Albert

The world, what a decrepit place it had become, or was it simply too different from the pristine chaos it was before? A war here and there, oil being fought over in the guise of democracy being spread over the world, a nightmare Plato would never fully appreciate, lucky him that he's dead long before this happened। What exactly went wrong and how did all this change start to appear? With all these questions, Albert had no real definite answers to any of it. Theories maybe, but no answers. One theory was that some large amount of people made the wrong decision and voted in a long line of radicals. Radicals that had certain ideas about privacy, or the lack of anything resembling the word ‘personal.’ Because, inside every one of us is an anarchist ready to undermine democratic political structures. This would require that the voting system reflected the real needs and demands of the people it’s supposed to represent, and somehow Albert figured that the needs of the many just weren’t in someone’s mind when they sat down and started dictating the will of the few.

As he stood on the rooftop of the St। Pauls hospital in Vancouver with a pair of binoculars in his hands Albert surveyed the results of fear, and an unending dominance of the minutia of everyday life. It was a sunny day, and though someone would see him standing at the top of a large gray building, Albert was searching for a specific signal he would receive if everything was going to plan. A biker was supposed to flash a green flag about a foot long and a foot wide. It was neon green and very hard to miss. Biker’s did this if they needed to enter traffic and it also meant they passed through enough training and processing to enter the work force. Albert’s signal was made a moment later, as a 5'3" thin woman wearing a dark blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans, flashed out a neon green flag after getting on her bike. She had to wait a minute for an opening in traffic, she flashed the flag again and a white Toyota put on the brakes and let her in. She turned her head to the left suddenly, as if hearing something.

He was looking at the street, and spoke "Good work, Jen। Better hurry, the wolves catch the scent fast these days." The woman sped off on her bike and into the jungle of traffic. Albert watched as she made her way past cars and trucks. It was a wonder she wasn’t hit with only a few feet between cars. But, she made due somehow. Albert turned after a few moments as the woman turned into a quieter street. Jen would be ok, Albert was not that concerned about her, he wanted to know how she manages to weave through traffic like that. He watched the cars for a minute longer, as if on instinct, he watched how the cars drivers behaved. A lot of them just slowly made their way down the street during rush-hour, but Albert couldn’t ignore a dark blue uniformed officer raising his roundish bald head to the sky, and Albert lowered his binoculars. It was time to go, rather quickly too. Albert ran across the roof and as he strode, he just knew that the wolves had caught his scent somehow. Though, it was some distance away and perhaps the officer didn’t really see anything at all. But, something about the confident smile on his face told Albert otherwise. Something about how the man’s eyes were full of conviction and pride, that set Albert on edge. That they were just beyond the door, around the corner... or watching him now? He didn’t keep still, even if they were watching him, it was quite another thing to apprehend him... alive.

Then it struck him, it wasn’t him that was in danger... it was Jen. They were watching her, but why? What did they hope to achieve? She was a bystander, like thousands of other cyclist couriers in the city. She would only say that she delivered her usual package, and she would tell them what that "was". Supposed they tortured her and then she spurted out the proverbial cat out of the box of her throat. Still, the package was delivered and untraceable now. But, why? Why her... and then it struck him. She was an example. Albert ran across the roof of the building knowing that every moment counted. It could have been anyone at all, perhaps the plan wasn’t compromised after all. But, the word that stuck in his mind that wouldn’t leave with the cool passing breeze, was example. Example...

Jen was riding hard on her 12 speed and turned her head behind her before she made another turn to her right. She gasped hard, a white sedan was speeding toward her from the main street. She couldn’t go on the sidewalk, not with the parked cars in the way, and if she were to gun it she may be able to make it just before the sedan, that looked to be pushing 70 Km/h, would send her off of her bike and into the cement with wind that came off of the car’s acceleration. The white sedan, only four cars away from Jen’s rear tire, had a substantial wind at it’s back that one would find in the subway or a large tractor trailer on the highway.

Albert ran from the roof and found a ladder he had previously scouted for and sliding down the ladder, his only thought was that he put her in that position. Why? Just to prove that the people still had a voice? And that they were unable to stop it? Obviously they had other ideas. His questions would have to wait though, as he slid down twenty feet to street level stopping near the bottom as not to fall from the ladder and break a bone. He leaped from the ladder into a dead run realizing this is what they expected him to do. And yet, here he was doing it. He expected it because, because they took a gamble on whether Albert Grace cared for those he used for these excursions? This was true enough and he did care about them, people not much different than himself really. His gut responded to all this with a growing unease. As if the situation didn’t agree with what was last eaten. Albert hated this feeling, the pit in his chest feeling, churning like a cauldron or a furnace. He heard a radio transmission closer than he anticipated. It was right around the corner, the wolves were that close this time. The transmission didn’t say any distinguishable words, just a garbled jumble of sounds. He instinctively went for his sidearm, a small .38. He spoke into the radio once more, "Hey Jen babe.. Talk to me." His voice was insistent and full of worry. For a few moments he didn’t hear anything and then he realized, he may be speaking to the wolves right now at the other end. As the silence continued, Albert got the impression that this wasn’t going to be as easy as he planned. But, what went wrong and how did the wolves pick up the scent so quickly? Albert didn’t use the same contacts this time to setup the drop, in fact, he personally contacted Jen himself this time just to make sure no one else would be picked up down the line. This ruined communication in his organization, if you can call it that.

After more silent moments, a pattern of breathing once again picked up on the other line. Albert was hidden in a doorway. Albert carefully put his hand on the knob behind his left hip and tried to turn it. It was locked, but he had to try anyway. The click didn’t reverberate through the alleyway behind the building and Albert thought of another way past the wolves. The wolves in particular, were well-trained police officers that provided security for government buildings and private firms. These men and women had little regard for much other than a pay cheque, and who could blame them, with the kind of money they made. Albert didn’t like assuming they were all callous, but deep inside he had too many instances in their custody that did not make him believe any differently. His rap sheet went on for miles, like a contract with the devil, it never seemed to end. Besides, he had to get to Jen and make sure she was ok, or at least, bring about hell to anyone that hurt her. Damn respectability, he had somewhere to be and if these guys wanted it, his right hand had six bullets with their names on it. More indistinguishable radio chatter that Albert guessed was intentionally garbled. He couldn’t make out other sounds because of the fact that it was drowned out. He was sweating then not knowing the numbers that were around the corner, the hardware involved, how badly he would be beaten (if he was beaten). He listened to the radio in his left ear and asked again, "Jen babe, talk to me, Uncle Albert’s sweating bullets here." He heard a lot of random sounds, garbled mostly, and he guessed that whatever happened to Jen was still happening. He had to wait and listen for any response at all. The sounds gave him hope though, at least it wasn’t... dead silence.

He grasped his gun with his sweaty palm and putting his finger on the trigger, he continued listening to the sounds on the radio, a loud crash and then lots of garbled noise. It was enough to hurt his ear drums, but he kept the radio in his ear incase there were other noises he needed to hear. He looked about and found that other doors were at his disposal than the one he was pressed against. He needed to get to them too, incase the wolves opened the door he was pressed against and he was caught with his dick in his hand. The alleyway ended to his left, but it went on for ten feet until a big stone wall made the sky seem domineering. He slowly made his way from the locked door and running along the stonewall he saw a door at the opposite side of him, and it was the same grey metal colored door that he was pressed against. Likely, it was locked too. Besides, going to that door meant showing himself to the wolves before he absolutely had no other options. The other option, of course, was to go back up the ladder and really be caught with nowhere to go. Likely, they’d catch him halfway up and he’d have an embarrassing climb all the way down. He saw a door five feet at the edge of the wall and it was another grey colored door. He had to try it and make sure it was locked, or not. He reached it with a lot of sounds on his radio, more crashes and lots of steps running. Running? Was Jen running? Was she alive? He had to hope so, but who else would be running. He smiled as he made his way to the door watching the corner breathing evenly.

Albert put his hand on the knob of the door and, he turned to face it with his gun ready. He was unsure what he was going to meet at the other side. But he wasn’t going into a trap with a surprised face. That had no style after all, and Albert was all about style. His pistol was out in front of him as he turned the knob, some good news. The knob turned and he pushed the door open and took a step away from it. It opened with a girth, as if the door went on and on, Albert always expected it to open with a sudden flash of light, and then darkness with an underlying laughter that said, "We finally got ‘em." Albert looked behind him and kept his eyes off of the corner, what the heck were they there for, if not for him, he had little else to go, why didn’t they just come and get him and lock his anarchist ass once and for all? Albert couldn’t put it together right then, things didn’t add up. They had him in a dead end, and it was dumb luck that the door he used opened at all. Who knows where it went, and who knows who he would meet when he left the building, and would he even get there? All these questions rushed into Albert’s mind, but the most important one was, is going through this door going to get me closer to Jen? And, with that he went through the door, and found a light grey colour to the walls, floor and the stairs. The handrails were red, as were the many bars that met the stairs supporting the handrails when people were walking down. They also acted as guardrails during an evacuation procedure.
Albert did not hear anything in the stairwell and closed the door with one hand on the door while the other was on the knob turning it with a delicate hand.

He had to remember, Jen was counting on him, and it was then that a lot more crashes were heard in his ear piece. The sounds did not indicate what crashed, as it was all static in his ear, but the sounds themselves were enough to indicate that something was happening and that Jen, was likely, still alive. He heard more loud foot steps and another door slamming shut. Damn, that girl was in goddamned good shape to be running like this, but something was worrying him about it as well, who was chasing her and why were they so determined? He said, "What the hell’s going on? Who’s after you?" and this time, Jen replied in a lot of huff and puffs, as if she was out of breath. "They’ve got dogs after me, but I think I dodged ‘em. Fuck, what the hell happened?" Jen said with an exasperated tone of voice. "Don’t know, the bulls set a trap for us, that’s all I can figure. But they could’ve taken me awhile ago. I don’t know how they caught on." Albert couldn’t piece it together, but at least Jen got away, for now.

