Dark Museum

Ajay

The cab stopped on 64th between 5th and Madison in front of the Indian Consulate. While the driver concerned himself with tallying the tab, Ajay checked the rearview window for the taxi that had followed them from the airport.

"Sixty," the driver said.

Central Park lay at the intersection, traffic humming in front of it. Though pedestrians choked the sidewalks, no one looked familiar.

"Sixty dollars," the driver repeated.

Ajay patted his back pockets, his chest. He'd paid for the taxi going to the airport with the application on the borrowed phone. This was a regular yellow cab he'd entered to escape the gunfire at the airport. This man wanted cash.

"I don't have my wallet," Ajay said.

"I take credit cards."

"I don't have any money. I can go inside—"

"You don't have any money! How were you gonna take care of me if you don't have any money? How is it you think businesses work in this country?"

"I was in danger and I didn't think."

"You sure didn't think. The only place I'm letting you out is the police station if you don't manufacture some funds quick."

But the police might help more than the consulate could at this point.

"Fine," Ajay said. "Let's go to the police."

Someone banged on the driver's window from the sidewalk.

Nasir.

The driver rolled the window a crack. "I'll be free once this asshole pays me. I'm about to escort him to the police."

"How much does he owe?" Nasir asked, wallet out.

"Sixty."

Nasir handed over a hundred dollar bill and the driver unlocked the backseat doors. Ajay exited and ran down the sidewalk while the cab peeled away.

He could surely disappear in the park. Enough people clustered around every street corner, he might blend in before he got there. If his clothes were layered, he could shed his garments as he went; nab a baseball cap from a souvenir vendor and complete the transformation.

But Nasir closed behind him, muscled arms pumping, teeth bared in a grimace. Even if Ajay could disrobe, Nasir never broke his gaze.

Ajay almost made it to the intersection when Nasir tackled him to the ground. Sitting on his back, he pinned Ajay's hands and legs and bent forward to growl in his ear, "I'm trying to help you, goddammit!"

"Bull shit. You threatened me. You threatened my family!" He stopped struggling when three police officers ran around the corner.

Nasir offered a hand and helped Ajay to his feet. "It's fine," he said to the police. "There's no problem."

The officers didn't approach any farther but hung around the area.

"Don't run, okay?" Nasir said, catching his breath.

"What the hell is going on? What have you done?"

"I didn't do anything. I'm being blackmailed, okay? Someone wants me to bring you in, and if I don't, she'll go to the police with information about me. I want to help you, but I have to look out for myself too."

"My family—?"

"I don't even know where they're living now. I would never do anything to them. I needed you to run, and I needed to be able to catch up with you later. I couldn't tell you anything when we met in the woods with Erica around. Please trust me. I want to help you."