Lost Game Notes (Novel)

Chapter 12: Reappearance

Earlier that day...

Dawn wished she could stay in the comfort of the motel room forever, but she knew she had to move on. She couldn't be certain, but she thought she had spotted the same straw hat she had seen in the train moving through a crowd close to the motel.

After a quick breakfast of a box of orange juice and rationed, stale bread, Dawn donned her bulky black jacket, then twisted her hair into a bun, pinned it in place with pins, and crammed a cap over her head. She retrieved her satchel from under the bed, and after a quick look around the simple room, slipped through the door.

The reception was empty, except for the uniformed man at the desk smacking gum like a cow chewing its cud.

Dawn stood in front of the desk. "Morning, Sir. I'm checking out."

The man made a lazy effort to lift his head and drop it in a nod. Dawn stayed put until he had scribbled down the information. Then she pulled out the wallet from the inside pocket of her jacket and carefully counted the fare. After setting the bill down, she turned and walked straight out the doors, which were splayed out like open arms, welcoming in the hazy heat of early morning.

To anyone she looked like a causal passer-by, but her eyes never stopped moving here and there, searching every passing face, looking around corners. She kept her hands in her pockets, fingers of the right grazing a switch-blade.

Dawn was about to let out a sigh and roll her tense shoulders, when her eyes caught on a reflection in the window of a flower shop. White t-shirt, khaki pants, red face, wide-brimmed straw hat.

It was him. The man from the train.

Dawn could have cursed, like those foul, drunk men who pounded at the door every evening, back when she was living with her mother, Olivia. She wouldn't be like them for the world. She had despised the way the raucous, rough voices had made Olivia tremble as they heaved furniture against the door. The windows had always stayed tightly shut and boarded, with blinds drawn. There was hardly ever a beam of natural light in the tiny, stuffy house.

Dawn turned a sharp corner, calculating the distance to a brick-walled restaurant, and sprinted the few steps to the glass doors. She turned into the lively eating area bustling with activity, eyes roaming for the bathrooms. She ducked around people and waiters and dashed into the ladies bathroom. She slipped into a stall and locked the door securely.

Then, she pulled a pair of sneakers out of her backpack, exchanging them for the sandals she wore. She reversed her bulky jacket, and pulled on a plaid skirt over the leggings she wore.

It was barely good enough, but it would have to do. She hadn't given much thought to packing a wardrobe of clothes for disguise. She hadn't thought she would need it. But wait... Was that admitting a fault?

Dawn exhaled shakily. Her stomach felt queasy as she sat on the closed lid of the toilet and pulled out her cellphone. The screen lit up and when unlocked, and she searched the short list of contacts. She selected the one titled Hudson.

Her heart skipped a beat each time the line beeped. Don't panic yet, she told herself. He's probably still asleep. When the line beeped again and cut, she did begin to panic.

Hudson had promised to keep his cell fully charged and on at all times. So what was this? Was he backing out? Had he leaked her plans to Lawrence? Maybe he really did see her as a dumb almost-thirteen year old. If only he knew all she had gone through.

An empty battery signal flashed across the cell screen, and Dawn felt her hopes start to plummet. She had forgotten to turn the damn thing off. Old as it was, it had a battery as good as an old-person's bladder.

She was completely alone now. But yet, that wouldn't stop her. Dawn was determined. When she set her mind to things, she saw that she got them done, and done best as she could. Just like her mother...

In any case, she had a mission to accomplish, and God knew how much time left on the ticking bomb.


*****


When Alex and Kamila neared Alex's house, Kamila took her cloak back and wrapped it around her shoulders.