Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Crook Q Part 44

Two steps before the window Ephesus grabbed the baton out of his last pocket and threw it through the glass, then jumped through it himself.
His jacket sustained innumerable tears from the glass spikes that had survived the explosions and baton, but thanks to clever folding and ducking his skin escaped the serrated edges. He only had to land a fifteen foot fall.

He had run out of the side of the building that faced the street. Six lanes wide with a metal rail through the middle. Legions of cars and buses flew across it at unbelievable speed. But to Ephesus' mind everything moved slowly as his own rate of thinking sped  up.
Ten feet off the ground he checked his landing options. He had burst out with so much speed he was going to nearly hit the street, since the sidewalk was only a few feet wide. He threw his head back, trying to avoid flying to far, and rolled to his side
Ephesus' mind was filled with a dull roar as the adrenaline rushed through his body. He heard dull thud of himself landing on the concrete, and jerked his feet in to avoid their getting run over. He bounced to his feet.
To his right were the doors into the building; it was situated on the corner. To his left was a long street. Looking right again he saw a police car with sirens blazing flying down the street, even outpacing the cars around him.
A bus stopped outside the building and opened its doors. Its huge size blocked Ephesus' view of the police car, for which he was glad. Fearing shots coming from above Ephesus slipped into a knot of people moving for the bus.
He slipped onto the bus and went immediately to a seat. He knew it was not the best way to try to escape, but it beat staying within easy shooting range of the window he had just smashed.
Then the pain in his jaw returned. He hoped also that no one would make him talk.
The bus began scooting away and instantly the building he had left was surrounded by police and fire-fighting crews. Ambulances rushed in as well, and the bus pulled slowly away. Ephesus looked to the large screen that showed the next stop. It read "Street 92. 12 Mn."
Twelve minutes to evade detection and then get off.
As soon as he could without attracting attention Ephesus slipped into the bathroom at the rear of the bus. There was no mirror. Changing his appearance would not be so simple.
A few tweaks later he re-emerged, his hair fairly wet and combed over at a right angle. He had taken off his jacket and tied its arms around his neck, almost like a cape, leaving his plain white undershirt visible. He might look weird, but to his logic, seeming weird was the last way to get noticed in the Outside.
During the few minutes that remained he surveyed the people around him in the bus. All dreary looking on their faces, they did not hold conversations with each other at all. Then Ephesus spotted it. A camera right beside the destination screen. He looked around. There were speakers in the ceiling and at floor level. Speakers were the easiest way to hide microphones: in plain sight.
So much for his new disguise.

Ready for more? The next part is out!

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