whitetwoguns | But I ain't no madman.

[Freezing? Uh. What is going on back there?]

Sure I can. Where we running to?

[Staring. He wants to turn around and get a better gauge of where the kid is at.]

...back to back or just... go and see where we're at after?

[Maybe they could go to the can?]

Jump the rail. It ain't too high. I doubt these motherfuckers can use those wings.

[Freddy's whispering in case saying this aloud jinxes their situation. The rail over there isn't particularly high from the next level, seems like they're in an alcove side wing of sorts, not the main halls.]

I'll cover you.

[He's flattered by the vote of confidence in his physical prowess. And he can follow through. First he has to detect the rail. Which means he looks away and loses precious distance.]

Okay. I'm going. Cover me.

[No more hestatition. Maybe pretending he's a Kenyan runner will help. Freddy can run faster. Fuck for all the old man knows the kid is a breath behind him.]

[Gun drawn with the safety off, Freddy's ready to slip into cop mode which has kind of already happened with the kid telling the old man what to do. He keeps his eyes on both statues, noting how they seem to almost turn towards them as they make way for the rails. One blink and suddenly the angel on the left has moved closer. Shit shit shit. Freddy keeps his eyes wide open.]

You down there? Give me a sign, man.

[Because Freddy's not gonna take his eyes off the motherfuckers but he can't hop over a rail blindly either. Well, he could, it just probably wouldn't be pretty.]

[OOMPH. The old man lands. Not as gracefully as he should. Larry runs (ouch to the ankles from the landing) to turn and look up to see Freddy and the stone statues. A real panoramic view. Whatever these things are, they're persistent.]

Yeah. I'm here. C'mon. I can see em.

[By comparison Freddy's landing is relatively solid and efficient, a cop on a foot chase kind of landing.]

Let's keep moving--[Oh look. The lights are flickering.] Oh fuck oh fuck.

[For all his sure movements the kid's not looking so brave.]

[Oh, rub it in. He tries not to look away from those stony figures to marvel at the kid's personal grace. When he wants to get the job done he's a regular Charles Bronson type.]

Shit. Just what we don't need.

[Can't see in the dark. Fuck that's clever. Huff.]

Keep goin'. Maybe if we got a flashlight or something...

[Or a network device?]

I got a flashlight app on this.

[Whoa welcome to the 21st century, Lawrence Dimick. Freddy only knows what to call it cause someone else or other taught him. There we go, the kid holds up the LED loaded device.]

You got one on yours?

[Probably not, he thinks, too much to hope for from an old fashioned man.]

A what?

[Lights flicker again. Not a good sign. Paw between the kid's shoulder blades.]

I dunno. You can show me what an app is when we get out of here, okay?

[That's a no, he doesn't know what it is or how to use it.]

[Inner SIGH but that's why he likes Larry. If they weren't being chased by statues he'd ruffle the old man's head.]

Okay okay.

[No rustling or whooshing along the way and yet the kid's so damn sure those things are still on their trail. He's holding his gun and light in typical police fashion.]

You see a way out yet?

[Rotary phones to button dial phones then cordless to cellphones! So much has changed in his lifetime. He would appreciate a break cut if one were even allowed. Le sigh. Not when you're trying to save your own skin.]

Uh. Right there. Up a little.

[There is an exit sign. It would be glowing if the lights were on.]

[Freddy shines his light on the dead sign. Looks legit. He urges for Larry to go first in a gesture of age before beauty. Mostly it's because he's shining the light back on their foes who are suddenly a lot closer than Freddy remembers.]

Shit man. What the fuck are they.

[If he wasn't holding a gun and his device he'd be searching to hold Larry's paw. No lie. Oh hey is that fresh air on the other side of the doorway?]

[Larry charges forward, one hand ahead so at least he won't be running into anything.]

I don't know. Keep moving.

[If they need to, the old man will gladly jack a car.]

Almost!

