by J C Lane
“Yes. I’ll tell you as soon as we’re somewhere safe.”
“Which means not here, right?” Sydney waited until the tour guide was looking the other way, and hailed a cab. While it was pulling up, Sydney gave the tour guide a thumbs-up, as if to say they were ready to get in line now. The tour guide gestured for everyone to follow, saying they needed to be patient as they waited in line, since there was a long one that day. No one noticed when Adam slid Laura onto his lap in the cab, and Sydney dove in after them.
“Where to?” the cab driver said.
Sydney and Adam looked at Laura, but she was out of ideas. “Lots of people,” she said quietly.
“How about the mall?” Sydney said, happily.
“No!”
Sydney gave a short laugh. “Why not?”
“Because that’s Home Base, and It’s already there, or at least her thugs are.”
“Thugs?” Adam said.
“Where to?” the cabbie said again.
Laura dropped her head into her hands.
“How ’bout the zoo?” Adam said.
The cabbie didn’t move. “Which one?”
“Lincoln Park.”
The driver merged into traffic, and they were on their way. Laura twisted toward the back window just in time to see one of Brandy’s goons step out of a Hummer. She dropped out of sight so fast she thumped her head on Adam’s shoulder.
Sydney leaned down. “You saw them?”
“One.”
“Who?”
Laura glanced at the cabbie. “Not now.” She wriggled off Adam’s lap into the middle of the seat. They were on the move. They. As in her and some other people. That was the way she liked it. The way she worked best. She scooted closer to Sydney, resting her head on her shoulder.
Sydney put her arm around her. “We’ve got you now.”
Sydney kept a tight hold on Laura, as if someone could grab her right out of the cab, even with the window closed. It was the best Laura had felt since those last comfortable minutes in the Wengers’ house, and she was glad to be back to her normal way—surrounding herself with people, instead of trying to figure things out herself. She just had to make sure Sydney and Adam didn’t pay for it.
As they approached the zoo Laura checked her watch. “Nine minutes to the next transmission. Should we get out here? Or drive around some more?”
Sydney leaned forward. “Keep driving, okay? Just straight down the road.”
“Not the zoo?”
“Not yet.”
Sydney grabbed Laura’s hand and twisted it so she could see the countdown. “At four and a half minutes we’ll have him turn around and get ready to drive back. That way we’re still close enough to use the zoo for a few minutes, but no one will know exactly where we are.”
The watch buzzed when they got to Park West Playlot Park.
“Turn around, cabbie,” Sydney said. “And drive like the wind to Lincoln Park Zoo.”
Robert
Holy crap, did the man ever stop talking? The mechanic was still going on about the morons who “did this to that young man” and how he’d warned them to “stay off his property and get a life. But did they listen?”
Robert swallowed his rage and stared at the double doors. The security guard remained by the wall, arms crossed, watching Robert from the corner of his eye, like Robert wouldn’t know. Like Robert couldn’t take the guy down with two good punches. The girl with the clipboard had left. Nobody was making any effort to let Robert know whether Tyrese was in the back, and he assumed they wouldn’t.
Robert made a show of standing and stretching.
“Gonna get a drink.”
The mechanic stopped mid-sentence, surprised at the interruption.
Robert meandered to the water cooler on the other side of the room. He pulled the paper cone from the sleeve, checking his watch as he did so.
Runner is out of range.
He drank the water and walked closer to the double doors. The security guard followed Robert with his eyes, shifting his feet, like he was ready for action. Robert smiled at him, glancing through the windows as he walked past. No Tyrese. Just a nurse, walking toward the back hallway with an empty wheelchair.
Robert kept moving past the security guard, looked out the front windows, and returned to his seat.
“I hope he’s all right,” Robert said. “They won’t tell me anything.”
“Can’t, you know,” the mechanic said. “They can’t tell me, either, even though I brought him here. But I figure if I wait, he’ll come out and let me know how he is. I feel responsible, you know, since it was my—”
“—property. Yes, I know. You mentioned it once or twice.”
Mike raised his eyebrows. “Sorry. Just worried.”
“That he’ll sue you?”
“No. That he’s hurting.” The mechanic eyed him. “How did you say you know him?”
He hadn’t. “Basketball. We play together.”
“And you knew he was here at the hospital because…”
“We were supposed to meet up at the gas station to carpool downtown. Only he didn’t show.”
“He showed. But he didn’t say anything about being there to meet someone.”
“Of course not. By the time you found him his arm was broken and he wasn’t thinking straight. You said he didn’t talk to you.”
The mechanic kept his eyes on Robert’s face. “And who told you he was here?”
“The morons. I saw them in the gas station when I went in to look for Tyrese.”
The mechanic’s face clouded over again. “Idiots.”
“Won’t argue with you there. No, wait. It was actually your employee…Stan? He told me I could find you here.”
The mechanic sighed and rubbed his face, like he was wishing his employee hadn’t been so helpful. “Ever break a bone?” he finally asked. “Know how long it’s going to take back there?”