She said something else, in a quiet tone this time. As if the very air itself was stalking her. "I’m in a basement parking garage, in a utility room. I fucking destroyed so much shit to get these dogs off my tail, they’re persistent little bastards. They’re probably still out there." Albert sighed, relieved, "Good, stay there and I’ll make my way to you. Which building are you in?" Jen replied, "Just in an apartment building, on Dendreth and Corde." At that point, some barking crackles against the earpiece and Albert’s heart stops. Did those dogs hear the whole conversation and sniff her out? For several moments Albert remains still listening very carefully. Anger, rage and a hunger deep inside the barking, inside the ferociousness, inside the heart pounding fear of detection and worse. Albert did not hear any screams, or shrieks of agony, and determined that Jen wasn’t getting eaten. He knew that she was being as quiet as a mouse, quieter even. He heard men shouting then and figured, ‘damn, they found her.’ He walked up the stairs with a disappointed sigh, that he couldn’t get to her in time, and what’s more, that they did not pull off this scheme to perfection.

The scheme, however... was pretty simple. Jen had an unassuming package to be delivered to a certain pencil pusher that worked at the Maitre Company, a software security development corporation that frequently did business for the government when they were hired out by various government officials to secure Unix servers connected to surveillance equipment. The package was a new phone, ordered the other day, and inside the phone was a device to record conversations and useful information about who the phone calls were from and any switches that were used to access any particular person. Altogether, low level listening devices that wouldn’t be easily found or detected on the phone. Albert waited as the barking and shouting continued. Though, at no time, did he hear Jen’s panicked voice, or anything resembling a woman that was scared out of her mind. Albert asked himself, is she ok? Did they have their hands around her mouth and throat? Throat!?... Albert didn’t hear anything resembling a choke. And, if they quickly broke her neck, he would hear a crack. Though, nothing of the sort was there either. The shouting was indistinguishable from the barking and Albert couldn’t distinguish any real words. Something about it all seemed strange, but then suddenly, a man’s voice was very scared. Screaming something, though the earpiece garbled the voice, the shrillness of the scream made it impossible to really determine who it was. Albert wanted to take the earpiece out of his ear, it hurt his inner ear and it was bloody annoying.

He realized that Jen was at the other end of that earpiece and, likely, her survival depended on his ability to communicate to her. So, he beared the pain and kept his temper in control. It made it difficult to listen closely to anything that was being said, or screamed, and it was because of this that all of the detail of the sounds weren’t being entirely clear. These days, it paid to have close attention to detail, even if these days were tense like this with a flavor of intolerable annoyance. Albert took a deep breath and tried to put his fears aside. But the thought of dogs tearing at her, but it wasn’t her... it was a man. Poor guy, whoever it was. Wait... we’re they after Jen at all? Was that a real possibility? Had they all been after someone else? Albert walked up the stairs and at the sixth step up the second flight of stairs, Albert heard a heavy breathing. He kept listening as he walked up the stairs trying to determine who it was that he heard. The sounds grew quieter then and the man’s screams, whatever poor soul that it was, grew quieter and quieter as the dogs barking grew quieter as well. Albert had to wonder, deep down, if he had just invented the whole idea. But, someone did try to hit her on her bike, and someone did send dogs after her. Right? Right, yeah, Albert could figure that all out from the sounds he heard. And, aside from that, Jen did run because someone was after her with dogs and she was damn lucky to get away in a Utility room.

He said, "Jen, talk to me babe. Did we just get away clean?" And Jen replied, "I think I did. Damn, they were so close, scared the hell outa me. Are you alright?" And Albert, finally realizing his own situation, said "Yeah, I’m heading into a corporate office building, I’m in a fire emergency stairway right now heading up. There’s wolves outside with a lot of firepower." Jen said with a chuckle, "Typical for you then, have fun with your new friends. I’m going to find a bathroom." Albert chuckled and said, "Yeah, good idea. Meet you later a Starbucks." He thought about it for a second, that they were still at the door, or perhaps they’ve moved off. He walked back down the stairs and put his ear against the door. Though, right then he heard a loud thud on the door and the door gave a foot. Albert was thrown back against the stairs, but he was up quick enough and running up the stairs. He didn’t really feel a lot of pain, as the adrenaline flowed through him like lightning. The door was open a foot, but the hinges were busted and Albert was up the second flight of stairs by the time the door flew open with a large back battering ram and the white wash of sunlight pouring in. Shouting was heard as Albert made his way up the flights of stairs and he knew the wolves had been ordered to take him in. Though, they had the chance during the last twenty minutes of conversation, and just now they make their move? It didn’t add up, not completely. But he didn’t have time to consider it all in great detail, he was on the run. And the stairwell did not lead to any door ways. And, most of all, Albert remembered the old saying "Down is always easier than up."

Albert listened for the dogs, in-between the pounding of his shoes against the concrete, and the shouts of the men downstairs. A lot of them sounded gruff, and big, too much steroids and little room in their veins for any real blood. He hated those types of people. He continued his ascent, ignoring the pain in his leg muscles from the punishment of each step. He didn’t hear any dogs, no barking, no pitter patter of their paws on the cement stairway. However, he kept seeing the same dull grey walls that looked like they were just mashed together with paint and paper Mashe. But, he knew it was solid as a rock. The look of it just said that it was shoddily done. And the edges that poked out from the walls cut his hands when he pressed them against it. Damn, the walls of the building were against him and, if he didn’t find a door soon, they may just chase him into the roof and trap him. Might’ve trapped him already, but he had to be positive. Positive thinking was what he needed, more now than anything. He had been considerably negative so far, and a little optimism went a long way, Jen always said that. She was unwaveringly supportive when all things seemed to be lost. No doubt, she was wondering what the heck these noises were. But, Albert did not want to disturb her in the midst of her natural duties as a human being. She couldn’t help him anyway, and the farther away she was from him the better. Until, things calmed down, he was on the hitlist... again.

Albert heard the sound he was waiting for, the pounding of feet on cement, it sounded like boots and that was what really ate at him. They always sent military people after him because of his background. And all he had was a glock, and he wasn’t wearing any serious body armor either. These guys were covered in a kevlar material that resisted most flesh wounds. He had to aim for specific spots to really put them down, and unless he had a good shot, it was unlikely he could hit any of them. And heck, these guys were armed with machine guns and Uzi’s most likely. Somehow, none of this seemed all that fair. Albert just kept climbing the stairways and it was then, about six flights of the stairs from the bottom, that he spotted a red door. If it was locked, he could shoot the lock open, provided the bullet didn’t ricochet back into him. He climbed this stairway, with renewed vigor, and when he reached the door he used his left leg and tried to kick the door open. It gave an inch or so, and he got out his glock and fired it, just above the door handle. The door gave completely then and Albert kicked it open. He met a few office employees, women all of them with wide unblinking eyes. All of them wearing white blouses with brown and black skirts all looking at him completely still. He was pretty sure, that all of their hearts stopped beating then. But Albert, didn’t have time to waste considering this, he just ran through them and their eyes followed him. Their pale faces were evidence enough that they were scared. He wouldn’t have any trouble with them, likely, this moment will live on in conversation for months to come.

He exited the office through a brown wooden door with a metal handle that exited into a hallway with carpeting that felt easier on the feet. Doors were to his left that opened into other offices. Albert only needed a door to another fire escape, and he couldn’t use the elevators because they were controlled via a central security hub that could easily shut them all off. Albert did not want to climb any higher in the building since he was on the third floor, and there had to be another alternative exit. He searched the walls for fire extinguishers that usually had little maps around them to remind employees of fire escapes. He couldn’t see any, not in this hallway and he continued bounding down the hallway looking back not seeing any of the soldier boys yet. No doubt they heard the shot and realized he was armed. Proceed with caution, your following a lone crazy gunmen. Albert smiled at the thought, he was a lone gunmen. And, damn, all he really wanted was to drink coffee with Jen at starbucks. He didn’t want to shoot the president, he didn’t want complete anarchy, just coffee.

"Oswald I could really use ya buddy." Albert said as he ran down the hall looking for any doors marked emergency. All he found were the scared and confused faces of receptionists and office employees too frightened to come outside their offices. And, at the end of the hallway, was a corner. He was a meter away from the corner before a loud popping balloon went off in the hallway making a large cloud of dust just by his head, but a balloon didn’t make that kind of cloud, no, Albert then realized he had been given a warning shot, . He dropped to the floor, with his pistol in his hand arcing to aim at whoever shot at him, though the cloud of giprock made things difficult to see, so with his other hand, he wiped his eyes and waved away the dust. The dust stung his eyes, like an eye infection, but otherwise he was fine, just sudden shock waving through him and Jen’s voice, "Jesus, Al, get outa there!" coming in like a shriek in his ear. Albert had his gun aimed down the hallway but he couldn’t quite see anyone yet. He scrambled toward the corner of the hallway and his heart was beating thinking, as he hobbled on all fours, that he was shot and didn’t know it yet, that they would shoot him again and he’d be dead. Any moment now, they’d let the sharpshooter in and he’d be down for the count. It was just a matter of time now, Albert just shook his head and checked himself over, he blinked again not quite sure why he wasn’t seeing blood. Not on his arms, legs, or chest, stomach... nowhere. "I’m ok, I’m ok.. I’m getting out now, fuckers are shooting at me. And all I want is to go to Mexico and get a fucking t-shirt, YOU HEAR THAT, I want a fucking T-Shirt and a trip to Mexico." He yelled the last part down the hallway to make sure everyone heard it. "I’ll go with you, if we get out of this alive, Al." Jen said with a chuckle, "Thanks, Jen. I’ll hold ya to that. We’ll get married in a little chapel and live in the countryside with vineyard." Albert said in a humourous voice. Jen replied, "What? Us? Bah, forget that." Albert sighed and with mock disappointment he said, "Aww, your breaking my heart, but will you settle for coffee at Star Bucks?" And after a moment of silence, Jen said, "Sure."

