Back in the Rain

by Elen Chase

"The professor never knew my real name so they won't find me or my place easily. It should be safe enough for now. We just have to warn a couple of people to keep their mouth shut about us if anyone asks them."

  "Get them now; starting tomorrow morning, contacting anyone you know in Uptown will be a suicide. Give them a meeting place, don't talk by watchpad, you never know."

  "I'll also have to ask you to erase some data from the hospital records," said Dan. "I'll tell you in private." What was he talking about?

  Bill looked at him, serious, and just replied, "Okay."

  "The room we have used for analyzing that stuff," I said, "is full of traces of us. And we can't just leave those articles here, we might still need them."

  "We can bring that material with us. As for the traces..." said Bill, "should we burn it down?"

  "No," said Dan, immediately, "people saw us walking by that hallway. Burning that room now equals a confession that we murdered Brown."

  "If people saw you, you’ll be suspected of murder anyway. Only it would be even worse, considering they'll find your hair and fingerprints everywhere in that room. If we destroy it, even if someone remembered and described you, it will be just words with no proof."

  "You win," said Dan, "but I'll do it myself." Worry arose inside me, as I remembered how he told me that he was scared of fire when he had that fever. “I don't want to burn to death,” he had said, in tears.

  "I'll come with you," I told him. He looked at me, uncertain, but didn't say anything about being against it.

  "Sounds good. What do you need?" asked Bill.

  "Fuel," replied Dan.

  "You'll have it in five minutes," said Bill. "Alright, let's leave this place. Meeting point, Madame Papillon in Downtown. Nick, you bring Miss Marshall. Drew, give the names of the people to warn to Ray; he'll get them there. Ray, when you've finished with Drew, tell our nerd up there to speed up with those cameras. Dan, come tell me that hospital thing. I'll leave this assassin guy to someone in my team and make a call, then I'll wait for Dan and Drew and I'll bring them back to the meeting point. All clear?"

  "Yes, sir!" said Nick, looking all excited. Everyone started doing what he said. Dan was right when he said Bill was a natural leader. I looked at them talking, wondering what he was asking him to erase from the hospital records.

  "Tell me, Drew, who might be asked about you? All the people you saw here in Uptown recently," asked me Ray.

  "Chloe White and Sean Preston. My parents will have to be warned, but I don't want to bring them with us; they don't know what I've been doing and it's safest if they don't. Also, recently I have spoken with Katie Kruse and her aunt, who works for my parents. After that… what about Lilian's family? They know we have been in contact."

  "Good, so we'll get Chloe White and Sean Preston, and pass your family and Mrs. Kruse a message written by you separately. The same goes for Miss Marshall's family. Is that good?"

  "Yes, I'll write them now."

  "Good, I'll go check our friend upstairs."

  Writing that message to my parents, I thought of them being contacted by the police, asking where I was. I couldn't pretend I hadn't seen them in months, as I had met my dad that very day at the hospital, a place full of security cameras. All considered, there was only one thing I could ask of them, without putting them in danger.

  “Mum, Dad, I'm sorry you are getting this message so suddenly. I'll be out of town for a while, but don't worry, really, I'm alright. There’s one thing I need you to do, and it's a serious matter. If anyone asks for me, never mention Dan's name. I'll explain why sooner or later, but for now please, just believe in me. I also wrote a message to Mrs. Kruse and her niece, but don’t ask them about it. I love you.”

  Lilian and I entrusted our messages to Ray, and then I caught up with Dan to go burn that room.

  "Did you ask Bill to have my hospital record erased?" I asked him.

  "No, I asked to erase mine," he said.

  "Why?"

  "I went there recently to have my pills changed, remember? I can’t allow them to see my data. Your safety now depends on how hidden my identity is."

