Volume One: The Road Out
Chapter Five
Verse Two: Which Doctor?
"Oh No, I'm not letting any
Illuminati Lizard alien loving UN Puppet into my diner without a
warrant." Henrietta announced, barring the way into the diner
with both arms spread wide.
Harley shook his head in dismay. He
couldn't image that Henrietta's ultimatum was likely to reduce the
agent's suspicions. Harley also assumed that the man had seen the
Cricket parked out front, which would at least tell him that Harley
and Marion were nearby- or had stopped here to change vehicles if
nothing else. Harley suddenly regretted not having the nerve to try
stealing a vehicle.
Harley picked Maia up in a fireman's
carry, not bothering to try to walk her to the back room. The little
girl wasn't hard to carry save for the the fact that she have begun
talking.
"He's found us. Let him help."
She whispered.
"I recognize this agent Maia. We
didn't have the best interaction last time we spoke." harley
said as he lugged his prophetic cargo through the kitchen into the
store room. Setting Maia down gently, Harley ran back to the front
room.
"I know the contingencies you've
got in place to hand us over to a New World Order one world
government and I'm not standing for it. Who do you think you are
anyway?" Henrietta yelled at full volume as Harley grabbed Fitz
and threw the boy into fireman carry position. Fitz was heavier, but
Harley managed. As he began to carry Fitz to the back room, he
noticed the figure in the back corner again, hidden in the shadows
created by a dead fluorescent light above. Harley managed a weak
wave, and the figure waved back and gave a thumbs up. Harley nodded
and continued with his burden to the back room. With Fitzroy done,
Harley finally went back for his best friend. He didn't like leaving
Marion for last, but was confident Marion would agree with the
prioritization.
Harley pushed through the swinging
doors back to the main room of the diner and crouched low as he
jogged over to Marion.
"Don't think I don't know about
how the World bank and the IMF are syphoning money away from
independent nations towards those Annunaki alien corporate
overlords." Harley heard Henrietta say and he slung Marion's arm
over his own shoulder and began to assist walk Marion to the back
room.
"She's creative to listen to, I've
grant her that." Harley said as his tried to move Marion quickly
without tripping his less than agile companion.
"I am not interested in your
conspiracy theories. I am interested in two children whose lives are
in danger and getting to the bottom of a very unpleasant stew of a
case. Now move aside before I decide to turn you into the next Lee
Harvey Oswald."
Harley pushed the door open with his
shoulder and slipped into the back room. As the door swung behind
him, Harley heard footsteps in the public area of the diner. Harley
lowered Marion to the ground and crouched down beside him in the
store room. He noted that the sound carried remarkably well from the
dining area, which almost certainly meant the sound would carry the
other way as well.
"You happy? you've entered without
a warrant. And now you're breaking your own fake laws."
"I could just be a customer."
the agent answered.
"Then I could kick you off my
private property and refuse to serve you." Henrietta said.
Maia was still talking, but her voice
was rising. Harley tried to shush her, and when didn't work, he
clamped a hand on her mouth.
"I could also be more dangerous to
your livelihood than a rumour of salmonella and e. coli infection in
your diner."
"Even for a corporate running dog
of the world conspiracy, you are a piece of work, you know that?"
"Lives are being destroyed here.
Children have lost a parent. Nothing makes sense. But you are right
about me acting beyond my authority. But that makes me more dangerous
to you, not less. I am going to solve this, even if it ruins my
career. And that should make you very very scared of me."
Despite Harley's best efforts, Maia was
now loudly calling, "He's found us. He's found us! Let him
help!"
The agent's voice from the front room
answered, "I think I'm needed in your back room."
A new voice spoke, a male voice with
just enough weathering to suggest to Harley that the speaker was not
young, "This isn't the time or the place for confrontation.
Nobody is ready for confrontation right now."
"Ready or not, confrontation
happens now!" the agent said and Harley heard the swinging door
knock open and then the agent loomed as a black silhouette in the
storeroom door way.
"Mr. Night, should I still go get
a warrant?" Agent Bridger asked.
"I think this would sound like
probable cause to a jury," Harley answered as evenly as he
could, standing up to face the agent.
"I thought you didn't know these
children?"
"I doubt you care, but I was
telling the truth. We didn't meet them until your planted evidence in
my desk forced us to run for our lives."
"I didn't plant any evidence."
"Somebody did."
"I know, but I can't track down
who. This whole thing stinks. Every witness says you're innocent and
yet here you are with the kids yelling for help. All the evidence
tastes like an inside job, but I'm looking at a classic kidnapping.
You tell me what this is Night, because I can't figure it out."
"I can't explain anything that
would make sense to you, because I don't know enough myself. I'm
caught in a web and a story that I don't understand. I'm just trying
to keep myself, my friend and these kids alive long enough to figure
it out. But I have no answers for you, nothing you'd want to hear at
any rate."
"You're not making a good case for
my not sending you straight to jail on a silver platter."
"If I thought I had an explanation
you'd believe I'd have told you already. And I'm a lousy liar."
"I can explain things. If you're
willing to listen, that is." the male voice from before said.
Harley and Bridger turned to look at
the man standing behind them. From the outline, Harley recognized the
man as the figure from the corner. He was - as Harley had guessed- an
older man, dressed in brown corduroy pants with a red shirt and a
brown tweed jacket. The man's hair was an aged pale blonde and hung
long tied back into a ponytail. He smiled gently and continued
speaking.
"The other agents are following:
the men of black and white who planted the evidence and send these
four on the run," The man said, "You can wait for them, and
then this will all go away Agent Bridger. But then you'll never get
your answers, just a cover story and probably disciplinary action.
But in the time it will take them to arrive, I can convince you
that these folks are the good guys and that you should be on our
side- if you're willing to listen."
"Keep talking." Bridger
answered slowly.
"I promise that nobody will leave
or try to run until we're done explaining. And, if you aren't
convinced, I promise we will all surrender without a struggle."
"That's a generous offer,"
Bridger said, "How do I know Night and Day over there will
honour your agreement?"
Harley quickly answered, "Marion
isn't in any shape to do anything on his own. Look at him.
Bridger looked at the slumped form of
Marion and then back to Harley, "What did you do to him? I
thought he was your best friend?"
"He is my best friend and that's
what your side did to him. We've been fighting for our lives here."
"None of this makes sense."
Bridger pinched his nose.
"I can explain it." The man
from the corner repeated.
"Look," Harley said, "I
don't want to fight you, you're the first guy in a suit to talk like
a human in days. And although I could run, I'd probably have to
abandon Maia and Fitzroy and Marion, and I'm not doing that. So,
whoever this guy is, "Harley gestured at the man from the
corner, "I'm going to trust him, because I don't see another
reasonable option here. I'm giving you my word I will honour that
agreement if you do. "
Bridger looked at the man from the
corner and then back at Harley, "Fine, your coworkers say that
you're a stand up guy, so I'll trust your word. But if you break it,
I will make your life the worst kind of hell imaginable. Now,"
Bridger turned back to the man in the corner, "I know who they
are. Who in the heck are you?"
The man grinned and crossed him arms,
"I'm the Witch Doctor."
Maia whispered, "He's found us."