Another pop is heard, and Albert blinked a third time, as the hole entered the wall behind him as he hugged the corner. These people were really trying to kill him, at that point, Albert got up and raced down the hallway toward a large red door. He pressed his hand on the metal panel on the door on a larger metallic vertical horizontal rectangle and pushed the door open. He raced down the steps and he heard no voices coming after him, or any real voices at all, anywhere. Perhaps he lost them? He couldn’t quite stand to be that optimistic yet, there wasn’t any sense to it if these guys were any good, that is. Hell, he could be running down the steps toward them right now, he didn’t have much choice in that though, it was either this stairway, or he had to take his chances with the trigger happy soldiers in the offices. No thanks, not on your life, hell, my life, and Albert’s mind was set after that. He continued in haste down the polished white concrete steps and then, two floors down from where he started, he saw a red door. Though, he opted not to take it, he wanted to be on street level and out of this infernal building before all of the soldiers in the whole country combed it for him. He had to leave the building and somehow find Jen. Star bucks was more of a codeword then an actual rendezvous. Who could say where Albert would enjoy his coffee, and who would guess that he actually liked tea a lot better? It was something purely left to the imagination, but still, anything to throw them off of the scent. Albert was aware of simple things, from his words with Jen, she was alive and well, and not in custody or being coerced. Starbucks told him all of these things. He was content in knowing that, if nothing else, at least her efforts weren’t gone to waste. She was alive after all, and if any reports came in from their little "device" then the mission was a success. All Albert had to do was survive and make it out into the world and go into hiding for a week or two, or perhaps quite a long while if his face was caught on camera. He continued down the white concrete, resembled something out of a 007, in the bowels of a secret base somewhere in Russia. He wasn’t anything like James Bond, and didn’t even try to emulate the character, and anytime he remembered those movies, something triggers in his head. As if the danger of the situation completely materializes in front of him, and he took a deep breath, clearing his head of the panic and the anxiety of being on the run, scared and alone. Though, thinking this was one thing and doing, of course, was entirely different.

Albert listened as he came down the steps, two floors down from the first door he found, and he continued past it। He heard a loud thud on that door and started running down the steps, he was sweating, not out of the sheer physical exhaustion, but something stirred deep within him, a latent fear of being caught, especially for doing espionage like this. Though, all they could pin on him was evading police, resisting arrest, and use of a firearm that he had no permit for, disturbing the peace, and being downright stupid. They could make up any other charges that they liked, it didn’t matter to Albert. Once they had him, that was that, he’d clam right up and state some serial number, a random name, and they’d torture him to get some useful information. Though, Jen hearing a codeword Albert would use to alert her of his capture, would send her into hiding and on her way, ironically enough, to Mexico. He had used Mexico before, but only as a joke. Merely to make her feel less panicked herself. He heard her in his earpiece, "Moving to Star bucks, wait for you. Over and out." Albert didn’t reply as his heart was thumping as he descended into the darkness of the basement cellars of the corporate office building. His whole world became darkness then, though, having to suddenly, feel his way around after such a dead run, had it’s share of complications. Whoever these guys were, they likely had flashlights. It was not something they ignored in their budgets, how could they anyway?

Albert found himself on the basement level with a stairway leading to a dead end. Though, not completely, there was a door there, it was just too dark to see anything. Albert had to stop and blink, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and find the wall with his left hand. Once he did that and felt the coldness of the concrete with paint over it, he felt the smoothness of the paint job but couldn’t see it as light reflecting off of the white walls did not pour further down the stairway. He ran his hand along the wall while he walked at a normal pace trying to keep calm, but somehow knowing his time was very limited indeed if he wanted to get out of this in one piece. His foot hit a janitors pail with a mop handle that struck him on the side of the head. The noise echoed in the darkness and he couldn’t help but say, "Damnit." Though, rather than making more noise in trying to keep the pail steady. He moved away from it and it maintained itself to stand upright. He had watched too many movies where this always gave away the good guy.


And cursed himself again for falling for such a thing. Still, he did not feel wet, and guessed that the pail was empty. He did not hit it very hard with his foot and he realized, that other janitorial equipment must be placed near the pail, and that he should be a lot more careful if he wants to remain quiet in this place. He swallowed and took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of chlorine, detergents and other cleaning chemicals. He had not noticed this before, but it was clear that this little area of the corporate office building where he was, had little value other than to server as a storage space for janitors. It meant to Albert that janitors frequented this spot, perhaps regularly. But then, why was the light off? Did it serve his purposes that the light was off? And he shook his head of that thought, for some reason, he preferred the dark and didn’t think he’d ever find the light switch.

He then realized, perhaps there was no light switch, as his hands did not find any। And, he wondered if any of these janitors kept flashlights। That’s what he really wanted, a flashlight. By far, the perfect tool if he wanted to hide down here, or even, find a way out. Especially, to find a way out. That was his number 1 goal, hiding only meant that it may take them longer to find him, but they inevitably would. Despite all that he might do, all the doors he may barricade and lock, they would eventually find him. Unless, he was no longer in the building, that is. He knew that he could hit more noisy random objects if he just stumbled around in the dark, though what other choice did he have? At this point, his eyes were adjusting a little to the complete darkness, even if he didn’t see anything beyond his own hands spread out before him, it was enough to move with slow even steps, fanning his foot out to act as a cane. Because, essentially, he was blinded by the darkness surrounding him. He didn’t fear the dark, not at all, he feared what was withheld in the impenetrable depths. His foot would hit the odd handle or pail, but he made his way along the floor keeping a foot or so between him and the wall he was previously sliding across. He must have hit at least, three or so, before the row of pails gave way to an open space. He heard a voice say, from the stairwell, "I know I heard something, sir. Something like a banging sound, but that was like twenty minutes ago and I didn’t have backup to go search the place myself." And another voice cuts in, rather suddenly, in an angry tone. "Damnit, when you suspect you hear something, private. Investigate and don’t bother coming on anymore missions if your afraid of the dark. Dismissed!" Ouch, though Albert didn’t pity whoever it was that got the bad end of that ultimatum. It also meant that whatever was in that open space, was the key to Albert’s survival. He quickly stepped into it and put himself in line with a hard metal surface. He recognized the texture of the metal and realized it was a door. Just as the steps were becoming loud with the boots of armed soldiers, lead by a commander, he turned the knob and it opened. A click and then a louder click and he thrust it open, hauled himself inside the door and slammed it shut. He did have light in this room, or basement hallway, as it became apparent. It was enough light for him to make it way down the hallway, with miles of pipes, valves and crude warning labels on everything in red, yellow and white. It was about eight feet wall, this hallway, enough room for him to run at full speed, which is exactly what he did.



He heard that same angry voice, from before, the commander no doubt, shouting orders to pursue, apprehend, under any means necessary. And this only made Albert run faster. He looked ahead, and another hallway veered off to the right of the main one, into a smaller hallway. Albert took quick note of the plain light gray door there, and then, as if deciding to take it, the door was banged open and Albert jumped into action, getting out of sight before anyone saw him. Though, not before a shot rang out echoing like a thunderbolt through the tight corridors, and rebounding off of the metal piping on the walls. Albert had to note the irony that the bullet caused a slight dent in a gas line, with a big red label warning of explosive risks. Albert had to wonder who trained these fools, but he didn’t have time to laugh about it. His heart was beating, everything in him told him to run very quickly down the main hallway. Jen must be worried sick by now, but what choice did he have, at least, the sounds of his shoes against the cement gave the impression that he was running and alive. She would take comfort in that, as much as he did earlier. Albert, however, had bigger problems as he heard the tell tale sounds of an angry and vicious barking strike deep within his heart. Damn, why did these idiots always use dogs? Did people know what they did to them to make them so angry? If any of those activists were still alive, they’d be protesting.

Sadly, they were all killed precisely because they were protesting, and throwing rocks, teargas, and Molotov cocktails. He had helped make those cocktails, wonderful things and flashy enough to make things front page news. As more bullets ricocheted off of the pipes he most feared a sudden silence before the whole place exploded into kingdom come. Something told him, these are the guys that have always been chasing him, hunting him and hounding him since day one. Now they were so close, they could taste it, and damn propriety, rules and regulations, and most fo all, decent common sense. A bullet bursts open a pipe beside Albert’s left side releasing a superhet jet of steam causing Albert to become very aware of pain, as the heat scorched his skin and clothes. He bit on his lips and had to focus considerably to keep from keeling over. He knew the second the shot would be aimed at him. Though, the steam, did provide a cover for his escape and, though he was dizzy and disoriented from the blast of hot air, it allowed him time to come to his senses, enough to continue running. He found down the hallway, a lot more of these secondary hallways ending in dark dead ends, or more ominous red doors. Somehow, Albert knew that picking a door was a game of roulette. He didn’t want to take the chance, not with murphy’s law fully in effect. There was something about this that seemed to be a cruel joke. We have the escape route here, but where is it? Eh? Which door, you little bastard, which door is free and clear to Mexico and a beautiful brown haired escape artist? I’m holding the key right here, has a number, what is it now? You got so many guesses, numbered ya know, your choices I mean, numbered. This can’t last forever, eventually, it’ll just stop, pipes and bullets, pitter patter of feet, the growling feast you’re going to provide for the hell hounds. The bullet in your gun you’re going to use on yourself, better dead than alive, can’t let ‘em catch you after all.