  "I see," I said. We went to our study room, took out all the material in a cardboard box and spread the fuel all over the room, especially on the spots we had used more often: the desk, the sofa, the table. I remembered how he hugged me there, and how I slept on his knee before we went to the graveyard. The smell of the fuel was so strong my eyes were burning. We went out of the room and Dan lit a lighter. His hand was shaking; I hadn't seen him so nervous in a long time. I put my hand on his and told him, "Let's do it together." We threw the lighter in the room, and everything started burning extremely fast. We took the books and the articles and ran downstairs, where Bill was waiting for us. We got in his car and left Uptown once and for all.

  Chapter 35

  The old lady was waiting for us outside the brothel in an elegant long black dress. We greeted her and went in, where we found Sara, Chloe, Sean, Jim, Nick, Ray and Lilian. I briefly explained the situation for those who still didn't know all the details. I was the first one not to trust Jim's group, but after what they did for me that night, they deserved to be informed of all I had been doing. Sean, in particular, looked like he didn’t understand a word I was saying. I decided to talk to him properly after we finished that strange meeting we had ended up with.

  "Long story short, if you're asked anything about Drew or Dan you have to be vague, you don't know where they live, Dan's surname, nothing. Clear?" said Bill in the end, to summarize the concept. "Jim, did you bring what I asked?" he asked him.

  "Yup, and in case someone doesn't know, I'm the boss here," he said, taking a black watchpad, out of a backpack like the one Dan had, for everyone.

  "I already have that, do you think I was born yesterday?" the old lady told him.

  "Sorry, Ma’am. Alright, from now on if you need to contact each other use these watchpads. Their mailing system is encrypted, and you can use the internet without being tracked. This will prove useful especially for you, Miss Marshall."

  She nodded and took the watchpad. Sara and Chloe took it immediately too, followed by Sean. I was the last to take it, and as soon as I did so, I turned off mine forever.

  "What about that guy we caught today?" asked Dan. "It's too risky for you to keep him with you. For what we know, he could even have a GPS device planted inside his body."

  "You're right. That's why we are having him checked by our doctor. But that man is skilled, so he will try to escape as soon as he can. And that's something we absolutely have to avoid. For now we're moving him to a facility outside of town, but we'll have to decide carefully what to do with him."

  "Drew and I will come to this facility then," said Dan. "I want to have a chat with him. And Drew still has to work on those articles to be sure there's nothing else hidden in them."

  "I already told you, I don't want to leave Rosedeer," I said.

  "It’s just temporarily, we'll see how things settle from now on. We might be able to learn more about our enemies from that guy," Dan told me.

  "I think it's better if you go away for a while too," said Bill, "but not in the same facility as him; if they were to find him, they'd find you too. I have an apartment close to that place, you'll stay there. I'll be coming too for the time being."

  "Yes, that's good," said Dan. "Drew?"

  "I'm on it," I confirmed.

  "We leave in a couple of hours," said Bill. "Everyone, thanks for your cooperation. Meeting dismissed!"

  I thanked Ray and Nick as they left. I owed them my life this time. Jim was leaving with Lilian; he had arranged a flight to take her to another continent that very night.

  "I am so sorry for what happened today," she said to me and Dan. "It was all my fault."

  "We are alive," said Dan. "You have nothing to apologize for."

  "We'll keep you informed of what we find out. I promise," I told her.

  "Lilian," Dan called her, with a strange
expression on his face. She turned around, waiting for him to tell her something, but he slowly shook his head and said, "no, just, take care of yourself."

  "I will," she said, "thanks."

  In the room, Bill was now talking with the old lady, and Chloe and Sara were explaining something to Sean. I went there to them, while Dan went to the other group. Sara hugged me and gently caressed my face.

  "Are you alright?" she asked me.

  "Oh, yes," I told her. "That guy was nothing compared to how you threatened me the first time we met."

  "Idiot," she said, and we laughed. Then I saw Chloe smiling at me.

  "Want a hug too?" I asked.

  "No way, you stink like a pig," she said with a giggle.

  "What now, isn't blood and dirt the new sexy?"

  "I'm still angry at you for how you left Sean and me at the diner, you know!"

  "What?" I said. "Was that today?"

  "Look, I forgive you because you almost got killed." She got close to me and kissed me on the cheek, then she whispered to me, "I hope you managed to give your rival a nice punch in the face, at least." She was talking about fish face; so she had noticed that too?

