"Randy's father died?" V asked as she watched two kids chatting nearby.
"Yes," River replied, his voice low. "That man was a terrible father—he never cared about his family. Jos raised all three kids on her own."
"All he ever did was ride his motorcycle through the streets, sometimes running jobs for the Adocado."
"Adocado?" V raised an eyebrow. "One of the most infamous nomad families?"
River nodded solemnly.
The Adocado family, founded by Juan Adocado, had once publicly condemned the chaos and collapse of post-war America. After his son was killed in a gang conflict, Juan's grief and rage struck a chord with others who had also lost everything.
He led thousands of people into the Badlands, leaving the cities behind. There, they forged a life bound by family and honor. Their camps, built around family units, were scattered across the southern United States. While many of them made a living through trade and transport, others turned to smuggling—and worse.
Those who strayed from the Adocado way became the Wraiths, outlaws, and bitter enemies of the nomad code.
In the Badlands, there was freedom—but also lawlessness. There were no rules, no moral compass. Just survival. That Randy's father died out there? Not exactly surprising.
"How did he die?" V asked.
"No one knows," River answered. "The Adocado said he 'died honorably.' That's all they shared."
Died honorably... It was a vague phrase. Suspiciously vague.
V turned back to the computer, continuing to dig through Randy's files. A strange animation caught her eye. It had cheerful background music—but was haunting in its content. Mechanical cows were being milked, lifelessly, over and over.
"What the hell is this? Dairy farming?" River frowned, clearly disturbed.
"It's more than that," V said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "If we can find the original video source, we could run it through Braindance and maybe pinpoint where Randy is being held."
"We'll need a netrunner for that," River admitted. "Someone who can trace the network and recover the source footage."
V sighed. "Besides Judy, I don't really know any hackers."
"And this doesn't relate to Evelyn, so… asking her is tricky."
"I've got someone," River said, pulling out his phone. "Not sure if he's busy."
"Better than nothing," V said.
River dialed.
Beep... beep...
"Hello, River? You're still alive?" a playful male voice answered. In the background, laughter and the splashing of pool water could be heard.
"Marcus, you scoundrel! Still vacationing, huh?" River laughed. Talking to an old friend brought him some relief.
"No gigs lately. I needed a break," Marcus Holloway replied, waving some girls out of the pool and sitting upright. "What's going on?"
"I need a favor," River said, his tone now serious. He quickly summarized the case and Randy's disappearance.
"A pervert kidnapped the kid? Got it." Marcus opened his laptop. "Send me the link."
River forwarded the network address.
In under a minute, Marcus cracked it, revealing the full video and metadata.
"This guy's a total psycho," Marcus muttered, eyes glued to the screen. "Here. You'll want to watch this."
The footage was labeled as the memories of one Anthony Harris.
---
The scene was dim and unsettling.
A tray of yellowish-green slop—barely edible, smelling like sour bile—was served to a child.
Anthony sat in silence.
"It's food," he mumbled. "It smells… like that turtle… rolled over with its legs up..."
A teacher's voice interrupted.
"Anthony! You killed your classmate's turtle? Are you insane?!"
"I was saving it," Anthony whispered.
"It was sleeping!" the teacher snapped. "And you fed it growth hormones?! Who taught you that—your father?!"
"Don't talk about my dad!" Anthony exploded.
"Oh? Sensitive, are we?" the teacher sneered. "Your dad blew his brains out after failing at running a dairy farm. Your mom died giving birth to you. They both left you—because you're cursed."
Anthony's eyes burned with rage.
"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY DAD!" he screamed, slapping the tray off the table. "FUCK YOU!"
The teacher charged forward, grabbing Anthony's collar.
"Say that again, you little freak!"
But then—something shifted. The teacher transformed into a grotesque cow wrapped in blue cloth, reeking of rot.
The Braindance session ended.
---
V and River sat frozen. The air in the room was heavy.
"That poor kid…" V muttered.
But the second memory started before they could speak.
The same eerie animation played. A mechanical process of feeding and milking cows endlessly, until they died.
"They're so… obedient," Anthony's younger voice whispered.
A terrifying voice echoed.
"Anthony! Where did you go?! Get over here!"
It was his father.
Anthony shivered, but obeyed.
His father's image was a flickering shadow—dressed like an old-school dairyman, clutching a wrench.
"What did I tell you?! Check the machines before school!" he shouted, striking Anthony hard.
"You killed your mother. Now you're killing the cows! You worthless trash! Why don't you just DIE!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Anthony cried, repeatedly bowing and scraping.
"You're a disgrace! Go get the adrenaline hormone! We'll drain milk from them even if it kills them!"
"Yes! Hormones! I can save them!" Anthony staggered to his feet, his face bruised and eyes wild. "They're not dead! Just sick! I can fix them!"
His father barked again. "And shut off that damn animation—it's as disgusting as you are!"
Anthony turned toward the monitor showing lifeless, emaciated cows being milked without end.
His expression turned wistful.
What a life... Eat, produce, die... no pain. No guilt.
The second Braindance ended.
---
V exhaled slowly. "I think I understand now."
"The abuse. The grief. The guilt," she murmured. "It all built up until something in him… snapped."
"His mom died giving birth to him, his teacher tormented him, and his dad… Jesus," she shook her head.
"It still doesn't justify what he's done," River growled. "Seven missing teens so far—at least. Some are already confirmed dead."
"Guys like him should burn in hell."
Marcus's voice crackled through the comms. "I've sent you the address. If you hurry, you might still save the others."
Without another word, V and River rushed out of the house.
The Jeep roared to life, kicking up dirt as it tore down the road. They were gone in ten seconds—before Jos even realized what was happening.
Standing on the porch, Jos held her hands tightly to her chest and whispered a prayer.
"Please… bring Randy back safe."
Ãdvåñçé 60 çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)