Albert could very well understand all those feelings, fears and harsh realities. As the bullets whizzed past his head, he counted down the secondary hallways and then chalking up all the rest of his courage, he veered into the nearest hallway he could find. He was sure that the hallway went on for quite awhile, but they expected him to continue going forward and likely had a team watching the end of it by now. But, if he choose a random one and came into a new building to navigate his way out of, that was a better prospect. Assuming that they weren’t watching this specific door, that they didn’t have a team ready to have it burst open when he came upon it, and, most of all, that it was barred shut. He heard the dogs, their wild barking and growling coming closer, and he took his pistol out and fired at the door knob making two holes in it. He ran towards the door with his right foot and tried to kick it open, connecting with a solid left roundhouse, flinging it wide into another long hallway. Jesus, at least, it was long. He slammed the door shut and continued on. Likely the shots alerted anyone as to his location. But he made sure to close the doors with a firm slam before he continued on.

He checked his gun, only two bullets left. He would hope he would use them to put some of these bastards away. He wanted to take a few down before they apprehended him. It was his right after all, they’ve been hunting him for awhile now, years even, and it was damn time he struck back. Whoever it was going to be, a married man with kids and a wife, another crazy lone gunmen like himself, someone just had to do something stupid and Albert wouldn’t give it a second thought. He continued running down this new hallway, unable to find an secondary hallways, sprouting off into uncharted territory. He was happy that he found access to the underground network here, and that he had enough bullets to defend himself should any of the crazies rumored to live down here decided to try their luck on fresh meat gave him some comfort, besides what followed this full course meal, was a lot more than anyone could chew. It was then, running down the length of the long hallway, with pipes full of steam, gas and human waste, that he finally quit his mind of the insane doubts running through his head, as hard as his feet were hitting the concrete. He had gotten away and the only thing he had to worry about were the dogs. It was enough leverage that he didn’t have to worry about bullets, not now anyway. And if he managed to gun down the hounds, he may be unmolested for quite while down here. The only thing was, that with all this metal in the area, the signal to his earpiece cut out and that meant communication was severed with Jen. Oh well, Albert thought, can’t have everything. He steadied his breathing and his pace as not to tire himself out entirely. He had a ways to go, but he could feel his chest hurting, and a tinge in his left side, a cramp. Wonderful, he hated cramps, just fucking wonderful. It hurt with every step but he ran on focusing on the cruelness that would occur if these guys got a hold of him. He did not want to become dinner for the dogs, not at all.

He then looked down the hallway, a mass of pipes that just continued on and on. But, in the luminescence of yellow lights, he saw a ladder. A ladder! That meant, this was directed below the street, some street anyway. He saw that it was, approximately, thirty feet away. He held his pistol tight and then looked behind him to take note of any dogs that caught onto his scent. He saw one a ways off running with it’s tongue hanging out of it’s mouth, a large brown German Shepard. He loved German Shepard and made a bolt for the ladder rather than emptying a round into it. He’d hit it, that was sure, he was an excellent marksmen. But he was sure, he could make it to the ladder before the damn thing got a hold of him. He heard the barking, and the ladder neared, he pinched his cramp that just became too bad to ignore. This caused his step to become a little slower without the coordination of both steps and both arms. But, he ran quickly enough, he didn’t look behind him and just knew that the Shepard was catching up. Just like, I Am Legend, this thing was built for endurance and running faster than most people. Sam would be jealous of this dog, Albert could hear the paws sooner than he expected and hated that he had to use his pistol to fend the thing off, aware that he had to keep at least one bullet. Not specifically for himself, though if it came to that, he would. They had ways of making people very cooperative, and none of it really involved a sincere application of discomfort either. They just, lulled people into it, like a sort of trance like sleep. Albert heard stories of even the best, spilling all their guts, figuratively speaking. Albert, turned suddenly, without warning and aiming his gun aimed at the Shepard paw. The hound was ten feet away preparing to leap, only to let out a loud yelp that echoed down the hallways, and then Albert heard something he did not want to hear at all. It wasn’t the dreaded silence before the storm, he had lots of that, no.. it was the sound of a lot more dogs, way too many to pick apart and count. And, it was growing into a roar, all of the barking, growling and biting would be closer than Albert ever considered before. All of it heading straight for him. The shot sent the mind of the dog from it’s prey, to the sudden pain in it’s front left paw. Albert only had to hurl the hound aside and continue running, but Albert underestimated the force behind the hounds leap.


Making him topple over and the hound was biting at his face, all the while, the growling continued to get louder and louder. Albert held a firm grasp of his pistol and, the look on the German Shepard’s face truly frightened Albert the most. It was a look of pure anger, hate and mercilessness. The damn thing fought hard, despite being shot, as if angry at his attacker. Albert had to hit the thing in the side with the butt of his pistol a few times, and even then the bloody thing grasped a hold of his wrist and bit down quite hard. Albert screamed, and he tried to hold it in, as he continued his attack. It was then that the hound gave way to the pain on it’s side and Albert shoved it aside. He held his wrist and though the pain shot through his arm and the rest of his body felt weak, he stumbled toward the ladder trying very hard to keep his focus from fading out entirely. The pain was almost overwhelming, and the hound really knew how to bite. He heard the many barks and growls as the dogs entered this hallway, Albert then made a dead run toward the ladder and, clamoring onto it, he hauled himself up using one hand to pull upwards. He put his gun away and as he reached the fifth step, the dogs were at the base of the ladder jumping up to pull their prey to the floor. He was scratched quite a few times, each one stinging and igniting his nerve endings. Though, he made it up farther up the ladder as the dogs were only able to grab at his ankles now.

He stepped up two steps at once, and quickly made his way to the top, sliding the plate up and over onto the street. He heard the anger below him, at failure, perhaps that their prey got away. Albeit it wasn’t unscathed, and his injury may be infected soon. Albert was happy that nothing worse happened. It was enough that his hand was hurting pretty badly and he’d have to deal with keeping the blood hidden. He climbed up and onto the sidewalk. Lots of tall buildings all around him, and passerby were giving him scared and concerned looks as he held his wrist with grimaces on his face. They knew well enough, that he was on the run, and somehow dangerous to even assist him. But, more so, was the sound of the dogs beneath where he came from that really scared them. They knew well what that meant.

He said, "Made it out, fuckers got my hand. Jen?" And he heard a reply, "Jesus fucking Christ, you scared the hell outa me, are you ok?" Jen said with a tone of anger, yeah, she hated not knowing as much as he did. "Yeah, fine. Little blood, but I’m ok. Meet you at Star Bucks." He said with a deep breath, trying to keep his mind off of the throbbing and the bleeding, and the deep cuts into his veins. "Star Bucks." And he was happy, he continued his way to the corner and laughed to himself. "My jobs are getting too reckless." He said and shook his head. The sight of a man with his hand bleeding and many rips in his pant legs must be a shock to anyone looking from the street. Some point and grimace, their insides turning with the mere thought of what did that to this poor man, others are apathetic having seen this time and time again. It was always the same result, a dozen steps and some policemen shot him in the street. Maybe they made it into a building somewhere, and perhaps they were able to nurse their wounds before someone turned them in. The assumption that a good relationship would be garnered if continued services for the police force was issued. This meant little to Albert, having done the whole ball of wax several times, he ran down the street knowing very well these bastards wanted him dead. It was simple logic for Albert, stay in one spot and nurse the throbbing in his hand, that threatened to overtake the rest of his senses, and find himself meeting a standard issued .45 in a dark cell. Everyone sort of knew, whoever survived the recruitment process, had to be avoided unless there was no other way. Only because, through the grapevine, from one tenuous ear to another, something just wasn’t right about it. "Did’ja hear? They mucked Johanson down on 4th, it was a massacre. He’d gotten away from ‘em for a minute, cause there’s that lil’ alley between that pizza place and the bank. Anyways, don’t go down there if you know what’s good for ya." I mean, it was no skin of anyone’s back if some joe got iced, but still... some joe is pretty broad terminology to use. Everyone uneasily laughs when it’s brought up, and then, well people just learned the hard way never to mention it in public. Everyone just kept their heads down, kept their hearts beating, swallowed an apple a day and still it was filled with the littlest pins that struck deep in the breast. To some, nothing tasted good anymore, and it was kind of pointless to be optimistic about a poor joe with a bleeding hand and tattered jeans. Still, there was a young girl, about 11 or so, with long brown hair wearing a navy blue jacket and a woolen hat of many different dark colours reminding Albert of Christmas.

She was with her mother, a tall but slim woman with similar hair as her daughter, wearing a white jacket with a black blouse and skirt, her legs tinted dark with pantyhose. She raised her hand to Albert and said, mouthing really, no words actually came out. "Hey, your going to make it." Her pink lips were full of happiness then, at that precise moment, everything Albert felt seemed significantly less painful, he smiled back and quickly jerked his head to look in front of him. He didn’t want anyone catching on, and she was quiet as a mouse, no doubt doing the same thing. She walked along with her mother and Albert went the opposite way down the middle of the street, making his way toward an alleyway. The mother and the little girl passed a payphone, and the little girl took a look at who was making the call, but he was turned away from her and all she saw were a pair of big blue jeans and a black jacket with a shining collar hiding the face. She turned from him and continued walking down the street past the payphone holding her mother’s hand and looked back in the direction Albert was running. Saying in her mind, ‘you have to make it, someone has to make it.’ She didn’t hear what the man was saying, it was muffled and difficult to discern.

Albert knew he didn’t have much time, before the wolves caught his scent once more and he had another race on his hands. Though, he was only a block or two from the meeting point, he guessed. And it was a rough guess, at that. He knew he was on Sentrith, as it was a strip for corporate high rises, and not a lot of hiding places. And any that were around housed occupants that were best left undisturbed. Albert used to handle these types regularly, heck, he was one of those policemen that are now chasing him. Have been chasing him for a long time now, years even, since he left the force. And now, after all of his brazen acts marking him a anarchist, releasing information for freedom, and serving as a beacon for others.

He needed to be put down, to quell a thousand voices in a single person. That person’s bleeding and on the run, sure. Things could be better, and it’s so close to being tied up nicely. All they have to do is find him, nice and tied from loss of blood, sick with infection, perhaps trapped in the dark and forbidding stone walkways in between the corporate castles standing to converse with god himself. They were too tall, that was known and accepted, and what was suspected was.. What the heck were they doing all the way up there that they couldn’t do at ground level? Albert had no idea.

