He lifted the blue police cap and ran a hand over his sweaty, bald head. “Did he say anything about why he had a gun?”
Joe kept his face and voice neutral. “No, I suspect he’s off his meds.” Joe wouldn’t give them any more information than they already had. If he told the police that there was any credit to Crazy Bob’s rantings, they might find the shuttle before he did.
“Some of the witnesses say they heard him talking about aliens,” the officer said.
“Yeah, that’s new for Bob. But that doesn’t explain where he got the gun.”
“True.” The officer looked down at his notes. “Well, I think that’s all for now. I’ll get a statement from your partner when he’s up to it. No hurry. This seems to be only a little atypical for Bob.”
“Yeah, outside his normal but not far from it. He’s in here at least once a week harassing the patrons. I hope they get him the help he needs if he’s starting to see little green men.”
The officer smiled. “If you think of anything else relevant, let me know.” He handed Joe a business card that read Officer Martin Dolan.
With his official duties completed—and the building was temporarily closed for cleanup and so the police could complete their investigation of the shooting, anyway—he was released for the day. First, he needed to see that Charlie was okay and then he needed to investigate the shuttle sighting. If Iza was here for him, he’d find her.
—
Joe took the indoor skyways as far as Fifth Street then walked the rest of the way to Hennepin County Medical Center, where Charlie was recovering. He hadn’t gone home to change, as his uniform would get him through hospital security faster than his ID. By now the incident had already reached the news and he caught snatches of whispered conversation as people passed him and stared.
He played over in his mind again what he was going to say to his partner before he potentially disappeared from his life. Charlie had been a daily comfort and a friend over the last few months, making Joe’s exile tolerable. Given their relationship, he still couldn’t exactly tell him the truth. Going back on the Verity with Iza meant leaving behind his new life and friends, but it also would mean putting his friends on the Verity in potential danger, if the TSS came looking for him. No matter what, it seemed like he may end up hurting someone. However, nothing was more important to Joe than being reunited with Iza.
The fourth-floor rooms were quiet, and the smell of cafeteria food was in the air. When he reached Charlie’s room, he swore under his breath when he caught the heavily Jamaican accented voice of Charlie’s wife, Jesse, in the room with him. Saying goodbye to Charlie was bad enough, but his wife had a way of seeing right through him that was uncanny for all but a trained telepath.
“There’s my hero,” Charlie said as soon as Joe came through the door of the room. Joe noted they’d given him a private room—a small luxury in a place that often had more patients than space. The couple’s four-year-old daughter was tucked into a chair beside the bed and covered with a blanket she’d brought from home, which left only the top of her tight curls visible. Charlie looked good, the glint had returned to his brown eyes and his right arm was wrapped up tight in a lightweight sling.
“Enough of that,” Joe said. “I just came to see if you were still alive or if your wife needed a new husband.” Joe winked at Jesse, and she giggled.
“That’s right. You could have died and left me everything, including your handsome partner,” Jesse said with a nudge of her husband.
“I’m sure there are plenty of women your speed in the morgue. This one’s taken.” Charlie reached out for Jesse’s hand and then winced.
“That’s enough,” Jesse said as she moved to interlock her fingers in those of his free hand. “You’ll hurt yourself and then you’ll be stuck in the hospital for another day. You heard what the doctor said,” she scolded him. Their daughter stirred in the chair, whimpering in her sleep. “I’m going to take her out. Are you going to be okay for a minute?” Jesse glanced between Charlie and Joe.
“I’ll be fine, woman. Go.” Though he said the words, he didn’t release her hand right away, and something unspoken passed between them. Joe didn’t have to look into their minds to know it was love.
Then, Jesse carried their four-year-old daughter out of the room. The girl’s legs dangled to Jesse’s small hips and her head cradled into her mother’s neck to avoid the light.
“She’s getting so big,” Joe said as soon as she’d left the room.
“Don’t I know it.”
Joe raised an eyebrow. “Sure you don’t want another?”
Charlie shook his head and chuckled softly. “No way! I can barely handle that one.”
The two fell silent, reluctant to talk about what had happened. Even so, Joe needed to tell his partner everything. After tonight, he’d probably never see him again. He’d never had a close friend other than Emery. Charlie didn’t have a lot of other friends, either, since they’d moved from Chicago a year ago. Joe knew his sudden departure would be hard on the man, but he hoped his near-death experience would give him a new appreciation for his life and loved ones, softening the blow in some small way.
“What did the doctor say?” Joe asked.
Charlie winced when he instinctively shrugged one shoulder. “The bullet nicked my clavicle but managed to exit out my back. A clean shot, except for the muscles it tore through. My right arm is no good to me until it’s healed.”
Joe nodded. Charlie would probably want to know how things went down after he’d been carried out.
“Crazy Bob’s going to spend the few months in jail,” Joe began, “and I imagine they’ll give him a psych eval.”
“That’s the least they can do. It’s obvious he shouldn’t be wandering the streets on his own.” Charlie shook his head and winced from the pain. “The man’s lost everything. He’s been crazy for years; maybe he’ll finally get the help he needs.”
