Deep Night

by Greg F. Gifune

  Seth slid down to a half-wall where the paper towel dispenser was located and pulled a sheet free. “It’s been a tough couple days.”

  Walker’s expression changed again, a dawning slowly spreading across his face. “Oh shit that’s right, the Lou from shipping thing, you two were friends, weren’t you?”

  “Are friends,” Seth said, drying first his hands and then his face. “Not were, George. Louis is still alive.”

  “Just barely from what I heard,” he said crudely, lightly combing his already perfect hair with his fingertips. “They said he fell out a window, what was he shit-faced?”

  Seth tossed the paper towel into the trash. “Never thought I’d say this, but it’s good to see you’re still you, George.”

  Walker gave him a puzzled look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  With hands now clean but still shaking, Seth turned and left the bathroom.

  He crossed the lobby to the first set of elevators, rode one to his floor and stepped out into the hallway leading to the sea of cubicles beyond. It was even more quiet than usual, and the hallway was empty.

  Seth looked out over the mass of cubicles. All were unattended and the area was dim, the main lights having already been shut down. The large windows on the far wall revealed that darkness was closing over the city quickly. Bill Jacobs’s office was located in the rear right corner of the floor, and he could see it perfectly, as the lights inside were still on, making the fishbowl glass front more obvious from this distance than usual.

  “What are you doing here on your vacation?”

  Joe Levin, one of the more jovial customer service reps from his department appeared to his right, having just emerged from his cubicle.

  “Hi,” Seth managed. “Just came to see Bill for a minute.”

  “I’m sorry, did I startle you?”

  “Yeah, I thought everyone was gone.”

  “Everyone is, except for Jacobs.” Levin buttoned his coat then pulled on a scarf and flung it around his neck. “Management sent everybody home about an hour early because of the storm. I got tied up with an account but it’s taken care of so I’m heading out, too. Getting pretty bad out there from the looks.”

  Levin seemed all right, like his normal self, the same as Walker had.

  “Yeah, coming down pretty good,” Seth said. “Drive carefully.”

  “No worries, I took the train in.” His expression grew unusually serious. “Hey, I was really sorry to hear about Louis in shipping. How’s he doing?”

  “The same, last time I checked.” He glanced over at Ruthie’s cubicle. Empty. “Joe, was Ruth Chandler in today?”

  “Yeah, but she blew out of here a while ago. When they first said it was OK to leave for the day she left smoke trails.” He chuckled. “You know Ruthie, last one in first one out.”

  “Thanks.” Seth started toward the office. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Levin headed for the elevators. “OK, Seth, take care.”

  Even before Seth had reached his office, Bill Jacobs noticed Seth coming, stepped out from behind his desk and offered a warm smile while he was still several feet away. A tall, trim man in his early fifties, Jacobs had neatly styled silver hair, rather angular features, and wore expensive hand-tailored suits with suspenders that always matched his ties. “Seth, hi, thanks for coming in,” he said in his deep voice, the usual odd cadence evident in his delivery, where each word was spoken slowly and drawn out longer than seemed necessary. As Seth stepped into the light of his office Jacobs blanched, shocked by his ragged appearance. “My God, are you all right? What’s happened?”

  “I’m fine,” Seth lied. “I slipped on the ice outside and fell.”

  “Are you hurt? You look—”

  “Bill, I’m fine. What was it you wanted?”

  Slight annoyance joined the concern on his face. “Have a seat.”

  Seth collapsed into one of the two chairs positioned in front of the desk.

  “Andrea’s beyond upset,” he said, feigning sincerity. “She’s been planning this dinner party for weeks and now the storm hits and the odds of anyone showing are virtually nonexistent. Suffice to say she is not a happy camper at the moment, so I need to get home, and with this snow getting out of the city is already going to make me late, but—”

  “Why did you want to see me, Bill?”