The walkways between these behemoths of architecture had it’s own rules, only because a lot of these police officers did not want to venture in. All of them considered that Albert had a secret connection within this darkness and confusion, a land without qualms, just a foot or two of solid stone away from acceptable society in every direction. Here, oddly enough, everyone’s preconceptions were both fully acceptable and completely wrong. There were times, yes, that these people were completely unforgiving and other times, these people would accept a victim on the run, the price was that none of these people could ever leave this paradise of darkness. Why would they anyway? At that point, running blind in the streets meant nothing else mattered. What’s more, the destruction of a thousand little shards of someone’s life, has within it a sliver in someone’s heart that twists and cuts a little deeper. Why not? The deeper something digs into someone’s brain, the harder it is to remove without causing collateral damage. And, often times, new comers see the damage, the burnt remains and an arm that won’t stop shaking. They can’t help but wrench in a self inflicted agony as every piece of their pretty life falls apart. These people are met with an unwavering set of eyes, only for a minute, and then turning on a dime they’re left to the shadows, to the cold lightless hell.

Albert blinked his eyes, as the sunlight faded from view, and he didn’t hear a single voice. In the darkness, there was just him, wasn’t there? He didn’t hear anyone else, nor did he see a bloody gosh darned thing. He didn’t dare call out and give away his location, he just slowly made his way forward careful not to hit anyone in his path. He was loud enough with his feet however making the descent into shadow that much more noticeable to anyone even somewhat close to him. However, what he couldn’t see, he can feel. It was a cold stone brick wall that his hands were sliding against, smooth, and cold enough to make one feel vulnerable even with their clothes on. It crept under the fabric just enough to be noticed and it made his skin clammy in some places and full of goose bumps all down his legs. His journey continued into the depths of darkness, a place he had been before, though not nearly often enough to waiver the price of admission. The price of admission, was the ability to completely accept the stark reality that went on in this place, and if you couldn’t help keep this place from crumbling beneath the might of shadow, it was a brutal truth that came for that unfortunate soul. Albert however, he was aware of the situation and being injured and the anarchist political figure that he was, a place like this was both at threat of becoming part of the news, or, they might bring out the big dogs to do a sweep. In which case, the walkways would shut off completely, and it would truly be empty. The situation was not completely grim however, not for Albert Grace. And, one preconceived notion was correct, he did have a contact inside this insane maze. He did not have a clue where this person was, or if even this man was still alive. Albert quietly said, after realizing there was no turning back, at least, not yet. "I’ve entered Shadow land, get yourself safe. Are they still after you, Jen?" And he heard a response, "Jesus man, you like living on the edge constantly, don’t you. Alright, fine, you crazy bastard. I’m pretty sure they won’t be searching for me anymore. Besides, it isn’t my face that’s on the Most Wanted posters now is it?" Jen did not speak anymore than this and Albert scoffed. Yes it was HIS mug on the Most wanted list, and it was his list of horrendous deeds against the state listed in black ink against white paper for all to see. Jen was just a courier, no need for her face to be anywhere but firmly on her head.

Albert’s eyes continued to adjust to the darkness and he took a look at his hand, as the remaining light illuminated the blood that seeped from the bite wounds. He hoped none of them had rabies. He had no desire to be considered more dangerous. Hell, his name was a house hold curse now, to the woe of Albert’s everywhere. He stood in the dark with a bright sky above him, though because of the tall buildings on both sides of him, the shadow they cast blanketed the whole area with a dark malaise choking any beauty such a place may hold were the buildings quite a bit shorter. The space, a few meter’s wide, between each brick wall held a constant moisture in the air, condensing on the walls, and collecting in pools under foot. Albert walked forward as his eyes adjusted completely to the darkness. He did see someone outlined in the darkness, as if the light bouncing off the buildings did manage to reach this one scar in the city, leaning against the wall rebelling against the cold on his back. Dressed in dark leathers, were they leathers? They did not reflect anything, but his Caucasian skin gave him away against the bricks. He stood about 5 feet tall looking Albert’s way, as Albert moved closer through the fog he could see the features of his face. An angular face, sharp looking eyebrows, rugged build and both of his hands in dark gloves. His eyes studied Albert carefully, as if the fog played with his eyes as well. When Albert was six feet from him, the man said, "Stop. Your bleedin’ what shit’re ya bring’n ‘ere?" In a threatening harsh tone.

Albert first thought it was to make up for his small stature, but then realized he was a lookout and there were lots more hidden beneath him that he previously walked over just waiting for the right word. Albert gasped with the throbbing pain in his hand and wrist, and curiously, his leg also hurt a lot too. Maybe the damn muts got it too, it made sense after the pain shot through his leg as he tried to stand straight. He shook his head trying to conquer the pain that shot through him without mercy. "Dogs... dogs got me. Fuck this hurts bad. I was chased through the underground. Lost ‘em though, they ain’t coming through here. Don’t even know where I am." Albert hoped it would click in, no one had followed him in and if someone did call, they’d have to send some stupid smuck in these alleys after Albert. Though, it was Albert Grace they were searching for, not some junkie hoodlum going for his next fix. Albert understood this man didn’t want Albert Grace to bring the shit down in these alleys. But, where did Albert expect to go? He looked at the short man slowly uncross his arms and look Albert over up and down. All of a sudden, a noise comes from below, sort of like a crash of metal against concrete. Though, what was more alarming was the man’s completely impassivity to the whole event. Albert could no sign that anything was about to happen and he smiled a little when a piece of concrete cracked beneath Albert’s feet. Albert tried to dodge away, but the ground beneath him crumbled and, with his legs injured as they were, he could only stumbled causing him to fall further into the hole beneath him.

Albert knew this would hurt, somehow he just expected everything to hurt if he lived through this, his pessimistic mind conquered then and he had a dozen fears. Will he be stabbed and will the knife be twisted to ensure that the wound will not close? He felt hands grab him, big rough hands, the kind that are used to getting hit with hammers and remain perfectly good. Albert felt their intense grip wrap around his legs and drag him along a concrete floor. His back hit the cement with a thud, he grunted and moaned as the pain in his back made his legs hurt a lot more. Though, the large ogre of a man had a firm grip on them. He had janitors clothes on, dirty with oil everywhere, and Albert couldn’t see his face because his back was turned.

Albert guessed his weight to be about three hundred, and standing about 6'5". Albert’s concentration was not the best though, shifting between his pain and his surroundings. His head was jumbled and confused trying to remember the corners that they took, but there were so many. It was then that his consciousness faded and he went completely dark then. His last sensation was a set of large hands picking him up. It was the size of the hands, like a gorillas hands. Whoever this guy was, he could easily be a wrestler, on his sheer size and strength alone, like Andre the Giant.


His eyes hurt, his hand hurt too, but not as much as his calves. It hurt like pressure was being applied drove needles in even deeper into the yielding flesh. He awoke with a start that caused his face to wince, as lightning struck his nerves in his left leg. "Hey calm down. If I don’t do this right, it’ll get infected. Now lie still." And, with the soothing though irritated feminen voice, he laid still realizing he was being stitched up. The voice sounded young, and very much a cosmopolitan sounding person, with an english accent. He felt the cushions of a couch, an old one with the smell of many old men, older women, and even older dogs deep in the fabric invading his nose, and mouth. He didn’t care for the smell, but at least, there was some first aid being done. He opened his eyes then having been woken completely by a prick into a sensitive nerve, he had to bite his lip to keep from jerking. The woman, with lots of straight brown hair, He knew the needle was in his flesh and a jerk might keep it there to be removed later in a highly evasive fashion. Even if his face winced with every second prick, every time a new hole was made. He lost count of the holes, after some minutes, though he counted five or six in his left leg. Eventually, after the pain went away, in waves, he took a deep breath never enjoying having stitches.

It occurred to him then, just out of the blue, like a thought about a song that was long forgotten coming into view, to be extremely grateful. He’s alive, goddam it, he’s alive! He expected to die, to be dog food, worm food even. His whole world, a few pin pricks, the needle going through the flesh followed by a string, and the waves of pain down his arms. All of it felt reassuring, as if reminding his heart and his nerves that they were attached to a living organism, something breathing, with blood flowing, and his jaw biting on the pain so it doesn’t reverberate through his entire body. He lay there and said, "Hey, thanks. I.. Guess I owe you a lot, a lot more than I’m ever able to. My name’s Albert.."

And before he could say his last name, she said, "Grace, and your welcome. Despite what you might hear about us, we’re only trying to survive. And some of us, at least, have a soft spot for brave men like you. That doesn’t mean I like you.. I just like what you do. What you’ve been doing. And your doing great.. Just keep still and this’ll be over soon." The reassuring voice calmed him right down, like it was his mother, the voice of a nurse. Albert couldn’t get over that comparison. "You a nurse?" And she replied, "Yes, well, I was. St. Paul’s Catholic Hospital. Before it was closed down." She said, matter-of fact like. He winced at the last stitch and swallowed hard. She said, "There, I’m done. You took quite a beating, and you’ll likely get itchy in a few hours. I sanitized what I could and I don’t expect any infections, but if anything does get infected well... we can’t do much with the equipment we have. So, just make due. I’m sure your used to doing that by now." Albert replied, "Yeah, that about sums it up, right there. If worst comes to worst, I’ll push it out. Don’t worry about me, you’ve done great. What’s your name?" He asked, and she replied, "Gloria." She smiled at him and put his needle and thread away into a small metal box lying on a wooden coffee table.

