Dark Museum

Ajay

He hadn't gone into the hospital with them but waited in the car for the fourth time. Ajay contemplated running. Measuring the first three times, Nasir and Erica took about twenty minutes before returning to the car. This time they'd parked in the garage, and while it was well lit, there were more places to hide than if the car were parked in the open.

With no money or transportation, he'd have to circle around the building and enter the hospital in a different wing, beg someone to give him bus fare, and try the airport thing again.

They'd probably call the police instead. Ajay could spend the rest of his life trying to explain to them what had happened, but honestly, he might never get home. His alternative would be to stay in the car, turned in like a prize capture, turned back into a statue.

Ajay opened the car door in time to see Erica and Nasir carrying a body wrapped in a sheet between the two of them. He gaped, pretending to hold the door open for them as they stuffed the body in the backseat where he'd been sitting.

"What—?" The rest of the question dropped off, too terrible to ask.

"Later," Nasir said.

He and Erica sat him up as best they could, letting his head and shoulders slump to the seat.

"Get in, Ajay," Nasir barked, jumping behind the wheel.

A bare foot peeked from beneath the sheet, and Ajay backed against the neighboring car, his heart pounding.

"Who is this?" he asked. "Is he dead? I can't touch a dead body."

"Get in the car," Erica said, slamming the passenger door as she took her place.

"What the hell is going on?" Ajay put his head in the car.

"I'm not explaining anything here. We have to leave. Get in the backseat."

Ajay stared at the wrapped body.

"Get in the car."

Ajay swallowed and sat in the backseat. The man's head encroached on his side of the car. No matter how Ajay angled himself, he couldn't get away from it.

Nasir exited the parking lot.

When no one said anything, with Erica turning back, checking for followers, Ajay gingerly peeled the sheet from the man's face.

"Oh, shit," he whispered.

It was Josh, pale and bruised and stitched together.

"Ajay, listen," Erica said.

"We all gave him a hard time," Ajay said, "but he was a good guy. He didn't deserve to go out like this."

He covered the face.

"And it's inhumane to have to ride next to him like this."

"Ajay—"

"I mean, I know you have to collect us and bring us in, but this is too much."

"He's not dead."

Ajay frowned, uncovering Josh's head and chest. When he looked for it, the movements of breath were there.

"Is he okay to be out of the hospital?" Ajay asked instead. "He isn't — he hasn't come to."

"Leave him alone," Erica said. "He's fine."

"No — What happened to him?" Ajay continued.

Erica's phone rang. "Shit, it's Sean!"

Nasir took his eyes off the road to look at the phone's display. "Demetri."

The phone continued ringing.

"I can't talk to him," Erica said.

"I'm driving. Find out what he wants."

Erica sighed and answered, "Hello?"

Josh's eyes eased open to slits. After struggling in slow motion with the sheet trapping his arms and legs, Ajay unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to untangle him.

"What's going on?" Josh breathed. He trembled beneath Ajay's hands, continuing his attempt to free himself. "Where am I?" Blood spotted the white sheet where stitches in Josh's arms opened.

Ajay tugged the sheet until he freed Josh, who clutched his chest and leaned his head back on the seat, wincing, panting. He wore nothing but a hospital gown.

"Demetri's at the hotel," Erica said, hanging up the phone. "Our hotel! He says two other people who were with him in the museum are checked in a few doors down from us. He's waiting to ambush them"

"That's five. We could bring everyone in together and be done with this bullshit."