Mind Trace (18 page)

A slight twinge of sarcasm was noted in his voice and it
was not lost on his men. He was rewarded with muffled laughter as the men tried
to hold their composure.  Everyone seemed to think Alice was a helpless little
girl. In other circumstances, she would have been annoyed, but she was
beginning to appreciate the advantage it gave her.

I'll have a better chance to escape if they believe I am
defenseless. Now, I just need to stay still until I can figure out a plan. I
can't let them know I'm awake.

Alice attempted to peer out of the bottom of her eyelids
without attracting attention. She could make out several pairs of shoes from her
vantage point, but nothing else.

Looks like I'm stuck here for the moment. Maybe they
will stop for gas soon, and I can escape then. 

I just wish I knew how long it would be before that
happens.

If it happens...

Alice was regrettably left to lay there, alone with her
thoughts. There were plenty of things for her to think about, but they were all
equally unpleasant.

Jeremy would have confiscated the flash drive from Garrett,
but there were still the other backups she made. Unless Eric somehow found out,
that left Garrett with exactly what he needed to continue with their plans.
Garrett wouldn't need her anymore. Moreover, he had only just met her…she couldn’t
see any reason why he would risk all of that to try to rescue her.

It's still nice to dream, though.

Alice didn't want to consider the possibility that Garrett
would just give up on her, but she couldn't afford to wait and find out. She
was in significantly more danger now than ever before. If Eric got his hands on
her this time, it was unlikely she would ever get the chance to escape again.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Alice prayed that she
was wrong about Garrett. He was different from anyone she had met before, and
he would come back for her…she hoped.

I can't keep worrying about him. Either Garrett is a
decent guy or he's not. Only time will tell.

It seemed like an eternity that the van went on, without stopping.
Alice drifted in and out of consciousness, trying her best to stay aware of her
surroundings. After three and a half hours had passed, she heard a voice from
the front of the van.

"Sir, the tank is close to empty."

Jeremy replied, "Better go ahead and stop while we are
still outside the city…less people around to ask questions."

 The van drove for a few more miles before slowing to a
stop. She heard the front driver's door open and someone get out.

Jeremy turned again and spoke to the rest of the passengers.
"Is she still out? Wow, must have given her more than we thought. I'm
going to grab some coffee." Another door opened, and then shut. By her
count, three people remained in the vehicle. After a brief moment of silence, a
voice on her right spoke up, "I have to stretch my legs."

Another voice chimed in. "Yeah, me too. You mind
staying, Winters?"

A gruff voice replied, "Nah. I think I can handle this
one." Coarse laughter echoed in her ears.

"Yeah, that's for sure. We'll be back in five."

The other two men exited the van. After carefully listening
for a few seconds, Alice could only hear the sound of the gruff man breathing,
and he was behind her.

She knew she was pressed for time. She opened the eye
closest to the ground so that her most visible eye was still closed. She looked
around frantically, for anything that would be of use. Looking up, Alice
realized she could see the man's reflection in the opposite window of the van. The
light reflected off the glass to provide a picture of her opponent and the
layout of the van.

The van had seats built into each side, facing the aisle.
Above the seats were rows of compartments, most likely for storing gear. There
was one door in the back, one on the right side, and two on either side in the
front.  In between the front and back sections, there was a thick, metal
grating with no apparent opening. Alice was haphazardly lying in the aisle, and
the remaining man was seated in one of the side seats to her back.

He was a well-built man, with strong arms, massive
shoulders and a thick neck. Alice was no match for him physically, but to her
great relief, he was effectively occupied with his phone.

Apparently, he sees no need to be alert... after all,
the prisoner is "sleeping."

Alice's mind churned with different possibilities to disarm
him. She was limited by her inability to use her hands, but she still possessed
the element of surprise.  The computer side of her brain told her she had a
ninety-three percent chance of success if she used her weight and position to
kick backwards, jamming her heel into his throat. If she managed sufficient
force, Alice would stun him, giving her enough time to make her next move. Of
course, if she missed, that was another story.

Let's not think about that right now.

She took a deep breath and braced herself, kicking with all
her efforts back into the man, pulling her legs up to get out of his way. The
phone flew across the van, and he let out a loud "oomph," falling
forward, grasping his throat and trying to catch his breath. She awkwardly
managed to roll over onto her back and push herself up into a sitting position
on her knees.

I can't believe that worked.

He still had not completely recovered, but he had gotten
over his initial shock and was gaining some use over his body again. Her mind
rapidly calculated her next best option, and she acted, without thinking. Since
her hands were still tied behind her back and she was sitting on her legs, she
threw her head forward and made contact near his temple. 

Ouch! C'mon, my brain couldn't have warned me how much
that was going to hurt?

Fortunately for her, it had the intended effect. The man
slumped forward onto the aisle. She turned her back to him and roughly rummaged
through his pockets, trying to find the keys to her restraints. It seemed to be
the luckiest day of her life. He had a pair of keys in his back pocket and she
was able to unlock the cuffs in under a minute. When her hands were free, she
turned around and dug in his pockets again until she found his wallet.

Alice considered tossing it, but she hesitated.

I'm going to need money... I can pay him back later.

After she pocketed the cash, she rubbed her wrists and
looked around. The man that was refueling the van had disappeared and the pump
had been disconnected. Looking back towards the convenience store, she saw
Jeremy and a few other men lingering near the door. Alice peered through the
grating separating the front seats. Lying on the front seat were the keys to
the van.

