Chapter 12
Negative Reciprocity
Maybe this was a bad idea, Joe thought as he checked his luggage one last time. A really bad idea. He didn't know why—maybe being around Elen so much was starting to get to him?—but his shoulder blades felt tight. It was that spooky kind of feeling that indicates someone is watching, but when you whip around, nobody's there.
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It was nearly ten o'clock in the morning when he, Elen, and Gwladys left for Nancy's. Maybe whoever sent that note wasn't bluffing, Joe thought as he manoeuvred the van through the Saturday morning traffic. In the back seats, Elen was working on homework the twins had to do while they were gone, and Gwladys was listening to some of her CDs. It was hard to believe that Frank had gone missing, and then announced non-salvageable by the Network agents he had worked with, just two weeks ago. Seems a lot longer. I wish none of this had happened. That we didn't have to worry about who was on our side…or that we didn't have to worry about who would be the next one killed.
A horn behind him made a sound similar to the vocalizations associated with the autumnal geese migrations; Joe glared in the rear-view mirror at the offending car. "What's your hurry?" he muttered under his breath. He wanted so much to utter a few choice words aloud, but decided against it. That wouldn't do anything concerning the present situation.
He finally pulled into Nancy and Frank's driveway, but something seemed peculiar. There was no homey feeling to the place; it was like pulling into the driveway of a house you knew to have been deserted long ago. "Stay here," he ordered as Elen and Gwladys started to get out, realizing they were at one of their destinations for that morning. "Just stay here." He tried to keep the nervous fear out of his voice, but from Elen's look, he had a feeling he hadn't succeeded.
Joe eased the door open; it wasn't locked. And immediately heard the whispering sound of someone breathing quietly. But again, looking around as he had back home, his eyes told him no one was there. Yet his shoulder blades were still tight. "Nancy? Brett?" he called.
"Joe, get out of here! Now!" Nancy shrieked. He whipped toward the door, and saw Mr. Hughes standing there behind Nancy with a pistol glinting in an upraised hand and a cold grin upon his face. Brett was held in the Grey Man's clutches; Elen and Gwladys were accompanied by two other Network agents Joe knew quite well—one of them, he remembered, had been with them in Greece 25 years ago—his codename with the Network was Atlas; the other one was a man whose codename with the Network was Ian. Behind him, he could hear the ominous sound of gas hissing into the room.
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Number 49 bit her lip again as the door to the Camera Chambers flew open and a short, greying woman with black hair and piercing dark eyes stormed through, swinging her triangular-handled umbrella. "What's going on here?" she barked. "Get that man back to his quarters." Number 2 shook her head. "I'm surprised that you haven't heard that his brother and family are on their way here."
"They found out about us?" Number 49 burst out. "But…civilians aren't supposed to know about us!"
"Nevertheless," Number 2 said as she eyed the other woman; "he and his friends have figured out where the man known as Frank Hardy is. They even know the country we're in. Fortunately, they don't know our exact location."
"It'll cause trouble," 49 said as she glanced back at the screen that overlooked the entire steel-swathed room which now, instead of Number 12's dreams, showed The Village and its inhabitants, most of whom were at the concert on the Village Green.
The new Number 2 nodded grimly. Now we turn on the sweat, she thought without much humour.
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To Be Continued in "No Place to Hide."