The Winds of Change

Posted on Wed Apr 10th, 2024 @ 9:52am by Shinobi Shaw

1,334 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: Salem Center
Timeline: August 29, 1990 - 3:00 PM

Jace spent a little bit of time in the library after the first visit with Jeri. There was only one name to research, two if you counted his birth mother. But the other name led in a lot of other directions. Those directions would take him out of the mansion’s library and into the Salem Center Public Library. That wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing, though. It would mean more privacy and fewer questions…hopefully.

Before he left, Jace took what cash he had out of his dresser drawer and shoved it into his pocket. He then moved the lamp on the desk and phased his arms into the wall of his room where he kept a shoe box hidden. He retrieved from the box the AMEX Centurion Card that Jeri had sent by special courier. That was an event that didn't go away quickly. He tapped the anodized titanium, laser-engraved card on the desk and put it in his pocket with the cash. He put the lid back on and phased the shoe box back into its spot.

The ride in the taxi from the school into town was a quiet one for the most part. Jace was thankful for that in more ways than one. It allowed his mind to wander…to ask questions. All mostly dealing with the things he’d learned. There was one instance when he wondered if this was a regular taxi service or just the only one that would come out to Xavier’s school.

"Ya know this fare is gonna be right up there, huh?" asked the cabbie. "I can get 'cha into town pretty quick, but still..." He almost sounded like he was trying to talk himself out of pay. But he just wanted the kid to know it wouldn't be cheap.

"Yeah, I know," said Jace. "You want a downpayment or something?"

"Nah, I'm good," came the reply. "Just wanted ya to know." He took his focus from his rearview mirror and put it back on the road ahead. Years in a cab taught him the subtle hints of 'shut the hell up' from passengers. And the not so subtle ones.

When they arrived at the library, Jace paid the man and went inside. It took a while for him to find books that mentioned his birth father's name. There weren't as many as he thought, but it cross-referenced to other places. Little by little, Jace was putting together the equivalent of a toddler's drawing of this man and job. It wasn't a lot, but it was something.

Two hours had passed while he was sitting at a table. He leaned back in the chair, stretched, and yawned. There were two books opened on the table in front of him. There was also a stack of two to his left and a closed one to his right. Following in all those other directions was tiring for the eighteen year old. He hadn’t studied this hard since he ran away from home. Jace sighed; there was still so much left to learn and most of it wasn't in the books.

He quietly got up and leaned over, palms flat on the table. He shook his head and closed the two open books before picking all of them up and taking them to a cart for reshelving. It was informative to say the least, but there were some other things he could check out, too. After a couple of questions to the librarian and some direction, Jace found the archive section for magazines and newspapers.

The first thing he went through was several rolls of microfiche that contained newspaper write-ups and clippings. The news was thorough in their reporting, to say the least. He found several clippings that intrigued him, but decided not to print them. It was the same reason he’d decided not to bring a legal pad to take notes on. No paper trail. The last thing he needed was it being discovered back at the mansion.

The next was the magazine archive. There were a couple of titles he’d gotten from their current issues on the magazine rack. Jace searched only for those titles and found a date range he was looking for. He chuckled as he started sorting through them. There were more than just a few available. So he just pulled some out and flipped through them. It was for the pictures mostly. Articles could go whichever way the writer or the magazine wanted. It was a rather revealing flip through the pages, though. He came to the conclusion that he would need to change some things along the way. That is, if everything worked out in his favor. That said, it wouldn’t hurt to have at least one set of decent clothes.

The young man put everything back and left the library. It was a rather nice day out and if he was going to have some cash for the cab ride back, he needed to hoof it. There was a small department store a couple of blocks away that would surely have what he was looking for. Jace crossed the street and stood a little straighter as he did so. He walked the two blocks with less of the randomness of an eighteen year old and more controlled movement.

Jace walked in and took a quick look around. There were lots of people wandering around and a few that moved with purpose. The men's clothes weren't anywhere near the entrance. He assumed that they'd be on the other side of the store and headed in that direction when he was stopped by an employee.

“Hello there, sir,” said the middle-aged man. “Is there something I can help you find today?”

Jace was about to give the man a smart-aleck remark as he had the cabbie, but decided against it. “Yeah, as a matter of fact there is. I’m looking for some nice casual pants and a button-down shirt. A new pair of matching shoes, too.”

The older man smiled as any store assistant manager would and looked at what Jace was wearing. “Well I think we can help you out with that. Follow me, if you would please.” He led Jace around the center displays and to the left side of the store. “Let’s start with the pants,” he said as he scooted hangers along the circular rack. “How about this pair?”

Jace took them and looked them over. They were a nice, sophisticated looking pair of trousers. Well, sophisticated for a department store in Salem Center. They weren’t exquisite by any means, but they had to be better than the sometimes tattered denim pants he owned. But there was a problem; they were beige. “Do you have them in dark navy blue?” he asked.

The assistant manager put them back and found what his customer was looking for. “These do look better,” he said as he handed them to Jace. “Nice choice.”

Jace took the hanger and draped the trousers over his arm. “The rock motif t-shirts don’t pair too well with them, though.” He chuckled a little and continued, “Something stylish in a soft lavender hue, maybe?”

“That can be arranged,” said the man. “This way please.”

Jace followed the man over the nearby shirt racks and watched as he picked out a long-sleeved, button down shirt. The color was a little darker than what he had in mind, but it would work for what he needed. “Thanks,” he said. “Shoes?”

The assistant manager nodded and led the way to the small shoe department. He picked a pair of brown loafers and some socks. “I think these would go well together and complete the ensemble.”

Jace nodded and accepted them. He expected not to wear this new set of everything until that day finally came. That day when he’d, hopefully, get a call from Jeri on the cellular phone to pack his things for the last time.

RSS Feed