Second Chances

by Phelps, K. L.

  "Where did they go after that?" Linda asked, cutting the man off mid-argument.

  The woman shrugged. "I don't know. I saw them head up the street, but after that no clue."

  Wonderful, thanks for nothing you stupid bitch!

  Linda jumped the railing herself, startling the couple she had been talking with. She scanned the sidewalk on either side of the street. The streets weren't crowded, but there was enough foot traffic that she forced herself to look slowly as not to overlook anyone. They were nowhere in sight.

  "Shit!"

  "Excuse me," a male voice from behind said.

  Linda reached into her purse, grabbing her cell phone. Screw protocol.

  "Excuse me, Miss," came the voice again.

  Linda swiped her finger across the screen, waking the device up and began to punch in her security code.

  "Miss, excuse me."

  The hand on her arm startled her and she dropped her phone. It slammed into the pavement shattering the shiny screen even as the grip on her arm began to turn her towards the voice. She swung a little off balance and when she brought her foot down it wasn't on the sidewalk, but on the phone. The sound of crunching plastic nearly made her heart stop. She felt dizzy, not from spinning around, but at the thought of having to face Kassar's anger. She was briefly filled with fear, but that quickly turned to rage.

  "What? What the hell do you want?" she demanded.

  Her words were like a physical slap. The man released her, stumbled back a step or two and pulled his hand back against his chest, as if trying to avoid the bite of a wild animal. Oliver looked at her, eyes wide and lower lip trembling.

  "Well?"

  He made a sound, a barely audible squeak of incoherence. He glanced back at the table and Linda saw the tray set up next to the table with the three meals upon it.

  "Oh for Christ's sake!" She reached into her purse. Her hand brushed her gun and for the briefest of moments a sick little fantasy played through her mind. It was the sound of the heavy motor rumbling the vehicle forward that drew her attention away from the gun and may have saved Oliver's life. In her current state, Linda might well have acted on her desire, however insanely foolish it was. Her conversation with Kassar had rattled her, and the one she was going to have to have with him terrified her even more. She looked at the source of the noise and saw the bus up the street begin to move in her direction, a cloud of black smoke trailing it.

  "The bus, they got on the bus," she mumbled to herself. She hadn't seen it happen, but she was certain she was right. Where else could they be? She hadn't been away from the table long. The bus seemed like the only answer. She tried to look in the windows as it sped up and lumbered past. The sun reflecting off the dirty windows made it near impossible to see anything, but she was certain she saw Paige looking back at her from one of the windows.

  "Shit," she said to herself as the bus continued on down the road. She looked at the license plate, but the thing was dirty and the only thing she was certain of was that there was a number three in it. Kassar was going to kill her. Perhaps literally.

  Oliver made another noise, still nothing too vocal or coherent, but it drew her attention back to the man. She pushed the gun aside and grabbed some cash. She tossed it at Oliver, who jumped back until he realized what it was that she was throwing at him. He tried to catch the money, but failed. He picked up the two bills that had landed on his side of the railing, but the third had landed on the opposite side. At no time did even consider asking the crazed woman to pick it up for him. For a moment he thought she was going to do it anyway, but soon realized she was scooping up the pieces of her shattered phone. He waited until she started moving away before climbing over the railing himself and snagging the last bill. He counted the money and realized it wasn't enough to cover the entire bill, but it was close enough as far as he was concerned.

  He climbed back over the railing, offering a weak smile to the restaurant patrons around him. He looked back, watched the crazy woman get into a parked car and pull out into the middle of traffic. Tires squealed and horns honked, but she managed not to crash and moments later she was gone.

  "Too bad no one hit her," Oliver mumbled to himself. He walked over to the tray he'd set down by the table. He grabbed the fresh vodka tonic and downed it before retreating into the safety of the restaurant. The hell with the tray of food, let the busboy clean it up.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  They were able to witness the entire scene from their vantage point by the pharmacy window. Neither of them knew exactly what was being said between the waiter and Linda, but they got the gist of the exchange. Paige gasped when Linda pulled into traffic, cringing a little as she witnessed the narrow misses. Nathan found he wasn't surprised at all.

  "She's following the bus," she said. "Isn't she?"

  "I think so."

  It was true. Linda had believed that they had gotten on the bus and was following it. Would she try and get it to pull over? Would she try to get on and search it? Was that possible? Was that rational? What exactly was going on? What had they gotten into? Those were not the actions of someone who had just been ditched by an old friend. He didn't know who the heck acted like that, but he was now very glad they hadn't gotten on that bus.

  "Nathan?"

  He shook his head, too many questions and not nearly enough answers swirling around in his mind.

  "Nathan?"

  He looked away from the window and turned his attention to Paige. She was visibly shaken and that was completely understandable. So was he. It wasn't often that...that what? What exactly had just happened and what exactly had they just escaped from? That is what it had felt like, an escape. Both of them believed that to be true.

  "Why did we just do that?" Page asked. "I...I mean, I think we did the right thing. I don't know why I think that, but I do."

  The question echoed in his head and he answered as best as he could.

