A Phone Call Away (Part 7)
A Phone Call Away Part One
A Phone Call Away Part Two
A Phone Call Away Part Three
A Phone Call Away Part Four
A Phone Call Away Part Five
A Phone Call Away Part Six
Early that morning, before the Sun had even begun to rise, Jesse was pulling out of his driveway. The ghostly suburban roads of his neighborhood were a good sign and Jesse was fairly certain that he wasn’t being tailed. With his new burner phone, not obtained through his ex-lawyer, Jesse called Mike at the only number he’d ever given him.
“You on your way?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. No one behind you?”
“Not yet. So where am I going?”
“Be patient, Kid. What street are you on?”
Jesse told him he was just leaving his neighborhood. From then on, Mike fed him directions turn by turn. Jesse was so focused on following them, he had almost forgotten to stop watching for cars. About twenty minutes into his trip, Jesse was on a main road among three or four of them but one car in particular was starting to stand out. It was small and dark colored, far behind him, but it had been behind him for more than three turns.
“Mike…I think I’ve got a tail.”
“How far behind?”
“Uh…” Jesse checked again. “About 200 feet.”
“Can you see who’s driving?”
“No.”
“Alright, Kid. Just keep driving. You’re almost to the airport.”
“The airport? I’m boarding a plane?”
“No, you’re going to the parking lot. You need to switch cars, and you need to do it quickly.”
“Switch cars? Mike, all my stuff is in this car.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Clothes, mostly.”
“Kid, you have seven million dollars in that car. You can’t buy new clothes?”
Jesse sighed. He guessed he could.
“Okay. Won’t this guy see me?”
“He shouldn’t if you do this fast enough. Now once you’re in the parking lot, slow down. It’s difficult to be inconspicuous tailing a slow moving target. Park at least two rows away, leave your car running and the lights on. Keep your head low and try to make the switch in two loads.”
"Yeah, got it.”
So Jesse did what Mike asked and as predicted, the car sank away, pretending to park elsewhere. It was still so dark, so Jesse had a good chance of not being seen as he swiped the key from the column and ducked back to his own car. He dragged the bags two at a time, hoping the noise of his running car would hide the sound. He kept an eye out for anyone on foot or the following car, but they’d probably parked somewhere where they could see his car. Once he was ready, he climbed into his new car and ducked down behind the steering wheel, calling Mike.
“They see you?”
“No…now what?”
“Wait a few minutes and then pull off.”
Jesse waited about four minutes before starting his new car and driving away. As far as he could tell, the other car had not followed, staying behind to watch the decoy.
***
Jesse had crossed state lines into Texas, but he was nowhere near the border when Mike told him to pull over. He was a few miles out from a dirt road in the open landscape. All Jesse could see were tall patches of grass and bushes dotting the dirt. His heart pounded. He was suddenly afraid. Afraid of what Mr. White had said…that Mike was dead and that meant he was crazy. Jesse laid down on the hood of his car. He wasn’t going back. Not even if this had been all in his head. He’d lay here and waste away until he did see Mike, dead or alive.
Jesse laid there until he could feel his skin beginning to peel from the Sun. Reluctantly he climbed back into the car and stared out at the miles of dusty wilderness. His stomach growled, but Jesse hadn’t packed anything to eat. He’d only wanted to see Mike. That was still all he wanted.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl…a second was a year to him. He finally stopped checking the time because he was certain that his cellphone was somehow freezing time with every glance.
There was a sound like a gunshot and Jesse jolted awake. He didn’t remember going to sleep.
“Hey Kid, what gives? I called you.”
Mike had stuck his head through the open car window.
“MIKE!” Jesse shouted, wrapping his arms around Mike’s neck as if he could pull him through.
“Kid, I hear you. You’re choking me,” Mike said with a chuckle. “Come on out and give me a real hug!”
Jesse let him go and flung the car door open, almost knocking Mike over.
“It’s like you’re trying to kill me,” Mike teased, grinning wide.
Jesse ran into his arms and squeezed him tight. Mike was sturdy and warm. He smelled of aftershave. Jesse had never been more certain of anything than that Mike was as alive as he was.
“Come on, Kid. No time to waste. We’ve gotta keep on the move. You’re an outlaw, remember?”
Jesse grinned.
“Yeah I remember.”
They climbed into the car Jesse came in. It wasn’t until months later that Jesse began to wonder how Mike had gotten way out there without a car of his own.