“It’ll be a while. X-rays, painkillers, catching the docs when they have time.” At least Robert hoped it took a while, so he could figure out how to get into those rooms, or just near enough to push the Tag button. He glanced around. Maybe he could get closer from the outside of the building.
He tapped his phone. “I’m going outside, make some calls, see if Tyrese contacted anyone else. I know they don’t like people using phones inside the hospital.”
Mike craned his neck to look up as Robert stood. “Sure. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
Robert nodded at the security guard and headed out the ER door. Nobody was around, so he took his time getting the lay of the land. The ER was on the side of the building. To his left was the front entrance, where he would be bound to run into somebody. To his right was the actual ER wing. That’s what he wanted.
He strolled to the right on the sidewalk, doing his best to look like a family member getting some fresh air while waiting for a loved one. It wasn’t so far from reality. He was waiting.
Once he was around the corner he took stock. Not a lot of windows in the ER wing, but that shouldn’t matter. He checked his proximity meter.
Runner is out of range.
Nothing. He continued along the wall, his heart pounding. Still nothing. He smacked the brick, then looked around to make sure no one was watching. Although it wouldn’t matter. Family members would show frustration. He wouldn’t be the first person angry about a trip to the ER.
He turned the corner, ending up at the back of the hospital. Again he checked his watch, and again he was disappointed. By the time he arrived at the front, he was convinced Tyrese was in the basement, or wherever the hospital had its radiology department. He would just have to wait. He passed two geezers volunteering for valet duty—like he would ever let an ancient, blind, old guy touch his car—and went in the front doors, checking his watch.
> When he arrived in the waiting room, Mike the mechanic was no longer in his seat. Robert scanned the room, only to find Mike by the double doors, talking to the nurse Robert had seen through the window, pushing the empty wheelchair. They were joined by Mouse Girl and the security guard. Mike was frowning, and the nurse made wild gestures. Robert strode over. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
They stopped talking and looked up at him.
“Your friend…” Mike said. “He’s gone.”
Charles
The stupid girl still wasn’t taking this seriously. Amanda Paniagua obviously thought she was playing a game with one of the lesser beings from cyberspace, like she was used to. There she sat in the park, waiting for the next transmission to go, as if that could throw him off the scent. As if she had thrown him off at all, from the very beginning. He’d followed her the entire time, anticipating her moves, knowing how she was trying to fool him. Those kinds of tricks had most likely taken in online opponents again and again. Not this time. Not in the real world.
A shiny black Hummer pulled up to the park, and an extremely large man exited the passenger door and lumbered around, swiveling his head side to side. Another man, just as large as the first, climbed out of the driver’s side and stood, arms crossed, scanning the area where Charles sat. A wire snaked from his ear down the back of his neck, and dark sunglasses hid his eyes. Secret Service? FBI?
Charles pulled out his tablet and opened the app he had created to tell him what technology was being used in the area. He minimized the search to within fifty feet. A dozen phones, several tablets, iPods, a few Fitbits…and a scanner with the same signature as the smartwatch Charles was wearing for the Game.
His heart raced, but he kept his feelings in check, casually studying everyone in his vicinity. Families. College students. A group of Japanese tourists. But he knew where the origin of the signal would be. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.
He tightened the proximity of his scan, triangulating the area between him and the Hummer. Sure enough, the signal came directly from the vehicle, so strong it was like they’d amplified it. He could now see a shadow in the backseat, behind the tinted glass. Not another monster, like the two men. Someone smaller. But that was all he could make out.
Charles pulled his sunglasses from his bag, flipping the switch as his fingers brushed the frame. These glasses were more than what the average person could use to surf the Web, take pictures, or receive directions to the nearest Italian restaurant. Charles had modified them to scan for heat signatures, bone density, technology, and weapons. They could even read a person’s vital signs, heart rate, blood sugar, and brain activity. The modifications had been a challenge. For a day.
He spoke quietly. “Scan for age and vitals.”
The glasses went to work, and within seconds Charles received the information that the target was a sixteen-year-old Caucasian female who had eaten within the half hour, but hadn’t slept for twenty-two. The license plate on the Hummer, which Charles could read without the help of extra glasses, pinpointed the vehicle to be from Dane County, two hours, thirty-nine minutes from Chicago. Madison, Wisconsin, of course.
The man traversing the park came back and joined the other thug on the driver’s side. The center window slid open, and Charles had his glasses snap several photos. Within seconds he’d used facial recognition software to identify the Wisconsin girl. Brandy Inkrott. Daughter of Inkrott Investments mogul Peter Inkrott. Spoiled brat. Half silicone. Worth millions, or at least her father was. A perfect example of who Charles would be playing against in today’s Game. But it didn’t look like she was having any luck. She spoke sharply to the men, and they climbed back into the Hummer and took off, speeding right past Charles’ table.
He had a few minutes until Amanda’s location transmission, so Charles told his glasses to do a global search on Brandy Inkrott. Sometimes knowing your competition was the best—perhaps the only—way to beat them. In addition, he used her smartwatch’s information and pulled up all communication she’d had that day. There it was. The Ref’s familiar signal. Brandy Inkrott was definitely playing the Game.
