Rising Storm

The Watcher froze, weighing its options, and Consigli moved toward it. Looking at a restaurant was not illegal; neither had anything in its manner been threatening. Yet the extreme caution these humans were using, as well as the drawn guns, indicated that they suspected him of being dangerous.

'Hands on the van, spread your legs!' Consigli snapped.

'Why?' the Watcher asked, not moving. It concluded that they suspected him of

—

'You're under arrest for the murder of Ralph Kurtz,' Delfino sa.id, reaching behind for his handcuffs.

'Just do what you're told,' Consigli said, and pointed at the van.

With one hand the Watcher slapped Consigli's gun hand hard enough to crack several of the small bones; with the other it shoved him into his partner, knocking both men to the street. Then it turned and fled.

Sarah's eye was caught by the motion of the back doors of a van flying open across the street. Two men in suits piled out and another, framed in the van's side windows, turned to look at them. Instantly she recognized the new janitor from the halfway house, and the moment froze. Even before the brief fight began, she was in motion.

'I have to go,' she said.

Jordan and Silberman looked up from their meals and their uneasy conversation to stare at her.

'Close your mouth, Doctor, and give me the keys to your car.' Sarah held out her hand.

'What's wrong?' Jordan asked; his eyes swept the room. Then he saw the action outside. 'Government agents?' He rose and pulled out his wallet, dropping several bills on the table.

Sarah's eyes were on the street; she watched the brief scuffle, her lips a thin line of anxiety. She gave her head a brief shake. 'No,' she said. 'That's the new

janitor from the halfway house.'

Jordan looked up in time to see the man sprint away. 'Shit!' he said softly.

Silberman stood, finally. 'What do we do?'

'I take your keys and get out of here,' she said briskly.

'No. I'll go with you. Mexico?' he asked.

Sarah frowned and nodded.

'It's just a few hours, no one's expecting me back at Encinas tonight, and since this was such short notice probably nobody will notice you're gone. That should give you a few more hours before you're missed. And if they see you drive off with me they'll assume I'm taking you back to Encinas.' He could see the 'no'

forming on her lips. 'Please, Sarah. I want to help.'

Jordan took the rest of the cash from his wallet and the small pile he'd left on the table and handed it to her. 'I'll get this with my card,' he said. 'Right now that's the most help I can give you. But the doctor is right, Sarah. If you think you can trust him.'

Sarah looked into Silberman's face for a long moment, biting her lips, remembering. Then she took a deep breath. He knew. He'd seen undeniable proof and had paid the price for it, just as she had.

'Okay,' she said, her voice tight. 'But we need to go now!'

Silberman stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth and followed her, digging in his

pockets for his car keys. Sarah went toward the service door to the kitchen and found the back door. The alley was, blessedly, open at one end. Sarah headed for the opening at a run, a startled-looking but game Silberman racing at her heels, already beginning to wheeze.

'Let me go first,' he suggested.

Sarah looked over her shoulder at him and nodded. Silberman trotted to the mouth of the alley and stopped, looking both ways. A man came away from the wall he'd been leaning against with his hand out.

'Hey, buddy, can you spare some change?' he whined.

Silberman recoiled from the smell of stale booze and body odor. He held up his hands and took a step backward. 'No, sorry,' he said, feeling guilty.

'Hey!' the man said, suddenly happy. 'I know you! Dr. Silberman!'

He reached out to touch the doctor's arm. 'It's me, Douglas! We used to work together.'

Silberman blinked. 'Douglas, of course.' The man had been an orderly at Pescadero. Sarah had whacked the stuffing out of him with a mop handle. He'd never known what became of him.

'My disability ran out,' Douglas whined. He pointed to his neck. 'Pain, alia time, Doc. Can ya spare some change?'

Sarah came up behind Silberman. 'We've got to go,' she said tersely.

'HEY!' Douglas shouted, pointing at her. 'She hit me!'

'Let's go!' Sarah said, giving the doctor a nudge.

'She hit me!' Douglas insisted. He balled up his fists. 'Bitch! Hit me, willya?'

'Jeez!' Sarah muttered, rolling her eyes.

She kicked Douglas in the stomach, grabbed his head, and rammed it onto her upthrust knee, then shoved him in the direction of the alley, where he lay still.

Then she grabbed the horrified Silberman by the arm.

'Let's go!' she muttered through her teeth.

TIJUANA, MEXICO

'Stop here,' Sarah said.

Silberman pulled over to the curb, not seeing anything different about this particular street. There were a few shops, still open late, and a few restaurants, which looked like they might stay open all night, and a lot of people around.

Everything looked a little dustier and more chipped and scuffed than its equivalent over the border, and there weren't many Anglo faces around—not too different from L.A., in that respect.

They'd gotten over the border with no problem; as it happened, Silberman had Sarah's identification on him, her driver's license and a birth certificate, enough to get them waved through. Silberman had been right; he was a help.

But now it's time to send him on his way, she thought.

'Thank you. Doctor,' she said, opening the car door.

'Wait! You want me to just leave you here?' He looked at her in horror. 'I can't do that!'

Sarah smiled at that. To the good doctor a woman alone in Tijuana at night was asking for trouble. She couldn't help but be charmed by his chivalrous attitude, even if it was too late and grossly misplaced. She might be an obvious gringa, but nobody here—nobody dangerous, at least—was going to mistake her for a tourist. And once she got to the nearest cache…

'I'll be all right, Doctor, thank you. Dm. Could I have my ID, please.'

'Of course.' Silberman pulled out his wallet and gave the documents to her.

'Here,' he said, handing her his cash as well.

'Thanks,' she said, not even considering refusal.

'Sarah,' Silberman said, his face absolutely sincere. 'Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?'

She considered him, chewing on her full lower lip. Well, there was no harm in asking. 'Yes. Buy some land in the mountains, with a house, maybe a barn. Buy medical supplies, the kind that will keep, and as much imperishable food as you can. Then hope we never need them. If you need to send us a message leave a note, nothing obvious, on a Luddite Web site. If necessary we'll get back to you.

Thank you, Dr. Silberman. Be careful.'

He smiled and gave a soft laugh; it changed his whole face.

'You, too,' he said. 'Good luck.'

'Thanks,' she said. Then she turned and disappeared into the crowd.