Mister Nobody

Chapter 6

Jack's head perked up as he heard the sound of a car approaching, along with a set of flashing lights reflecting off the roof of the parking garage. Cursing in his head, he stayed low and laid on the ground so that the cop that was in the car couldn't see him. Staying behind the car, he watched the wheels of the police car slowly drive by as it moved up to the next level, the searchlight passing over his head and scanning the wall. Then, it's engine revved slightly as it pulled away. Sighing in relief, Jack couldn't believe they were still searching for him. It had been almost 2 hours since the chase in the mall, and Jack had spent it running through alleyways and hiding in this parking garage. His neck and back were aching, and he needed a way out now. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew he couldn't stay here forever. Getting up, he crouched and slowly made his way behind the cars, towards a small ledge that led into an alleyway right next to the garage. Leaping down off of it, Jack saw no one in the alley, but since they'd made his clothes, he needed to ditch them and find a better disguise. Hearing coughing, Jack instinctively pulled out his gun, and saw a form lying on the ground moving and groaning. It was a homeless man. "Hey mister, you gotta quarter?" He said in a slurred, drunk voice. That gave Jack an idea, and he walked up to the hobo pulling out his wallet. "I'll do you one better." pulling out two of the 20 dollar bills, he offered them to him, and the hobo's eyes widened. "Give me your coat." Nodding slowly, the homeless man started to take off his tattered jacket.

The clothes smelled like vomit and old beer, but Jack knew it was better than nothing. Keeping his hands in his pockets, he walked along the back streets of Midtown, hoping he could at least find a place to hide out. He could hear a few police cars passing on the main roads, but thankfully none went into the neighbourhoods. Looking up, he saw a sign for a roach motel, and knew that this would be perfect. Walking inside, he saw an older lady smoking a cigarette at the front desk. "I'd like a room, please." He said as he went over to the desk. The lady took a long drag and then blew some smoke out between her wrinkled lips. "40 bucks a night." Nodding, Jack pulled out two more of the bills, thinking he could stay here until he figured out what to do next. Passing her the money, the lady gave Jack a key and jerked her thumb up towards the ceiling. "Second floor, last door on your right." Nodding, Jack walked towards the set of rickety stairs, and went up to the second floor. Passing by the other rooms, he could people shouting, a baby crying, loud music playing, and the unmistakable smell of weed. New York certainly had a way of showing itself. Heading to the last door, Jack opened the lock with the key, and walked inside. The room had a cot for a bed, and a small card table for a living room. There was a fridge that looked like it was from the 70s in the kitchen, and Jack didn't even want to think about going into the bathroom. "Certainly not the Time Warner Building." He muttered to himself as he closed the door and locked it behind him.

A few hours later, Jack awoke from a distressed nap, feeling more tired than before he had gone to sleep. Sitting up on the slightly crusty cot, he rubbed his eyes and looked out at the New York skyline, or at least as much he could see. The sun was beginning to set, lighting the sky up in a brilliant orange and making the tops of the buildings in the distance shine. He could hear the sound of the L-Train rumbling in the background, and he knew that sleep was out of the question. Looking over at the table, he could see the phone, wallet, and gun sitting there. Jack knew that there was no backing out of this now, so perhaps he could try and get some answers. Walking over to the phone, he tapped the home button, the screen lighting up and asking for a four-digit passcode. Sighing, Jack placed the phone back on the table. There went that angle. He had no idea what the code was, or even if the phone was actually even his. He still had a lot of money, maybe enough to buy a plane ticket, that was if the police hadn't closed down JFK or Laguardia. Looking at the TV, he decided to see what the update on his situation was. Grabbing the remote, he turned it on and flipped to the news. Already he could see a picture of his face from a security camera and video of him beating up the cops in the mall. Sighing, he sat down and listened to the newscaster. "Police have identified this man, Jack DeLancie, a 27-year old from Hartford, Connecticut, as the one who lead police on a high-speed chase down West 58th Street earlier today, as well as fire shots within the Time Warner Center itself. Authorities urge all civilians to stay away from this man, but report him if you see him, as he is considered armed and extremely dangerous."

Jack rubbed his face as he listened to the report, then turned the TV off. He was a wanted fugitive now, and held been the cause of it. Or had he? He still had no idea what this whole Ralston thing was about, or why he was in New York in the first place. He couldn't remember anything from the past few days, and he had no way of contacting anyone he knew. There had to be some way to get in touch, but right now, he needed to get out of New York as soon as possible. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Jack's eyes widened as his head whipped towards the door, and he rushed over to the table and grabbed the gun instinctively. He wasn't prepared to shoot anybody, but he wouldn't be arrested. The knocking came again, this time more fiercely. Walking over to the door slowly, he kept his gun trained on it. Looking through the peephole, he could see a single person, a woman who looked to be slightly older than him, with blonde hair tied up in a messy bun at the back of her head, wearing a long grey coat. Just as Jack was wondering if she was a cop or something, she spoke. "A Knight moves to Rook 2 and takes the pawn. What's your move?" As if Jack was on autopilot, he spoke a response. "Rook moves to Rook 2 and takes Knight." The woman on the other side of the door sighed. "Jack, I need you to open the door."