I don’t care what Daniel said, that rock was definitely out of bounds.
One more trip back to the airport, this time clean and pressed, and in my own car. It was busier in the early morning hours, and I doubted, if there were the same security guys on duty, they would have recognized me. Still it was a slight chance, but one I had to take. It seemed the most logical place to hide the box. Robin had that right. Open at all hours, easily accessible, and now all I had to do was hide a key. I slipped the box into a locker just a few down from the one Robin had used, put two quarters in the slot, locked it, and took the key. I was constantly on the lookout for George, or someone Nate might have sent to tail me, and saw no one. Either my skills were slipping, I was too tired, or they were that inept. I preferred to believe it was the last of those, though I also feared it was something else. They were up to something I knew nothing about, or perhaps they were on to Daniel.
My next stop was the old alley where Daniel and I used to play racquetball. It was a block off the agency’s campus, and because it was in a commercial part of town, we could sneak down there at night and play for hours. That was during that time when the agency thought we could do with a little discipline, and had imposed a curfew. Oh, the days of youth and high jinks. I smiled at the memory. It was good to have someone you know would cover your back, no matter what. And despite all the subterfuge and backstabbing going on, I was sure I could count on Daniel. I was, in fact, betting my life on it.
At the end of the alley was the wall we used to hit balls off of. We never could agree what the marked the back of the court. I suppose we could have brought down a tape measure, and measured out an official court, but that would have taken all the fun out of the bickering. And sometimes I think that’s what kept us going through most of those years.
I had a moment of panic when I thought the large rock that marked my idea of out of bounds had moved, but it was still there, just a little more to the side. It was placed there originally to keep the dumpsters from rolling, but over the years the dumpsters had moved further and further down the alley. The rock had been shoved up against the wall, but it was still recognizable as the same rock we had fought about all those years ago. I slipped the key under it, and slid back into the shadows to watch. If anyone had followed me, I might see them try to make a move. Tiredness pressed down on me, but I kept watch for a solid hour. Nothing. No suspicious noises, no one walking by the alley. If someone had followed me, they were good, and far more patient than I was. If they stole the documentation, the only thing I had was the copies I’d scanned and uploaded to my server, and they wouldn’t stand up nearly as well as evidence. Hopefully I was right, and for whatever reason, they hadn’t followed me.
Which actually presented a bit of a problem. Now that they evidence was safely delivered, I had hoped to occupy Nate and George’s time, to give Daniel a chance to do the work he needed to. He should be by that afternoon to pick it up, and since I’d laid all the evidence out it wouldn’t take him long to convince the higher-ups that action needed to be taken, and quickly. But keeping Nate busy was going to be difficult if I couldn’t find him. I yawned, stretched, and decided to head for the one place I was sure Nate wouldn’t be – the office.
Turns out I was dead wrong on that account. Nate was ensconced behind his desk, barking orders and generally driving everyone mad. I nearly smiled with relief. The secretary told me Daniel had called in, something about a sick relative. In true, reckless character, I popped my head in to see if Nate needed me for anything.
“Where the hell have you been?” He looked at me with beady, suspicious eyes. “You look like hell.”
“Sorry, boss, I was out on a security job. It kinda fell into my lap, and I didn’t think it’d take that long. I’ll put in for some vacation time.” I tried to suppress a yawn, but failed.
“Seems like you might need to put in for another day for today. You’re useless to me in that condition,” he said. Oddly enough, he looked happy about it. But if I went home, they’d know right where to find me. I needed to figure out a way to get them chasing their tails.
“Well, if you think so, I did meet a very charming young lady last evening…” I let the sentence hang in the air, and tried for a wolfish grin.
He grunted, and waved a hand at me. “I shouldn’t let you go, not with Daniel out. And not if you’re not going to get some sleep. I don’t know how you young people do it.”
Neither did I. I couldn’t even imagine a romantic encounter right now. I’m pretty sure my body would laugh at me if I even suggested it. But there was no reason to let him know that. “Thanks a million, boss. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, then.”
He didn’t say anything, and I wandered back out to my car. This time I was aware of Mike shadowing me down the hallway and coincidentally getting into his car at the same time. Subtle as a brick to the head, Mike. That was okay with me, and I led him on a merry chase down to the heart of the city. I parked my car under a large apartment building and got in the elevator. I could almost imagine what was going on in Mike’s head then, wondering if he should watch the elevator and try to determine what floor I got out on, or take the stairs and try to catch me getting out of the elevator, or maybe just sit on my car. He probably called Nate to try to figure out what to do. Any of those three options were fine with me. I rode the car up to the twelfth floor, then back down to the lobby, and walked out into the street. I hopped the nearest subway and was asleep as soon as the car started moving.
When I woke up, I wasn’t sure how many times I’d ridden the circuit, but I was alone in the car. I cursed myself for my stupidity. My watch told me it was early evening, and my body told me I hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep. I wanted to call Daniel to make sure he’d retrieved the package, but I stopped myself. I trusted him to do it, and any contact could tip off Nate. I briefly wondered if Mike was still back at the apartment complex. I wondered if it was safe to go home. I really wanted to go home, take a shower, and crawl into bed.
The desire for comfort won out over my sanity, and I got off the subway and trudged the few blocks to my apartment building, stopping at a small local grocery store along the way. I was going to eat before I fell into bed, and it wasn’t going to be horrid fast food. My mouth watered at the thought of the juicy steak and a mound of mashed potatoes. It would be worth putting off going to bed for that. And at least I’d fall asleep with a full stomach.
I got back to the apartment and started marinating the steak. I stuck it in the fridge while I took a shower, mindful of the fact that there was every possibility I would fall asleep in there. The brief, unsatisfactory naps I’d been taking made me feel even more run down, and the buzz from the caffeine and sugar had completely worn off. I took my gun and clean clothes into the bathroom with me, conscious of the fact that I wasn’t even safe in my own place. I locked the bathroom door and stood under the hot steam of the shower until the water started to run cold. My mind had started to drift, in that weird state halfway between sleep and wakefulness, and my brain registered something that I’d seen that hadn’t quite looked right. It wasn’t something as out of place as the first aid kit, but something…
Suddenly my eyes popped open. What kind of person would break in to someone’s house and only disturb a first aid kit? Someone who was hurt. Someone who had needed a bit of fresh blood to sell their own death, and had to cut themselves to get it. Someone who then had to suture up the wound. And someone who might just be interested in something in my top dresser drawer.
No comments:
Post a Comment