  “I was trying to get to that, if you’d let me finish, I…” He seemed to catch himself, and his anger drifted off, replaced by more concern. “The point I was trying to make is that this is important. You are important, Seth.” Jacobs nodded happily, apparently pleased with himself.

  Seth watched him, trying to gauge his behavior to determine whether or not he could be trusted, but it was difficult. Jacobs oozed insincerity on his best days.

  After a lengthy and rather dramatic sigh, Jacobs sat on the edge of his desk and folded his arms across his chest. “First off, I want you to know how sorry I was to hear about Louis in shipping.”

  “Dodge.”

  Jacobs raised an eyebrow. “Pardon me?”

  “Dodge,” Seth said. “Louis Dodge. His last name is Dodge. Not From Shipping.”

  “All right,” he said with condescending patience.

  “Louis can be annoying sometimes. He can be a misogynistic, crude, argumentative know-it-all. Other times he can have a heart of gold and be the best friend anyone could ever hope to have.” The words caught in Seth’s throat. He cleared it awkwardly, battling back the emotion. “He’s a human being, Bill, flaws and all. He’s a father to two kids and he has a last name. It’s Dodge.”

  “I certainly didn’t mean any disrespect to your friend.” Jacobs forced a phony smile. “Look, Seth, I know you’ve been having a difficult time, and that you’re under a tremendous amount of stress and not yourself right now. I know what close friends you and Louis were. I’m sure his accident has made things even worse for you, and clearly you’re quite vulnerable emotionally. I also know you and your wife have been having some problems, and that you’ve split. I’m sure that, coupled with—”

  “Leave my wife out of this. She has nothing to do with any of this.”

  “I just want you to know I understand.”

  “Well, thank you, but my marital problems are none of the company’s concern, Bill.”

  “Yes, of course.” He paused, struggling to sustain his patience. “I’m simply trying to let you know that I understand you’re having some personal problems right now and that I’m here for you. The company is here for you. You’ve been with us a long time, and you’ve always been an outstanding member of the team. But now and then things happen and we all need a bit of help. There’s no shame in that, Seth. If a person falls and breaks his or her leg, for instance, are they embarrassed about going to a doctor to have their leg fixed? Of course not, so why then should we feel embarrassed if we need to see another kind of doctor to help us fix some other part of us?”

  Seth pushed his hands deeper into his lap for fear Jacobs might notice the tremors wreaking havoc with them. “Any doctor I see is my business.”

  “We provide you with the health insurance that pays for your visits,” Jacobs said flatly. “And we’re glad to do it, don’t misunderstand. But you’re right. Normally, as you say, frankly your personal life is your own. The difference in this instance is that I’ve been asked to get involved and help out if I can, and that’s all I’m trying to do.”

  “Asked? Asked by whom?” Seth stood up. “Help with what?”

  “Don’t get upset.” Jacobs held his hands up in front of him. “This isn’t about making you upset, all right?”

  “Then what the hell is it about?”

  “Getting you the help you need, Seth. Please understand that. I’m not the enemy. None of us are. We’re all your friends, Seth. We’re all very concerned about your well-being.”

  “Who the hell are we?”

  “Because ultimately, that’s all that matters: your health and well being.”

&n
bsp; “My well-being, I see.”

  “Now I know you’ve been acting strangely lately and that there’s a lot happening right now, but Doctor Farrow can help you work these things out.” Jacobs smiled, though Seth could tell how nervous he’d become. “We all just want to help you.”

  Seth looked back at the dark cubicles. A beeping sound in the distance indicated the elevator doors at the end of the hallway had just opened.

  “Please, let us help you, Seth.”

  “Who told you to do this?” Seth shuffled back and forth like a cornered animal, his mind racing. “Who, you sonofabitch!”

  “It’s important that you remain calm.”

  “Was it Farrow? I saw her, I saw her in the building with those men, I—”

  “No one wants to hurt you, Seth, we only want to help.”

  “I know who you are,” he growled. “And I know what you are.”