  "I don't know." And that was the truth, he didn't know everything or maybe even much of anything. However, he understood Paige's question.

  "Why?" she asked again.

  Nathan held up a finger, asking for a moment. He glanced out the window again, all quiet now, and then motioned for her to wait there. He turned and walked over to the checkout counter. An older man, who was desperately clinging to the belief that he wasn't bald by the way of a four strand comb-over, stood behind the counter by the cash register. He'd been watching the couple since they had arrived. He had been trying to figure them out, standing there huddled together whispering to each other. Had they been a younger couple, he'd have guessed they were there to buy condoms but were too embarrassed to complete the transaction. But they definitely weren't kids so he didn't have a clue what they were doing, but as long as they weren't stealing anything or trying to rob him, he really didn't care. One thing he was certain of though. They were tourist and he hated tourist.

  "I wonder if I could bother you," Nathan began.

  "Going to buy something?"

  "Well no."

  "Then go bother someone else. This register is open for paying customers."

  "No, you don't understand."

  "Oh I understand. It's you who doesn't. If you aren't a paying customer you don't need to be here. Next!" the man called with a smug smile on his face.

  Nathan looked around. Next? What next? It looked like he and Paige were the only people in the store.

  "Okay fine."

  Nathan grabbed a pack of gum from the rack and dropped it on the counter. The guy picked it up and scanned it.

  "Will that be all? We have a special on batteries, but only size C. Stupid Luis ordered an extra case. Three packages for only ten dollars. But that's only on size C mind you."

  "No I don't want any batteries. I don't even want the gum."

  "Then why did you have me ring it up? Have nothing better to do then waste my time? If you don't want the gum then please don't pull it off the shelf. Stuff isn't going to restock itself you know."
The man picked up the gum and returned it to the rack. "Next!"

  "What the hell?"

  "Hey, take that potty mouth somewhere else. Next!"

  "There is no next," Nathan said as he looked around the store.

  "I know. I'm not senile you know," the man said with a hint of a smile. He couldn't hold it any longer and a dry cackle escaped him.

  Nathan had to laugh as well. The guy was just screwing with him for fun. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a bill.

  "Look, here is twenty bucks. Could you just call a taxi for me. Tell them there is something extra in it if they can get here fast."

  The man nodded and took the bill from Nathan. He held it up to the light as if inspecting it and finally decided it was real.

  "Sure, I can do that for you."

  "Thank you," Nathan said as he turned to rejoin Paige.

  "So you don't want any batteries then?" The man let loose another laugh as he picked up the phone.

  Nathan returned to Paige and for a moment they stood in silence. She held her questions as Nathan kept his eyes locked on the man at the counter. After a minute the man put the phone down.

  "Be here in five or six minutes," he called out to them. Nathan nodded then took Paige by the hand and headed outside. He heard the man call out 'next' as the door closed behind them and he couldn't suppress a smile.

  "What was all that?"

  "Old guy was just messing with me."

  Paige squeezed Nathan's hand.

  "Not that, before."

  Nathan nodded. He'd known what she'd meant.

  "Let's cross the street, you'll be able to see better."

  Able to see what better?

  She didn't voice the question, but Nathan was certain she was thinking it. They rushed across the street, going against the light.

  "So?" she asked when they reached the other side.

  Nathan wasn't exactly sure how he should tell her. Was there even an easy way? If there was, he certainly couldn't see it.

  "Nathan? I am starting to feel quite foolish about all this. Please, why did I just ditch my best friend?"

  "I don't know who Linda works for, but she was lying before. Of that I am certain."

  "What? How?"

  "What was the name of the firm she said she worked for?"

  Paige was silent for a moment as she tried to recall the name. "Johnson, Barnes and Block?"

  Nathan nodded.

  "So? You don't think the firm exists? I mean there are likely dozens, if not hundreds of firms. You said yourself that you'd never been here. How can you know it doesn't exist?"

  Nathan shook his head. "No, there may actually be a firm with that name, not that Linda would know."

  "What?"

  "Look," he said, gesturing across and down the street.

  Paige tried to follow where he was pointing. She looked down the street at the various storefronts across from the restaurant they had fled from.

  "I don't get it. What am I supposed to see?"

  "Look at the stores," he said, not elaborating. Would she see it too?

  "What? H&R Block. Barnes&Noble. Johnson's Bakery."

  Nathan watched her. She pursed her lips together, her nose scrunched up in an adorable way it always did when she was thinking.

  "That has to be a coincidence," she said, though her voice trembled slightly and he knew she was trying to convince herself.

  "Johnson, Barnes and Block, blood sucking lawyers my ass."

  Paige was quiet for a minute. She kept looking down at the storefronts.

  "That can't be all. We didn't just ditch my old friend over a strange coincidence."

  Before Nathan could answer, a horn honked. Both looked over and saw a taxi parked in front of the pharmacy.

  "Come on," Nathan said, once again taking her by the hand. They rushed across the street and piled into the back of the taxi.

  "I'm waiting for..." the woman driver began.

