Ahead there was an open garage. Swiftly Ed steered the little car into it, jumped out and closed the garage door. He knew full well that the police would soon notice where they had vanished and start to search the garages in this road. But right now he needed a break. His hands were trembling, he was completely worn out.
Mark, who was still driving the paddy wagon, pretending that he was trying to catch the yellow Volkswagen and in the process getting in everybody's way with his unwieldy vehicle, saw it vanish into the garage. He informed the Chief.
Ironside decided to seize the chance. He picked up the microphone of the radio. "We have just passed a suspicious car, perhaps with the two fugitives. It is driving toward Bryant." That was perpendicular to the street where the yellow car was parked and away from it. It wasn't a flat out lie, they had indeed been passed by a small car. Who could tell if it was not suspicious?
The men in the police cars who had stopped and wondered where the yellow beetle had vanished heard it and headed where Ironside had told them to go. Others, supposedly less conspicuous ones, followed.
Ed, who had left the door ajar, saw them leave. It was their chance to get away.
He re-opened the door and jumped back into the car.
"Listen, Yuri – right around the next block is our 'conspiracy dwelling'. You wait there until the Chief or a member of our staff comes to get you. Don't leave there on your own, by no means! Hide your jacket under your seat and take mine, but wear it inside out."
Yuri jumped out, clad in a now light grey jacket, and made it unseen up the stairs to the apartment Ironside had stated.
When Ed saw that the door was open he left. His own car was not standing far away. He parked the yellow car and walked away from it, his appearance also somewhat changed, since he now wore nothing but jeans and a shirt.
It looked as if he were still not being followed. On detours he reached his Ford.
Over the radio in his car he got the information that the police were looking for him not far away.
He approached the search party, hoping to fit in nicely.
Suddenly he was passed and stopped by a black and white with sirens and blue lights. "Sir, you fit the description of one of the two thieves we are following. Get out of the car!"
Calmly staying where he was Ed showed his badge. "Brown, SFPD. I think I saw the getaway car a few minutes ago," he said, and it was perfectly true. "Then I lost sight of it."
Confused the officer apologized, and waving friendly Ed left. The officer did not need to see that even his legs were trembling now, and not only from exhaustion… It would only be a matter of time until a smarter cop or agent would recognize him!
It was getting dark now. Ironside decided to take the last step towards the rescue of his friends. He called the Commissioner.
"Dennis, do you really think that such a large scale operation is justified for what are probably only two small-time hoods? We don't even know what exactly they stole."
"Small-time hoods?! You don't believe this, Bob, do you? Hardly a man within the department could follow them!"
Actually it was only one, Ironside thought, not without pride.
Of course this was not about a little theft anymore. It was about the police being hoaxed. But Randall had to admit that on the surface Ironside was right. Probably the city council would see things that way too.
Soon afterwards the radio announced that the search was canceled.
Ed picked up the microphone of the radio and called Ironside. "Chief, can we meet for dinner as planned?"
Ironside answered immediately: "Yes, but I have to go home and change my clothes first."
He did not care the least about his clothes, but he would have to appease Commissioner Randall before meeting with Ed and Yuri.
Ironside sent Eve home and Mark to his room. He didn't want them to be involved in his scheme any more than necessary.
He had barely enough time to do that before the Commissioner entered his office-apartment.
Walking down the ramp he asked, "Bob, tell me – the second man who kept the entire police department busy all day, was that your precious assistant?"
Surprised Ironside wanted to know, "Why do you ask me this?"
"Well, the description matched quite well: A man in his twenties, tall, very slim and athletic, most probably either a top athlete or an elite soldier. Brown is in his late twenties and he was an officer in the U.S. marines before he joined the force, wasn't he?"
"Oh come on, Dennis, you heard as well that the man was wearing blue jeans and sneakers. Have you ever seen our neat Sgt. Brown in blue jeans?"
"Ok, you have a point there. But then he probably doesn't sleep in a suit either, does he?"