[Except...for being on the street it's pretty dark. It's an alley. Alleys mean that you can be trapped in. There's light from street lamps on both sides.]

Fucking--c'mon!

I'm right behind you man!

[At least there are street lights and there's a moon out which means Freddy can turn his flashlight device off, pocket then, then grab Larry's...arm. He'll take hold of the guy's elbow for now, that's not too ridiculous right?]

[Why would holding on to anybody during a life threatening escape be ridiculous? Larry is too busy to wonder or even register the conscious effort to grab specific unweird places.]

They still there?

[Nearly out of the long alley way. His head is hurting and he's sweating already. Now is a lousy time to want to throw up.]

No. No don't look like it.

[Freddy huffs and puffs his answer. He wants to believe the statues didn't follow them because they don't fit through the doorway but he won't say it aloud. That's called jinxing yourself and Larry's had enough jinxes.]

Foot or cab?

Cab.

[Out of the alley. Into the light. He has the impulse to hold up the first car.]

Fuck. This time of night there has to be a cab....

[Freddy's gun is out. Fuck, old man. Do the right thing. He looks back. The alley is surprisingly empty.]

Okay.

[Oh right. His gun is out. Freddy tucks it away so the cab they try to hail doesn't freak the fuck out because no he's not even thinking about holding up the first car or any car.]

Keep your eyes peeled.

[Now he's staring up at the statues that decorate the roof of the building. They don't look like the ones inside but you never ever know.]

[Paw stays on his back. His eyes dart one way. Goddamn.]

See a cab yet, pal?

[He doesn't want to distract Freddy from his task but he gives him a nudge to look aways up the street. It could have been that the statues took the other way out. Or it could be another one. Either way, they're not quite alone.]

No. I could call one.

[Better yet he could call someone with a car or magic powers or something but despite all that the kid wants to get away with just his old man. They can take care of themselves.

Oh fuck. What's that on the library steps? Some homeless guy with nothing left to lose taking a nap is about to bite the dust. Except the thing freezes when he wakes up and starts talking to it...like he's seen it before. Like it's Tecumseh from Cheers. Small blessings.]

...Let's go.

[His fingers ball the back of Freddy's shirt gripping that tight and haul him. At first they're about to head opposite directions. Nope. Oops. Sorry kid, he'll follow your lead.]

I say next car we see we just get in. They'd understand.

[That's not a car jacking if you don't threaten them, right?]

[Gurk. It's almost comical the way Freddy leans forward only to teeter back from Larry pulling the other way. Ahem. Back to business.]

We could take the fuckin' bus, man.

[It's an honest suggestion and they'd have safety in numbers. The only risk being those numbers could be just as crazy as that homeless guy. Public transit don't scare Freddy Newendyke none though...not when he's with Lawrence Dimick anyway.]

[Whoops. Pat pat on his shoulder. Let's not get sloppy old man. That angel he has seen moved while he was distracted.]

Bus. Perfect. Okay. Where's a stop?

[Do they even run at this time? The City is a busy place. They run all day and night in New York. It's kinda like that. Sometimes.]

[Looks like they found a stop and from a stop they found a bus but from there everything sort of blurs together until Freddy wakes up hours later with the sun sort of shining through the morning haze. He's in Larry's lap kind of, horizontal on the other benches. He's being woken up cause this grumpy old man wants himself a goddamn seat. Move, kid. It must be 10am.]

[The rumbling diesel engine falls silent. That is part of what gets the old man to move.]

End of the line. We ain't goin' anywhere no' mo.

[This is not Larry by the way. He gives the kid another shove as he opens his eyes. No, it's not a statue. But it is a rather tall, imposing figure of a woman in a bus uniform. She tabs her head. The motion makes her talons gleam more brilliantly.]

...What?

[Real eloquent, Mr. White. He rubs his neck as he tries to make sense of the scene.]

Kid. [Pat pat. Plz get up and help him assess this.]

I ain't playin'. Pay your fee and get going on your own.

But I ain't no madman.

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