Chapter 8 Run To Ground
Max
July 6th, 2017
6:18 PM
Vancouver, Canada
Low Bar Alley
Present day…
The car rolls out of the alley. Almost running over Fernando as he shifts to side as Joanna's car passes. The black automobile makes a shape turn to the right. Exiting the alleyway as Fernando overlooks the vehicle in front of him to make sure it's out of the picture. And so it is.
There were still bullets in our abdomens. Or at least blood stains to fabricate the wounds. Knowing Fernando only fired blanks at us. Just like we planned. My Seattle amigo gives us the word when the car is gone.
"And…they're gone," said Fernando. "Alright, amigos?"
Fernando crouches down to check on us. We open our eyes to give him the "not dead" sign. Alex slaps my shoulder and we all have a good smile and laugh for how much phase one of the plan.
"Oh god," said Alex, getting off the trash pile. "Thought you were gonna put a silencer on that thing?"
"Alex, you've got no sense of drama," said Fernando.
"Right."
Fernando gives my cousin a hand and pulls her off her crotch.
"All that racket is gonna bring the cops any minute," said Alex. "Let's get the hell out of here."
Alex give me her hand and pulls me off my crotch.
"You coulda pulled a couple of those punches, Fernando," I said.
"What do ya mean?" He asked. "I hardly touched you."
"You headbutted me."
"Alright, alright, I got a little swept up in the moment."
"Yeah."
"You were the one who said make it look realistic."
"Better stay on his good side," said Alex.
Fernando pulled out his radio to signal the other for the getaway van.
"Alright, bright eyes," he said on the radio. "Look sharp. They're coming your way. Don't lose 'em."
I take out the real Eon Codex out of my other coat pocket. The one Joanna had in her hands was the fake. The one I have in mine was the real codex she never took from my pocket when having her umbrella knife on me. And she fell for it.
"Told you they'd take the bait," I said.
"How long do you reckon before they realize theirs is a fake?" Fernando asked.
"Who cares? We finally flushed 'em out."
"Now we just follow 'em back to their hole," said Alex.
"You do realize you make everything sound dirty."
"I do?"
We can here sirens of Vancouver police cars closing in on the alley and bar next door. Blue and red light strobing a few blocks down. Our cue to bail.
"Let's get moving," said Fernando.
"Come on, hurry it up, Max," said Alex.
"Shit, the filth."
"This way."
Alex takes us down to a tight gap through the buildings in the alley. One we can shimmy through to escape the sound of the police. Fernando didn't seem to confident in the idea with his fear of small spaces. Alex and I were the first to go as Fernando stood back for a second or too until he could relinquish his fear.
By the time Alex and I are through, Fernando still hasn't gone. I turn around to see him still on the other end.
"Come on, Fernando," I said. "What's the hold up?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said. "Alright, alright."
He begins to slowly shimmy through his fear. Jittering every step across.
"It'll all be over soon," he whales. "It'll all be over soon. It'll all be over soon. That's it. That's it. Oh. Oh, that wasn't too bad."
Fernando makes it through and is now sticking with us again.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked.
"Nothing, I'm fine," he replied.
"You're not still afraid of little spaces, are you?" Alex asked.
"No I'm not. Yes I am."
"Let's just get a move on."
When cutting across the alley to meet with the others at the van, we were blocked by a barbwire gate that was locked tight. Had to find another way around. There was and electric box attached to pipes we could use climb and get around the fence. I never thought I'd have to be doing this much climbing again, but it was the way to go.
"Here, we can get around this way," I said.
"Yeah, yeah, right," said Fernando. "Or we could use a little muscle."
Fernando had a better idea with his muscles. Before I started climbing, Fernando gave the gate a few kicks with his shoe until the gate was broke open. Gracias, Macho Libre. There's a thought.
It was too bad we could kick down the next obstruction in our path since it was a big fence blocking our exit to the street. The wall was to high. Good thing there was a big yellow electrical generator with wheel we could use to push it forward and use it as our stepping block to boost us up over the fence. I make myself useful by pushing it as hard as I could. It was heavy as hell just trying to push the big yellow box for our boost.