It was a sad situation. Joe knew on other Taran worlds there were those with mental disabilities and problems, too, but those people were rarely left out on the street for an extended time. On Earth, it seemed as though there were more of them and fewer options for care. Crazy Bob would probably end up staying in some kind of locked-down mental facility getting three meals a day while he was pumped full of mind-numbing drugs. He’d live out the rest of his days bored to death, surrounded by full-time caregivers and other people who’d lost their minds.
“How many days off are they giving you?” Charlie asked.
“Only two.” It wasn’t a lie, but Joe had only requested the two days. He would be gone tonight if he was able to track down Iza before the TSS Agents tailing his every move caught up to him.
“I wondered if you’d take the mandatory.” Charlie nodded in understanding.
Joe didn’t correct him, letting Charlie believe that he needed the mental health time after the shooting before returning to work. His aunt and uncle had thought the same thing when he told them that he was going to be taking some time off. No one could know he was leaving, or it might jeopardize his escape and put Iza in danger.
“I guess after that,” Joe continued, “I’ll be working with whoever they get to cover for you.”
Charlie smiled. “You’re not gonna get anybody as good as me.”
“Exactly! I’m looking for someone better. I’ve been suffering long enough,” Joe said with a laugh. “How long is your rehab?”
“The doctors say a couple more days and then I can go home. I’ll have to take it easy for two weeks. If I had a desk job, I could go back then. Given what we do, I’ll probably be out for three altogether.”
“Hey, take the paid leave while you can.”
“Oh yeah, I’m going to milk it.” Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Speaking of me being stuck here, what did you bring me?”
Joe furrowed his brow, not sure he understood the question. “What do you mean?”
“I’m in the hospital, man. You didn’t think to bring me s
ome contraband? You know the food in here is lousy,” Charlie complained.
Joe didn’t know anything about the food; he hadn’t been in an Earth hospital since he was born. Once he joined the TSS and was introduced to medical nanites, he’d never had much need for a hospital. That was, until the mess with his arm. In that case, though, the hospital on Beurias was like a resort spa compared to most medical centers on Earth.
“I’m sorry, I’ll have some flowers waiting for you when you return to work,” Joe told him. “It was a busy morning. Had to clean up your mess, take care of the receptionist, come over here and make sure you’re doing okay without me to watch your back.”
“How is Nancy?”
“She’s shaken up; they sent her home for the rest of the week. Who can blame her?”
“Sure, sure. Well, maybe when she gets back you can ask her out instead of hitting on my wife. And don’t forget to follow up on those aliens.” Charlie winked.
I plan to do just that. “Did the police get your statement yet?” Joe asked.
“Nah, I was still unconscious when they came by. I’ll give them a call in the morning.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already given my statement. There’s not much else to do but get Bob some help,” Joe said.
Charlie’s wife Jesse returned a moment later. Their daughter, now standing on her own two feet, was gripping a small yellow flower.
“Hi there, Jasmine. You’re wide awake now,” Joe said, stating the obvious. The little girl ignored him, barely sparing him a glance. That answered the question of whether or not he was good with kids. He was just happy to have mastered the ability to have social relations with people without wanting to punch them in the face.
“For you, Daddy.” Jasmine held out the wilting flower to him, and he grabbed it with his good arm. “I picked it all by myself!”
“Thanks, baby, it’s beautiful.”
His wife placed a loving hand on his good arm. “I need to get her something to eat and you need the peace and quiet.”
“Mommy, I want pizza,” Jasmine insisted while speaking over her mother.
“I better let you rest,” Joe said, seeing a good opportunity to make his exit. “But hey, it’ll be nice being able to sleep in tomorrow.” Though even as he said it, Joe’s throat tightened at the prospect of never seeing his friend again.
“That’s right go home to day-drink and then have your TV dinner. And don’t forget to turn off the TV before you fall asleep,” Charlie chided him.
Joe gave him a fist bump. Then, he gave Jesse a light hug and waved to Jasmine. Her head tilted up as if she suddenly recognized him and decided that he was the most interesting thing in the room.
“Bye, Uncle Joe,” she said to his back.
Joe took a step toward the door and then turned back to them, realizing he wanted to say something. “I know I never told you this before, but I think of you as family. Don’t ever change.”
They stared back at him a moment before Charlie broke the silence. “I knew you were going to miss me, man. But come on, not in front of my wife.”
They all laughed, and he waved to them as he walked out the door.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Earth was nothing like Iza had expected it to be. She’d always heard people talk about it as a backwater world that was technologically archaic, but it seemed that humanity had come a long way in recent years. On the surface, at least, the architecture and transportation network were comparable to some of the Outer Colonies, or even a few Middle Worlds. What she found most interesting was that she recognized shades of the cultures found throughout the rest of the Taran Empire. Funny how our common ancestry is still evident, despite thousands of years of being estranged.
Trix had piloted the Q Maximus stealth shuttle the short jump to Earth and then flown it down to the surface as quickly as possible. Even at night, there was a high risk of the craft being spotted. Trix had landed it in a treed area outside the city, where the winter-bare tree limbs would provide more cover than nothing at all. As long as the shuttle remained powered down and Trix didn’t engage in any outside communications, there was no reason for anyone to suspect it was there.
