“You make it back to your motel then?” he asks as he answers.
“Yeah, thanks for that before,” I reply. “But I got back to find Clara unconscious and bleeding on the floor.”
“Shit, what happened?”
“We tracked down a guy called Marcus Jones, who’s a courier in the city that Dark Rain employs to move stuff around for them. After some initial resistance, he told us they’ve kidnapped a scientist for the purposes of processing the mined Uranium to make it weapons-grade.”
“Which I’m assuming our friends at GlobaTech are blissfully unaware of?”
“I think that’s a fair assumption, yeah. So afterward, we grabbed a drink and started planning our next move, but a Humvee pulled up outside, four people got out and proceeded to completely annihilate the place. We fought our way out and split up — I know I killed two of them and I’ve not seen the one that peeled off to chase Clara. The only one who survived is a woman called Natalia Salikov. Some big-time Russian mercenary who has Clara spooked. I got away and that’s when I called you before. I got back and found Clara.”
“Oh my God, Adrian — what the hell have you stumbled on here?”
“I’m trying to figure that out. But it gets worse… Whoever broke into my room and shot her also took the deeds to the Uranium mine.”
“Shit!”
“That’s what I said.”
“Okay, this is bad… You gotta be careful, Adrian, seriously. Dark Rain is two steps ahead of you and you’re alone in a town where everyone seems to wanna shoot at you as soon as they see you.”
“I’ll cross those bridges when I get to them. Right now, I need a few things. First, can you to find out which hospital Clara's been taken to and what condition she’s in?”
“I’m on it.”
“Also, I need to find out where they could be holding this scientist… Can you look into any well-known or respected scientists that haven’t been seen lately? See what comes up. If we can find out who they’ve taken and when, I might be able to work with Clara and get an idea of where they’ll have taken them.”
“Yeah, I’m on that too.”
The line goes silent for a few moments, and then Josh speaks again.
“Ah…bollocks,” he says, absently.
“What’s the matter, Josh?” I ask.
“I’ve just searched all hospital databases within a twenty-mile radius.”
“That was fast.”
“It’s not exactly hard to do, Adrian.”
“Alright, show-off. So, what’s with the British cursing?”
“No one’s been admitted today fitting Clara’s description. No Jane Does, no gunshot wounds, nothing.”
“I definitely rang the ambulance. There’s no way they didn’t get to her.”
Now I’m worried. After everything that’s happened, for Clara to disappear after being shot and left for dead is the last thing I need to deal with.
Could Dark Rain have gotten to her before the ambulance arrived? I checked the area before I left and there was no one around, but if they found my room and took the deeds, it’s feasible they were hiding somewhere nearby.
Shit!
“Adrian, you alright?” asks Josh.
“Yeah, I’m alright,” I say. “Goddammit! I shouldn’t have left her.”
“You did the right thing, don’t blame yourself.”
“Listen, I’ve got to find her. Can you focus on finding this missing scientist?”
“Will do. What are you thinking of doing?”
“I was going to find somewhere else to stay, but I’m going to head back to my old motel and see if I can find anything that might give me more of an idea what happened to her.”
“Okay, well watch your back, man.”
I hang up and look around, more paranoid that I’m being watched. I take another minute to relax and focus then make my way out of the park and back toward the motel.
16
After searching the room and the surrounding area carefully and discreetly, I found no clue as to what happened. Clara was gone, and the old guy working the front desk confirmed an ambulance arrived… So where the hell was she?
I decided it was becoming less productive to keep focused on what’s happened, so I made my way back toward the city center and started thinking about what’s going to happen next. I lost track of time and must’ve been wandering around aimlessly for a good couple of hours before I finally made it to the center.
Most of the stores have closed and streetlights are flickering into life periodically as the sun creeps further down behind the horizon. The bars and restaurants are starting to fill up for the night and the sidewalks are bustling with people out for the evening.
Up ahead, I can see a street vendor on the corner, selling hot dogs and burgers out of his cart. I walk over to him, realizing I can’t quite remember when I last had something to eat. He’s an older man, probably mid-sixties. He has dark skin with gray hair and dark eyes. He’s whistling a tune to himself and looks happy and carefree. I get the impression he’s been standing on this street corner with the same cart for many years.
“Hey, can I get a cheeseburger please?” I ask.
The guy looks at me and his eyes widened slightly. He looks me up and down.
“Oh, man, you look like shit!” he exclaims, laughing. “You alright?”
I must admit, I’m not in the mood for small talk, but I’ll be courteous. “Rough day,” I reply with a humorless smile. “I’ll be better when I’ve eaten.”
“Man, I heard that,” he says with a smile. “I’m gonna give you the works, my friend!”
He produces a burger from inside the cart and places it between two buns. He then lays a slice of cheese on it, another burger, some relish, ketchup, mustard, and another slice of cheese. Finally, he tops it off with a sprinkling of grated onion. He wraps it in a napkin and hands it to me. I look at it admiringly.
“That’s gotta be the best-looking burger I’ve ever seen,” I admit, impressed.
“You’re welcome,” he says with a confident smile, secure in the knowledge that it’s definitely the best-looking burger I’ve ever seen.
“How much do I owe you?” I ask.
“For you… gimme five bucks,” he says. “The extras are on me — it looks like you need ‘em.”
“You’re a kind and generous man, thank you.”
I pay him the five dollars and walk on down the street. I take a bite of the burger and I feel my eyes go wide. It’s the nicest cheeseburger I’ve ever tasted… and I’m not just saying that because I’m so hungry!
I step to one side and lean against the front window of a closed store to finish eating, not wanting to walk and not appreciate the food. I remember back in the day, whenever I was on a mission somewhere; I could easily go a couple of days without the opportunity for food. You soon learn to eat all you can, when you can — and be damn grateful for it. You never know when or where your next meal will be…
Finishing up and tossing the napkin in a trashcan near the curb, I walk on down the street. There’s a crossing up ahead and I glide past a small group of women who are out for the night to stand at it, waiting for the green light.
A black, stretched limousine pulls up in front of me, stopping on the crossing and prompting other drivers to sound their horns angrily. The window buzzes down, and Jimmy Manhattan leans out of the window.
“Get in,” he says.
I let out a deep breath in frustration.
At least he waited until I’d finished my cheeseburger… Nothing pisses me off more than someone interrupting me while I’m eating.
“That’s a little forward, don’t you think?” I reply, casually.
The driver’s door opens and I look over to see my old friend, Stan, getting out. He stands up straight and pulls his jacket apart, showing me the gun he has holstered at his side. I look back at Jimmy, who’s smiling.