"Put your back into it, gringa," said Fernando. "We don't got all freakin' night."
"Yeah, thanks for the help," I said sternly, putting my back into the box with wheels.
Once the box was pushed against the fence, we moved our lazy asses up the generator box, leap over the fence, and got our feet into the empty street. The coast looked clear as far as I could see. Rachel, Frank, and Kristen should be here in any minute now with the van. The three of us walked down the deserted road awaiting their arrival.
We saw Bryan's little white getaway van parked on the curb. That's where we walk to.
"You should be more careful with your head, y'know," said Fernando. "It's-"
I give him a little shove with my hand on the arm comically. The only person that need a cautious head Mario Lopez who headbutts women. I'm shaking my head off.
We see Rachel in her red leather jacket step out of the front passenger seat, Frank in his cargo jacker and cap stepping out of the driver seat, and Kristen stepping out of the sliding door of the van with her laptop. The whole crew is on deck.
"Evening, m'ladies," said Rachel.
"Hiya, Rach," I said.
"Hey, hey, hey," said Frank. "It's the three amigos."
"Thank you for joining us, Max, Alex, Fernando," said Kristen.
"Hola, cariño," said Fernando.
"A cap, Frank?" Alex questioned. "Really?"
"Don't say I look like an old man," said Frank. "Or you've got no sense of drama."
"That's what Fernando said."
"Looks like hell spit you two back out," said Rachel, looking at the blood spots on our abdomens.
"Ah, it was a thing of beauty, Rachel," said Alex.
"Went off without a hitch," said Fernando.
"You're unusually quiet," said Rachel, turning her head to me. "What's up your bum?"
"Oh, well," I said. "Fernando seemed to enjoy himself a little bit too much for my taste."
"Here we go," said Fernando.
"My ears are still ringing."
"Oh por el amor de Dios," said Fernando.
"Helps if you have something in between," said Rachel. "Looks like I missed out on some fun."
"Si, you did actually," said Fernando. "It was very, very, ah – cathartic."
"Ha, ha, that's funny," I said.
"You have any trouble?" Alex asked.
"Nah. Easy peasy," replied Rachel.
"And you're sure they didn't see you trailing 'em?" I asked.
"Not a chance."
"So, which door is Scary Poppins hiding behind?" Fernando asked.
"Behind that one there," said Rachel, pointing it out. "The green one. They drove in ages ago and it's been dark ever since."
"You think they're still in there?" I asked.
Rachel marched over to the back doors of the van with Frank and Kristen and opened them to hand over our equipment. Flashlights, silenced pistols, and earphones to talk on the radio. She takes them out of the compartment we stored them in gives three of each to me, Alex, Fernando, and takes some for herself.
Only the four of us would be going while Kristen stays in the van running the coms and walking us through and Frank tending to the driving when we make our escape. Had it planned before this started.
"Well, we haven't taken our eyes off it," said Rachel, answering my question. "And no one's gone in or out."
"You think those are necessary?" Frank asked. "It's like they're expecting us."
"Don't underestimate these pendejos," said Fernando. "They're not fucking about."
"Hey, we're just going to sneak in and we sneak out," I said. "Just like that."
"Yeah, fair enough. But any trouble, you shoot first and ask questions later, alright?"
"Alright, you all know the plan. Alex, Rachel, Fernando, and I sneak and infiltrate their secret hideout. Kristen, I know it's been a while since our last job like this together, but just be sure to keep us posted and those coms running."
"You know it," said Kristen.
"Frank, you get the Mystery Machine to our escape route as soon as we give you the green light. You know what to do."
"I'll be back here," said Frank. "Driving the van."
Rachel shut the back doors in front of her, leaving Frank and Kristen inside, and off the four of us went. Walking down the street in an entourage like a heist thriller "Mission Impossible" style in our sharp clothing. I can que "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash right about now. And our mission is a go.
"Testing, testing," said Kristen on com. "Kristen to Max, Alex, Fernando, and Rachel. One, two, three, four. Is this on? Can you hear me loud and clear?"
