AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 38
Kody
“Kody, I don’t know what I’m looking for. Do we have a description of these men? Any of them?”
As my eyes scanned one of the cameras covering the main lobby, all I could do was shake my head. Tiffany was getting frustrated. We’d been watching the screens for hours, and the stress and silence from the men was taking its toll.
“Do we know anything? Should I be looking for a man in a trench coat? A suit? That one has a Hawaiian shirt on.”
I grabbed my third coffee, groaning as I rolled my neck, hearing it pop in my ears. Had I moved at all in the last hour? Two?
“We’re in one of the fanciest buildings in San Francisco. Suits and trench coats are a given. Hawaiian…sure. I don’t know, Tiff. It won’t be what they’re wearing. It’ll be their aura. The way they walk. It’ll be…” my eyes fluttered over, coming back to my friend. “Maybe this is a waste of time. All I know is I have to do something.”
“I know. It’s just, if I see one more person pick their nose or dig their underwear from their ass, I’ll scream. I feel useless. I’m so mad I didn’t ask more questions to Rian or Rush. Why did I do that? I went from fighting this whole thing to letting them pamper me and…buy me chocolate and…rub my feet. For once it was nice giving in to ignorance. But it was a mistake. After the poisoning, I should have pushed to know more. I should have been trying to help.”
My eyes rolled. “I tried that. Listen to me when I say there’s nothing you could have done. What Rian, Rush, and Jase were doing, normal people couldn’t do. Even those knowledgeable with computers wouldn’t have stood a chance trying to help. It would have slowed them down. Now could we have asked for more information, sure. I doubt they would have talked about it openly. They’ve done nothing but try to shield us. They wouldn’t have told us much.”
“I suppose.” Tiffany let out a breath, glancing back to the screen. When her posture stiffened, I tried to see what she was looking at.
“What is it?”
Her hand rose as she pointed to one of the smaller monitors below the main one.
“I’ve seen that man before. The tall guy in the blue shirt, holding the paper. The one with the shaved head. I don’t know where, but…I swear he looks familiar. Does he look suspicious to you?”
“Well…this is twenty-twenty-one. Most people just check the news on the tv or their phone. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone with an actual newspaper. Do they even make those anymore? Aside from that, it does seem like he’s looking for someone.”
“It does. Where have I seen him? It’s right there. Right within reach in my memories. I just…”
I moved closer, studying the man’s weathered face and hooded eyes. He stood out from those walking through the lobby for the last few hours.
“He does look like someone I’ve seen before.”
“Right. He’s…mysterious and…rugged.” Tiffany’s hands came to her hips through thought. Her gasp filled the room and her hand shot to her mouth. “Dude Keller! That’s fucking Dude Keller from that famous survivalist show.”
“What?”
“Rian watches it all the time. Dude lives in your building? Lucky bitch. I knew he looked familiar. The guy can live through anything. Last episode I saw, he was living with lions or something. Crazy shit. Rian will be relieved to know they didn’t eat him alive.”
At his name, Tiffany’s eyes filled with tears. Her lip trembled and she turned from the screen, heading to the refrigerator. There was no point of me going after her. I’d already tried to comfort her. She needed her space.
I headed over and lowered to Jase’s desk. I went through different cameras. I checked multiple halls. I ate the sandwich Tiff brought me. Over and over, I kept my fingers busy to kill time. Each minute ate at me. Each scenario that forced its way into my head drove me crazy. Jase hadn’t called. I wasn’t sure that was a good thing or bad. And he’d mentioned that we had food for a week or two. Was there a possibility he’d be gone that long?
No more thoughts. No more worries. I couldn’t take it. Instead, I focused on the screens. On the wealthy couples leaving their apartments, or the random man or woman passing through the lobby. I stayed in a daze.
Clicking.
Clicking.
Clicking.
I stopped.
On one of the elevators were five men. All were wearing black long-sleeved shirts and black cargo pants. They looked military, but from the growth on three of their faces, I wasn’t so sure that was the case.
“What is that?” Tiffany leaned forward on the sofa, easing to her feet as they continued higher.
“I don’t know. I…” I brought up the camera that gave view to our entrance area. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I…” I picked up the phone, hitting Dominguez’s number. Just as he looked down to his pocket, Tiffany yelled out.
