I13DT - Skipping Stones

[Mizuki Hino]

Mizuki's standing at the cliff above the waterline, throwing pebbles at, well, more the horizon than the water really.

[John Hino]

"What? No one your age worth hanging out with?" John asked as he walked up.

[Mizuki Hino]

"I don't really know anybody here."

[John Hino]

He stopped next to her. "You have to at least try sis."

[Mizuki Hino]

"Did you come all the way out here to micromanage my life?"

[John Hino]

"No. No I did not," he admitted, slightly apologetically.

[Mizuki Hino]

"Cool, cause I can call Dad a visit for that."

[John Hino]

"Anyway," he said, grinning, "You were dead on about looking in the HDT employee database."

[Mizuki Hino]

"You found something?"

[John Hino]

"His name is Benjamin Takahashi, and he works at HDT headquarters. Some crummy cubicle job, but close enough to the top to keep an eye on things. But... I dunno... either this guy is really good at playing the average working stiff or that familiar was jerking us around after all."

[Mizuki Hino]

"Seems like an awful lot of work to make up something like that."

[John Hino]

"It does, but I'm going to look further into him before I try making contact. Just in case."

[Mizuki Hino]

"Makes sense, I guess."

[John Hino]

"It'll help me figure out how to approach him too. I doubt he'll readily admit anything."

[Mizuki Hino]

"Throw him through a wall?"

[John Hino]

He laughed. "Not usually a good way to elicit someone's help."

[Mizuki Hino]

"I thought he was one of the bad guys?"

[John Hino]

"No. He's the one who's supposed to be keeping the cult from finding us."

[Mizuki Hino]

"Oh! But... then why wouldn't he talk to you?"

[John Hino]

"He's bound to have a good reason to have stayed hidden from us."

[Mizuki Hino]

"So now what?"

[John Hino]

"I'll know that after making contact."