"Crystal babe," said Fernando. "Never clearer."
"Excellent. Just to give you my first sitrep on the mission. If Rachel's calculations are correct, Joanna and Alkaline should have just parked through that green garage just dead ahead to the right. I'll guide you through and keep you posted once you're in there. Be careful."
"I always am, Kristen," said Alex. "Or we always are. Whatever."
"Just be sure you Nancy Drews make it outta there in one piece," said Frank on com. "I'm talking to you, Rachel. I don't want to tell the Senator of California his daughter went missing or died twice."
"Not funny," said Rachel.
"Man, I was sorely tempted to just pick up that briefcase back there and walk," said Alex. "Not like Dad and I need the money anyways."
"Yeah, you got a louse poker face, amigo," said Fernando.
"Hey, trust me," I said. "That's nothing compared to what we're onto."
"Yeah, well, at my age a bird in the hand, you know?"
"Eww," said Rachel.
"Didn't I tell ya?" I asked.
"Oh, please," said Alex. "Look, I just hope I'm right about this."
We're approaching the green garage on the far right of the street towards the dead end. It was quiet. Too quiet.
"Seems pretty quiet," said Alex.
"You thing they're still in there?" I asked.
"Well, we're not gonna just barge in the front door and find out," said Fernando.
"Well, we can't afford to waste time standing here," said Alex.
"I'll find a way in and check it out," I said. "You three stay here."
"Got it," said Fernando.
I poke around outside the garage building for a second or two and use my time vision to see through the walls and check for another way in. It was strange to find tire tracks inside, but no car parked. But I believed there was a window open I could use to get inside and help the other three in. It would take some climbing up to do however. Luckily, Alex found something I could climb with.
"Looks like that'd hold your weight," said Alex.
I shut off my time vision back to my normal vision and start climbing on the rusted yellow pipe Alex found. When I climb up on the pipe higher and higher up the garage building, the pipe breaks loose and I almost loose my grip. Until I leap onto the pipe intact off the loose pipe before it broke loose completely and fell downward. Fernando calls me from back down making sure I was okay. I tell him I was.
I continue climbing and shimmying across the yellow pipes until I make it on the rooftop. When on the roof, I could get a bird's eye view of every building in Vancouver. Too bad I couldn't see Alex's house from up here. Cause it's all the way down in Aurora Creek where she lives. No time for sightseeing. Have a hideout to infiltrate.
I grab onto another pipe to hang onto and shimmy across to a ledge where I can swing across a sing and reach the window I spotted with my special vision. Then I climb up to the window and mantle through it to get inside and place my feet on a platform high up in the building. I look down from the platform in the garage building. Still seeing nothing on the garage floor below.
"Empty?" I thought. "Wait a minute, where did it go?"
I find a way down from the platform using more pipes and broken edges on the wall until I safely land on the garage floor. Where the hell did they go? This doesn't make any sense.
Whatever sense this makes, there wasn't time for me to figure this out on my own. I had to let the others in. I walk to the garage door and lift it up a bit. It was too heavy for me lift on my own. I call for the other three on the other side to give me a hand. Fernando helps me out with the door and we lift it open together. And then we're all in.
When we're all in, we turn on our flashlights to scan the place. Before anyone asks about the car, I first.
"Does anybody see a car?" I asked. "Cause I don't see a car."
"I don't understand," said Rachel.
"Dammit," said Alex.
Fernando shuts the garage door behind us and starts questioning about the car next.
"You're sure this is the right one?" He asked.
"Yes. The green door," said Rachel. "I'm sure."
"Max, we are losing time here," said Alex. "That damn briefcase is looking better and better."
"Alright, come on," I said. "They didn't just vanish into thin air, right? There's gotta be an explanation. Just spread out and look around. Kristen, this is Max. Do you copy."
"I read ya," said Kristen. "What's up?"
"We're in the garage, but it doesn't look like a car is in here and I know it didn't just evaporate like magic. Is there a secret door or passage or something you can find here? Anything we're missing?"
"Let's see. Hmm, I'm seeing some kind of underground network linked to the garage building your in, but I can't map it out on my satellite. With any luck, there could be something there your not seeing. That's best advisory I can offer."