"Pleased to meet ya, Gloria. I’m indebted for your handiwork.. I can find my own way out I think. No need to trouble yourself any—" and he was cut off then. "Hey hey, your not going anywhere, look out there your as good as dead. You realize the commotion you caused getting away?" She said in an exasperated voice. "Oh.. Yeah, well.. I’ve got a lass I’ve got to meet and I mean to get to her one way or another. It’s important. So if you’ll just point me in the right direction." Albert said and tried to get up. He felt weak, and knew he lost some blood, probably a lot. He put his foot on the floor and as he slid off the couch, his foot felt the pressure and buckled. He saw the floor rushing to meet him, embracing his soft flesh with unforgiving arms. He would grunt, but weariness came over him from the impact and all became darkness.

In the darkness, the soothing nothing, he saw a bright light in the distance. Quite a distance away, though with a dream he was never quite sure, it could be much farther than he originally thought. It just seemed barely palpable, and yet unmistakably there. Something like a mirage, deep in the lightless deserts, lacking every bit of reality the mind yearned for grasping point. Something real, a hand hold, to guide him through this ethereal jaunt. For Albert, this vulnerability left him feeling naked, cold and full of goose bumps. Yet his mind couldn’t strip away the darkness, it also could not turn away from the bright white light he saw in the distance. It was something, anything at all right now was good, and he strove to reach it. He knew he had to reach it, it was the goal, the necessary objective for the continuation of his life. He had to get there, he thought. He tried swimming through the pitch blackness, but it seemed to be just as far away as it always was. He swam as hard as he could, as if actively engaged in a fight for survival somehow put his mind at ease, only reaching nothing feeling nothing, holding nothing.

But what the heck was this light? Did that even matter? I didn’t really matter, it was a light and it was a point of reference in all the cold banality of this place, where ever it was. In the dense shadow this glowing light, like a fire burning out the darkness bit by little bit. But, it’s so gosh darned far, no matter how much work is done, it’s always like I’m swimming for an island a hundred meters out. Giving it my all, nothing getting done. No dice, comprende, good ole Albert’s stuck in the darkness but he’ll be damned if he’s caught staring into it. That light, it’s the way out, and.. How do I get to it? Damnit.. It’s not going to be like this forever? Damn, what the hell kinda joke is this? Wait wait, I’m good, there’s no reason to believe I’m going to be here forever.. Heck, there’s just too many strange things here. No ground, no solid objects, just intangibility.
Albert took a few minutes, from the chaos of his mind, to observe the light that was a distance off. He stopped trying to swim to it, no amount of effort seemed to work either way, and he hung there like a fish on a hook. Though, the light, despite it’s beautiful appearance, stirred a cauldron normally left well enough alone. Albert didn’t take his eyes off of it, and stare into the forbidden void, no.. his eyes were captivated.

Not because since the light was there, it was salvation, that wasn’t it at all. Mind you, he thought that at first, but now the light gave off a wholly different voice, as if someone changed the song on the CD player, oh heck, the whole CD. And the music that was playing now, Albert wanted no part of. Though, now that the house was choosing what songs were on deck, did he really have any choice? Albert shook his head, as his unease, surely became dread. Dreading what? Albert couldn’t answer that right then, nothing could really be pinned down, except that the light was both a vantage point for hope, and a cause for great distress. Albert heard the words, great distress, in his head and he wondered, how he had come up with that?

The word distress, connoting trouble, a malady of some kind, confusion, disruption. What word had made him think of distress? He thought this over, for a minute or so more, as he hung there in the darkness watching the light. Distress... he had heard this word used in the newspapers, it was one of the words that caught his attention to a front page storyline. The headline went, "Protestors cause distress in Mid-town.". Below it, a picture of a protestor, clad in the Canadian flag his mouth open in a scream, or was it a roar? Albert could never tell the difference. Below the picture, a caption read, "A protestor ignited violence in Mid Town causing untold amounts of damages and injuries to Law Enforcement and Civilians." At that moment, Albert remembered what had sparked his mind to conjure up the word distress. It was the way the headline used it to denote the chaos that was Mid town that afternoon. The word downplayed the carnage and ferocity of the violence that erupted that day. He should know, he was there.

Sure, civilians were hurt, how could they not be hurt? They were fighting the police after all, riot police with tear gas, clubs and, unlike the civilians and the protestors, they were wearing kevlar body armor with stars on the front denoting their affiliation with the security corporation, Axon Star. Named after their leader, Robert Axon. A multi-millionaire ex-military that went entrepreneur after he was dishonorably discharged. It was one of those scandals that was not really a scandal. Everyone, until that day, had put a lot of faith in Axon Corp, well.. Those who weren’t entirely aware, anyway. And there was always a few, kept to themselves, lived a pacified normal life, paid their taxes and remember to recycle.

Albert remembered it all then.. The smell of tear gas, the overwhelming stagnant smell of blood, the stinging in his eyes, and the wailing music of shouting, screaming and yelling. All of this, a humbling song of chaos, demonstration, resistance, retaliation and defiance. Retaliation? For what?... Albert damn well knew what. Hadn’t he just fallen asleep in that very depths of that reason? More like, passed out, but he didn’t care about that. The rejected, the forgotten and the lost. Taken refuge in old industrial tunnels beneath the richest in the city. This light, this malevolent glow in the midst of darkness, it exuded this ‘distress’. For some reason, Albert hated it, and he couldn’t shake the dice that this light let roll within his mind.

All of them kept rolling low when he wanted high, and he came up short with every kind of reasoning behind what he saw. What was it? Weren’t bad things usually dark? And weren’t they usually some kind of evil colour? Whatever evil colours were. It shook his mind then, a startling realization that he just thought of. Colours were connotation race.. What if each horror movie, they put the colour black and the Africans naturally suffer. It was so conniving, but no one would ever figure it out, because it was so subtle. And, to throw the ingenious watchers off, they throw in pale faces of vampires and zombie to make things seem confused. But, the idea made no sense to Albert either. He put it out of his mind not quite sure if someone would go to such lengths to injure another race. But, still, the colour white and it was so bright, shining in his face and he couldn’t tear himself away from it. The light blinded him and none of it felt very good at all. Was it getting brighter? He felt such evil, such a sickening malignance seeping into his skin like hamburger grease. It was nothing Albert wanted anything to do with. And then, in the depths of this place, Albert’s mind clicked. He asked himself, is all this real? Certainly, no reality he ever witnessed before and no physical laws were there, gravity, hot, cold, or even pain.. Just a sickening feeling and a dullness that was everywhere. It made him think of a dream, but he couldn’t shake how intense his disgust was, it ran through his mind and he kept thinking of many disgusting things as a result. So many ugly things, many people that were shot, eaten, hung and burned. So many of his own wounds came to mind then as well. His old bullet wounds, metal casings rumbling on the sidewalk, the jagged pieces of metal tearing the ligaments in his joints, the scraping away of soft flesh from the bone.

He then remembered, he had more wounds to add, lacerations, bites from dogs. Torn skin and trickling blood, soothed by a bandage, gauze, stitches and disinfectant. All of this he’d had before, all of this became a second skin, and his own skin felt violated, vulnerable and almost, disposable? He shook his head, not agreeing with that thought at all. He didn’t want to give up his own skin, it was too important and he didn’t feel like giving up quite yet, giving up didn’t feel like his style after all. He knew this and it was clear in his head, he wasn’t giving up. So, how was he going to get himself out of this? Because, it was clear he didn’t want to be here. He had enough of this place, whatever it was, where ever it was. The virulence stuck to his skin, but he couldn’t feel it, only the dullness that pervaded everything in this horrible place. He couldn’t feel anything at all and this worried him greatly. Why could he not feel anything? Had this terrible luminance taken away the feeling in his nerve endings? It seemed powerful enough, who knows what it was capable of after all. He just remembered then, you don’t feel anything because you dream, that would explain why he couldn’t feel or walk, or see anything other than the darkness and the brilliant light that tore into his soul.

He thought then, I’m dreaming? Then, well, it seemed simple then all he had to do was wake up. Right? Will himself to consciousness, complete consciousness, and this rapture that was undoing him would end in an abrupt halt. Just the way his whole life had been, starting and ending without any say in the way things ended. Oh sure, he tried, he fought really hard to make things roll the way he wanted, never seemed to happen though. He looked at this light, and tried to close his eyes, though he expected this dream would stop eventually when he woke up. Hell, he was surprised he even knew any of this, even understood about a dream, it wasn’t something he usually did. Now though, everything seemed quite real, except this dullness. Why? Why wouldn’t he just snap out of it? Hadn’t things usually worked that way? He would just be kicked and these things would be erased.

He shook his head again. No dice, not this time, he had to figure this puzzle out. It just seemed to be incomprehensible to figure out, what was there to figure out? He just wanted to leave. He then though, he had to figure out how to leave, and that was the puzzle. Though, he also entertained the thought that he had to figure out the puzzle of the light and the darkness. Though, the puzzle of escaping this prison in his head seemed all the more pertinent and important. He didn’t relish the thought of being around here any longer than he had to be, which in his mind was absolutely no time at all. So, he tried to wake. But how? Waking was done involuntarily as far as he knew. He had a quandary in his head, great another problem of unimaginable size. Albert didn’t need another one. But, he reasoned that it was good to have a comprehensive list. He just didn’t want anymore to struggle with as what currently faced him had enough difficulty. Heck, he was hanging in mid-air surrounded by darkness staring at a malevolent bright light that seeped into his skin. Albert realized then, he didn’t feel any pain, just a sickening disgust. He realized then.. Pain would jolt him awake. How to do that, is the real conundrum. He couldn’t move his physical self until well.. The dream ended, which doesn’t seem to be happening and, murphy’s law being what it is, most likely won’t for awhile. Someone had to shake him awake and out of this night. Someone outside? But, he was here and again, murphy’s law came into effect. Except what might happen, may never happen.