  “Of course you do, you’ve known me for years,” Jacobs said, smiling like an imbecile.

  Seth saw two uniformed policemen walking quickly toward the office. “I know what’s happening.”

  “Seth, look at me. It’s me. Bill. Bill Jacobs. I’m your boss, your friend.”

  He grabbed Jacobs by the front of his shirt and shook him. “You hear me? I know what’s happening!”

  “Seth, stop!” Jacobs cried. “I’m only trying to help you!”

  Seth released him with a push that was hard enough to send him crashing to the floor.

  “Hold it right there,” one of the cops called out. “Stay right where you are!”

  Seth darted out of the office and stumbled down one of the paths between the cubicles, eluding the grasp of the first policeman by mere inches.

  He ran as hard as he could, his coat flapping behind him, and as he turned down another pathway and charged toward the elevators, he stole a quick glance back over his shoulder. One officer was still giving chase but was several feet behind him. The other had apparently gone into the office to aid Jacobs or was so far back he could no longer see him.

  Seth heard the policeman behind him relaying information and instruction into a radio clipped to his shoulder as he ran, but kept on. Just before he reached the elevators he veered off to the right and disappeared down another pathway. He crouched low and followed it to the next opening, which put him at the exit leading to the stairs.

  He slammed into the door and found himself half-running and half-falling down the first flight. He just managed to grab hold of the railing in time to prevent himself from falling head over heels, but slid down several steps until he again had his feet under him. Seth bolted down the remainder to the first floor then hit the exit door with his shoulder with such force it swung all the way open, hit the outside wall then slowly closed back.

  A burst of cold air and snow hit him as he surged from the building into an alley, twirling awkwardly as he caught his balance then ran for the street.

  At the corner of the building he stopped and looked around. There were fewer people on the street than before, but the area was still fairly congested, and traffic remained heavy. Two police cruisers were parked at the front of the building. Both were empty but the occupants from one were standing at the entrance to the building waiting for him.

  He was just about to make a break for it in the opposite direction, when a woman in a dark coat and hat emerged from the other people bustling about. She moved toward him deliberately, and with a barely controlled look of panic on her face. A Walkman was draped around her neck, the headphones dangling loosely at her side, but it was her lipstick that stood out. A retro bright shade of red few women wore these days, it contrasted sharply with her short jet-black hair.

  Ruthie.

  She turned into the alley, but as Seth opened his mouth to say something, her eyes widened and she walked right by him. He turned to follow her, but saw the door open and the officer that had been chasing him stumble through into the alley.

  Before he’d even seen her, Ruthie had closed on the policeman, and in one fluid motion spun around and fired an elbow into his face. It connected just below his nose, the point of it hitting him full in the mouth. He fell away from her with a muffled grunt, the back of his head slapping the wall as he smashed into the building.

  Astonished, Seth watched as the man slid to the ground in a heap, unconscious.

  Ruthie looked back at Seth and smiled self-consciously.

  Seth stared at her, dazed.

  “I watch a lot of Steven Seagal movies,” she said, slipping her arm into his. “Walk, don’t run, and do not look back. Come on.”

  She nonchalantly led him out to the street, and arm-in-arm they headed away from the Severance building, rapidly blending in with everyone else.

  As they walked on Seth could only hope the cops watching the front doors hadn’t seen them. The snow was heavier now and the temperature had dropped considerably in the brief amount of time he’d been inside. “My car isn’t far from here,” he told her. “If we can get back to it we can—”

  “Too dangerous, there’s a cab waiting for us a block over.”

  As a thought occurred to him Seth slowed his pace and turned her toward him. “Ruthie, how did you know I’d be here?”

  “Relax, keep moving.”

  “Answer me.”

  “Keep moving.” She shot him a look, daggers in her eyes. “I overheard Jacobs on the phone telling the big-shots upstairs you were coming in to see him. He’s been bugging everyone for the last couple days about getting in touch with you. I was trying to get to you before he did, that’s why I called you at home and left the message. By the way, thanks so much for getting back to me at some point this century.”

