We waited until the sun went down before we ventured back outside. Mahone had possibly given up on his chase to find me as the streets were dead silent and the only thing that you could hear were the humming of the electricity generating through the street lamps. We didn't find any treasures in the abandoned bar, not even a blanket. Teddy had his bag of cash and I had nothing. We walked around Tribune until we found a safe spot to relax which ended up being an alley behind a clothes store.
"Who did it to you?" I asked curiously.
Teddy grumbled his answer but I didn't hear it, I wanted to press him on for answers but decided to hold my tongue. He still seemed upset and tense about whatever went down in that hotel room. I looked up to the sky to see billions of stars blink back at me I wondered where Tamara was. Was she at the police station? I tried not to think of the other possibilities of where she could be as I closed my eyes and tried to rest but Teddy interrupted me.
"I heard you escaped a few times," he said.
I froze wondering how he knew I guessed that he, like everyone else, heard from the radio and tv stations. I looked at him but couldn't really make out his face in the dark. I knew he was there though as he grasped my hand in his and I sighed. Was I ready to tell Teddy what happened? This is Teddy we are talking about, my protector and my tormentor.
"I had some-," I immediately stopped. Do I tell him that I had help? Do I tell him that Seth is alive and out of prison? I remembered how Teddy easily dropped me for the young man a long time ago but that was in prison wasn't it? This is now but I was still worried what would happen.
"I had some…thinking time," I said saving myself. "I had a lot of time to think."
Teddy chuckled. "I bet you did."
We stayed there for a few moments until we heard what sounded like cop cars and immediately scrambled out of there. Teddy led me to a twenty-four hour thrift store where I used some of the money to buy myself new clothes. I picked out faded blue jeans, a couple of shirts, a pair of trousers, a sweater and a trench coat. We went to an army's store and I picked out a backpack and a pocketknife. When would I need a pocketknife? I don't know but I decided that it was a good thing to do anyway. As I was paying a News- Break came on and there stood Mahone all stern faced and in his suit with his badge pinned to the lapel of his jacket. His ear was still patched up with gauze, the bruise on the side of his head seemed to go down but the cut was still as big as ever and was horribly concealed with butterfly bandages. Beside him was the news reporter who started to question him about the Fox River Eight which was now down to seven.
"You have indeed found Jason Buchanan and Theodore Bagwell in Tribune Kansas correct?"
"Yes," Mahone said monotone.
"Can you tell us how both especially Jason managed to escape yet again?"
The camera zoomed in on Mahone and I could swear a vein was pulsing on his forehead. You could easily tell that Mahone was trying to keep his cool.
"There were a lot of people during the chase," Mahone finally said bluntly. "We ask that when a chase involving fugitives, that people make a clear path so that we are able to get to them more quickly."
"So you're blaming the people?"
I contained my laughter and managed to pay for my items without any trouble. I walked outside and saw Teddy waiting for me under a lamppost. He had a letter in his hand and when he saw me coming he gave me his signature smile. I was nervous to walk up to him, when he smiled like that I knew that something was up and it wasn't good for me or for Teddy. As I walked towards him I started to wonder what the letter in his hand had on it.
"What's up?" I asked.
"I have do something," Teddy said, his voice low and serious. I blinked and then eyed the letter and Teddy saw where my gaze was.
"Don't take it personal."
He slipped the letter into my bag along with some cash, which I estimated about five grand. I looked at him with sad eyes he was not doing this to me again…was he?
"Where are you going?" I heard myself ask.
"I need to find her," Teddy answered. "To clear some things up."
Her. I knew who he was talking about, Susan Hollander the woman who was responsible for putting Teddy in prison in the first place. I didn't know why he was so fond of her she had put him in prison! But I knew not to question Teddy about his personal life.