"Thanks, Kristen. You were always resourceful as I remembered. Max out"
"They were here alright," said Alex. "I can still smell the exhaust."
While searching for clues, Fernando is the first to find the first clue by the tire tracks marked on the floor.
"Hey, over here," he tells me. "Look at this."
I come over to Fernando to where the tracks end and bend down on my knee to investigate.
"Tire tracks," I said. "Still we from the rain. Looks like the car turned here."
I walk over the where the car turned to see the tracks ending at that point. Then I step onto something that moves under my heel. It felt as if tile on the floor just slid down when I stepped on it. I step on it a few more times to confirm I'm right.
"Hey, check this out," I said to everyone.
Everyone gathers around to see what I stepped on. I step on the tile so they could see what I mean.
"Hmmm, some kind of mechanism," said Rachel.
"Yeah, maybe," I said.
I then look more observantly at my surroundings surrounding the tile. There were three other tiles on the floor. One behind the one I stepped on, another next to it, and another on the corner parallel to it. Now I was onto something.
"Four tires, four points of contact," I said. "Alex, stand right there. You two, back there and there."
The three of them walk to their tiles and stand their ground. I imagine these tiles would fit nicely with car tires. Whatever the car used to make itself non-visible from the garage, this mechanism had to be it. When everyone's on their tile, this is what we do next.
"Alright, everybody on three," I said. "Ready? One, two, three."
The four of us take a small leap over our tiles and land on them at the same time. Nothing happens.
"And?" Alex asked.
"Well, this has got to be it," I said.
Then my flashlight accidentally shine on something on the brick wall opens another mechanism in the wall. I keep my beam on the wall to where it opened the small solar hatch inside. We were getting closer to solving this.
"Wait…wait, it's the light," I said. "Alex, aim your beam at the wall. Like headlights."
The hatch certainly looked compatible to car light. Consider the tiles compatible with car tires. Alex shines her beam at the hall to open another hatch and now we've come to our resolve. The walls in front of us open a big hole revealing the secret passage Kristen figured would be.
"Well abra-goddamn-cadabra," said Alex.
"Umm, Max," said Rachel. "Just who are we dealing with here?"
"There's only one way to find out," I said. "My guess is the secret lair of the Herd of Whales. Rachel, we'll track the car. You head back to the van with Frank and Kristen."
"We'll try and stay in radio contact," said Fernando. "We'll let you know when we get through to the other side, alright?"
"Yeah, wherever the hell that is," said Alex.
"Just be ready for anything," I said. "Might be a quick exit."
"No doubt," said Rachel.
"Never thought she'd be the best driver in the business, you know," said Fernando.
"Not as much as the best actress, model, and TV personality in the business, you know," I said. "The driver is her boyfriend your talking about."
"So I've heard."
Rachel leaves the garage room to head back to the van while we enter the secret passage tracking down the car. The passage doors close behind us sealing us inside and now must walk through some sort of underground shaft to track our target.
"Kristen, Rachel's heading back to the van," said Alex on the radio. "It'll just be the three of us tracking down the car underground. The radio might go patching here soon. So just try and keep in radio contact while you can."
"Got it," said Kristen. "We'll pick you up at the evac point when ready."
"And Frank, be careful with my Dad's van. I don't want a dent on her when you come pick us up."
"I've been driving RVs all my life," said Frank. "I'll do fine. At least Rachel can be safe and sound."
"Thanks, Frank. Alex out."
We begin to walk down the shaft lit with lamps on the supports. It felt like walking into a mine shaft of some sort. This secret passage could be taking us someplace as far as the sewer systems or subway transits. Maybe even the service tunnels.
"Well, I think we can agree this is more than a bit weird," said Fernando.
"Who the fuck drives their car underground?" Alex asked.
"Oh, well, let me think. Someone who doesn't want to be followed. You know, it's just a guess."
"Smartass."
"It looks like they bored straight into the old service tunnels," I said.
And I was right. The shaft took us directly in the service tunnels. Too bad their was a locked gate in our path making a dead end in the tunnel.