A Phone Call Away Part Two
A Phone Call Away Part Three
A Phone Call Away Part Four
A Phone Call Away Part Five
A Phone Call Away Part Six
Early that morning, before the Sun had even begun to rise, Jesse was pulling out of his driveway. The ghostly suburban roads of his neighborhood were a good sign and Jesse was fairly certain that he wasn’t being tailed. With his new burner phone, not obtained through his ex-lawyer, Jesse called Mike at the only number he’d ever given him.
“You on your way?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. No one behind you?”
“Not yet. So where am I going?”
“Be patient, Kid. What street are you on?”
Jesse told him he was just leaving his neighborhood. From then on, Mike fed him directions turn by turn. Jesse was so focused on following them, he had almost forgotten to stop watching for cars. About twenty minutes into his trip, Jesse was on a main road among three or four of them but one car in particular was starting to stand out. It was small and dark colored, far behind him, but it had been behind him for more than three turns.
“Mike…I think I’ve got a tail.”
“How far behind?”
“Uh…” Jesse checked again. “About 200 feet.”
“Can you see who’s driving?”
“No.”
“Alright, Kid. Just keep driving. You’re almost to the airport.”
“The airport? I’m boarding a plane?”
“No, you’re going to the parking lot. You need to switch cars, and you need to do it quickly.”
“Switch cars? Mike, all my stuff is in this car.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Clothes, mostly.”
“Kid, you have seven million dollars in that car. You can’t buy new clothes?”
Jesse sighed. He guessed he could.
“Okay. Won’t this guy see me?”
“He shouldn’t if you do this fast enough. Now once you’re in the parking lot, slow down. It’s difficult to be inconspicuous tailing a slow moving target. Park at least two rows away, leave your car running and the lights on. Keep your head low and try to make the switch in two loads.”
"Yeah, got it.”
So Jesse did what Mike asked and as predicted, the car sank away, pretending to park elsewhere. It was still so dark, so Jesse had a good chance of not being seen as he swiped the key from the column and ducked back to his own car. He dragged the bags two at a time, hoping the noise of his running car would hide the sound. He kept an eye out for anyone on foot or the following car, but they’d probably parked somewhere where they could see his car. Once he was ready, he climbed into his new car and ducked down behind the steering wheel, calling Mike.
“They see you?”
“No…now what?”
“Wait a few minutes and then pull off.”
Jesse waited about four minutes before starting his new car and driving away. As far as he could tell, the other car had not followed, staying behind to watch the decoy.
***
Jesse had crossed state lines into Texas, but he was nowhere near the border when Mike told him to pull over. He was a few miles out from a dirt road in the open landscape. All Jesse could see were tall patches of grass and bushes dotting the dirt. His heart pounded. He was suddenly afraid. Afraid of what Mr. White had said…that Mike was dead and that meant he was crazy. Jesse laid down on the hood of his car. He wasn’t going back. Not even if this had been all in his head. He’d lay here and waste away until he did see Mike, dead or alive.
Jesse laid there until he could feel his skin beginning to peel from the Sun. Reluctantly he climbed back into the car and stared out at the miles of dusty wilderness. His stomach growled, but Jesse hadn’t packed anything to eat. He’d only wanted to see Mike. That was still all he wanted.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl…a second was a year to him. He finally stopped checking the time because he was certain that his cellphone was somehow freezing time with every glance.
There was a sound like a gunshot and Jesse jolted awake. He didn’t remember going to sleep.
“Hey Kid, what gives? I called you.”
Mike had stuck his head through the open car window.
“MIKE!” Jesse shouted, wrapping his arms around Mike’s neck as if he could pull him through.
“Kid, I hear you. You’re choking me,” Mike said with a chuckle. “Come on out and give me a real hug!”
Jesse let him go and flung the car door open, almost knocking Mike over.
“It’s like you’re trying to kill me,” Mike teased, grinning wide.
Jesse ran into his arms and squeezed him tight. Mike was sturdy and warm. He smelled of aftershave. Jesse had never been more certain of anything than that Mike was as alive as he was.
“Come on, Kid. No time to waste. We’ve gotta keep on the move. You’re an outlaw, remember?”
Jesse grinned.
“Yeah I remember.”
They climbed into the car Jesse came in. It wasn’t until months later that Jesse began to wonder how Mike had gotten way out there without a car of his own.