We both glance left when we reach a clearing and see West Market Street beyond, overrun with cops, firemen, and terrified passers-by. The railroad crossing is blocked off, which should mean the tracks have been cleared.
“C’mon, this way.”
We set off along the tracks as quickly as we can. We run under West Friendly Avenue where it opens into a wooded clearing. We keep going full speed for another thirty seconds then stop, turn around, and watch as we catch our breath. Ruby’s leaning forward, her hands resting on her knees. I’m standing upright, hands on hips.
I’m reminded for a very brief second of the morning jogs I used to go on with Styx. Chasing the sunrise around Devil’s Spring with my dog keeping pace next to me.
I take in a deep, heavy breath, sighing away the painful, raw memory.
A thunderous explosion rings out, distracting me by illuminating the dull, early evening sky with a bright orange flash before clouding it with billowing smoke. The ground shakes beneath our feet, and even though we’re probably a good half mile away, I can hear the sound of glass and brick showering down on the immediate area.
I hope the innocent people were smart enough to get clear of the building before that thing went off… Even the cops — I mean, they’re just doing their jobs — it’s nothing personal with them.
Now, the CIA guys… I hope they got blown to shit. Fuckers.
“Okay…” says Ruby between breaths. “What… now?”
I shake my head, unsure. “I guess we keep running.”
As I suspected, any trains due through here had been diverted because of the chaos behind us, so we’ve had a clear run of things as we walk along the tracks at a steady pace.
We’re both tired and hungry. Plus, as time’s passed, I think we’ve both become notably disillusioned. We might have escaped relatively unscathed from The European’s unexpected attempts to take us out, but right now, certainly from my point of view, that doesn’t make me feel as happy as it should.
The CIA, not content with sending teams of agents across the country to kill me, has now hired a professional assassin to try as well. I wouldn’t normally be too concerned, but when that shit stain blew up our ride, he took our weapons along with it, which means we’re defenseless except for the gun Ruby has at her back.
We’re also hours and miles behind him, and he’s on his way to kill the one remaining ally I’ve got — Jonas Briggs. I just hope Briggs’ natural paranoia buys us enough time to reach him before The European does. I can’t afford to lose anyone else.
I look over at Ruby, who’s walking silently beside me. We haven’t said much since we started walking. Not much you can say, really. She’s staring at the floor with her arms crossed.
“You alright?” I ask her.
She nods. “Yeah…”
“Really?”
She smiles. “No…” She sighs. “What the fuck is going on, Adrian? What have you gotten me into?”
I tense my jaw muscles. Not because I’m angry at the accusation, but because I feel guilty that it is my fault she’s caught up in this. I thought hiring help was the smart thing to do, but so far all I’ve succeeded in doing is getting two people killed — one of whom I considered a friend.
Goddammit…
“Look, I know this is far from an ideal situation, but it’s the way it is. When you pick a fight with the US government, things tend to be a little one-sided.”
She looks at me challengingly. “You speaking from experience?”
“Heh… kinda.” I shake my head. “My life sucks.”
I start laughing. It’s the only option I have to stop me from shooting myself. After a moment, she joins me. We’re walking side by side, laughing with increasing gusto until our sides start to hurt. We calm down and take a few deep breaths, pausing for a moment in the middle of the tracks, surrounded by shallow woodland.
“So, come on, tough guy — spill. What’s your story? I mean, most people in our world know who Adrian Hell is. But how have you managed to go from that guy to this guy.” She gestures to me with her hands. “Public enemy number one.”
I smile. “That’s a long story.”
She shrugs. “It’s a long fucking walk.”
I stare ahead of us, seeing the edges of the tracks join together in the distance.
“Yeah, I guess it is…”
“…And then you climbed up the side of Alcatraz?” asks Ruby, sounding shocked.
I smile. “Yup. That was… quite an experience.”
“The Alcatraz?”
I nod.
“Jesus…”
In the last forty minutes or so, I’ve told her about my first interaction with GlobaTech Industries in Nevada, and about my unexpected, short-lived partnership with the FBI in San Francisco.
I shrug. “Life’s been a little… unorthodox these last few years, to say the least.”
“No shit! I thought I had it bad being locked up in Stonebanks.”
“Are you still regretting your decision to leave with me?”
“I don’t know… I mean, this sucks — don’t get me wrong — but… hearing about the things you’ve done, the things you’ve been through and why you’re here now… I guess it’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?”
I try to hide a small smile of pride as I see the difference in her compared to twenty-four hours ago. “I think so, yeah.”
She chuckles. “You sure know how to pick a fight, I’ll give you that.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re not very good at identifying compliments, are you?”
“I just tend to assume most things are meant as one — it’s easier.”
She shakes her head. “You’re an idiot.”
“Thanks!”
“Oh my God…”
We come up on a building that looks like a warehouse of some kind from behind, but as the trees clear, a sign becomes visible. I point to it. “It’s an auto shop.”
Ruby looks across at me and smiles. “Perfect place to borrow a car.”
I smile back. “My thoughts exactly. Come on.”
We move carefully, stepping through the undergrowth until we reach the chain-link fence at the back of the property. We scale it quickly and quietly and drop down behind the building. I scan the area for any security cameras, but I can’t see any, thank God.
We move so our backs are against the wall, tentatively edging around the southeast corner. I feel Ruby’s arm move behind her, presumably going for her gun.
I put my hand on her elbow. “No need for that. Even if there’s anyone here, they won’t be a threat.”
She shrugs me away. “Instinct. Sorry.”
“Yeah, I get that, don’t worry. Come on.”
We move around, staying close to the wall as we make our way down the side of the building. As we reach the northeast corner, we stop again, drop into a crouch, and peer around. There’s no sign of life — the place must be closed for the evening.
At the front of the shop is a parking lot, a gas pump, and an air machine for tires, at the opposite end from us.
Ruby nudges my arm and gestures to the handful of vehicles standing in the lot. “Jackpot,” she whispers.
I take one last look behind us before scanning ahead. There’s a security camera above the door to the office, which is maybe six yards along the front of the building from where we are. I can just about see another one at the far end, above the metal shutters.
I lean in close and whisper, “We need to be careful here. If we get caught on camera, there’ll be a trail of breadcrumbs leading everyone right to us.”