"I'll see you around," he said and then leaned in and gave me a kiss right on the lips. I absorbed everything he gave me and even felt his hand slide down my back towards my bum. I attempted to hold in a moan as he gently stroked the centre of my back with only one finger. Damn. He then kissed my again except much more softer and less forcibly. Teddy pulled back and then smirked at the expression on my face with expressed every emotion that was running through my mind and body. I possibly looked like a fool.
"See you around Jason."
It took me a few moments to realize what he said once he was gone. I was still standing there under the lamp post like an idiot but no matter how much mental force I pressed but body was froze as if it were made out of stone. Did he literally just call me by my name? My real name? I blinked trying to think but nothing came to me only Teddy's voice saying Jason over and over and over again. Then another realization came to me – Teddy was gone – again. I was kind of pissed off at him especially since I knew where he was going but I wasn't going to judge I had (or I still hope I do ) Tamara and I started to wonder where she was. So I headed off to at least find a place to sleep.
It was about ten when I woke up. Street cars zoomed and honked all around me and I just wanted it all to stop. I forced myself to get up and then turned back to the ground that I had just slept on. Yes, I slept outside on the ground in some alley. I know it wasn't the best place but I didn't want to walk into a motel at 2 in the morning dazed so I had no choice. I wiped off the dirty from my pant legs and a little off my arms. I walked out of the alley and towards a corner store knowing that at least they would have some sort of newspaper that could possibly tell me where Tamara was. I walked a little ways until I came to a family run store and headed in.
Inside the shelves were filled with food reminding me of my hunger and drinks reminding me of my thirst. I looked around and found the news stand and picked up a random paper. On the front was Mahone trying to run away (literally) from the reports. Below it was a caption and then the article.
People of Tribune Kansas are curious as to why Agent Mahone had not been able to capture the fugitive, Jason Buchanan. Witnesses saw Buchanan and what looked like Theodore Bagwell conversing earlier the day they were spotted. Police are stating that Mahone had asked them not to capture Buchanan instead just report it and allow the 'real authorities' handle the fugitive. Currently seven escapees from Fox River are still at large and can not be found anywhere. People are getting frustrated especially since what authorities consider the worst criminals: Theodore 'T-bag' Bagwell and Charles 'Haywire' Patoshik are still at large. When Mahone was asked by reporters the progress of how to capture and confine these criminals, Mahone didn't answer but instead ran away from reporters. Just a week and a half ago, Jason Buchanan had actually walked into a police station undetected and freed David 'Tweener' Apolskis and his sister Brooklyn Apolskis both whom were captured at one of the road blocks. When asked about Jason's appearance the Chief of Police admitted that 'he didn't look so good'. When asked into go into detail Chief Mackle had this to say. " He looked totally beaten up, literally. We had taken him to the infirmary and when he was examined by one of our officers he noticed that it looked like Jason had been tortured."
The officer who checked on Buchanan, Mils, confirmed this statement. "Jason had a lot of deep wounds on his body, he had them all over his chest, arms and legs. Bruises of all sorts including blood bruises were evident especially the one underneath his chin. It looked like some of the inflictions were done by some sort of instrument and if was very clear that it seemed that he had been tortured." When a reporter asked if it was clear or not if torture had been inflicted upon Buchanan Mils said yes.
When talking to Agent Mahone about it, he said that he didn't know anything about torture. That when they had taken Buchanan to the facility in Arizona he was completely fine and that he was held in a holding cell until authorities were able to pick him up. Mahone didn't say what kind of authorities.
I stared at the article in shock. I remembered to breath a little while after and then took the newspaper and a map of Kansas paid for both items and then headed out.
Outside I walked to a secluded area and continued to read to see if I could catch anything about Tamara. There seemed to be nothing really bits about the other escapees but nothing about Tamara. I moved down a bit more and then I found it
…Tamara Blanc is being held at the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department…
I would hardly breath. Tamara… I felt a sense of relief coming to me and I took in a breath to control myself. I looked back at the article and took out the map of Kansas and opened it. I found where Tribune was and then searched for Kansas City. My heart dropped and I felt my insides go cold. Kansas City was practically on the other side of the state.