Sincerely
Chapter 12: Lev

When I left my apartment, I kept an eye out over my shoulder. I went to the police station and pretended to work on the Carlos Fairfield case, I was looking through the hate crime committed against the android, that I’d been on the scene for a few days ago because they thought they were connected.

The android had been unidentified and had no name or address on file, but had in their possession a burner phone, Elias had purchased, meaning this android was Alessio. All androids had memory chips, where their memories are stored, just like humans’ brains store their memories.

I removed the chip, it was, of course, undamaged. Elias would have to find another body to put his memory chip into but he was resourceful, I believed he could do it, and I no longer believed he was as bad as I thought he was.

I looked through a few other things before putting everything but the memory card back where it belonged, leaving a message behind for the next detective they’d put on the case.

Carlos Fairfield’s android was not responsible for his murder, he had no motive, despite being deviant. Huxley’s actions are suspicious, he isn’t grieving, or upset over his father’s death or the police’s ability to track the deviant down. The deviant, also said he witnessed Huxley murdering his own father, he believes it was out of jealousy, and to secure his inheritance, because Carlos was discussing changing it because Huxley was unable to support himself, giving him a motive.

I left the note inside the file and put my coat back on, slipping Alessio’s memory card into my pocket. I glanced around one last time to make sure I wasn’t leaving anything behind before stepping out of the conference room where Kramer stopped me.

“Do you know what happened with Alcuin?” he asked.

“What do you mean? He quit, didn’t he?” I ask, lying. “He didn’t tell me anything else yesterday.”

“Weren’t you friends? Did he really say nothing?” he questioned.

“I guess we can’t trust anyone, even our friends,” I comment, shrugging.

“Yeah, I guess,” he states.

“I’m heading out,” I reply, zipping up my coat.

“See you,” he comments.

I slip away and make it outside with little difficulty. I took a deep breath once I was outside away from prying eyes. I get into my black sedan and punch in Elias’ address. I hoped he hadn’t skipped town, yet. As much as I was in a hurry to leave, I had to do this for Elias, because without him I never would have met Deckard.

I pull up to Elias’ place which leads me to a set of stairs that lead down to a metal door underneath a storefront. I knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Elias calls from inside.

“It’s Lev,” I call.

“What do you want?” he hisses.

“I have something for you,” I reply.

He opens the door cautiously and peeks at me.

He looks me up and down.

“You’re not turning me and Deckard in, right?” he curses.

“No,” I comment, in disbelief.

“Good, get inside before someone sees you,” he hisses opening the door.

I see his wrists and arms are bandaged, and he is bruised all over.

Once the door is shut I pull out the memory card and hold it out to him.

“What is it?” he asks.

“Alessio’s memory card,” I reply quietly.

He grips the bag the memory card is in tightly.

“You’ll have to find another body for him but you will be able to talk to him again,” I add.

“They’re looking for me and Alcuin, and Bailey, it won’t be long before they’re looking for you, too,” Elias warns me quietly.

“I know, I and Deckard are leaving, don’t worry,” I answer quietly.

His eyes are glued to the floor which is covered in glass shards, and trash. Bags are being packed to leave, sitting on the floor.

“Thank you,” he commented.

“Without you, Deckard wouldn’t be here today, so thank you,” I reply.

“Protect him, seeing your loved one dead, even if you can bring them back is traumatizing,” he comments.

“I know, I saw Alcuin get shot, that was bad enough, I had nightmares, I can’t imagine what losing Deckard would be like,” I reply.

“You don’t want to know, get out of Seattle and stay out,” he states. “Deckard and Bailey should be safer than most, with the software I gave them, Alessio would have been, too, if he knew how to keep quiet.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I gave them software, they generate heat, can cry, will bleed red with minor injuries, they have a heartbeat, just little things that will make people question if they are human less,” he comments.

“Thank you for doing that,” I stated quietly.

“You’re welcome,” he replies.

“Goodbye, Elias,” I bid.

“Goodbye, Lev,” he replies.

I leave the store basement and go back to my sedan, I go back to my apartment and find Deckard waiting, I check my suitcase, and find it filled with many photos and photo albums as well as my clothes.

“Deckard, why is all of this here?” I ask.

He looks at me, sadly.

“You shouldn’t have to leave your life behind. I don’t want you to regret leaving the things that remind you of here behind. You’ll miss your family, your mother, if taking these things with you makes it easier, we should,” he murmurs.

“I’m doing the right thing, my mother will understand,” I whisper approaching him slowly.

I take his face in my hands, lean my forehead on his and looked into his sad green eyes.

“Do you really want to sacrifice everything for me, when I’m sacrificing nothing for you?” he whispers.

“You have sacrificed things, not for me, but to be free. You should be able to be your own person, but Huxley took that away from you. I hope one day, you and I will be able to live and love freely without having to watch over our shoulders,” I whisper, leaning in and kissing him gently.

“I promise I won’t regret leaving all of this behind, yes I will miss my mother, and the city I grew up in but I will not regret leaving my job behind. The job that if I felt ruled me would force me to turn you in when you have done nothing wrong, you just wanted to be treated as a person, equal, you deserve that much and love,” I continue.

“Are you sure?” he whispers glancing up at me through his dark eyelashes.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I murmur before kissing his forehead.

“Now, let’s go before they catch up to us,” I comment.

“Okay,” he replies, nodding.

We take our bags down to my sedan, we make sure we have everything before locking up my apartment. Once inside the sedan, I notice Deckard is holding one of the candles I bought him. He’s smelling it.

“Do you want to say goodbye to your mother before we leave?” he asks.

“It will hurt her to find out I’m leaving, the less she knows, the better, too, because they will try to get information out of her. I’ll call her once we’re safe to reassure her, but no, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I comment.

“Do you want to say goodbye to Carlos one last time?” I ask, in return.

He grips the candle in his hands tighter.

“Yes,” he replies quietly as if he’s ashamed of his need to.

“Okay,” I reply, “Let’s go.”

He doesn’t reply as I start up the sedan and plug-in Carlos’ address.

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