  "Girls, can I talk with Sean for a while?"

  "Roger," said Chloe, and they went to the old lady.

  "Sean..." I started, but it was difficult to say anything to him.

  "You'll have to treat me to lunch for a year," he said, "when it'll all be over.”

  "I'm sorry you got involved in all this," I told him. "I wanted you to stay out of it, at least you and my parents. But I screwed up."

  "Drew, I'm not angry because you got me involved," he said. "I'm angry because you didn't tell me everything sooner. Am I so unreliable?"

  "What? No! That's not the point," I said. "It's just that it's too dangerous… even now, even though you know, I don't want you to do anything."

  "Drew, have you forgotten who are you talking to? I know that if I were to investigate actively with you I'd just be a hindrance. Just hearing what happened to you today almost made me pee my pants." He cleared his throat and said, "I don't know how to use a gun, I don't have friends in the suburbs of Downtown, I most likely have no means to help you. I am just your friend. So let me be at least that." This is Sean. Honest and simple.

  "I'm in need of a friend right now," I said.

  "Here I am," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

  "I'm throwing away all that I've been in the past twenty-one years, together with this watchpad. The police will search for me. If not the police, it will be someone worse. I don't have any regrets, and I know I'm doing what is right. It's just…"

  "You're scared."

  "Yes."

  "Only an idiot wouldn't be scared in your place. But you're not alone. I was surprised to see all these people here today, and they look like they know what they're doing. Use them: learn from them how to defend yourself, and grow strong enough so that you won't be scared anymore."

  "What if I completely lose what I am, and turn into someone else?"

  "Then I'll remind you who you really are. That's what friends are for."

  I really needed to hear that. "Thanks, Sean."

  "By the way, this watchpad is amazing," he said, looking at his new black one. "Not even I could make one so cool! Encrypted mails and internet! Nobody will ever find your porn!"

  "Pfff—" I couldn't help laughing at that, so much I feared everybody would turn to look at me. "Is that what you're gonna use it for?"

  "No way, I'll be using it only to talk with my best friend on the run from the police," he said with an ironic tone of voice.

  "Kids, it's time you went back home now," said the old lady out loud to everyone. "Drew, go get your things, you'll have to depart from here soon."

  "Chloe, I'll bring you home," said Sean. "It's dangerous to go on your own."

  "If you insist," she said, and then turned to Dan.

  "Come here," he said and they hugged each other.

  "Take care of Drew, will you?"

  "I will," he said, smiling at her. "Goodbye, Glen," he said then to Sean.

  "Will you ever get my name right?"

  "Sorry, Juan."

  "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

  "In case you don't know," Chloe whispered to me, "Bill is his ex."

  "I know," I told her.

  "Enough all of you, get out of here now!" said the old lady again, and we all went out. Chloe and Sean left, Sara said she was gonna prepare something for us to eat during the trip, and Bill and Dan went to our apartment. I was about to go home too, when the old lady stopped me in front of the building door.

  "Andrew, I have something for you," she told me, "but you'll have to keep it secret from Dan."

  "What is it?" I asked, and she passed me an address on my new watchpad.

  "It's close enough to where you'll be staying. Go there alone."

  "Why do I have to keep it from him?"

  "You'll understand when you get there."

  "I don't keep secrets from Dan."

  "It's for his own good." She grabbed my wrist and said, "I love that boy, he's like a son to me. And he needs your help, more than anyone else." She looked honestly worried for Dan. I had no idea what that place was, and I didn't like the idea of hiding something from him, but I accepted. It was probably my desire to know more about him.

  I went back home to pack a few things to bring with me. I could hear Dan and Bill talking from the other room, and I couldn't help being irritated by Bill's presence in his bedroom. When I finished packing my things, I got close to the room door to tell them, and heard Dan saying, "Thanks Bill, I owe you a lot."

