Children of the Mirror

...14th Part: Dark...

Insurance would cover the damages of my motorcycle – in other words, I might have enough to buy another if they gave me the money fast enough. I didn't plan on sticking around, though.

But the police seemed to have other ideas.

I was a Missing Person, and they were going to try to bring me back home. Krad was free to go, which worked a little to our advantage, if he cooperated with me. Or if he didn't, that was okay, too.

Nothing could hold me!

They didn't lock me up or any such thing, but there were police running about everywhere, obviously, and there was one young woman who was posted at the door to stop me, should I think of running away.

I smirked to myself.

Her appearance wasn't bad, for a police officer. This would be a piece of cake.

Our plan was that Krad provide some kind of a distraction so I could get out of the building, and then we would see if we could outrun the cops, snatching our backpacks from just outside the doorway as we went.

Now if only Krad would show up...

Plan B, was that I simply try to persuade my lady guard to let me go – and then run, lest she change her mind and sick her comrades on me.

And still, I waited for Krad. Maybe he'd ditched me. I really wouldn't have been surprised if he had.

Bored, I began to eavesdrop on the commotion around me. It wasn't long before I found something of interest.

"...there's a disturbance..." I picked out of the murmur. "...right outside..."

A window was opened, and officers peered out at whatever it was that seemed to be 'disturbing' the people.

"'I must obey'," shouted a familiar voice. "'This comes in seeking you: But there's no remedy; I shall answer it! What will you do, now my necessity makes me to ask you for my purse!'" I stifled a laugh. "'It grieves me much more for what I cannot do for you, than what befalls myself! You stand amazed; but be of comfort!'"

I stood and stretched casually, trying not to grin too widely. "You and your crazy artist," I muttered under my breath. "The delinquent shouts Shakespeare to the police station."

I approached the woman guarding the door for me, whose head was turned toward the open window in puzzlement. "What's going on out there?" I asked her, knowing perfectly well what.

"Should we arrest him...?" one of the other officers wondered, looking just as dumbfounded.

"I don't think we can," another said. "Would this fall under Freedom of Speech?"

I almost laughed again.

"'Will you deny me now?'" Krad's voice went on. "'Is't possible that my deserts to you can lack persuasion? Do not tempt my misery, lest that it make me so unsound a man as to upbraid you with those kindnesses that I have done for you!'"

"What?" the woman officer finally noticed me. Well, that was one chance lost that I could've just walked out with. Oh well.

"I wondered what's happening out there," I reiterated. "Shouldn't you be going out there to investigate or something?"

"'Let me speak a little! This youth that you see here I snatched one half out of the jaws of death, relieved him with such sanctity of love, and to his image, which methought did promise most venerable worth, I did devotion!'"

By this time, Krad's voice was losing its vigor, so the other officers ignored it, but the lady I was supposedly being watched by was curious.

"Maybe you should go check it out," I suggested.

She looked at me and her face turned stern. "No; I was ordered to stay here and keep watch on you."

I stepped a little closer, relaxing my face considerably to mask a new expression, capturing her eyes with mine and smirking lightly. "You could take me with you," I offered.

She was slowly giving in; I could feel it. I reached for the door handle, but she moved her hand in front of it to block me. "No you don't."

"'But O how vile an idol proves this god. Though hast, Sebastian, done good feature shame. Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil are empty trunks o'erflourish'd by the devil.'"

There were only inches between this woman and me, now. I touched my hand over hers, gently moving it away and leading her aside from my escape route. Flinging the door open, I yelled at Krad what I had read once over his shoulder, from the very page he had just quoted, "'Lead me on!'"

Krad pointed to where the backpacks were sitting and I snatched them up, tossing one to him as he ran with me. "That was my line," he protested once we'd gotten a head start on the presumably shocked policemen.

I only laughed.

Another easy getaway for the great Phantom Thief, Dark –

"Mousy!" Krad warned, shoving me into an alleyway between the next two buildings we came across.

And, as mentioned: easy getaway.