The Hazing Tower

by Leland Roys

  “I had a good reason.”

  “Yes, your son. I understand.”

  “Will you work with me?”

  He was completely taken off guard.

  “With you? Are you joking?”

  “I can’t explain here. In about 10 minutes a helicopter is going to come for us. It’s totally up to you, Hunter. If you want, you can stay here. I’m not going to kill you. I will leave you a cell phone and you can be in a hospital in 30 minutes. I really wish you would choose to help me though. We need you, Hunter. I need your help, Nikki needs your help.”

  “Nikki. So she is alive.”

  “Not for long. They will be coming for her; they already are. Anyway, I will let you think about it. I won’t force you. I need an ally, someone with your skills that I can trust. You have to want to help me. I think you already know how deep this is; it’s not just the CIA, they have people everywhere. We may have a once-in-a-lifetime, actually multiple lifetimes chance. With you, the odds are even better, but I won’t sugarcoat it: it’s most likely suicide.”

  It hit him suddenly — what she said. Rebecca knew what his son died of; he hadn’t told her. Then he saw her necklace; it was the same white flower that came with the envelope.

  “It was you — the money for my son’s treatment. You sent me that?”

  He was stunned as the revelation hit him. The money showed up one day; for his final months, they were able to move him to a private hospital, where the care was so much better.

  “Yes,” she acknowledged, surprised that he knew.

  “I don’t understand. Why would you help someone tracking you down? I . . . that money, it saved him a lot of pain at the end . . . ”

  “I guess I like you, Hunter. You were different; you were trying to save your son. I am still human, you know.”

  Hunter thought he saw a change in her eyes, a moment of weakness maybe. Even though he had known about all the years, he didn’t really believe it himself. Now she was here, it was real. She was real.

  She turned away for a second. He had already decided.

  “Yes. I will work with you.”

  She looked at him closely. “You don’t fear death, I can see it. You have lost everything dear to you already.”

  He nodded.

  “Well then, we are the same. We both have nothing left to lose. And you know what that makes us, Hunter.”

  He knew very well.

  “Dangerous.”

  She smiled as she heard the sound of an approaching helicopter.

  “I think I’ll enjoy working with you. It’s been a long time since I have trusted someone. I may have lived a long life, but you have skills and access I need. Let’s have some fun before we die. First, we need to get you some proper medical care. My best doctor is on the helicopter; you will be better than new in no time.”

  She handed him his Glock. “I will get you something a bit more powerful than this. I think you will find we have fun toys to play with.”

  He checked his gun and it was loaded. He stuck it back in his holster, now covered with his own blood. He felt a little bit of that spark coming back. Maybe it wasn’t his time to die today; just maybe he still had a reason to be alive.

  As his mind started to clear, he remembered Josh and Jinny. “I need your help also. A MIT professor and his student helped figure out the time trick you use; they need me now, they had to go on the run.”

  “Time trick?”

  “Yes, you know, how you slow down time, Josh figured it out from Nikki.”

  She looked genuinely confused. “Actually, it sounds like you know more about me than I do. Our specials skills, well, let’s just say I don’t know much about how they work. We have to keep it quiet, as you can imagine. It’s not like I can go ask someone how I work.”

  “Then we need to find Josh and Jinny. The guy is a whiz, and if he picked Jinny, I’m sure she is as well. If anyone can figure it out, it would be them.”

  As the helicopter landed, Rebecca felt it; maybe, for the first time there actually was a chance. It was a long shot for sure, but having nothing to lose tilted things to their side. That was a powerful thing: once you no longer fear death is when people start to fear you, and, if they don’t, they are fools.

  • • •

  On the Run

  Joshua shut the lights off in his office. He had never before felt fear like this, fear that felt like thick cement, holding him down, slowing his mind. His knowledge didn’t seem to go here, not to this situation.

  Jinny. He had to help her. It was all that mattered now. He slowly climbed out the window, taking only the research on a portable drive, nothing else. He started walking to his car when he saw a shape, motion. He crouched down by one of the few parked cars in the lot. Peeking around the side of the car, he saw what appeared to be a man standing by his car, placing something under it. The feeling hit him like a rock. A bomb – the man was planting a bomb under his car!

  He started to shake. Get it together, Josh! He yelled to himself inside. Trying to calm down, he thought about Jinny. The faculty car, that was his only chance. A staff car was kept on the grounds for local trips. A lot of the faculty took buses to MIT, so the car was there for them to borrow — a small perk as they called it.

  He went around the side of the building to where the faculty car was parked, slid inside and found the keys in the glove box, where they always were.

  He slowly pulled up close to Jinny’s apartment. He felt lucky that he had dropped off papers here before and knew where she lived. He was shaking as he knocked on her door. Please let her be here, he thought to himself.

  “Josh! Professor? What are you doing here at 1 a.m?”

  “Jinny, how can I say this?”

  “Come inside! Don’t just stand there.”

  “Jinny, I can’t. Do you trust me, Jinny? Can you trust me?”

  “Yes, of course. I have always trusted you.”

  “We need to leave now. You can’t take anything, we don’t have time. We have to go now.”