  Relieved, Seth lowered his head and continued on, attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible. “I just got the message earlier today,” he explained. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who to trust. I ran into Joe Levin and he told me you’d left a while ago, so—”

  “Yeah, well when I heard Jacobs say you’d be in I decided to wait on you. I figured if you showed maybe I could help. I left the building but hung around the neighborhood waiting and watching. I was out there a while and it was so cold I was freezing my tits off, so I went to that place just down the street to get a cup of coffee, you know that bagel place I like that has that killer Columbian coffee? Anyway, I figured it’d keep me warm while I was waiting, you know? I got back just in time to see you going into the building. I tried to catch you but when I got to the lobby you were already gone, guess you were already on the elevator.”

  Seth had never been so happy to hear her endless chatter. “I was in the restroom.”

  “No matter,” she said, walking a bit faster. “We’re almost out of here.”

  They reached the next block without incident. Just as she’d promised, a taxi was waiting for them. They slid into the backseat. Ruthie thanked the driver for waiting then gave him an address.

  “Where are we going?” Seth asked.

  “My apartment, it’s only a few blocks from here. No one knows we’re together so I figure it’s about the last place they’ll look for you.”

  The cab lurched off into traffic. “That cop hit his head awfully hard on that wall, do you think he’s—”

  “Shhh,” she whispered, a gloved finger pressed to her lips. She indicated the driver with a slight nod of her head.

  “You knew all along what was happening, didn’t you,” he said softly, stating it rather than asking. “That’s why you kept trying to get me to go to your rallies and meet your friends. That’s why you kept saying there was hope for me. You were trying to help me. You knew what was happening even before I did. That whole bit about—what were they—Piggyback Fish, it was all a test.”

  “Complete crap, I made them up.” Ruthie smiled demurely. “Sounded good, though, no?”

  “You were trying to find out what I knew.”

  She gave him a cynical look. “Gee, you think?”

  He rubbed his eyes, a headache was settling
behind them. “Then there are others like us who know and—”

  “Now’s not a good time to talk about it,” Ruthie said, eyeing the driver.

  “Right, sorry, I just—”

  “Seth,” she said, taking his hands and holding them tightly in her own, “I know it’s hard but you need to try to calm down. Take a deep breath and chill, ratchet it down a few thousand pegs. Neither one of us will be any good to each other if we go bat-shit and lose it. We need to stay cool and think this through or we’ll make a mistake. And if we make a mistake, we’re fucked. OK?”

  “OK.” Seth nodded, doing his best. “Thanks for helping me back there.”

  “No sweat, but right now I just want to get off the street, it’s too dangerous out in the open like this.” Ruthie let him go then straightened the frumpy winter hat she was wearing and leaned forward. She watched the route the driver had taken to make certain he was going the right way. “Dude, bang a left right here, much shorter that way.” She looked back at Seth, lowered her voice. “If Magellan ever finds it, we’ll clear our heads and figure out what to do next when we get to my place.”

  Seth nodded in agreement. “And you’re sure it’s safe there?”

  “It’s safer than the street, I’m sure of that much.”

  “I need to get to my wife,” he told her. “I told her I’d be there soon to—”

  “Where is she?”

  “Outside the city, but she’s alone.”

  “If you call her don’t use your cell, it’s not secure. If it’s totally necessary you can call her when we get to my apartment, just be careful, don’t tell her where you are and keep it brief. Even landlines aren’t totally safe.”

  He thought about it. “I just spoke to her a while ago, but I called her on my cell.”

  “Nothing you can do about it now.”

  “We have to get to her and—”

  “After we get to my place we’ll figure out our next move, then you can get in touch with her and we’ll go from there, OK?”

  “I just hope she’s still all right,” he said grimly. “Petey’s with her, he’d die protecting her if he had to.”