All of a sudden, the light spewed forth a terrible set of eyes. Burning with the fires of hell, it looked like. A set of eyes that put anyone in their place. There were no eye lids, or eye brows, or anything other than two red hot furnaces bearing deep into Albert’s soul. He could feel his own eyes going wide with fright and a sudden darkness clutching at his heart. He could feel someone shaking him, and the hands were small, calloused and smooth. Everything goes dark, and a cold hand brings him to reality, on his forehead the frost bit hard and he opened his eyes with a start. He leapt right out of his skin, it felt like. Only to find four people holding him down onto the couch. Gloria was right above him to the right, a large man held his shoulder’s down from behind and two others had his legs, kids it seemed like. A girl with short straight brown hair with blonde streaks and a pretty circular face. She seemed to be a teenager, 17? He didn’t know. To her right, a younger boy, 11? Seemed to be just sitting there observing this whole event.

No one spoke but Gloria. "Ok, your awake. Great. Um, we need to get you out of here." Gloria said with a disarming smile. Albert looked at the kid’s faces and they looked to be apprehensive, but for some reason neither of them spoke a word, only two sets of eyes looking at him. Filled with youth and fear. The boy showed considerably awe, and yet a resolute look of acceptance. Albert guessed something bad had happened, he couldn’t quite put a finger on it right then.

He looked at the big man and the big man looked at Gloria। "It’s ok, let him up. He’s safe now, let him up." And the big man nodded, his blonde hair and muscular torso seemed entirely threatening if it wasn’t for his vacant look on his face. Something about him wasn’t quite there. "Albert tried to move off the couch and, this time tried his good leg first. "Help me up, will ya? Do ya know where yer goin’?" Albert said somehow fearing it was all because of him. "Easy there," Gloria put both of her arms under his shoulders and she hoisted him up. "Yeah, we’re heading to Eden. It’s pretty far but, there’s a train we can take so that’ll cut down on the travel time. It’s not that far, thanks god. Alright, everyone. Robbie and Jessica, get your backpacks. John?" She looked at the boy and girl and they left. The big man just nodded and left with the boy and girl. Albert found he could stand on his good leg, while the other one had a dull kind of pain in it. He could walk on it, a little. Enough to shuffle if he needed to. "Thanks, Gloria. I can walk on it, besides I don’t have much choice, do I?" And Gloria smiled and said, "Heck no you don’t. Let’s get moving. The girl’s Jessica, the boy’s Robbie.

The big guy is John, he got you here." Gloria pointed toward a door and he said, "Pleased to meet you all," and he chuckled shuffling along after her. He shuffled out of the door, out of the broken down room with a broken ceiling, exposed pipes, a humming flouresent light that was right above the couch. Albert was glad he didn’t stay here very long.


He shuffled after them, as best he could and he was able to keep up with Gloria, but the other three were ahead. Gloria didn’t shout after them, but kept herself rather hushed. Albert took the hint and wondered just how fast he could move with his hurt ankle. He looked down at the bandages it was wrapped in and sighed. He knew it was going to be hurting eventually, probably sooner than he hopes. He looked at the dilapidated walls and never knew there were apartments down here. He kept walking wondering how Gloria kept up with her kids, and John. They seemed to be miles ahead, and in front of her every door was unlocked and open. Gloria kept moving quickly, but she stayed back to give Albert a reason to keep moving. He was lost otherwise, and he knew it. They heard a loud banging sound and Gloria called out then and she looked about frantically then. A few quiet moment’s passed and then a quick succession of loud heavy steps followed by more steps, quicker and quieter. John appeared then and Jessica beside him. "It’s ok, mom.. Gloria.. We’re ok. Um, we can’t get through to the west gate. Some big lock, I couldn’t pick it. John even hit it with a metal bat and it didn’t even dent." Jessica said and sighed. Robbie didn’t say anything but John spoke next. "Big door, all blue and metal like. Don’t think we can get through that way."

Gloria spoke then, "Oh right, should’ve known the connecting service tunnel was around here. We have to get through it, show me where this lock is and stay closer together alright?" Gloria said, in an almost pleading voice, and Jessica, Robbie and John all nodded. "Thanks." Albert came up behind Gloria and said, "Let me look at that lock, it’s my fault your having to move anyway." Gloria looked at Albert and shrugged, "You saw it, Albert. Do you think we’re sad about it?" And Albert only shook his head after a quiet moment. "Sorry, I didn’t... oh screw it, never mind. Let’s get to the door." He said when he realized how resolute they all were. Robbie said something then, "In the pit of the world, there’s nowhere worth staying." And everyone looked at him and Jessica smiled at him. Gloria only sighed, and John had an impassive look he had with everything. Albert considered the boy’s words. Yeah, the kid was right. There’s only what’s available, and damn whether you want a five star hotel.


Gloria walked up to Robbie and gave him a peck on the cheek patting his back. He smiled at her and then walked with her and Albert shuffled forward, a bit faster to keep up with them. They turned right and continued down the hallway and Albert’s bad leg hurt but he bit his lip and continued after them. He shuffled forward and used the wall to stead himself. He heard Gloria’s voice, "Keep up, slow poke. I know your in pain but we don’t have time." Albert bloody well knew that from the fearful looks the kid gave him and the way the kids went ahead and made sure the way was clear. He bit his pain away and said, "I am, keep your panties on woman." He said and continued and caught up to Gloria then who was walking at a brisk speed, speed walking? Why wasn’t she running? She looked back at him with a smile and chuckled and she said. "Yeah? How about you keep up or you’ll be the one washing all our underwear." Albert just grunted and moved past her and the hallway ended a big blue door. "If we get through this, heck... I’ll dry clean them." Gloria chuckled and came to the big blue door. Jessica said, "Dry clean what?" Albert said, "don’t wanna know, sweet heart. Where’s this lock?" Jessica just pointed to the big blue door and a large black block of metal that covered part of the wall. Albert nodded and approached the lock, John and Robbie were to the left of him watching. Neither of them said a word and Jessica only said, "I’ve never seen anything like that before." Albert had though, and he said. "How did you pick locks so far?" And Jessica said, "Hair clips and tweezers, credit cards.. My cards are all broken now." She handed him a long thin piece of metal, at the end she handed him, there was a rippled side and a long thin point, like a needle. He said, "Thanks." And Jessica just smiled. Albert didn’t really consider what it was she gave him, and was just happy they were being helpful. He approached the door and kneeled down to the door and inserted his tool into the opening of the black lock. Into a small key like hole. "I’ve seen this before, a few times. And I can get it open. How long do we have?" He asked. Gloria said, "A few minutes". Albert nodded and got to work. They heard a lot of clicks and Albert said. "I’ll get it." Everyone waited.

And, after many more clicks and Albert holding the metal pick in his hands, he twisted it and a loud crack was heard. Jessica did not look pleased and said, "Hey! That was my best lock pick, what the hell!" Albert just looked at her and said, "you’ll be happy to know it’s open, and I’m sorry. You guys said you didn’t have a longtime to wait for this door so.. I had to break it to open the door." And before she could reply, Albert opened the big blue door and shuffled through it. Jessica just sneered at him, and Robbie had quite the evil eye on him. John even said, "That was not a nice thing to do mister Grace." Albert only said, "I’m sorry ok, look.. With any luck, when the door shuts again it’ll be locked and it’ll take a force charge to open it again. Which will buy us some time." Gloria was just happy the door was open and Albert’s attempt at defense did make sense, but still.. He was a nobody that showed up at their doorstep, and the metal lockpick held a lot more meanings for her and Jessica than a man could ever understand. All four were beyond the door now, and the lock had a metal thing sticking out of it still. Gloria closed the door behind her and, as the door shut, the lock clicked and something was heard to crack again. Albert, looking back at the door, wondered if what he thought was true or not. Everyone walked past him not saying a word, though Gloria did smile at him. She was happy that Albert got them past that hurdle. Jessica, Robbie, and John were not completely impressed though. Every object they lost was something they could not get back and this was something meaningful, something special and rare. Especially in a subterranean world where nothing was nailed down.
Gloria led them through the hallways this time trying to keep them together. The offices in this area were clean, pristine looking even... but a chill ran up Albert’s spine at the darkness that pervaded the whole area. A bump was heard and Jessica’s voice said, "Ow, that hurt." Gloria, feeling her way through the hallway, turned and said "Are you ok, Jess?" And Jess said, "Stubbed my toe. I can’t see anything in here, you sure this is such a good idea? I don’t like being in here at all." John said, "Yeah, scary place, alright. It’s cold but it isn’t cold, it doesn’t make any sense." Albert had to agree with this trend, but he said something much different. "If this is the way to New Eden, they must have built over the original pathways. Gloria, you must’ve been around this area before.. But you don’t remember any of this?" Gloria replied, "this is all new to me.. Even that door wasn’t supposed to be there at all, something’s definitely changed around here. But, this is definitely the right way, we just have to get through this maze. And Albert, I will not have you breaking our equipment anymore. We needed that thing, and getting another is difficult. But there’s nothing to be done about it now." Gloria said, as matter of factly as she could, though there was obvious bitterness in her voice. Albert only sighed and shook his head, he did everything they told him to do and he had to break it to open the door and, likely if anyone was following them they’d be held back by the door giving time for Gloria, John and her kids to escape. He figured it was a noble sacrifice. He was ahead of them when Gloria said this and shuffling along a wall with a large white stripped glass window he turned his head and said, "I’m sorry," and he didn’t say anything more.

