.” Jared Usher, he grabbed a duffel bag on his way out. “They came yesterday, saying they are waiting for somebody. If I only knew.....” He shook his head. 

There is a big SUV car outside the exit from the employee room. Probably Jared's car. They hear a big commotion from the store when they enter the car. The other guy waiting in the car must have heard the shotgun noise. It won't be long before the place is swarming with the mafia.

“That guy is from the picture, right?” His hand shook as he tried to clasp his seatbelt. He can still remember how the guy's stomach oozed so much blood, his jaw slacked, and his eyes unfocused.

“Yes, probably their goon, just a small shrimp. But, now that they know you are here, they won't stop now.” Jared started the car, his feet stomped the gas, and they rode into the forest.

“Brace yourself now,” Jared said. “They will try to hunt you down, but I assure you. I won't let them. I promised in your father’s name. Whatever this is, we will finish it together” he nods. His voice is nothing but sincere.

“Okay.....” Gary agreed. His voice is shaky. But, his gaze is determined.

The road ahead will be dangerous and deadly if they want to kill the mob. But, with the USB in their hands and his father's conviction, they can bring justice to his mother and father's death and the others.