Here he was again, in the hospital. But how grateful he was that he wasn't staying long! He'd been shot in the left shoulder, but fortunately the bullet hadn't met an artery. It had slightly grazed his collarbone as it passed through his skin, so he'd be okay. He'd been through worse.
He was hardly listening to the nurse who seemed to be lecturing him instead of telling him how to care for his wound. He held good eye contact, nodded, and said "yes, ma'am" when he should've though.
He breathed the late night city air deeply once he was out of the building with air conditioning that felt sanitized somehow. He went down to the bus stop having known his brother was going to pick him up. Living with his brother was his first step into usual life—not that he wanted to live there in the first place. He couldn't wait to get his own place someday. His brother was too much of partier —he hated it. He glanced at his watch. Maybe that's why he wasn't here. He was probably passed out somewhere.
A young woman sighed wearily as she plopped down beside him on the bench. The dark hair was strangely familiar. Then it clicked. The waitress at the diner! She must have sensed him looking at her. First suspicion was in her eyes, then recognition—unpleasant recognition. "You!" Her dislike was evident in her voice.
"Ma'am," he replied in greeting.
She slapped him across the face, her dark eyes on fire. His ear rang with the pain.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, too!" he said, still quite surprised by the outburst as he rubbed the area.
"Pleasure?" She shot up, her voice rising. "I got fired!"
"And this is my fault because. . ." He squinted up at her. Once the police had arrived, he'd disappeared to the back of the diner and had placed the gun atop the safe.
"Because I gave you the sidearm, that's why!" People passing by started whispering, but she clearly didn't notice or care. "I tried telling my boss no money got stolen because I did. But the case remains; I can't be trusted!"
She sank back down, spent. "I should've not wished to get a different job. Now fate is forcing me to. But it was the only job I had!" She started sobbing.
Levi started feeling antsy. Unknown weeping women always made him feel uncomfortable. Seeing a cab, he hailed it down. Relief swept over him when it stopped. He got in. The driver got out to ask the lady if she needed transport. "Oh, thank you, sir. I do." Now right next to her, he didn't know whether to comfort her or leave her alone. He chose the latter.
The woman was no longer sobbing as they rode, but even if she was, that would be the least of his problems. He'd told the driver the address he was going to and so had the lady. So why was he going in the opposite direction? At first he had assumed that he was taking another route. Now he was not so sure. "Driver?" It was as if he had gone deaf. They were getting deeper into the CBD—the complete opposite direction of the residential area.
Had he walked into a hornet's nest?
The cab was moving quite fast. He tried the door anyway. Locked. Levi tried keeping calm. His face had to show it. The driver glanced at him through the review mirror. Levi forced a grin.
The windows! "Driver, it's kinda hot back here. Could you roll the windows down a bit?"
"I'm sorry. I was given orders not to." He sounded programmed all of a sudden. The air conditioning was made stronger.
Now Levi was sure there was danger up ahead. The corner of the window had the inscription of a bulletproof glass company. Great. There was no way to break out. He'd have to just enjoy the ride—for now.
...........................................................
Lisa had been panicking ever since she'd noticed they were going in the wrong direction. She'd seen the stranger try the door. That had confirmed her fear. He knew something was wrong too. When he'd asked the driver to open the windows, his answer had made her stomach lurch and squirm. She'd walked right into a trap. He brushed the window with his hand, and then he closed his eyes as if trying to catch a short nap. He was looking chill. She did her best to follow suit.
YOU ARE READING
Trapezoid (The Base)
AdventureAn ordinary day at school, an attempted robbery, and a kidnapping are just the right circumstances that would fuse the lives of Stevens, Troy, Hopper, and Evans together. Possessing gifts slightly beyond the usual, they are sucked into a life they n...