Conniveo

Chapter 27: Juncture

"Shit, she brought the cops."

This was not good. Then again, what did we really hope for: That Julia would let a rape story go? She must have felt really guilty about not reporting it. But if we were caught now, all our plans would be side-tracked. Arye and Kana had no identification or records in our world, and no home to return to. If Kana got checked by a rape kit, they would find nothing and our story would be revealed as the elaborate underhanded lie that it was. Then there was the issue of getting Arye's foot fixed. He had no money, no health insurance...I ran a hand through my hair as I considered all the directions in which we were screwed. We had not thoroughly thought this plan through. My heart started pounding and I racked my brain for what we should do. I looked at Greg, and he stood up suddenly. But he was...smiling.

"She's right on schedule. Okay, here's how this would go: Kana, you'll come with us to the men's bathroom. Arye, this part is for you. You have to stay here. Say nothing, not even your name, and they'll probably think it's post-traumatic stress. Do you have a good memory?"
"Y...yes," Arye stammered. He seemed unsure of himself, which was both surprising and ironic for someone who had asserted his presence from the first moment we met him.

"Listen very carefully, because we don't have time. If you're asked for a contact, mention Professor Lisa Norei from Los Angeles and that say you can not remember her contact details. She's also a medical doctor and she knows what you are. She's-"
"The Bland wife of Professor Reni Norei." Arye nodded. "I know of him. He provides Kana with lessons on anthropology." At this point, Kana had climbed over Arye and out of our seating booth. She looked at Arye when he mentioned her name, but remained quiet.

"Good," Greg continued. "Because she's your life line. If pressed for more information, you may state that your sister ran off and we had to search for her. But say nothing else until she comes for you."
"Greg, they're coming," I said. The sheriffs were pretty close to the diner door. Greg gave Arye one last look and touched his shoulder. He turned around sharply and we all walked into the men's room. The few people who spotted us gave us strange looks, but we didn't have time to care. Thankfully, there was nobody in the room. I turned to look at Greg.

"Okay, King Hall, now what? We sit here and hope they go away?"
"No, Yuje. Now, we disappear. Trip us to the other side."
"What? But there are just other cops looking for us on that side."
"They were looking for us last night. I'm assuming that if Koli was enough of a distraction, they would be somewhere else right now. If we shift, we could move towards Diella's on that side and then shift back here when we're out of range of these guys."
"Wow. You really thought this through, didn't you?"
"It's called directing, Yuje. You learn to make plans. Now let's trip before anyone points them to the toilet. I don't know how good an actor Arye is."
"He's rather skilled," Kana said. "Do not worry yourself about his part. He would perform his task dutifully."

Greg smiled and Kana smiled back. I wondered when they became buddies. I took my place between them, placed my hands on their shoulders and shut my eyes, willing my body to trip. The sensation, like a flushing wave, rode down my body and through my hands into Greg and Kana. I opened my eyes. We were in an open field with brown withering grass. I could see the edge of Boon from where we stood, but it was a comfortable distance away and I felt relieved by that. We had come quite a distance from that farm, but the slum city reached this far. I squinted against the bright sunlight and looked at Greg. He looked around briefly and then reached into his pocket to take out the tracking device. He looked at it and smiled.

"Okay, this thing is on. This way," he said and he turned left and walked forward. Kana was still looking around confusedly. Then she looked at me.

"So it is true," she said.
"What is true?" She had me confused now.
"You really are from another world."
"I thought that was kinda obvious," I replied, trying not to sound too mocking.
"No, I mean, I thought you were from our own past. But you are not. I could not observe the environmental changes in the darkness of last night, but I just did. Your world is the same as our present, but at the same time, not the same. I know I seem incoherent and I apologize. But I always believed you were an ancestor of some sort."
"I don't think I am," I said, scratching my head. I guess she had not received the explanation that Greg had given me.