Using their phones, they had summoned a taxi, which took them to the address Braedon had found for Joe.
The taxi ride to Joe’s gave Iza ample time to rehearse in her head what she wanted to say. It would be the first time they’d laid eyes on each other in months, and she wasn’t even sure she looked presentable. She glanced down at her clothing and her dirty boots and wondered if she should have worn something more feminine. She could have blamed it on their trip to Earth and trying to fit in, but she rarely wore clothing that wasn’t fit for running.
The building Joe lived in was situated off of a place called St. Anthony Main. The boulevard was divided by a continuous island of manicured trees and brush. People here were comfortable walking the street, and she saw more than one person with a dog. It made her think of Atano. He’d given her his version of disapproval at leaving him behind, a short bark followed by a whine. The animals with owners all had dogs tethered to leashes. Atano would be as miserable as Joe on this planet.
As soon as they exited the taxi, Iza pushed past Karter as she raced to Joe’s apartment building. The loft apartments didn’t look like much from the outside, but from a glance around the neighborhood, it was clear this wasn’t a family or economically poor area. Iza pushed and then pulled at the door to the lofts but it was secured. She hadn’t anticipated the outer doors having security.
Iza leaned into the box and spoke the two words that didn’t require proficiency in the native language, “Joe Anderson.”
When nothing happened, she stared at the keypad, wondering how to work with the interface.
“It won’t work on verbal commands, try the little buttons,” Karter said pointing to the keypad she’d overlooked.
There was one button with the label ‘ANDERSON’ typed out next to it. She had practiced reading his name in English characters enough that she recognized it on sight. Her finger lifted to the button and pressed. A corresponding buzzing signaled it had worked. Again, nothing happened, and she turned to Karter who was staring at his hands doing his best to appear uninterested. Iza pressed the button again but there was still no answer.
“Well, we tried. I’m ready to go back if you are,” Karter said.
Iza bared her teeth as she spoke, “We are not going back without Joe. If you don’t like it, you can wait in the shuttle with Trix.” She pulled out her new Earth cellphone.
“Wait, what are you doing? Any comms risk alerting the TSS of our being here.”
“Thank you for stating the obvious,” she said. “If he’s not here, then he must be at work. Braedon compiled all the research.” She waved the phone with the note displaying the address for the office building where Joe worked security.
Karter rolled his eyes.
She smirked. “Let’s go.”
The taxi driver, an older man with brown skin like her own but more wrinkles than she’d ever seen, talked all the way to their destination. Even though neither Karter nor Iza answered any of his questions or even pretended to listen, he rattled on nonstop. Since the place where Joe worked was in a high traffic area of Minneapolis, according to the map software on the phone, the driver let them out two blocks away.
“What now?” Karter asked as soon as they’d paid the fare and sent the taxi on its way.
“I guess we walk the rest of the way,” Iza said her teeth beginning to chatter in the cold winter air.
Karter wrapped his arms around himself. “Well, it’s ice cold, so I’m not going to stand around here all day just waiting.”
“You were the one who wanted to come.” She fixed him with a level glare as she stormed off in the direction of Joe’s work building
For once, Karter took the hint and kept his mouth shut.
When they reached the building where Joe worked, they were greeted by a large monument in the center
courtyard, surrounded by saplings with white trunks and bright green leaves.
“Where do you think he is?” Karter asked.
As silly as it was, she’d been hoping that maybe she’d just step inside the building and feel his presence somehow and know where to go. Now, she stood looking around at the near empty atrium as people rushed to work, ignoring the two lost people on the main floor. Karter started off and she scampered to follow. He was walking toward a young man wearing a headset and sitting at a sleek half-moon console near a set of glass elevators. It reminded Iza of Karter’s reception desk. He must have been thinking the same thing as he strolled up and leaned one elbow on the desk.
Using his translator, he asked, “I’m looking for a security guard name Joe Anderson.”
The man used the manual interface in front of him before he raised one hand to his mouth. “Oh, he was in the shooting.”
There was a delay while the translator read out the words and Iza gasped as her heart plummeted to her knees. Iza swallowed hard. Would Joe let himself be shot? He wasn’t completely without skills; he still had telepathy and telekinesis. Wouldn’t he use it to save himself?
“Where is he being treated?” Karter asked.
He raised his hands palms out as if in Taran greeting. “I’m not allowed to talk about the incident. Check the local news.”
Again, Karter and Iza waited for the translation.
Iza’s eyes flew to Karter’s. “Ask him where we can find this news.”
Karter used the translator and the man smiled politely.
“Uh, just look it up on your phone.”
“Any other way?” Karter asked through the device.
The man glanced down with a frown and then back at them. “Well, there’s a library downtown, to the northwest from here. They’ve got a ton of free computers over there if you prefer to watch the news on video. If you have any trouble, you can speak with the librarian; they’ll be glad to help you.”
On the Run (Verity Chronicles Book 3): A Cadicle Space Opera Adventure Page 11