"Ballas, it's a dead end," said Fernando.
"Well, then we'll just have to find a way around," said Alex.
The only way around the locked gate was through a small door with a lock on it. I pull out my silenced pistol out of my pocket and shoot the lock open.
The door takes us into a narrow tunnel and towards another tight space through pipes and wiring. Fernando's gonna hate this.
"We should be able to squeeze through here," I said. "I think."
"Lead on, Macduff," said Alex.
"Por el armor de Dios," said Fernando.
"Que?"
"Lay on. It's 'Lay on, Macduff'."
We start shimmying through the small space. I lay on like Macduff, whoever that is, and take point ahead of the other two through the space. The longer we have to shimmy through, the longer I put pressure on Fernando.
"Can we hurry it along por favor, gringa?" Fernando asked.
"You alright back there?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, yeah, you know. Just not keen on the old tight spaces. That's all."
"Just keep moving."
Then we're through the space and back into a wider area.
"Oh gracias a Dios for that," said Fernando.
"Who the hell is Macduff?" I asked.
"Is there no bottom to your ignorance?"
Then we hear voices in the tunnels and see men in suits holding guns and flashlights in hand. We hide behind the corners between a corridor and use our silenced pistols to shoot them in the head and kill them out of our sight and mind. Just like that, the drop to the floor with bullet holes marked on their heads when we do.
"Nice one, Lola," said Fernando after his kill.
"Lola?" I thought after my kill. "You still calling me that?"
"If you rather me call you gringa or Max, I'm cool."
"Nah, that's okay. I know that used to be your thing back in Seattle."
We get out of cover passed the dead guards and enter a catwalk the crosses the tunnel we just took before the dead end. We're still on track with this network.
"Okay, tunnel's right below us," I said. "At least we're still on the right path."
Past the catwalk away from the tunnel, we stumble into a narrow air hole with a massive fan at the bottom. Another obstacle turned dead end? There were more pipes to use for climbing. So we leap onto those and begin climbing down on them to get to bottom where the fan was. The pipes were slippery, but sturdy.
I use one pipe as a sliding pole to slide down to the fan with air vent over it to land on as a platform. Alex and Fernando follow me down and we proceed to where we need to go.
When walking down another corridor, more flashlights were seen. Meaning more guards were about. If there were guards patrolling the tunnels, we must be close.
We take cover behind something and wait 'till they're close enough to strike them stealthily. The flashlights of the guards begin to shine in our direction and Alex was ready to take care of them when I was while Fernando stayed hidden. When the guards cross between, I seize one guard by the shoulder and knock him out against the wall as Alex seizes the other and does the same. Clear.
Past the knocked out guards, there was a ladder to be used to get up another air hole. But it was too high to reach. So I climbed up more pipes to reach the ladder and kick it down for the other two to us. Then the three of climb up the air hole through another vent and up on higher level of the service system.
As if we couldn't get any high up underground, there was some sort of gate that opened with two levers and can only be pulled climbing up some edges between some air ducts sticking. Twenty feet up the edges and between the ducts. This secret society must get all their hide out ideas from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for a place as complex. as the service tunnels. Can't complain now. Gotta do more climbing to get the job done.
Alex and I start climbing up to the levers and pull them both at once to open the gate. The gate flaps down when the levers are flipped down opening the gate itself. Fernando climbs along as well as and the three of us climb onto the gate flapped as a platform as it opens.
Past the gate, we walk across another catwalk over the tunnels. Only narrower and higher than the last.
"There's the tunnel again," said Fernando.
"That's too far to drop," said Alex. "We'll break our damn necks."
Without mindlessly dropping down from the catwalk, we cross it to find ourselves walking into some strange catacombs in the tunnels. Now we run to ground deeper and deeper just to track down one simple black car taking us to the herd. Exactly how far down is the ninth circle of hell?
"Where the hell are we headed now?" Alex asked. "What in the world?"
"Fernando, who the hell are we dealing with?" I asked.
"I don't know, Lola," replied Fernando. "But whoever they are, they are seriously weird."