"What exactly do you want, Dennis? Did you want that manhunt to end in a blood bath? Yuri Azneyeff killed or in the hands of the KGB? You know as well as I do that he is not guilty of a theft; that was obviously made up by the CIA. The only thing he wants is a life of freedom. Now it looks as if he escaped, so he has a chance of getting exactly that. Whoever was with him is no criminal either, that's for sure. So why don't you just leave it at that?"
The Commissioner had to secretly agree with him.
"They may not exactly be criminals, but do you have any idea how many police cars got damaged today? And who is going to pay for all those overtime hours? I lost track of how many traffic regulations they violated, but at least they should be punished for some of them."
"I'm sure your men learned a lot today. See it as some kind of mission exercise for them. You can't punish a man for surviving and another one for helping him survive… or simply for being fast, can you?"
Randall sighed. "Why can't I get rid of the impression that they would not have made it without your help?"
"What could I have done to help them? Jump out of this flaming chair and pull them over walls or away from black and whites?!"
Frustrated Randall turned around and left.
Mark had to be very careful when he drove Ironside to the 'conspiracy dwelling'.
Ed and Yuri were awaiting them.
Both young men looked quite alike: Dirty faces like gypsies, with gleaming white teeth, shining eyes, ruffled hair, and clothes in tatters. Yuri had a gash on his forehead and Ed a scratched right hand, but neither of them cared about it. Quite the opposite: They were brimming with life and grinning like school boys.
They looked exactly the way young people should look once in a while, Ironside thought. He had never seen his earnest, serious Sergeant relaxed and happy-go-lucky, never ever. Perhaps he had been that way before Anne*…
Well, it was no use thinking about that now. Seeing him like this was somehow – just perfect. Of course he would not tell him that.
"Did nobody ever tell you that those flaming skateboards are dangerous?!" he asked censoriously.
"Yes Sir, Yuri did tell me he thought they were – after we had used them. But when I told him that I thought that his jumping over walls and running through railway tunnels were dangerous, he kept quiet."
Ironside tried to stay earnest. "Are you making a habit of ruining your clothes?"
"It was in the line of duty. But you don't think that there is a chance of getting them paid by the department, do you?"
"Not unless you want to admit that you were the one driving the entire department plus two secret services crazy today! I suppose you would be better off paying for your clothes yourself!"
Rosalyn, Ironside's friends' daughter, was bandaging Ed's hand – which was not necessary, but she wanted to do it anyway - while the Chief explained that he would organize a military operation, headed by an old army friend of his. Yuri and Irina would be flown out of town, but he would not want to know where to.
Surprised Ed looked up. "Not even when they are in trouble?"
"Especially not when they are in trouble!" grumbled Ironside, softening his outburst with a smile. Obviously the young men had not entirely understood the seriousness of the situation they had been in. Accordingly, everybody laughed at him, not really believing him.
Rosalyn went out to make some fresh coffee for everybody.
Ironside saw that Yuri was drawing something onto a sheet of paper. It was a number, 15. When it was finished he presented Ed with it. "This is a souvenir for you to remind you of this memorable day. I was the fourteenth runner when I left my last race. Today we were on the run again, but together, so you had to be the fifteenth runner. Congratulations!"
"Thanks, Yuri, and good luck to you and Irina!" Ed smiled.
Mark reminded him, "You have to take back the skateboards tomorrow, and you will spend the next three evenings off dating three different girls from whom you called in favors today: Susan Montgomery, that Madeleine Durrer who lent you the Volkswagen, and the lovely Rosalyn."
Ed scratched his head, which usually seemed to help him think. "Now - which one will I have to date first?"
Ironside almost roared with laughter. "That's your problem, Sergeant. You don't expect me to handle your dates for you, do you?"
*Anne, Ed's fiancée, was killed, see S3/25 'Tom Dayton Is Loose Among Us' and ff-story 'Tom Dayton Has Escaped'
Author's notes:
This time I was helped by two experts: "Jodm" who added the geographical details to my story and corrected it, and my son A. for his advice relating to radio operating.
Thank you very much!
As usual, your support, dear readers and reviewers, was very encouraging.