You have to be kidding! They left the keys on the seat
AND the door is unlocked? These people are either careless, or fools. Either
way, I'm not going to ask questions.

Taking a quick glance around one last time, Alice heaved
open the side door of the van and dumped the unconscious man's body onto the
pavement.

Sorry, mister. It's just business.

Stepping around the man, she shut the door and ran to the
driver's side of the car. Flinging it open, she leapt into the front seat.
Before she could shut it behind her, she heard a man yelling near the side of
the van.

"What the – Hey you! Get out of there!"

 He came around from behind the pump suddenly, so that he
was less than ten feet away. Alice panicked, shut the door and locked it.

Keys! Start the car now!

She fumbled with the keys, dropping them between the seat
and center console. Her heart was pounding as she desperately tried to dig them
out. A sudden loud and abrupt pounding on the window made her jump.

The driver stood there, yelling, "Open this door! Now!
You don't want to do this, girl!"

She reached as far as she could beneath the seats and her
hands closed around the key ring.

Thank God!

As she shot back up, she noticed the man digging around in
his pockets for something. A glance in the rearview showed Jeremy and the four
other men barreling towards the vehicle, hands waving.

She cranked the engine, switched gears and slammed down the
accelerator. The tires squealed on the pavement, but finally took hold, and she
was off.

Alice began hysterically laughing and yelled, "Take that,
you jerks!"

She swerved into the ditch while she was gesticulating
towards the distant men. She corrected the wheel, steering back into her lane.

Might be good to try and not die after I just escaped
the FBI.

She had been so desperate to get away, she only just
realized that she had no idea where she was, or where she was going. Alice
inspected the nearby vicinity, her mind quickly outlining a map of the area.
She was currently driving north on a rural road that ran parallel to the New
Jersey Turnpike.  They had been close to a heavily populated area, but had been
driving along on the outskirts for quite some time. 

She needed to find somewhere to get rid of the van, and
find another mode of transportation. No doubt the vehicle was equipped a standard
LoJack that would be tracked by satellite. Alice knew she had to act before
they had a chance to intercept her.

Okay, it looks like there's an airport, train station,
and bus station all within a few miles. They're bound to be covered in security
cameras.  I don't have a choice; I have to take one of them. But, I don't have
to make it easy for Jeremy.

Maybe if I park at the bus terminal, then have a taxi
drop me off a few blocks from the train station, I can hide in the crowd and
slip onto a train before they find me. They'll think I'm taking a bus, and
search there first.

It sounds crazy, but it just might give me enough time
to get away.

But...where am I going to go from there?

Alice thought about the possibilities. She had nowhere left
to go that Eric didn't know about. The only person she knew that might be able
to help her was Garrett...and she had no idea if he still wanted to.

I have to give him a chance, though. What else can I do?

She drove as fast as she could without getting arrested. It
would do her little good to get caught driving a stolen government vehicle.

Alice arrived at the bus station five minutes later. There
was a large commuter parking lot off to the side. She found a spot partially
hidden under a large carport and parked the van there. 

She weaved in and out of cars until she reached the front
of the bus station. Several taxis were idling there, shining like bright yellow
beacons of hope. Alice quickly hailed one and slid gratefully into the back
seat, out of breath. She told the driver where to go, and watched the bus
terminal disappear behind them.

Alice told the driver to drop her off several blocks away from
the train station, next to a community park. There was less chance of being
spotted on a security camera there. To her relief, the driver only looked at
her long enough to tell her how much the fare was. Shakily counting the bills,
Alice passed them over the seat and exited the taxi.

As she walked the short distance to the station, Alice hovered
close to other people walking along the sidewalk, using them as a shield
against any security cameras in the area. Her behavior earned her more than a
few strange glances, but most people were accustomed to strangers with no sense
of personal space.  Her behavior was tolerated with only mild curiosity.

Inside the station, Alice gently pushed through the heavily
congested areas to the wall where the schedules were posted.

Yes! They have a train that goes all the way to Concord.
That's close enough to Newport that Garrett can hopefully meet me without
drawing unwanted attention.

No one will be looking for me there...I hope.

The next train didn't leave for another fifteen minutes.
Alice searched for a public terminal in the station where she could send
Garrett an email, letting him know she was okay and telling him where to meet
her.

A short walk around turned up an internet café with several
computer kiosks. She managed to find an open one and sat down to work. Alice secured
the message as best she could, hoping that Garrett could crack it.

It's risky, I know. Hopefully, Eric doesn't assume I'll
be foolish enough to go back to Garrett.

Her fingers drummed the keyboard impatiently.  What would
she tell Garrett?  She rapidly searched through her repository of locations in
the Concord area where they could meet. It would be late when she arrived, so
there would be very few places still open.

Better ask him to meet me at a hotel.

Alice wrote a quick message, telling Garrett where to meet
her, and what time she should be arriving. She encrypted the email and pressed
send.

There's no time to do anything else. Hopefully, this
will be enough.

A few hurried minutes later, she was safely seated on the
train. She jumped at every sound, nervously searching for any sign that she had
been followed. When the train slid safely out of the station without incident,
she finally allowed herself to sit back and let her heart resume its normal
rhythm.

If everything went as planned, she would be back with
Garrett soon, planning their next move. Meeting him made her realize just how
much she had missed having someone to talk to, especially in the midst of times
like these.

It was much harder to face everything alone.

Chapter 12

Garrett had a horrible cramp in his left leg. He struggled
to reposition it, to get the blood flowing again. He realized it was lying
partly folded beneath him.

What could have possessed me to fall asleep like that?
My leg is killing me.