Raphael's Dragon

Chapter 11: All for One

Federal Building. Monday, May 2, 2005.

"Cell phones don't work in the tunnels," Travis warned Henry as they entered the elevator for the ride down to the parking garage in the basement.

"You mean we'll have no way to communicate?" Henry asked incredulously. This was becoming steadily worse by the moment. Miles of tunnels to search, most of them uncharted and off-limits. Neal could be anywhere.

"That's right. Ever since I heard about all the time Neal and Richard were spending in the tunnels, I've been trying to chart the sweet spots, but I've found only a few. Richard knows where they are but they may not be close to your location."

Travis had already alerted Aidan and Richard. Aidan's office was near Columbia. He was now gathering their gear. Travis and Henry would use Travis's car to drive to the rendezvous spot, picking up Richard on the way. Aidan would be waiting for them outside the gym.

Richard was standing on the street outside his office in SoHo when they arrived. Henry had printed off the symptoms of atropine poisoning so he'd know what to expect.

"In other words, if Neal hasn't fallen into a coma, he's delirious and his vision's wrecked," Richard said, his voice rough.

"That about sums it up," Henry confirmed. He wasn't about to mention the other likely option—that Neal had already died in some out-of-the-way corner of the tunnel network. From the looks on Travis and Richard's faces, they were already aware of it.

"What's the hospital game you referred to?" Richard asked.

"It's an advanced form of hide-and-seek Neal invented as a kid when he was in the hospital and has been refining ever since. He claimed that he'd established rules that he had to return to his hospital room when he wasn't feeling healthy enough to play, but there was a major flaw. What if he felt too bad to return or didn't realize how sick he was?" He turned to Travis. "You're into Star Trek. You remember Tri-Dimensional Chess?"

Travis nodded, his eyes on the road. "It takes the 64 squares of the chessboard and separates them into separate platforms, increasing the complexity severalfold. Spock is a master of the game."

"That's what Neal did to hide-and-seek. We've both played it in the hospital. Once I realized how dangerous it is, I vowed never to repeat it. I don't think Neal's gotten to that point yet. He still has the heart of a seven-year-old."

"If he's looking to play the hospital game, the tunnels are the natural location," Richard said. "The suspended pipes make additional levels he could take advantage of. Then there are the crawl spaces and the secret areas. Aidan and I know a few of them, but Neal's the expert. He's shown me spaces I would have thought were inaccessible, and he proved me wrong. His ability to contort his body to snake around pipes is unreal."

Richard described what Henry feared the most too. If Neal had squeezed into a tight area, how would they be able to extricate him? Henry didn't have his agility. Richard was the most slender of the group. If he couldn't manage it, they'd have to call in the pros.

Henry grilled them about Mozzie's disappearance. Their account of what went on had some gaping holes, like why he'd gone MIA in the first place.

"Neal said that Mozzie had been experimenting with drugs and a cocktail he took caused him to have temporary amnesia," Richard explained.

Henry groaned. "Was he ever tested? Did Neal learn what drug he'd taken?" Something else was going on, he was sure of it. Why hadn't they demanded more answers? Henry caught himself in time before cross-examining them further. His anxiety for Neal could easily cause him to lash out at them, and he needed to cool it.