leaked inside.
“Good job, man!” The speaker looked to be early to mid-thirties, close to Mark’s own age. “That was awesome!”
“Thanks.” Mark opened his mouth to ask if he could use a bathroom to wash up, when his stomach lurched and the bitter taste of bile filled his mouth. Panic surged through him and he rushed into the nearest apartment with an open door. He spotted a hallway and found the bathroom just in time for his lunch to make a return visit.
Spitting out the vile taste, he flushed the toilet and moved to the sink to wash, scooping some water into his mouth and swished it around. He dried his hands on a towel hanging over the the shower curtain. He reached for the doorknob, but stopped and pulled the photo out of his back pocket, just to make sure. The picture had only one similarity with the one he’d put in his pocket only minutes before. The baby was still Christy, but now, she was grinning at the camera, showing off two pearly white bottom teeth. It was official. He’d erased another photo.
There was a knock on the door a second before Mark opened it.
“You okay?” It was the guy from the hall. He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed.
Mark nodded and motioned towards the toilet “Yeah. Just feeling the nerves. Sorry for barging in.”
The man laughed and stuck out a hand. “No problem. I’m Jason.”
“Mark.” He clasped the man’s hand and gave it a shake.
Jason gave Mark a speculative look. “A few minutes before that happened,” he pointed his chin towards the hall, “someone buzzed my apartment, saying they had to get in-that it was an emergency.”
Mark tried to play it cool as he edged towards the hallway. “Yeah?”
“That was you, wasn’t it.” It was a statement.
“I…uh-”
Jason waved a hand and cut him off. “No worries, dude. I was just curious. I had a grandfather who used to get premonitions. It was spooky. Never thought I’d meet someone else like that. Glad I let you in.”
Rattled and still shaking from the flood of adrenaline, Mark could only nod. He breathed a sigh of relief when Jason motioned for him to go first as they went out to the hall.
They watched as the paramedics started an IV on the protesting Christy, and he winced at the blood oozing around the IV site. Poor little thing. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find a Chicago police officer behind him.
“Sir, can I ask you a few questions?”
Mark shoved his hands into his pockets to hide the shaking and shrugged. “Sure.”
He asked Mark’s name and for some ID. After speaking some cop code into his shoulder radio, he glanced at Mark’s driver’s license. “You don’t live here, so why were you in the building?”
Mark pulled at the collar of his shirt under his coat. Necessity forced him to lie in these situations and he hated it, but the truth was far too complicated. Experience allowed his story to slip easily off his tongue. “I intended to visit a friend, and when I got to the building, someone was coming out, so rather than buzz, I just caught the door. When I got up here, I realized I had the wrong building.” He forced a laugh. “My buddy’s building looks a lot like this one and I guess I got them mixed up.” Mark shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. He was rambling and decided to cut the explanation short. “It’s about time my faulty memory came in handy.”
Luck was with him and the officer chuckled. “It sure did. You did a great job.”
Mark dipped his head as heat rushed up his cheeks. “Thanks.”
The cop’s radio squawked, and in the midst of indecipherable code, Mark heard his own name.
The officer cocked his head, his gaze fixed on Mark as he reached up to key the mic. “10-9?”
The message was repeated and the officer tensed, his eyes cold as he acknowledged it and requested back- up. With one hand hovering over his weapon, he pointed at Mark with the other. “Turn around and place your hands on the wall.”
Confused, Mark hesitated. “What…why?”
“Hands on the wall. Now!”
The commanding tone jolted Mark into action and he nearly tripped in his haste to comply.”Listen, sir, can I just ask-”
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The officer grabbed Mark’s arm. “I’ve been told to bring you in for questioning.”
“Who wants to talk to me? Why?”
The few people still milling in the hallway fell silent.
The cop glanced at the watching crowd and hesitated. “Unpaid parking tickets.”
Parking tickets? Since when did they go to this much trouble for parking tickets? What the hell was going on? He twisted to see the cop’s face. “I don’t owe on any tickets. What’s this really about?.”
Jason stepped forward and pulled out his wallet. “Look, officer, the dude just saved a baby. What does he owe? I’ll pay it.”
“Step aside, this isn’t any of your affair.”
“Come on, man, don’t be a hard-ass.” Jason smiled at the cop, and gestured towards Mark. “I mean, this guy doesn’t exactly look like Charles Manson.”
Jason’s attempt at humor backfired when the cop offered to let Jason accompany Mark.
Jason glared at the cop before casting an apologetic look at Mark. “Sorry. I tried.”
Mark nodded. His face burned as the bystanders-the same people who’d cheered him just a few minutes before-now pointed fingers, and whispered to each other.
The cop’s fingers dug into Mark’s bicep. “Come on. You got some people waiting to meet you.”
“Who?” This was going way too far for a few tickets that he couldn’t even remember getting. “You sure you got the right Mark Taylor?”
The fingers tightened again as the cop frog-marched him towards the elevator. Mark balked. This was crazy. When the cop pressed him forward, he didn’t think, he just reacted, jerking his arm free. “Quit pushing me!” The second the words left his mouth, he wanted to suck them back in.
“Get down! Right now. On your knees.” The cop pulled his baton and prodded Mark with it.
“Whoa! Calm down. I just want to know the truth. I have that right, don’t I?”
“I’m not going to tell you again.” The radio blasted a sharp tone, and Mark started at the sudden noise.
The cop mistook Mark’s reflex and swung the baton. Mark ducked his head and the blow landed with a thud against his shoulder. Pain rocketed down his arm like he’d touched a live wire. He sank to his knees. Two more blows landed on his back. He bit his lip to keep from crying out as he fell face-down on the floor, his nose buried in the dank, musty carpet.
The bystanders yelled at the cop while the cop shouted for them to shut up. Without pausing, the officer ordered Mark to lie down. Confused, Mark attempted to lift his face away from the nasty floor to tell him he was already lying down, but a sudden sharp pressure in the middle of his back pinned him to the floor.
He fought to breathe as his arms were wrenched behind him and cuffed. He managed to turn his head, the skin on his face pulling painfully taut as he sucked in air.
The door from the stairwell burst open and three more officers ran towards them, pulling their batons as they charged down the hall. Two men in suits followed, their manner and attitude exuded an aura of power and authority.
The first to reach Mark flashed a badge at him, but Mark couldn’t get a clear look from his angle on the floor.
“I’m Special Agent Johnson and this is Special Agent Monroe. We have a warrant for your arrest as material witness to terrorist acts against the United States.”
CHAPTER TWO
Jessie looked up at the knock on her door jamb. “Hey, Dan. What’s up?”
“Lieutenant wants to talk to you.” Her partner avoided her questioning gaze and before she could ask him what it was about, he turned away and rushed down the hall to the men’s room. Figures he’d hideout in the one place she couldn’t follow him. Whatever. She grabbed her jacket and shrugged it on and strode to her boss’s
