4:00 PM
Brian
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" I hissed to Nick under my breath.
"Trust me, will ya?" Nick answered.
It was kinda hard to trust him at this point. So far he'd talked me into evading the law, impersonating a federal agent, spending time in a Japanese whorehouse, blown up a drug queen's warehouse, gotten me arrested, and was now leading the way in front of two federal agents - real ones - who both had their guns out, ready to shoot us down if we pulled any funny malarky.
If he messed this up - which Nick is very good at messing things up - I was going to spend the rest of Baylee's childhood in jail. I envisioned receiving a postcard photo of Baylee in cap and gown at college graduation with a note scribbled on the back sorry you couldn't be here dad, hope you get out of jail soon!
"Stop whispering up there," snapped Agent Lennon.
Nick turned, walking backwards, "I'm not allowed to talk to my friend?"
"Not unless I can hear you," she answered.
Nick turned back forward. "So yeah I was totally jerking off when I was in the latrine for that fifteen minutes," he said loudly, "Thinking of Lennon and the stick that's shoved up her --"
"That's enough," Lennon snapped.
"What?" Nick demanded, "You said you wanted to hear what I was telling him."
Lucy giggled. I could almost feel the ice dripping from the stare she received from Lennon for that and it wasn't even directed at me. She stopped abruptly.
"Where exactly are you going?" Lennon demanded of Nick after another two blocks of space had been walked.
Nick, again, turned around, "You can't rush genius," he said flatly.
I glanced over my shoulder. Lennon looked extremely skeptical. Even Lucy looked like she was wondering what the hell Nick was up to. And I'm pretty sure she was on our side. But then again, I was definitely on our side and I was wondering what Nick was up to. Until he stopped at the entryway to the Undeground and paused.
Our eyes met.
Our mind Jedi skills kicked in.
Nick looked at Lennon. "I know where he is," he said.
And just like that, he bolted down the Underground tunnel.
At first I tried to keep up with him, but Nick's legs are like redwood trees and he hiked a huge amount of space just by the element of surprise take off. Lennon and I were pretty much neck-to-neck, but Lucy put on a burst of speed after Nick. I tried to match that speed.
After all, I'm pretty sure the only one we were trying to ditch was Lennon.
"GET THEM," Lennon was shrieking, "Get them!"
Nick had completely disappeared in the crowded subway, and Lucy was far enough ahead of me that she was already becoming just another bobbing head in the crowd. I felt a stitch in my chest and my head burned. Normally I could've kept up, but the whole concussion thing was slowing me down.
And then Lennon caught up to me.
Her hand snapped around my wrist, with a cuff and the next thing I knew she'd pulled me to a stop. "That's it," she hissed, "Deal is off. Your friend just screwed you both. We're on the next plane to Sweden, you and I, and you're going behind bars immediately."
I really hoped that Nick knew what he was doing.
Nick
I was a man on a mission. Yes, I was borderline crazy. But there was this one time (and no, it wasn't in band camp) that AJ had told me that if ever he needed to get away, there was one place in the world he'd want to go. And like me, he spoke in song titles.
-- 2006 --
"You're so high," I giggled. The smoke from the joint curled up in the air like a serpent. AJ snickered as he brought the thing back to his mouth, puffed, and passed it to me.
"I'm serious. I'm ready to get out of here."
"Well, if Kev smells this shit, we'll both need to run," I said.
"No problem. I know exactly where I'd go."
"Where?"
AJ's eyes were rimmed in red. I wondered for a second if mine were too. The thought made me giggle again. I took two puffs and passed the dwindling stick of Mary Jane back. AJ leaned forward and took it back, his brown eyes calm, but alive.
"I can't tell you. It's a secret."
"I'm high. You can tell me," I whispered. I grabbed for the bag of Cheetos that we had sat between us. I scratched my soft belly with my left hand, yanking Cheetos like a goat at a petting zoo from the pile held in my right.
"No."
"Can't I have a hint?" I whined. A little spray of orange flew in the air.
"A hint?" AJ thought a moment, using the time to take a drag. "Well, you'd have to take a Yellow Submarine."
"Where?"
"To the place of Strawberry Fields."
"Alone?"
"Naw, I think I'd take a couple girls. Eleanor, Julia, Rita...and Lucy." I licked my empty hand. I didn't remember eating all the Cheetos. AJ was still puffing away. I slid off my beanbag and stared up at the ceiling.
"Lucy sounds hot," I murmured.
"CARTER!"
The subway car up ahead still had it's doors open. I jumped over a pay gate and hurled myself towards the doors. The lighted sign above the car informed me it was exactly where I needed to go.
"I'll pay later!" I shouted, I bent over, arched like a bull and dove into the crowded car.
Lucy was right on my heels. She slid her lithe body in right before the doors closed. We were separated by about ten people, but the car could have been empty. A bead of sweat dripped down my cheek. Her chest heaved. I didn't bother to move as she wove her way to me.
"You," she gasped. "You're in a lot of trouble."
"I know where he is," I panted back.
"Are you sure?"
"I don't think I've ever been surer. He told me about this one day years ago. We were high, but I remember. I--your name's Lucy McCartney?"
Lucy reached up, grabbing one of the subway handles. As we went into a turn, her body still ending up pulling towards mine. Our eyes met.
"Yeah, not related to the McCartney. My parents just had a funny sense of humor."
All of a sudden, I felt a rise of Carter charm. Knowing Lennon wasn't breathing down my neck, I relaxed. I leaned into Lucy on the next turn.
"Well," I whispered, brushing her hair away from her neck, "they got one thing right."
Her fingers gripped the subway handle a little tighter. "What?"
I leaned in. She smelled of girly sweat. I liked it.
"Your eyes are like diamonds."
It was as if I was Aladdin and the genie had just opened the entrance to the cave. Lucy's lips formed a perfect kissable pout. I leaned towards her. I figured if the whole plan did backfire, at least I would have one last kiss. A steamy, uncontrollable--
The car lurched to a stop and I almost fell on my ass as the other passengers pushed around me. I was torn between going back in for the kiss or breaking into another Mission Impossible-ian run. The decision was made when I felt the cold metal around my wrist. I stared down, wide-eyed. Lucy held up her wrist.
"I figured we could go on our first date in style," she said.
I lifted the handcuffs. As we stepped out of the car, they glinted in the sunlight.
"If I go free, I have another use for these," I said. Lucy tugged at my arm; the metal cut into my wrist.
"Worry about that later, Romeo," she said.
"Just take me to Abbey Road."