  "You saved our princess' life, so that's the least we can do," replied Bill, and saw me close to the door. He gave me a smirk, and added, "But maybe I could use a little reward." Then he kissed him. I wanted to go beat him to a pulp with my own hands. I knew he was doing it on purpose because I was watching. But I couldn't move an inch. He wasn't forcing him or anything, Dan was kissing him on his own will. That was too much after that day. I left the apartment and went to see how Sara was doing. To keep the stress from consuming me, I kept repeating in my head:

  I don't give a shit anymore.

  Chapter 36

  When we got in the car I sat in the back seat, sure Dan would take the front one, next to the driver, but unexpectedly he sat next to me. I couldn't even look at his face, so I pretended to be asleep. I was exhausted, and I would have loved to sleep for real, but the thought of being in the car with the two of them kept me awake. I couldn't get the way Bill kissed him out of my head, and how he responded to that kiss so naturally. He didn't react like that with me; when I kissed him he didn’t move an inch, and I had just barely touched his lips, let alone if I had tried to stick my tongue in his mouth like Bill did. But maybe he likes it that way? Sudden and passionate? Should have I tried that?

  What the hell am I thinking about? Today I almost got killed, and I can't sleep thinking of Dan kissing someone else? I must be going insane. I have to fall asleep now.

  Obviously my attempts to fall asleep were completely useless. Sometimes Dan and Bill would talk, making me even more nervous. But they never mentioned the kiss, they would just do some small talk. A couple of hours passed, and they decided to make a stop to let Bill rest for a while and eat something. When the car stopped, I pretended to be waking up and looked outside the window. It was almost dawn, and the light in the sky was unbelievably beautiful. From the road we were following, we were able to see the sea. I got out of the car and breathed the cold yet clean morning air. Bill wanted to take a nap in the car, and Dan came close to me, bringing me a hot tea to drink and a sandwich.

  "You must be starving," he told me. I hadn't thought about it, but the last time I ate was actually at the diner with Chloe and Sean, the day before at lunch time. I sat on the grass on the side of the street and took the sandwich. As I was eating, I started feeling better. Tasting some food after that day f
elt strange; I could feel all the flavors, and it was so good I thought it was the best thing I had ever eaten in my entire life. I'm alive, I thought, and I cried in silence while Dan kept passing me other sandwiches and gave me something to drink between one and the other. With my stomach full my mood improved a lot, and I was finally able to look at Dan's face again. We were both wearing our dirty clothes from the day before, stained with blood, dust and fuel, and I felt like I really was stinking like a pig, like Chloe had told me. Dan, on the contrary, was as beautiful as ever. Yes, that's what he was: beautiful. I finally found the courage to acknowledge what I was trying to hide from myself; I was helplessly attracted to him. I stared at him in the first light of day, contemplating every single detail of his face.

  "Sunrise brings the color of your eyes to its highest intensity," I told him. He looked at me, surprised by my words. "It's the color of the ocean. I can even see the waves in them. I can almost hear their sound, feel the water on my skin, just by looking in your eyes."

  "Drew, you..."

  "Look at me," I told him, fondling his face. "Never stop looking at me." Our eyes met, and I felt a slicing pain in my chest. I want to kiss him. I want him to kiss me back. I need those lips, I need them to keep living. I leaned my head forward and he closed his eyes, slightly opening his mouth.

  "I'm awake, should we go?" screamed Bill from the car's window. Was he watching us the whole time? This is a good way to ask for a punch in the face now, I thought. Dan looked away, maybe a little unsettled. I wanted to say something to him, but the thought Bill could hear us prevented me. We went back avoiding looking at each other.

  "Sorry, I know you were having a moment there, but we still have a long way to go," said Bill when we got back inside the car. Dan ignored him and looked outside the window. I was tempted to tell him to go fuck himself, but I didn't want Dan to feel uneasy because of me, so I decided to just let it slide.

  "Whatever," I replied, and this time I let my head fall on Dan's shoulder. I closed my eyes and fell asleep seconds later. I woke up after three hours, when we had almost arrived at our destination, but I was still tired as hell. We were in the countryside of South Pholis.