No one else said a word after that, they just kept moving following Albert’s lead. Robbie pipped up and said, "Isn’t there a light switch?" John agreed, "Yeah, can’t see anything. It’d be quicker if we could see where we’re going." Gloria nodded but kept silent trying to listen. Albert looked around where he was but couldn’t see a light switch anywhere. "If you see one, turn it on." he said and continued moving down the long hallway. Gloria then said, "Stop, we gotta go this way. Left, I’m absolutely sure. The area may have been rebuilt, but this pathway couldn’t have changed that much." Gloria heard Albert making his way back, she was surprised that she didn’t hear more complaints from him about his foot. He was remarkably calm during all this, as if being on the run while he was injured was a normal thing. The other three were standing beside Gloria a minute later, and then they saw Albert limping toward them and he said, "Where’re we goin’?" Gloria pointed to her left and straight toward utter darkness. Albert nightmare he had and thought this was ironic. Here he was, descending into the depths of hell. "Alright, then, how long ago did ya last take this route?" Albert asked turning his head toward Gloria’s distant eyes. "It was a few months ago. Looks like they’ve been real busy since then. Maybe there’s a weak area if they did this hastily. We’ll have to search around if you can’t open the next door, there’s probably another one down there." Gloria said with some doubt. Somehow, she didn’t quite believe there was another door. But Jessica said, "It makes sense though, they have to keep this area cordoned off right? I mean, there might be good stuff in here." Jessica looked around, for the first time, with an opportunistic glint in her eye. Gloria withheld a sigh and everyone else, including Albert looked around for anything of value.

Though, in the darkness, they could see very little and searching the whole area would take awhile. None of them really wanted to be here in the first place, so it wasn’t long before they went down the darkened hallway and crept along the walls. It seemed endless, the cold stone and the tile hospital like flooring. Everyone just pushed forward and it was John that was cracking. "I don’t like the dark, scary things in the dark. I can’t believe we can’t find a light switch." He said in a frightened voice. Jessica said, right beside him in a calming voice, "Hey, I’m right here. No one’s going to get you while I’m around, trust me." She put an arm around his waist and rubbed his back a bit. "Thank you Jessie. Yer real nice. You sure they ain’t goin’ to get me?" And she replied, "nope, not at all, you got me here to protect you." Jessica smiled as they walked side by side together. Albert was behind everyone, looking forward but he couldn’t see much beyond his hand. Why did everything have to be so damn dark?

Robbie said, "I’m here too, John. Don’t be afraid of the dark." He said, in a soothing voice, almost like he was something stronger than steel right then. Albert couldn’t shake it from his head though, he was just a kid. Albert kept feeling he way down the hallway listening more than using his eyes. But the wall, the cold lifeless air of the place kept on, the darkness seeped into their skin, and the inevitable piercing dark clouded the edge of their sanity until everything became grey. The dark, it hid things too, Albert knew all too well. And he was listening, and not hearing a thing beside the shuffling and walking of five trespassers. No buzzing, no clicks, beeps or hisses. Eerily quiet is what best described it. Enough to make any noise instantly noticeable amongst everyone. They were afraid to fart.

After awhile, fifteen minutes or so, Gloria said. "I found a door. It’s open." She said as she turned the knob and went in. She flicked on a light switch and everyone shielded their eyes from the bright white that flooded the hallway. Albert felt a momentary urge to back away from it, as if repulsed by the very idea of light. But, after a moment, a cold sweat, he pressed on believing there wasn’t a terrible realization beyond this door, that somehow, salvation was at the other end. He tried to shut away the thoughts that pounded his mind. Everyone else went in, and he had just realized they had and swallowed hard. "Hey, Albert. Coming in or what?" Gloria’s voice rang out and he shuffled in. "I gotta take a look at your bandage and make sure there’s no serious infection." Albert only said, "It hurts to use it, but it feels a lot better than it did. I don’t think it’s infected." He limped more now though, his knee was bent enough not to let his foot hit the floor at all. Jessica pulled up a chair and Albert sat in it. Albert rolled up his pant leg and everyone grimaced. He looked down and grimaced himself. Damn, it was worse than he thought. A lot of yellow and blisters along the bottom of his foot. He has patches of blue and purple as well that made it all the more serious looking. He undid the bandage and everyone gasped. John said then, "Smells terrible, Albert. I’m sorry, but it really does" Albert replied, "Looks even worse. Damnit, I knew them dogs were nasty, but this!?" Albert took a deep breath and Gloria said, "Maybe there’s a first aid kit around—" then she stopped and her face went white. She couldn’t speak, but she was looking Albert’s way and Jessica was covering Robbie’s eyes. John wasn’t looking that way at all, just outside of the room entirely. The smell was bad enough, like someone farted a few times. The beans must have started working on someone, and it wasn’t him, he has not eaten in awhile.

Albert held his foot and used both hands to squeeze the pus ridden blisters on his foot. He growled as the pain shot through his legs, but he gritted his teeth and yelled, "I need towels, please stop with your vampire impersonations and get me some towels!" Nobody seemed to move as the pus and darkened blood oozed out of Albert’s foot. He growled louder and his bulging eyes staring at his foot. Everyone seemed stricken, as if injured without ever being hurt, and unable to take their eyes away and their stomachs were unable to finish turning over. Albert pushed harder and more white pus fell out of the open infected blisters. There were a few on the ball of his foot and one on his heel. Though, they were all large, one had a large red ring around it. Albert had all of his fingers centered around this spot pushing out the infection. A moment later, his mind clicked and he looked at Gloria’s despairing face. "I asked you for towels." He said in a strangely calm and even voice. She nodded slowly and turned to the cupboards and started looking for towels. Jessica’s stomach turned completely and she said, "I think I’m gonna be sick." She keeled over and found a waste basket burying her face inside of it. Robbie’s eyes finally saw the truth and he turned his face away immediately. "Ewww, grossed out." Gloria was happy to hear his voice and she said, "Don’t look, Robbie. Don’t you dare look." He looked at her and said, "No way, that’s gross. No way I’m looking at that. Hey, Jessie. Are you ok?" As everyone heard the sound of her bringing up breakfast. Albert said, "Hey, you alright over there?" Jessica managed a groan and nodded her head. "Yeah, mr. Tough guy.. Girl’s just fine." She hurled again after this. Albert smiled a bit and then yelped as he pressed down on the wound directly to get more of the pus out.

Gloria managed to swallow and take a deep breath. The smell of blood was thick in the room now, but everyone was either getting used to it, ignoring it or drinking it in entirely. Whichever way it went, Gloria somehow got her hands on some paper towel rolls. She turned and seeing Albert’s foot again just about keeled over herself. She summoned up something within her though, a real sense of urgency to show strength, to stay strong and solid in the face of such ugliness. She slowly walked over and kept her face on Albert’s as she went to hand him the paper towels. His hand clutched the dry rough surface and he smiled at her. "Thanks, Gloria." He said in the same tone of voice, almost as if he was being polite for her sake, as if he was trying his best to be a gentlemen.

He said after he wiped away the blood and pus from his injured foot. "Listen, I really don’t know if I can keep up with you four. And you’ve done enough already. And besides, I’ve got a cute girl waiting at Star Bucks for me. Yer on your own from now on, and before ya’ll start crying your better off without the injured limper slowing you all down. Seems to me Gloria knows the way and I’ll manage. You all better get John and get outa here." Gloria seemed sad then, as if obligation of seeing everyone through was impossible now, and she had the facts right in front of her, like news footage that sears. Oozing out of the infected wound in his foot dripping with regularity creating a moist repugnant pool of blood and bacteria cell cultures multiplying rapidly.
Gloria met Albert’s eyes and her look of forlornness died. His eyes were full of conviction then, a sense of seriousness pervaded the air around the room. Jessica looked at Gloria for a minute, Robbie just looked around and then down to the floor.

Albert just kept his eyes on Gloria. "Alright, and your right Albert. We’re better without you, no offence. Thanks for getting us past the lock, but I remember now where we have to go. The offices threw me but I got it alright now. Listen Albert, if it’s still there, there’s a ladder to the surface further down the hall to the left. It could be walled over, who knows. I’m fairly certain it is there though, and you can get out. I won’t bear the ache of knowing your in trouble, got it?" Albert nodded and read in her serious voice that there was no messing around with the directions, even if she was vague about how certain she was. He would check into it after he dealt with his foot a little better. It was clear by then, that he needed real antibiotics to get rid of this infection, but he was doing the best he could pushing it out of his body for now. It would grow back, but it would be a lot less painful for a little while, and he hated just being unable to do anything about it. His mind had to focus on it if only to distract from the stress of the overall situation. He had a lot to accomplish and, he had been very lucky so far. He looked at these three and said, "You take care of Gloria now. If anything happens to her, I swear I’ll..." he left it hanging and smiled at them. "We will, don’t worry about her, she’s in good hands." Jessica said. It wasn’t quite assuring, but it was an authorative tone of voice. Albert loved to hear such confidence these days. "Good well, you better get John back in here and head off. I’m pretty sure someone left listening devices in the offices." Albert said. Everyone nodded, even if they agreed or not, or even cared.

Robbie went to the door and said, "Hey John. We have to get out of here." John walked back into the room. Gloria gave Albert a hug. Jessica just said bye, and Robbie said nothing. They left with John a moment later into the darkness. Albert smiled, and after everyone had left the room, he said, "Off to Star Bucks."

She was sitting alone, in a coffee shop on Burrard somewhere. There were a lot of other patron’s there, and busy servers but she was seated at a table all by her lonesome pondering the days events. She had ran, like she never ran before, knocked over so many things, pushed by so many people, all of it seemed a blur. And it was all to get away from two hungry canines. She had hid in a utility closet and someone else was put on the slab, ready for dinner. She wondered who the poor sob was and that someone else took the fall for her meant a lot, a lot of anguish that was. An innocent man was carted off? What had he done? All of this weighed on her mind and she drank her coffee finding a sickly sweet massage down her throat.

"Hey you, cowgirl. Your outa the blue." Came a voice from beside her, and she chastized herself for being so unobservant. The voice was old and cranky sounding, but all at once a comfort came over her. "And into the black." She said back without looking to see who it was. She bloody well knew who it was, because no one else called her cowgirl. She smiled and thought, at least he’s alive even if... her thought was cut off by another line, "my my, hey hey... rock and roll is here to stay." She smiled a lot then and said nothing at all. Seemed to be perfectly content then, even a bit shaken by the tragedy of it all.