Charles thought for only a moment before he cut off Brandy’s ability to receive her Runner’s location. She would know within seconds that she didn’t receive the latest transmission, and would go whining to the Ref, who would, most likely, have it fixed immediately. It didn’t matter. It was mildly entertaining for the moment. Charles made the transmission problem look accidental. Nothing that would lead back to him. Just a little something to make the Game more interesting. For him, at least.
10:30 a.m.
Laura
The cabbie followed instructions so well that Laura felt like he really had driven “like the wind.” At least that’s what her stomach was telling her. At the zoo’s west entrance they tumbled out of the cab, Sydney paying the driver while Adam carried Laura to the sidewalk.
“I can walk,” Laura said again.
Adam set her down. “If you’re sure.”
“Just let me hold on.”
“No, wait.” Sydney trotted off and came back with a large wagon. “They were out of wheelchairs.”
Laura eyed the little red box. “I can’t fit in there.”
“Sure you can. It’ll be great. Come on, we’re wasting time.”
Laura eased into the wagon, feeling like an idiot, and Adam pulled her toward the entrance. He looked at Sydney. “Where should we go?”
“I don’t care. No! I do! A restaurant. I’ve got a plan for that ankle. Okay, Laura?”
Sydney didn’t give her a chance to respond, and they charged ahead. Within a couple minutes they were seated in Park Place Cafe with a bag of ice on Laura’s leg that Sydney had charmed from the guy behind the counter. They didn’t order food, since that was next on the agenda for the tour group, and they needed to get back on schedule by then.
“So,” Sydney said, “tell us who’s after you.”
Laura pulled out the Inkrott Investments card.
Sydney wrinkled her nose. “Who are they?”
“Big business in Madison. The girl chasing me is the daughter of the owner.”
Adam had his phone out. “What’s her name?” Laura spelled it, and he scrolled through a bunch of pages before pulling one up. “That her?”
Laura and Sydney leaned over the phone. “Yup,” Laura said. She looked different, though. Here she was all dressed up for something at a country club, wearing a slinky black dress and sparkling jewelry around her neck and in her ears.
“Rich girl,” Adam said.
Sydney scrolled through more photos. “Not very pretty, but she tries hard. Look at that makeup job.” A close-up of Brandy’s face filled the screen. Sydney went to the next. “Wait.” She backed up. “She’s had work done.”
“What kind of work?” Adam said.
Sydney gave him a look. “Work work. Like, her boobs.”
“Oh. Sorry I asked.”
“And maybe her nose. And her lips. See? She looks completely different here. She used to look sort of like a pig.”
“Sydney!” Adam laughed.
“What? It’s true. She’s got a weird nose back in this one. Look!”
“The real question,” Laura said, “is why is she after me.”
“Right.” Sydney twisted up her mouth. “You don’t know her, you said.”
“Never heard of her. She’s not from my town. Not even my state.”
“And you don’t know anybody else in her photos?”
“Hardly. I don’t know rich people. At least not rich people who do the whole country club scene and get nose jobs.”
Adam smiled. “That’s the job you’re worried about?”
Laura blushed.
“I’m checking out her stuff online.” Sydney frowned. “All kinds of parties and photos and everything, but look, nobody p
osts anything on her pages except her, even though she’s got tons of Friends. She’s not ‘in a relationship.’ And ewww, look at her mom.”
Adam grimaced. “An older, creepier version of her.”
Laura glanced at her watch. “We only have a few minutes till we have to get out of here.”
“Sure.” Adam pushed away from the table. “Piggyback ride?”
“Let me see.” Laura stood up, trying her ankle. It was tender, but manageable. “I think I can walk. Just go slow.”
Sydney jumped up and grabbed her arm. “Lean on me.”
Adam trashed the melting bag of ice and joined them at the door. “Where to now?”
Sydney glanced at the wagon, but left it sitting. “We have to get back to the Sears Tower, or the tour guide will call the authorities, which means our parents. That would be nasty.”
“Yeah.” Adam grinned. “Yours would put the entire country on alert.”
She made a face at Laura. “They’re a little…overprotective.”
“Sounds nice. Mine are like that, too.”
“So why aren’t they calling the cops?”
“Because they don’t know I’m missing. They think I’m at a friend’s house.”
“Won’t she tell them you’re not?”
“She thinks I snuck away to spend the night with my boyfriend, and she’s supposed to cover.”
Sydney leaned toward her, eyes sparkling. “Do you do that often?”
“Spend the night with Jeremy? Never.”
“Oh.” Sydney glanced up at Adam. “Me, neither. I mean, I don’t have a boyfriend, so why would I?”
Laura looked at Adam, who stared straight ahead, like he hadn’t heard a thing. Except his ears were pink. Laura smiled. “Uh-huh.”
“Come on.” Adam hurried ahead. “I’ll find the closest bus stop. It’s time we got back to the group.”
Brandy
“I didn’t get it.”
“What?” The driver looked at Brandy in the rearview mirror.
