The Curious Case of the Two Dirk Gentlys

41: The Agencies Unite

Now back on the open road things were starting to feel a little crowded inside the ice cream van. It was designed for a maximum of two people, maybe three at a stretch. With the unexpected arrival of Todd and Robert there were four fully grown adults crammed inside the cabin. They'd managed to spread themselves out to a degree. Farah sat in the front seat with her hands lightly gripping the wheel (for show only of course. Mona was perfectly capable of driving herself). Todd had made himself comfortable leaning on the window on the passenger side, trying to bring himself back into the unsteady reality he lived in. No time for a pararibulitis attack when charging head long at the enemy. As for poor Bart and Robert, they were stuck being thrown around the back, nearly tripping over themselves and each other with every bump.

"So this..." Assassination? Act of terrorism? Middle finger to every law created? "takedown. Is this going to help my wife?" Asked Robert.

"And your son. If our stories match up then he's in the most danger. It was his name in the file." Replied Bart as she spun her knife between her fingers.

"And you're sure? I mean it's a big risk."

"It can't hurt." She shurged.

"Yes, yes it can. It can hurt a lot."

"Stop fighting." Snapped Farah. "We're sure. The universe said remember? You were there."

"Oh right, the universe said. Yeah is it possible for me to write that off as a really weird hallucination?" He asked.

"Nope. Sorry buddy." Said Todd. He couldn't help but pity Robert. He related with him in a small way. Robert was like him a year ago if him from a year ago had his shit together. The rest of his family was secure in the way things were. Victoria was well initiated and Albert would likely never know any different. Robert was just a normal man, unaware of the tangled web of connections all around them. If Todd knew anything it was that Robert wouldn't be able to untangle himself again. This was his rite of passage.

Without warning the van came to a screeching halt. Farah reflectivity slammed her on the brake but the wheels had already stopped spinning. Her actions ultimately made no difference, Mona had stopped of her own accord. Robert stumbled towards Bart. Either through naturally fast reflexes or the universe's help she managed to shift the knife above her head and away from him. She pushed him up right without issue. Farah glanced out of the window screen and quickly saw the problem. In the road stumbled a confused man who Todd recognised without having to look twice.

"Richard?" Todd called out.

"Todd? You're okay." Richard called back.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Todd climbed out of the passenger side and greeted his acquaintance in the middle of the empty road. That seemed to be an advantage of having the universe on side, nine times out of ten the traffic was pretty good. "How are you here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Richard chuckled.

"Universe did it." Todd shurged.

"Same here I think." Replied Richard. "By way of Albert."

"But if you're here then where's-" As if the universe heard his question Dirk appeared out of thin air. Unprepared for his own arrival he instantly tripped over his feet and fell face first onto the tarmac.

"Ow." He groaned.

"Dirk." Todd exclaimed.

"Todd." Dirk shouted gleefully. He sprang to his feet like a jack in a box and threw his arms around his assistant. "They didn't kill you."

"Who didn't kill me?" Asked Todd, gently shifting Dirk off of him.

"Oh right...its been a complicated day." Said Richard.

Realising that the stranger wasn't a threat and was in fact one of Dirk's tag alongs (as they had all been at one point) Bart, Farah, and Robert joined their friend in the road. Mona stayed put but she beeped her horn and flashed her lights excitedly, a standard agency greeting.

"Hey, Mona." Dirk smiled. "Farah, Bart, what's the deal?"

"We're going to commit large scale acts of destruction." Said Bart.

"Excellent. Sound like fun. May I join?" A voice from behind them replied. The great turned. In the undergrowth stood Svald, calm and still like the jump hadn't bothered him at all.

"Um sure. The more the merrier I guess." Said Todd.

"Wonderful. Let's go."

"Wait, aren't we still waiting for people?" Asked Robert.

"No. Gangs all here."

"Then...where's my family?"