  She looked into his eyes. He was dead serious. This was not a joke. He did joke around a lot, but this was different. He looked different.

  “OK. Go where?”

  “I don’t know. Away from here. I will explain in the car. Please, please come with me. You’re not safe here.”

  “Do you have your ATM card?”

  “Yeah, I have my wallet.”

  “Are we in trouble? Like on the run kind of trouble?”

  She seemed so calm.

  “Yes, it’s my fault. We need to go.”

  “Come inside for a second. I need to at least get some clothes on!”

  He looked at her and realized she had clearly just come from bed. She had only a thin tank top and, well, not much else on. He noticed he was staring; he had never seen her out of her lab clothes before. He almost forgot their lives were in danger.

  He stepped slowly inside. He had been never been inside her apartment, only dropped papers off at the door once. It seemed so happy here. He started to wonder if she had a boyfriend. She must, he figured.

  She came back out with a bag of what looked like shampoo and hair dye — why, he had no clue, plus a huge duffel bag. She was wearing jeans and a shirt now; he was staring again.

  “Ready? And hey, I’m going to call you Josh from now on, given the circumstances and all.”

  “You can call me anything you want.” He felt numb.

  Quickly pulling away from the apartment, they headed to the nearest ATM.

  “Turn right up here,” Jinny directed. “What’s your pin?”

  “Pin?”

  “Give me your ATM card and your pin.”

  He watched Jinny calmly taking all the cash available from their accounts. He was in a daze. She seemed so relaxed, this whole thing was crazy.

  She got back in the car and snapped the cards into pieces. “Ready?”

  He stared at her for way too long and then nodded.

  Joshua sat on the lumpy
bed and tapped his hand on his knee. Stupid habit! he said out loud. Jinny was in the shower. He thought about it. Never in a million years would he have predicated this day would end this way. He and his top grad student in a motel, on the run.

  He pulled out his wallet and dumped the contents onto the bed. Hunter had prepped him on this. He couldn’t use credit cards. He had already thrown away his cell phone, and Jinny left hers back at her apartment.

  On the run. He started to think about it. He doubted he would last a day. He wasn’t CIA like his good friend Hunter; how could he do this? And now Jinny; he was to blame. Now she will probably die or at the least have her life ruined. She seemed so relaxed about all of this. It was bizarre. He was a mess, and she, well she was calm and cool.

  “Hey.” He had been in a daze and looked up. It was Jinny. He’d always liked her. She was super smart, of course. And he had been attracted to her since, well, since he met her. She looked stunning. He had never really been this close to her.

  “Jinny, I’m so sorry. I can explain everything, well, I mean I can’t. I don’t know most of what’s going on.”

  “It’s fine. Time for that later. She got her purse and dumped it out on the bed. Let’s get the cash together, see what we can use.”

  She looked so calm. “Jinny, can I ask you something?”

  “You’re wondering why I’m not freaking out?”

  “Yes. You got it. Because I am.”

  “Josh, you never really asked me about my life. Back in the lab. All those years. You never asked about me.”

  A surge of emotion shot through him like nothing he had ever felt before.

  “Jinny, I’m an ass. I like you, I mean I really like you. I was so focused on my work, it was always work. I missed out on life, I think. I should have asked you.”

  She laughed. “Well, maybe it’s good you didn’t. Back then at least. So Josh, I wasn’t always miss grad student. I had a different life. You ready?”

  “Anything.”

  “I’ve been in jail; I stole cars. I was actually good at it. I stole a lot of cars. I’ve been on the run before.”

  He hadn’t been expecting that. But after tonight, nothing seemed shocking anymore.

  “You got caught?”

  “More like turned in. My best friend at the time thought I was sleeping with her boyfriend, which I wasn’t. She called the police. I was 16, otherwise I would still be in prison.”

  “What happened? I mean, why did you do it?”

  “That’s a long story. Short version: drunk dad, junkie mom. Boredom. I was always smart; I mean, I knew I was, deep inside. After I got out, I pulled it together. I started to study, had a good foster family. Then I met you. You were my inspiration, Josh. Why do you think I like you so much?

  “Can I ask you a question?” she asked, moving so close to him now.

  “Of course.”

  “Do you like me as more than a friend?”

  His face went hot red. He nodded. “I mean, I never acted on it. I’m not good at stuff like that. Real life stuff.”

  “Good, because I like you, too, more than a friend. And you know why that’s good?”

  “Why?”

  She laughed again. “Because there is only one bed in this crappy motel!”

  He laughed hard. It felt good. He felt good. They were in the worst possible situation, and he felt better than he had in his entire life.

  He didn’t realize how exhausted he was. They turned off the lights and got under the covers. In bed with Jinny, not in a millions years…

  “You’re going to fall out,” she teased him.

  “What?”

  “Stupid! You’re going to fall out of the bed. Just come closer; it’s freezing in here anyway.”

  He realized he was hanging over the edge on his side. He pulled up next to Jinny. He could smell her hair, feel her soft skin. Was this really happening?

  Now he was wide awake again.

