Even if he was dying.
Especially if he was dying.
---
The meeting ended.
Without him.
---
Then the next meeting came.
---
And Brennan still didn't show up.
---
The office in Asphyxia had become completely silent.
Even Andre wasn't making jokes anymore.
---
"We started looking."
Alice said.
"And that's when things became strange."
---
At first they asked around.
Friends.
Officials.
Researchers.
Workers.
People who knew Brennan.
---
Nobody had seen him.
---
That wasn't the strange part.
---
The strange part was that everyone suddenly became unhelpful.
---
"They knew something."
Alice said.
"We could tell."
"They just wouldn't say it."
---
People changed the subject.
Avoided questions.
Ended conversations early.
Pretended ignorance.
---
Even people who liked Brennan.
Even people who owed him favors.
---
Nobody talked.
---
Raj folded her arms.
"I hated it."
---
Taai became increasingly frustrated.
---