out why his son wasn’t answering his own comm. To find out if I was dead
yet. And if I’d talked.
Just like the rain
earlier, and the blinking red light, the ringing brought back to my attention
the peacefulness around me. That in turn increased my dread and panic. The fear
that I wouldn’t make it through the day. At least two factions wanted me dead.
One legally.
The comm trilled
for the thirteenth time.
I could leave it
alone. Webster would try again a few times before sending someone to
investigate. He’d assume that his son and the bouncer were too busy making me
spill my guts. Figuratively first. Then literally. It would take his people a
little time to get here. If I sank the bouncer’s body, it could take them a
while to work out what happened. I could maybe get back to the city before
then. Of course, doing so gave rise to more problems. But they were the future
me’s problems.
I could answer it.
Webster would know right away that I was free. He’d guess his son was dead. He’d
send people after me. I’d be on foot. They’d be in a car. Maybe several cars. They’d
have guns full of bullets. I had sixteen plus one.
I answered it.
‘Why isn’t my son
answering his communicator?’ It was definitely Webster. He said ‘tor’ instead
of ‘ter’.
‘His comm’s a
little waterlogged,’ I said.
There was a pause.
‘Mr. Mason. Am I to
assume that my son is dead?’ He tried to say it as he would with anyone else,
but there was badly hidden tension in his voice.
‘It would be a safe
assumption.’
There was another
pause. I didn’t want to let him get to the threats. If I didn’t let him vent
his anger and grief, his coordination of the hunt for me might be impeded. Not
by much. But anything would help.
‘Little Dick wasn’t
tough enough or smart enough to deal with me,’ I said. I’d rile him up some
more. Of course, if he did ever get his hands on me, each word now would make
things worse then. ‘You should have left me in custody, Webster. You might
still have a son. You might have made it through the week. But you brought me
out here to die, Webster. And that makes me angry. Now I’m coming for you.’
I hung up. I wasn’t
going for him. I wasn’t a complete idiot. Wasn’t sure why I said it. It had
felt right.
I dropped the comm
into the lake. No point taking it with me. It would be tracked. Who would I
call anyway? The cops?
There was no need
to roll the bouncer into the lake now. Just as well. Doing so would have probably
put my back out.
The rain still fell
from the grey sky. I didn’t think it would ever stop again. Not in my lifetime.
It made the lake come to life in the dull haze. The area smelled rotten. I
decided it was time to leave. Thinking of rotten reminded me that Webster’s men
would arrive soon.
I looked around.
Where could I go? Harem was the only place for about a hundred miles. I wasn’t
about to try to walk to the next town. Which was mostly abandoned anyway.
Around the lake were a few metres of waist-high reeds, then mud. I couldn’t
hide there. At the end of the paved dock area stood a rotting wooden shelter. It
only had two walls and a roof. It wouldn’t shelter me from the rain, let alone
Webster’s goons.
I pulled my trousers
up as high as I could and held them there with one hand. I didn’t want them to
wear my thighs through to the bone. I started walking in the direction of
Harem. I ignored the muddy path I’d been brought down. Pushed through the reeds
instead. It was a mistake. Might as well have been a swamp. With each step, I
sank to my ankles. Didn’t make any difference to my comfort. My shoes were full
of water anyway. But it slowed me down.
A minute later, I
was through the reeds and into the mud. That was even slower. I had to ball up
my toes to stop my shoes being sucked off every time I lifted my feet. At this
rate, I’d be about twenty metres from the lake when Webster’s goons arrived.
At least it gave me
time to think.
yet. And if I’d talked.
Just like the rain
earlier, and the blinking red light, the ringing brought back to my attention
the peacefulness around me. That in turn increased my dread and panic. The fear
that I wouldn’t make it through the day. At least two factions wanted me dead.
One legally.
The comm trilled
for the thirteenth time.
I could leave it
alone. Webster would try again a few times before sending someone to
investigate. He’d assume that his son and the bouncer were too busy making me
spill my guts. Figuratively first. Then literally. It would take his people a
little time to get here. If I sank the bouncer’s body, it could take them a
while to work out what happened. I could maybe get back to the city before
then. Of course, doing so gave rise to more problems. But they were the future
me’s problems.
I could answer it.
Webster would know right away that I was free. He’d guess his son was dead. He’d
send people after me. I’d be on foot. They’d be in a car. Maybe several cars. They’d
have guns full of bullets. I had sixteen plus one.
I answered it.
‘Why isn’t my son
answering his communicator?’ It was definitely Webster. He said ‘tor’ instead
of ‘ter’.
‘His comm’s a
little waterlogged,’ I said.
There was a pause.
‘Mr. Mason. Am I to
assume that my son is dead?’ He tried to say it as he would with anyone else,
but there was badly hidden tension in his voice.
‘It would be a safe
assumption.’
There was another
pause. I didn’t want to let him get to the threats. If I didn’t let him vent
his anger and grief, his coordination of the hunt for me might be impeded. Not
by much. But anything would help.
‘Little Dick wasn’t
tough enough or smart enough to deal with me,’ I said. I’d rile him up some
more. Of course, if he did ever get his hands on me, each word now would make
things worse then. ‘You should have left me in custody, Webster. You might
still have a son. You might have made it through the week. But you brought me
out here to die, Webster. And that makes me angry. Now I’m coming for you.’
I hung up. I wasn’t
going for him. I wasn’t a complete idiot. Wasn’t sure why I said it. It had
felt right.
I dropped the comm
into the lake. No point taking it with me. It would be tracked. Who would I
call anyway? The cops?
There was no need
to roll the bouncer into the lake now. Just as well. Doing so would have probably
put my back out.
The rain still fell
from the grey sky. I didn’t think it would ever stop again. Not in my lifetime.
It made the lake come to life in the dull haze. The area smelled rotten. I
decided it was time to leave. Thinking of rotten reminded me that Webster’s men
would arrive soon.
I looked around.
Where could I go? Harem was the only place for about a hundred miles. I wasn’t
about to try to walk to the next town. Which was mostly abandoned anyway.
Around the lake were a few metres of waist-high reeds, then mud. I couldn’t
hide there. At the end of the paved dock area stood a rotting wooden shelter. It
only had two walls and a roof. It wouldn’t shelter me from the rain, let alone
Webster’s goons.
I pulled my trousers
up as high as I could and held them there with one hand. I didn’t want them to
wear my thighs through to the bone. I started walking in the direction of
Harem. I ignored the muddy path I’d been brought down. Pushed through the reeds
instead. It was a mistake. Might as well have been a swamp. With each step, I
sank to my ankles. Didn’t make any difference to my comfort. My shoes were full
of water anyway. But it slowed me down.
A minute later, I
was through the reeds and into the mud. That was even slower. I had to ball up
my toes to stop my shoes being sucked off every time I lifted my feet. At this
rate, I’d be about twenty metres from the lake when Webster’s goons arrived.
At least it gave me
time to think.
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