"What do you think of Europe?" Jackson asked as he filled out two bowls of porridge. Two months had passed. "No one would find us there. We could get a little cottage in the middle of nowhere"
"No getting out." Jonathon ate with the bowl balanced on his legs. His right arm was still all but useless, held against his body in a sling. But he was walking again. "We can never escape"
"We could get past the cops"
"But the Bat-man"
"He's just a man in a costume"
"No. He'd stop us, hurt us"
"If he could find people that easily then he'd already have caught us and locked us both back up. It doesn't matter yet anyway, we've got to wait till the road blocks are taken down." He smiled. "You must have given those police a pretty big scare that they're still looking for you." He sat down beside his brother. Jon's head tilted to one side so that it rested on his shoulder. Jack put an arm around his narrow waist. Locked in dark rooms, clinging together. Comfort in a cold world.
Pounding on the door.
"Who's there?" Anxiety was clear in his voice, Kev wasn't due for three days.
"It's me"
"Why are you so early"
"They know you're here!" He sounded panicked. Jackson stood and, quickly crossing the room, opened the door. Kev hurried inside. "You both have to get out of here right now"
"Calm down. Who knows we're here? The cops"
"No. They know"
"Shit! How did they find out? Did you tell them"
"Of course I didn't! They'd fucking kill me for helping you. You know that. Someone warned me. So I'm warning you. I brought a car. Now you've got to leave. You've got to leave now"
"Shit." He walked back to the mattress and helped Jonathon up. Together they went outside.
It was bright, much brighter than it ever was inside the apartment. They moved quickly up the narrow steps to ground level. A somewhat rusted red car - ten years old at least - was parked directly across the street. Jackson made a face. Noticing his reaction Kev asked, "do you want to get killed or not?"
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With the twins hidden in the blacked-out back seats Kev drove for several miles before stopping outside a small shop. He disappeared inside for a minute, reappeared with a baseball cap, two pairs of sunglasses to cover unmistakable blue eyes and a packet of cigarettes for himself. "You two are on your own from here. I suggest you get out of this city fast"
"Thanks Kev"
"Don't mention it. Just - if they do find you - don't mention that I helped you either."
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"Where are we going Jack?" Jonathan asked from the back seat.
"Out of Gotham," his brother replied.
"We can't get out of Gotham. It's like a black hole. Nothing can escape, just tiny super-accelerated particles."
"We'll be those particles then."
"But first everything's made into spaghetti and time stops."
"It doesn't matter. We'll be ok. When we get to the road block pull that coat over yourself and pretend to be asleep, can you do that?"
"Yes, but the police don't like me very much."
"That doesn't matter, I don't like them." A pause. "You better get that coat over you Jon, we're nearly there."
Jackson slowed the car as they approached the line of traffic stopped at the road block. Gradually they moved closer to the top of the queue as vehicles were waved on. Two more cars. One. He pulled up as a policeman glanced down at a sheet of paper. He looked again, motioned for Jack to roll down his window. "Name?"
"Dennis O'Connor."
Pointing at Jonathan, "who's he?"
"That's just Brian - my cousin." A friendly smile. "He was out pretty late last night."
He looked down again at the paper he held. "Please remove your sun-shades sir"
There was a knife in the glove compartment. But there were two police officers, both armed with guns. Feigning calm he took off the glasses. "I need you to step out of the vehicle sir."
Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Fuck!
"Is there a problem officer?" Expertly he slipped the knife into his sleeve.
"Step out of the car!" He'd drawn his weapon.