Choosing Corners: Better On Top

"Not exactly what I'd call a brilliant plan," Jack said.

We were sitting on a rooftop three buildings East of the hotel, watching smoke rise as firefighters soaked the building. The street was packed with emergency workers and onlookers providing all the confusion one could ask for if they were trying to sneak off unnoticed. Knowing Olivia though, I figured we were safer to stay close. She would not expect me to exercise patience and it was far from easy for me.

"We're safe and we're free," I said.

"We should have grabbed some supplies at least on the way out," Jack said.

"If we had, she would notice and then she would know we went up instead of out,"I said.

Jack said, "They'll figure it out eventually anyway."

"I get that we're waiting for dark, but what's the plan after that?" Gina asked.

Jack gestured toward me and said, "Ask the genius."

Gina's eyebrows raised and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at Jack. "Olivia has people scouring the area, looking for us," I said. "Eventually some of them are going to be pulled out of the area when she determines we've left the city."

"Why would she determine that, when we haven't?" Jack said.

"Because we are going to," I said.

"That's the best idea you've had all day," Jack said with a touch of sarcasm slipping out, "When do we leave?"

"After dark," Gina said.

"Some of them will pull back to wherever they are keeping Brian. If we keep our heads, we should be able to follow them right to him," I said.

Gina nodded and said, "I'm in."

Jack said, "No. You two don't get it do you? Your trusted friend just sold us out and if you go in to rescue him, you're going to wind up right where Stratford wants you."

"Brian is not with them," I said and Gina nodded her head in total agreement. She said, "And if he is then we're on the wrong side."

"They're killers," Jack said.

"Then you've got nothing to worry about," Gina said.

"We're not going after him," Jack said looking between Gina and I, "As soon as night comes, we're heading for the airport and flying home."

"Call me crazy," Gina said laying a patronizing hand on Jack's knee, "But if I were Olivia, the airport would be the first place I'd secure."

I said, "You can run home if you want, I never asked you to come along in the first place, but I'm staying. My friend is in trouble and he called me for help. With or without you, I'm going to do what I can."

Jack sighed, shaking his head in frustration. He said, "Isn't it obvious this entire thing was a setup to get you down here and vulnerable? Stratford and her boss, want to get their hands on you."

Gina's eyes wavered back and forth in her head as she processed information and made conclusions. "Why her?" She said, almost more to herself than to us, "What's so special about V?"

Jack shrugged and I sat still, not reacting externally at all. I knew the answer to her question or at least I thought I did. The problem was I would not mind discussing it with Gina in some ways but nothing you tell a reporter ever remains confidential and then there was Jack. I am completely conflicted when it comes to the man, I do not trust him completely, but I do not distrust him completely either. Telling him the things I know would feel good, but there was no telling how he would react and even if he had similarly valuable information to reveal, I doubt he would be inspired to share it with me. Without knowing exactly where he stands, there is no way to determine whether his knowing would be good or bad for me.

In the wake of Gina's apt question silence fell on our rooftop. Jack removed his jacket and folded it up to rest beneath his head as he settled back to nap. There was nothing to be done until night anyway. Gina and I exchanged sympathetic smiles and then we each picked a side of Jack and joined him, laying down. It was going to be a long day, but at least we were not hanging from rafters being tortured.

I closed my eyes and slipped from the rooftop back into the nightmares plaguing me. Rain pelted down on me and the sounds of jungle life echoed in every direction. I could feel the warmth of fire on my legs and arms, but my breath was cold like ice. The world was frozen in a single moment and there was a jagged fracture running through it. Split into two, right and wrong were no longer clear choices, but muddled decisions without any indicators. On each side of me, a version of my ethereal grandmother stood, each urging me to follow a different path and I remained trapped in the middle, split in half, my instincts pulling me in opposite directions.

Olivia stood before me, laughing and smiling, taunting and beckoning, threatening and befriending. A gun flickered in and out of her hand, aimed at me and away from me. I had to decide what was real and what was not, but there was nothing beyond my instincts to tell me which was which. Hesitation held me paralyzed within the paradox and then Joseph Candle appeared before me, standing in the way. He smiled and frowned.

"Not deciding is a decision too," He said.

I jerked awake to sound of tropical rain falling on the rooftop. Disoriented and sensing danger I grabbed the gun tucked into my waistband and rolled onto my knees. It was dark and we were still on a rooftop, but at first I could not locate Jack or Gina. I could feel eyes on my back and I spun around to find the source.

"Whoa," Jack said as the barrel came to rest against his midsection. "Easy there, V."

