The Launch

Chapter Eighteen

I've never been to Saskatchewan. Thirty-three years in Canada and I never got the urge. But with their booming oil and gas, potash mining and agricultural economy, it's a great place to look for cash-paying, anonymous Joe jobs and stay hidden. Lots of people coming from out of province looking for work, new communities springing up close to the mines—it's all hustle and bustle and no one will take much notice of a couple of new guys. Unless a Canada-wide manhunt breaks out on CBC News and they start searching every gas station, residence, warehouse, pool house, outhouse and gingerbread house looking for fugitives. That would be bad.

We had always planned for an exit strategy, hoping we'd never have to use it. We planned everything on this kidnapping, right down to the best way to get Ray to give up the passwords. Waterboarding was going to be our ultimate tactic if nothing else worked. Lots of videos on that available on YouTube. It sickens me when I think about it, because I now know there is a big difference between watching a video of something happening and being a part of it yourself.

We knew that kidnapping and torture would mean jail time, so we always intended to run if it looked like we were going to get caught. I drive downtown thinking all this and imagining the sound of sirens around every corner. The cinnamon bun is like a brick in my stomach and I feel both a need for more caffeine and a sense that I've had way too much. I'm jittery and on the verge of tears. I alternate shallow breathing with sucking in wind like I just came up out of the water, heart thudding, fingers gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline. I don't know how we're ever going to get to Saskatchewan, but one thing at a time, I guess.

The sight of JC standing in front of the Central Library with his hiking pack, watching each car pass with sick concern in his eyes, his mouth half open like he's dazed, brings a sob from my chest that I choke down. I pull the car over to the curb and put it in 'Park' with the flashers on. I pop the trunk and get out to help him with his pack. He lets me take it off his back and stuff it in the trunk and he just stands there for a second, looking down, standing in a puddle of dirty slush.

"This sucks, buddy," I say. "But we gotta go."

I nudge his shoulder in the direction of the passenger side and it starts him walking toward the car and we both get in at the same time.

"Which way to the 401?" I say as I put the car in gear.

"Go Hamilton Road out to Highbury. It's fastest."

"Okay." I drive the half block to Wellington and then turn right towards our exit route.

"So what happened?" JC sighs as if he doesn't want to ask this and doesn't want to hear the answer. Some questions are like that.

"Everything at once," I say and then I hold my breath as we pull up to a red light at York Street. A cop is waiting at the light to turn left onto Wellington. We are second in line in the left lane behind a red Ford minivan, perpendicular to him, so the cop can see us if he looks over here. I look over and JC locks eyes with me and nods. I grit my teeth and smile. "Do you think they have an APB out on my Honda?"

"A very normal conversation is what we're having," says JC. He breaks into a very normal, not-nervous laugh. "If they do, we're toast."

The cop switches on his lights, turns left and accelerates away down Wellington. We both catch a large breath.

"Do you think he saw us?" says JC.

"Don't know. If the cops are still at my parents' house talking to Ray, maybe they haven't put a notice out, yet. With the FBI involved, I'm pretty sure they will."

"The what did you say?"

"Oh, yeah. The FBI knocked on my door first thing this morning with some cops, asking about Ray. Jess called me at my parents' place to let me know. We are busted wide open and gutted. And by the way, Gerald figured out the whole thing and probably ratted us out. The launch is canned and just for good measure, a big claim blew up on me at work and it looks like I'm out of a job. How was your morning?"

"Calisse ferme ta gueule. Merde. So Jess called you on your cell? Where is it now?"

"I sent one last Twitter update and then broke it into pieces and threw each bit out the window in a different set of bushes on my way downtown. Yours?"

"The garbage at Little Red Roaster."

"You didn't get a coffee?"

"Already drank it."

"Huh. I could go for another coffee."

"Yeah."

Our light turns green and we proceed through the intersection, under the railway overpass. We turn left down Hamilton. I am hardly concentrating on driving because I am so conscious of watching out for cops. I'm looking in parking lots, down side streets and side driveways and I have to punch the brakes hard to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me when the light turns at Colborne and I don't notice. JC is jerked forward into his seat belt.

"You watch the road," he says. "I'll watch for cops."

"Okay," I say. "Good idea." I relax my grip on the steering wheel and try for a deep breath. I need to calm down with some yoga breathing. It's amazing how often that shit comes in handy. I breathe in the silence and breathe out the noise. When the light turns, I just go with the flow along Hamilton Road.

"So the launch is canned for sure?" says JC.

I nod and take in another life-preserving breath which is working wonders with my erratic heartbeat.

He looks at his watch. It's 9:24 on the dashboard clock. "But the sales conference is going on right now. What are they going to go with instead?"

I sigh. "I asked that, too. Ray figured they'd probably push the old favorites or just review the whole line-up. They have sales materials for that kind of stuff made up and ready to go just in case they can't get a new feature ready in time. Or their editor-in-chief gets kidnapped."

"Right. Of course. Good thinking."

"Sure."

"So the FBI is at your parent's house along with the cops. City cops or OPP?"

"City cops. I saw the cars coming up Commissioners as I was making my escape."

"I wonder how the jurisdiction thing works."

"No idea. I know I don't want to be caught by any of them."

"Right. Me neither."

We're both silent now as JC checks the side streets and parking lots so favored by traffic cops. I keep my eyes on the road and contemplate this new life on the run, where this will be our new norm. We'll always be like this, looking over a shoulder going around every street corner, wondering which face is going to brighten when it sees us because that person has recognized our pictures from some newspaper article. Will there be newspaper articles? How fast can we grow beards? Will they sell hair dye at the bus station? What the fuck were we thinking?

We make it to Highbury without incident and turn south towards the 401, slouching down in our seats, eyes still flicking every which way, twitchy and nervous as hunted animals.

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Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, I always appreciate a vote and/or comment. I'll be updating weekly on Tuesdays. To read the full novel right now, you can click the link in my profile for info on where to purchase The Launch in e-book or paperback editions. For Then Comes Marriage comics, click the Levins and Young link in my profile.