  "For us," Nathan finished. "Thanks for being so quick."

  "Okay, so where to?"

  Nathan told her to take them back to their hotel.

  "So?" Paige asked once they were underway. "What is it? I know its not just the name thing."

  "Here," he said, pulling the photograph out of his pocket.

  Paige took the photo and looked at it, a sad smile upon her face. What had she done? The smiling face in the photograph looked back at her. Why the heck had she just run away from her old friend? Why was she acting so crazy? Why did she trust this man she had just met?

  "And I am supposed to see what exactly? I mean, what am I supposed to see besides myself and my friend I just foolishly ditched?"

  "For starters, how about her shadow?"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  She caught up with the bus just as it was pulling away from its next stop. Linda scanned the people milling about on the sidewalk. She didn't see Paige or that man she had been with.

  "Nathan. His name was Nathan," she said to herself. Had she already reported that? She was pretty sure she had. Hadn't she?

  She gave the people one more quick glance and slipped the car back into drive and slammed her foot on the gas pedal, peeling out and startling the people on the sidewalk. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Where was the bus? Had it turned? Her right eyelid began to twitch and she swore aloud. She wanted to reach out and stop the tick, but was too afraid to take her hands off the wheel.

  What would she do if she caught up with Paige? What could she do? Something had definitely spooked them and set them running. If she caught up, how would she convince them that things were fine? How would she convince Paige to come with her?

  "There!"

  She spotted the bus pulling to a stop ahead. How the heck could she have not seen that?

  She swung around the bus and slammed her car into park. She leapt out of her car, leaving it running, the door wide open and sticking into the next lane of traffic. She rushed to the side of the bus, the door had just closed. She slammed the palm of her hand against the door repeatedly.

  "What the hell?" the driver demanded as he flipped open the door.

  Linda ignored him and ran up the steps of the bus. Her eyes scanned the rows of seats. There were less than a dozen people seated inside, neither Paige nor Nathan among them.

  "Lady, what the hell? Is that your car blocking me? What are you doing?"

  The driver looked at the woman who was ignoring his questions. Her eyes were wild, the right one was twitching like crazy. His left hand began to reach toward the baseball bat he kept on the side of his seat. The world was going more and more nuts everyday.

  Linda scanned the faces for a third time. They were definitely not here and there was nowhere for them to hide on the bus. She glanced to her right and noticed the driver was reaching for something.

  Oh crap!

  "My...my..."

  The driver stopped reaching. "What?"

  Think damn it!

  "My daughter! She is fifteen. Blue dress. Ponytail. Did she get on? We were at lunch and had a fight. I went to the bathroom and when I came back she was gone. I couldn't find her in the restaurant and someone there said they thought she got on this bus. It was two stops back, did you see her?"

  Lost daughter. Sure, now he understood why she was acting so stressed.

  "Nah. Sorry lady, no one got on back there."

  "Are you sure? No one got on?"

  "Nope, just drop offs. Last guy I picked up was four stops ago, that dude." The driver indicated a man wearing a black T-shirt in the middle of the bus.

  "Oh, okay. Well, thanks," she said as she reached up and touched her twitching eyelid.

  "Good luck, lady," the driver said sincerely as she exited the bus.

  Linda got back into her car and pulled back into traffic.

  "Now I am really screwed," she muttered to herself.

  She decided the best thing she could do would be to report in as soon as possible, so she quickly returned to her apartment
. She snapped up the phone as soon as she entered, tossing her purse on the couch. She flipped on the computer as she waited for him to pick up.

  "Kassar."

  "We have a problem," she blurted.

  Silence.

  "I lost her."

  Continued silence.

  "When I came back from phoning you they were gone."

  Her eye began to twitch again and her bladder suddenly felt very full.

  "Kassar are you there? Are you hearing this?"

  Oh say something before I wet myself!

  "I hear you and I see you,"

  She looked over at the computer and saw Kassar's face in a small box on the screen. She hated that damn remote access.

  "What happened," his voice coming now from the computer's speakers.

  Linda sighed, dropped the phone onto the desk and sat down in front of the computer.

  "I don't know. Like I said before, that guy seemed to be pushing really hard."

  "Yes, hold on a moment. Jimmy has sent me the photo. Jimmy are you there?"

  A second small box popped up on the computer screen and Jimmy Hanson, computer geek extraordinaire, appeared.

  "Here boss. You get the picture?"

  She could see Kassar was looking at a sheet of paper.

  "Yeah, just printed it. I don't know. He looks kind of familiar to me. What do we know about him?"

  "Nothing yet," Jimmy replied. "Since we don't have a last name or a set of prints to work with, this could take a while. I'm trying to run facial recognition, but for some reason I am getting denied access to our main systems. Must be some kind of glitch or something. However, until access is restored, I'm having to piggyback on outside systems which means this could take forever, unless we get a lucky hit."

  "And we've been so lucky so far," Kassar sneered. "So what happened?"

  "Like I said, I came back and they were gone."

  "What about before you left them?"

  "I already told you."

  "Tell me again."