I blinked, shaking off the disorientation. A moment later I lowered the gun, re-engaging the safety before slipping it back into my waistband. "Sorry," I said, feeling foolish but unable to completely push away the sensations of impending danger.

"Bad dream?" Gina asked from the other side of the rooftop where she was crouched to look out over the street.

I nodded and said, "You could say that." Keeping low, I moved across the roof to join her. Jack continued on his way to check out the back alley.

"Tried to wake you about an hour ago, but you would have nothing to do with the real world then," Gina said, smiling.

"Any signs of our friends?" I asked.

"You mean your friends?" Gina said, looking back to the street below, "I personally don't keep friends that try to kill me."

I said, "Lucky you," And scanned the world below, noticing it was disquietingly vacant.

"It would appear they've given up," Gina said.

"Only Olivia isn't the type to do that," I said, looking toward the other buildings and wondering if we were being watched from inside a dark window.

Gina said, "Especially after you humiliated her like that. She'll want to get even."

"And here I thought we were finally even," I said with a rueful smile.

"I take it you've had some run ins with her since camp, before today?" Gina said.

Jack joined us, kneeling down behind between us and said, "Last time she nearly killed Tom Clark and had V tortured for hours."

"The time before that," I said, "She tried to send me on a 32 story plunge."

"You still hell bent on going after this Brian?" Jack asked.

I glanced at him and said, "Yes, although I wouldn't qualify my position as hell bent."

"Surely, you can't still trust this guy?" Jack said.

I said, "I promise you, Brian did not set us up."

"Our current situation suggests otherwise," Jack said.

"Except that Gina is here," I said.

"What do I have to do with anything?" Gina said.

I said, "Brian might set me up if the situation was just right, but there is no way he'd call you into the middle of it. The simple fact he called both of us proves he had every intention of meeting us here."

"That's some rather twisted logic," Jack said.

"Think about it," I said, looking him in the eye, "Why would he call Gina in the first place? She's not going to help him fight off attackers."

"Hey," Gina said, "Push comes to shove, I'm not a pushover."

"No offense, Gina," Jack said, "But she's right, if he called you, he probably wanted you for journalistic reasons."

I said, "I'm guessing he figured if whatever he found gets out into the public eye, the threat would disappear."

"It usually isn't that simple," Gina said.

"No, but I have a feeling Brian didn't really understand what he'd stumbled into," I said.

"I'm willing to go along with you for now," Jack said, "But on one condition, we do this my way."

Gina smiled at me and said, "Alright Jack, what's your way?"

Jack said, "V?" I turned to him and nodded my head and said, "I can live with that."

"First, we need to get off this roof," Jack said.

A click behind him, made Jack turn around as Gina and I stared into the darkness, searching for the source. My hand found the handle of my gun again, but I hesitated a moment before pulling it out. Jack held a hand up for quiet and Gina and I waited. The only sound seemed to be the raindrops falling and then a series of clicks and scuffling footsteps roared out of the night.

"Nobody move," A gruff voice ordered, stepping from the shadows into the dim light. He was accompanied by five others, all pointing the business end of their weapons in our direction. The man who spoked grabbed a radio from his belt and spoke into it. He said, "We've got them, Ma'am."

I kept my hand poised on my gun, behind my back and looked to Jack, hoping he had a plan to get us off the roof. Gina was looking between the two of us uncertain which of us she should be taking cues from. One thing was certain though, none of us were ready to give up just because a few guys were pointing guns at us.

Glancing over the edge of the building, I noted the fire escape switch backing down to the street. It was unlikely to be a clean escape, but it would get us moving safely for a little bit at least. With my eyes, I made the suggestion to Jack and after a raised eyebrow, he shrugged as if to say, "What the hell."

Slowly, I rose to my feet attracting the attention of all six guns. The leader of the group said, "I could have sworn I told you not to move." Jack laughed causing barrels to swing back in his direction and he said, "I keep telling people, but nobody seems to believe me. She has a real problem listening."

"Oh, I believe you," Gina said, pushing herself up to sit on the ledge.

"The next person who moves is going to get shot," The gruff man said.

"Does that include your people too?" I asked.

"Shut up," He ordered.

"Because there are a lot of people around and I'm sure several have moved since your threat but unless I'm wrong and Jack thinks I'm wrong a lot, but—

The gruff man pointed his gun at the sky firing a round and shouted, "SHUT UP!"

It was the distraction we had been waiting for and none of us wasted a second. Gina was over the ledge dropping to the fire escape while Jack and I drew our guns and rolled for cover while shooting at our distracted captors. They scrambled for cover, giving us a clear run for the edge and we took it, leaping down to the fire escape. Gina led the way, kicking free the ladders and sliding down level after level until we landed in the alley between buildings.