  She turned around and faced him. They were less than an inch apart. He didn’t say anything. He looked into her eyes. So smart, so beautiful.

  He kissed her.

  Joshua awoke tangled up with Jinny. He didn’t feel like moving. How many times in his life was this going to happen? Probably this was it, he figured. He pulled himself closer to her. She turned to face him again.

  She was wearing a playful smile. “Good morning, Professor. Do you do this often?”

  “What?”

  “Do you sleep with your students often, Professor?” She jabbed him and gave him a kiss.

  He started to laugh. “I haven’t really slept with, well, anyone before you.” His face turned red again.

  “Ah, then I guess we will need to make up for lost time.” She smiled again.

  She pulled out of the sheets and stood up, wearing only socks. “It’s freezing in here!

  “Well, are you just going to stare? We have a lot to do this morning. And I’m rusty at this on the run gig.”

  He really loved her smile. He took her hand and pulled her softly back to the bed.

  “Jinny, I saw them putting a bomb under my car. Before I came for you. I wanted to tell you I am sorry. This is bad. Really bad.”

  She sat down on the bed next to him. “Well, we have each other now. That’s better than being alone in all this—”

  “I never wanted you to get hurt. I shouldn’t have asked for your help with the video. It’s just that. . .”

  “I’m the smartest of your students?” She smiled again.

  He laughed. It was true, of course. He nodded.

  “OK then. Let’s figure this out together. If people are willing to kill for this, it must be important. The reason I came to MIT, the reason I wanted to work with you, it was to make a difference. To find something important. Something that could maybe help things in this crazy world.”

  He nodded. “OK, let’s do it. I am going to need your help, because when it comes to this — on the run stuff — let’s just say my skill set is a bit empty.”

  She pulled him out of the bed and kissed him. Well, it’s a good thing you like me, because you’re about to get a haircut from someone with no training.

  “Can we? First?” He couldn’t believe he had just asked her that.

  She laughed hard. “Do it again! Now?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, I can see I opened Pandora’s box last night!” She laughed and smiled. “Wait a minute! Was this all an elaborate trick to get me into bed?”

  “Oh, no! I swear. I would never do that!”

  She jumped back into bed. “I’m joking silly. Do you think I would have slept with you if I didn’t know you are a good guy. I’m not that easy, you know.”

  “Oh, right, of course, I’m not usually like this.”

  “Well?” She was staring at him.

  “Oh, you mean we can?”

  “You have a naked girl in your bed, Josh. And she actually has a crush on you; she has for a long time. Make the next move, genius boy. Oh, and let’s work on how you ask next time. Yes, there will be a next time. You know, a simple touch can work just as well.” She gave him an evil smile and dived under the covers.

  He really couldn’t think at all after what just happened— again. Now she was cutting his hair, it seemed. Weird how what started as the worst day of his life had turned into the best thing that ever happened to him. He shouldn’t think that way. It didn’t seem right, but it was true. He knew it was true as he looked at her, as he felt her holding his hand. He started to think like himself again. His mind was coming back. He would solve this mystery, he would solve it with Jinny.

  • • •

  Grand Theft

  Josh looked at his hair in the car’s side mirror. Not a bad job, he thought to himself as he smiled. Maybe short hair did look OK on him.

  He looked over to Jinny. She was driving now. Anyway, she seemed to know a lot more about what to do than he did, better he let her lead. She had dyed her hair, and, to his surprise, looked e
ven more attractive, which he thought was not possible. He reached over and held her hand, she glanced over and smiled.

  Had he really slept with her? He couldn’t believe it actually. He had been missing out on life. He really, really had. That was clear. He didn’t want to go back to his old life at this point. Maybe it was the adrenalin; mostly it was Jinny. In any case, he didn’t want to be the way he was before.

  “We need to switch cars before we figure out our next step.” She still seemed so calm.

  “Right. Makes sense. Is that hard?”

  “Actually it is. It is a lot harder than the movies make it look, that’s for sure. I have some tricks that help though. We are going to the airport.” She smiled and sped up.

  They pulled into the long-term parking lot and found a spot.

  “Do we pick any car?”

  “Nope. So here is the deal. You want to wait until someone parks, gets their luggage out and leaves. Chances are they won’t come back for their car for a long time. – long-term parking right, so no police report.”

  “Wow— smart.” He had never thought about things like this. Actually it did make sense.

  “Also, like I said, it’s not like the movies. We need to find an older model car. The new car security is very hard to break. They have computers now. If they sense a break-in, the computer disables the electric fuel pump and the car is useless. Older cars are much easier to start without a key. The movies call it hot-wiring, but it’s not easy, even with an old car. I brought some tools from my apartment that will help.”

  He couldn’t help but be impressed. I mean this was a felony, but still. He smiled. It was a rush, a total rush. He might as well admit it. And she was book smart and street smart. She really was different than anyone he had known before. And different in a good way.

  “There, check it out.”

  He looked over and saw an older car pull in. The single male driver took his luggage and left.

  “So you want it to be older, but something that is not going to break down. That looks like a good choice. Looks like it’s well maintained, tires are newer, which usually means the owner cares enough to take care of the whole car.”