Switchback

Chapter 32

Richard bent forward and put his hands on his knees. He was out of breath. The escape route turned out to be a long run. Now he was in the alley.

Options were thin. Going to the street risked being recognized. Going back would accomplish nothing except a trip to the Trench. Even if the operating room was empty there would still be Officers crawling all over the rest of the building.

The only choice was to wait until dark. That would offer the cover he needed.

He leaned against the wall and slid to the dirty ground, pulled his knees to his chest and dropped his forehead against them. This was rock bottom. All he could do was hide.

Life would never be the same.

Such resignation would have crippled him if not for his earlier conversation with Morris. He had been right – families love you for who you are. They deserved to know he was brave, selfless and still alive. Seeing them again was worth the risk. Death or the Trench could wait.

Establishing a plan was all that remained – and no easy task.

Richard ran through every scenario he could think of without success. Hours passed. The alley grew darker. He began to drift in and out of sleep. There were no dreams this time - just occasional blackness that eventually overtook him.

*

A siren startled Richard awake. It was dark and cold. A glance toward the end of the alley revealed traffic was lighter.

He took a deep breath and hoisted up his heavy body. Leg muscles were tight. Using the wall for support he shuffled in the direction of the street. The trip took longer than it should have.

Both lanes were quiet and the sidewalks almost empty. A short distance to the left was a Com Booth. These were littered throughout the City – Hotspots that offered basic communications and device charging.

This gave Richard an idea. He stumbled toward the booth, his legs full of pins and needles. The cold kept them from waking up.

When he arrived the door slid open and a light came on. Inside was a small steel counter at waist height. Along the back were outlets and a black rectangular pad. A finger tap on this activated the main screen - and posed a problem. While Security denied it, many believed prints were scanned when the pad was touched. To most people this didn't matter – unless you had a warrant. When identified, the booth would lock and Officers were dispatched to the location.

Richard had forgotten about this. Seeing the pad reminded him. If it was true, there was no work around he knew of - his plan was suddenly pointless.

Someone knocked on the door.

Richard ignored it.

Another knock. "You going to stand there or do something? Other folks need the Com too!"

The voice made Richard panic. He didn't know what to do. Turning around wasn't an option.

"Buddy, you hear me?"

The door opened behind him.

"You forget how to use this?" asked the voice. It was gentle enough, more frustration than anger. "It's not rocket science."

"Sorry, I..."

A hand appeared beside him and its thumb pressed against the black pad. A beep sounded in the booth and a menu appeared on the glass. "Get moving. I don't have all night."

Richard was floored by such impossible luck. Something had to be going on – a set up. He waited for an outcome. When nothing happened he took a deep breath, reached out with a trembling finger and tapped a green button at the bottom corner of a floating number pad. That sealed the booth, soundproofing it from the outside world.

He punched in five digits. The pad vanished. A chime repeated as the call went through.

After the fifth one an image of Alex Perkins appeared. His eyes went wide when he saw Richard.

"What have you got for me?" Richard asked.

"Holy shit! Hold on a second." Alex disappeared from view. There was a tremendous buzz and interference on the screen. When it cleared his face was back and wore a stern expression. "Are you crazy?!"

"What?"

"We're business associates! You didn't think they'd be monitoring me?"

"Shit! I never..."

"It's fine, all taken care of."

"Thanks." Richard's gratitude was offhanded. His mind was on other things. "So? What have you heard? There has to be quite a bit after the explosion at the Trench."

"Honestly – no. And not because people are scared to talk, there's just nothing to add on top of what's been reported. Security's kept things tight – and really downplayed the murder angle. I imagine they don't want to upset the public any further."

"Why? They've done such a good job so far."

Alex chuckled. "I won't argue with that."

The lack of information was disappointing - but Richard chose not to dwell. It would be a waste of time.

He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see the sidewalk empty. The man who was waiting had disappeared. This added to the misgiving about his luck. "I need a favor."

"What's that?"

"I need a ride home."

"Are you nuts? You won't get near that place! There's going to be surveillance until you're captured."

"I'm aware. But I need to see my family. I'll deal with the risk and consequences."

"And how do you think that will play out? You won't get within ten feet of your driveway. Then it's off to the Trench - no questions asked. You could get the best lawyer on this world or any other - Security will still convict you of something. There's just way too much."

"I've considered all that. But my wife and kids deserve to know I'm alive. At this point nothing else matters. I thought other things did – but a second sleep in a cold alley puts a lot into perspective. If this is what my life's become I might as well be dead or in the Trench."

"I'd prefer sleeping on the street for the rest of my life! Going home is a suicide mission – plain and simple. Hide out for a bit, maybe even skip town and come up with a real plan!"

Richard frowned. "Everyone knows my face. I can't skip town – and it's not like I can get fake documents, plastic surgery or even a retina swap. I've got no money and no means to make any."

"There's ways to get money."

"I won't stoop to those levels."

"What if I just gave it to you?"

"That's not what I want."

Alex paused, looked around the room and sighed. "There may be other options."

"At this point I'm open to anything."

"Give me an hour and I'll be there. You okay to hide that long?"

"I'll be fine. Just come and get me."