Alpha Centauri

Twenty-Five - Julian

Nizami is waiting for me behind the gas station.

"Did you leave without being noticed?"

"Well..."

Before Nizami can reprimand me, a squad car pulls up behind the Shell station.

"Shit," I say. "Quick, get in the store."

Nizami disappears into the back door of the convenience store, and I follow closely behind. Luckily, at this late, the station is pretty much empty. Nizami heads for the women's restroom, and since it's empty, I follow her. Sure it's weird that I'm entering the ladies' room, but we need to stay together.

We squeeze into a stall. "I think the cashier called the cops on us," I say. "I think she recognized me."

"What do we do?" she asks, though I know she's already formulating a plan herself.

"I think we should hide here. They'd probably expect us to have gone by now."

Nizami leans her head back against the stall wall and takes a deep breath. "What happens if the law enforcement arrests us?"

"I don't want to think about that," I say, looking at my feet.

"I can't stand just waiting in here," Nizami says. She closes her eyes and exhales through her nose.

"Yeah, I'm pretty anxious too. I'll see what's going on out there."

I push open the stall door and crack the bathroom door open just enough for me to see the counter. A police officer is talking to the cashier lady. He's accompanied by an official-looking woman dressed in a pantsuit. She looks more dangerous and intimidating than Nizami. I see her pull something out of her pocket. It's a government badge.

Goddammit, I think.

I hurry back into the stall. "They've got the government here too. In other words, we're screwed."

"We need to get—"

Nizami is interrupted by the women's restroom door opening. I hear the clicks of high heels across the tile floor. It has to be the agent.

I climb up onto the toilet so she'll only see one pair of feet.

But of course, I slip and bang my head against the stall.

"Are you alright, Miss?" the agent asks.

"Yes," Nizami says. She shoots me a What the hell are you doing? look.

I rub my head and wait for the agent to go into the other stall. I finally hear the stall door opening and closing. Go, I mouth.

Nizami's fingers fumble for the lock. She pushes the door open and freezes.

"Gotcha," says the agent.