Tag could see that there were still no psychic shadows so the area was being watched electronically, but he was still enclosed by the dark psychic field, so he took a chance and stood up and walked away from the park bench. No one came to arrest him, and now he knew he could hide from electronic scanning.
Colonel Ortiz entered Inspector Connors office and found Esa and Danielle sitting waiting for his arrival. He wasnt there, Colonel? Esa asked.
No, Inspector, and I just had a feeling that he would have to be there. I guess I was wrong.
Danielle looked at him and said, Were all those armored marines necessary?
I wasnt going to take a chance, but it really didnt matter; he wasnt there.
Danielle looked at Ortiz with a frown and said, Tag is basically a peaceful person and would do all he could to avoid hurting anyone. That many marines might have forced him to do something he just wouldnt ordinarily do, although I suspect that if he was right under your nose he would still be able to hide where you wouldnt be able to find him.
Ortiz shrugged and said, You know I value your opinion, and its for that reason that I took so many to find him. It was all a waste of time; he wasnt there.
Esa looked at Danielle and then said to Colonel Ortiz, Well, you gave it your best effort; at least we got the one who hid him. Thanks for trying.
Im sorry I wasnt successful, Colonel Ortiz said and then turned to go.
Inspector Connor noticed something and said, Just a moment, Colonel. What is that paper on your back? Colonel Ortiz frowned and then reached behind him and felt the paper in his beltline. He took it out and read it and his eyebrows went up. Then he started laughing.
Whats so funny, Colonel? Esa asked.
Colonel Ortiz handed the paper to Esa, and Esa noticed it was a page from a placement test. Turn it over, Inspector, Ortiz said through his laughter.
Esa turned it over to read it and looked shocked; then he too started laughing. Danielle watched the two of them as they laughed harder. Then Esa handed Danielle the paper and she read, Tag, youre it.
She shook her head and began smiling, and then she joined their laughter. Colonel Ortiz said, I told you he was there. That put all three of them into hysterics, and they had to hold their ribs as tears ran from their eyes while they roared with laughter.
After he had traveled several miles, Tag entered a restaurant and ordered a meal. He then called a com that he had purchased months before and left hidden in the back of the childrens toy box. The com beeped twenty times before one of the children discovered it and took it to Maggie. Hello, Maggie said in a broken voice.
Maggie, this is Daniel. Whats going on?
The enforcement committee has arrested Richard. They say hes guilty of murder. Daniel, Richard told me before you moved in all the things he had done. He and I have prayed every night for forgiveness and for him not to get caught until the children were out and on their own. Daniel, just as Richard feared, theyre also looking for you.
Tag was surprised. He never guessed that Maggie knew who he really was; she had never given any clue. That means Ill have to leave, Maggie, but theres something I want you to do.
Maggie was crying and she answered through her tears, What?
I want you to go in your bedroom and look behind the leg on the front left of your bed. If you cant reach it, get one of the children.
A few moments passed and Maggie said, Alright, Jennifer and I are at the bed, Daniel.
Tell Jennifer to lie down on the floor and look on the back side of the leg just above the bottom of the bed.
She says theres some tape.
Tell her to remove the tape and to hand it to you.
Daniel, theres a key on this tape.
Yes there is, Maggie. Now listen closely, I dont have much time. That key opens a security storage box one block from your home in the storage building numbered 11479 Lightner Boulevard. The number of the box, 101059, is on the key, and it has been rented for twenty years and paid for in advance. There is a duplicate key on the back of the other leg in the event you lose the first key. Do you understand so far?
Yes, and Jennifer is listening too.
Jennifer, you are the eldest of your brothers and sisters. Your mother is going to have to depend on you to help her take care of your family. Jennifer, this is very important. Are you listening?
Yes I am, a trembling voice said.
You can never tell anyone about that box. If you do, your family will starve and be separated. Your life depends on you being able to keep a secret. Can you do it?
Yes, I promise from the bottom of my heart.
Daniel, Maggie said, whats in the box?
Four million credits in one-hundred-credit notes.
Maggie was stunned. How did you do that?
Banks sometimes turn in old credits for destruction. I just happened to be present when they were moving them out to the armored floater. Ive collected it on multiple occasions over the last two years. Maggie, use it slowly and use it wisely. Dont draw attention to yourself. Dont change your lifestyle. Only you and Jennifer need to know.
Thank you. My family will survive because of you.
Take care of them, Maggie. Tell them I love them, but this will probably be our last contact.
Jennifer grabbed the com from Maggie and said, We love you too, Daniel. Take care and well miss you.
Goodbye, he said and ended the call.
Three days later a young woman with blond hair and blue eyes came by to see Maggie. She was beautiful, and she was dressed very professionally. Maggie thought, I wonder what she wants.
Hello, Mrs. Wiseman. My name is Danielle Ash. Im a senior inspector with the enforcement committee and I understand that a young man has been staying with you. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?
Go ahead and ask. I may not have any answers, Maggie replied.
Is he happy?
What kind of question is that? Maggie thought.
Is he healthy?
Then Maggie made the connection and understood. He misses you terribly, Maggie told her.
Maggie saw the young woman start, and then her eyes began to tear up and she lowered her head.
How do you know that? she asked.
He took your name.
She looked up and said, He did what?
He used the name Daniel Leash. If Im not mistaken, that spells your name. Id see him at night gazing out over the city and I could tell he was missing someone. That someone was you, wasnt it?
Danielle could only nod her head. Then she asked, How could he have come to live with your husband, especially since it was his fault that he was made to run?
Because he saw what was good in him and brought it out. He saved my family, Danielle.
Danielle looked Maggie in the eye and saw that she was telling the truth. She sighed and then said, Mrs. Wiseman, its my understanding that as a result of his criminal activity you will lose your husbands retirement. I am going to send you one half of my pay each week until your children are out of school or until you are able to go back to work and support them.
Maggie looked at Danielle for a moment and understood how alike she and Daniel were; then she said, Danielle, do you think he would leave and not provide a way for us to survive?
With that, Danielle broke down in tears and started sobbing uncontrollably. I miss him so much.
Maggie took her in her arms and said, The creator just cant allow the two of you not to end up together. Be patient, you will find each other again.
Chapter 20
T ag left the restaurant after talking with Maggie and went outside. He moved out slowly, checking to see if he was being watched, and started walking south. He had no idea where he was going to hide, but one of his first stops needed to be another storage facility just outside the cinema that he had originally followed Richard. Thats as good a place as any, he thought. He walked into the cinema and purchased a ticket, popcorn, and a drink, and then entered another one of those boring historic love stories. This was supposed to be about the last world war where some country called Mexico was the dominant world power and was destroyed by six fusion bombs. Tag could remember seeing pictures of the North American continent from space, and even though it was eight hundred years later, those six holes were still visible. That was the last war that humanity fought against itself. Every living soul and all animal life was destroyed in Mexico when those six bombs detonated. The movie wasnt much of a love story because it ended with the bombs detonating. I wonder why they keep releasing boring cinemas like this one? Then he had an insight: the movies were to make sure humans would never forget the inhumanity that they did to each other.