It was a small thing but it bothered me. The apartment halfway down the block once served as my second home. And the odor acted as a welcome mat of sorts. Without it, I felt completely out of place.
Shifting positions, I stared down the street. I needed to meet Beverly in an hour. And then, we would embark on our assignment. It could take days, maybe weeks. I didn’t know when I’d get another opportunity to visit that second home.
To visit her.
Water splashed noisily under my boots as I marched ahead. It sounded thunderous to my ears, especially when pitted against the near silence of the vacant, lifeless street. I tried to step more carefully, but I just kept getting louder and louder.
Halfway down the block, I turned to the side. Through the thick mist, I saw the familiar fifteen-story apartment building looming on the opposite side of the street.
Darkness and sheets of rain engulfed the structure, rendering it nearly invisible. Even its bright lights, protected by a concrete overhang, barely made a dent in the night. Although less than a hundred feet separated me from the building, the distance looked and felt more like a mile.
A gust of wind caught hold of me but I stood my ground. As it faded away, my eyes lifted to the fourth floor, second window from the left. Although I couldn’t be sure, I thought I saw a tiny light. Did she still live there? Or had she moved on with her life?
Thunder clapped and a bolt of lightning shot across the sky. Its fierce light lit up the block. And in that one brief moment, I saw her.
Diane stood at the window, arms crossed, staring into the rain. Her face looked tight, her expression pensive. In the momentary flash of light, she stood out above everything else, like a dazzling star in a dull sky.
The image blinked away into nothingness. And as darkness returned, I knew I’d never forget it.
My brain wrestled with itself for a few moments. I wanted to see her, talk to her before it was too late. I knew all too well the pitfalls of waiting to deal with something. One day turned into another and then another. Soon, everything got buried under the surface, a tumor waiting to kill you.
But it seemed selfish only to consider my own needs. I’d hurt her badly three years ago, worse than I’d realized. Maybe the best thing I could do for her was walk away and let her forget me all over again.
My hesitation built upon itself and my brain began to churn up more and more excuses. I felt like a teenager at a school dance, one part raring to go and the other part glued to the wall.
A covered bus stop sat on the sidewalk, just a few feet away. Seeking shelter from the stinging rain, I walked into it.
A sign hung on the left wall. “Call Your Representatives,” it screamed in bold lettering. “And Tell Them to Sack Jack!”
The accompanying image showed Chase standing in the middle of a destitute, disgusting subway station. His hands were spread wide and his face reflected a mixture of confusion and stupidity. I chuckled. It was actually a pretty decent likeness.
Next to it hung a similar sign, clearly meant as a response. “Call Your Representatives,” it read. “And Tell Them to Back Jack!” The image on this poster was different, with a strong, determined Chase sending away a bunch of fat cats, who obviously represented the labor bosses.
My eyes lingered on the bosses. Dollar bills flowed out of their pockets. Back in my former life, I would’ve favored the labor movement. But three years spent living on the fringes of civilization had caused me to rethink my political views.
That didn’t mean I supported Chase. Quite the contrary. Even if his motives were pure, I still wouldn’t have supported him. He and the bosses were just different ends of the same government entity. And these days, my opinions on government were well outside the realms of polite thinking.
Thunder clapped again. With a sigh, I stepped out of the shelter. Steeling myself, I walked into the quiet street and began to cross the pavement.
Abruptly, the wind accelerated. It caught me mid-step and I lost my balance.
I smashed into the street, smacking the back of my head against the concrete. For a few seconds, I lay there, trying to blink away the cobwebs, tasting raindrops and blood on my tongue.
I propped myself up on my elbows. The wind intensified, plowing into me like a freight train. Ignoring the pounding in my head, I looked up at the building, searching for Diane’s window. I hoped to see a light, hoped to see her face.
But all I saw was darkness.
Slowly, painfully, I rose to my feet. But something kept me from walking forward. I didn’t know if it was guilt or something else. All I knew was that I wasn’t ready to see her.
I wasn’t yet ready to confront that part of my past.
The wind lessened as I turned around and wobbled back to the sidewalk. At the corner, I took one last look over my shoulder, hoping to see another flash of lightning. Hoping to see her building.
Hoping to see her.
But all I saw was darkness.
Chapter 11
Ryan Standish stepped into the shadow of a staircase. His black poncho blended in perfectly with the darkness, rendering him nearly invisible. Silently, he watched as Cyclone Reed strode down the opposite sidewalk.
Standish barely recognized him. Reed appeared distracted, lost in thought. He was but a mere shadow of the fearless, reckless man Standish had confronted back in Colombia. Something must’ve ripped the wind right out of his sails.
Something recent.
Something at that apartment building.
But what?
After reemerging from behind the staircase, Standish walked down the block. He’d followed Reed for hours, searching for insights into the man’s personality.
Standish wanted to know everything about Reed. His interests. His desires.
His weaknesses.
Everyone had weaknesses. There were no exceptions. And if exploited correctly, those failings could turn even the most determined person into nothing more than a simpering fool.
The trick was to find such weaknesses. Most people hid them. But if one kicked over enough stones, they always came to the forefront. Some cared for ailing family members. Others got weak-kneed for fast women. Still others would do anything for power.
Standish found it all rather pathetic. He didn’t mind powerful emotions. Not at all. They were an essential part of humanity. And with the right discipline, they could be a source of great power as well. But he had no patience for boundless feelings. Emotions, like so many other things, were best experienced in moderation.
Initially, he’d looked forward to uncovering the chinks in Reed’s seemingly impenetrable armor. But as the night wore on, he found himself increasingly agitated. No strip clubs, no drugs, no gambling, no alcohol. At least for the moment, Reed seemed incredibly focused and businesslike.
In other words, boring as shit.
The visit to the Upper East Side represented the first ray of hope in an otherwise bleak night. Clearly, Reed took an intense interest in the tall apartment building on Standish’s side of the street. For a minute, it even seemed like he would attempt to enter it. However, a sudden gust of wind apparently changed his mind.
Standish thought about following him, but ultimately chose to stay behind. Something about that building mattered to Reed. Mattered a great deal. And Standish wanted to know what it was.
Stopping outside the structure, he peered up at it. It looked normal enough, albeit a bit dingy for the area. Standish walked a few more steps, taking refuge under a concrete overhang. Then, he examined the list of names mounted on the wall next to a buzzer.
He stopped on D. Blair.
Short for Diane Blair.
A wide smile stretched across his face. He’d been so busy trying to get under Reed’s skin at the Explorer’s Society that he’d missed the obvious signs. Reed knew Diane. Knew her well. Perhaps even intimately.