Volume One: The Road Out
Chapter Five
Verse Two: Which Doctor?
"Oh No, I'm not letting any Illuminati Lizard alien loving UN Puppet into my diner without a warrant." Henrietta announced, barring the way into the diner with both arms spread wide.
Harley shook his head in dismay. He couldn't image that Henrietta's ultimatum was likely to reduce the agent's suspicions. Harley also assumed that the man had seen the Cricket parked out front, which would at least tell him that Harley and Marion were nearby- or had stopped here to change vehicles if nothing else. Harley suddenly regretted not having the nerve to try stealing a vehicle.
Harley picked Maia up in a fireman's carry, not bothering to try to walk her to the back room. The little girl wasn't hard to carry save for the the fact that she have begun talking.
"He's found us. Let him help." She whispered.
"I recognize this agent Maia. We didn't have the best interaction last time we spoke." harley said as he lugged his prophetic cargo through the kitchen into the store room. Setting Maia down gently, Harley ran back to the front room.
"I know the contingencies you've got in place to hand us over to a New World Order one world government and I'm not standing for it. Who do you think you are anyway?" Henrietta yelled at full volume as Harley grabbed Fitz and threw the boy into fireman carry position. Fitz was heavier, but Harley managed. As he began to carry Fitz to the back room, he noticed the figure in the back corner again, hidden in the shadows created by a dead fluorescent light above. Harley managed a weak wave, and the figure waved back and gave a thumbs up. Harley nodded and continued with his burden to the back room. With Fitzroy done, Harley finally went back for his best friend. He didn't like leaving Marion for last, but was confident Marion would agree with the prioritization.
Harley pushed through the swinging doors back to the main room of the diner and crouched low as he jogged over to Marion.
"Don't think I don't know about how the World bank and the IMF are syphoning money away from independent nations towards those Annunaki alien corporate overlords." Harley heard Henrietta say and he slung Marion's arm over his own shoulder and began to assist walk Marion to the back room.
"She's creative to listen to, I've grant her that." Harley said as his tried to move Marion quickly without tripping his less than agile companion.
"I am not interested in your conspiracy theories. I am interested in two children whose lives are in danger and getting to the bottom of a very unpleasant stew of a case. Now move aside before I decide to turn you into the next Lee Harvey Oswald."
Harley pushed the door open with his shoulder and slipped into the back room. As the door swung behind him, Harley heard footsteps in the public area of the diner. Harley lowered Marion to the ground and crouched down beside him in the store room. He noted that the sound carried remarkably well from the dining area, which almost certainly meant the sound would carry the other way as well.
"You happy? you've entered without a warrant. And now you're breaking your own fake laws."
"I could just be a customer." the agent answered.
"Then I could kick you off my private property and refuse to serve you." Henrietta said.
Maia was still talking, but her voice was rising. Harley tried to shush her, and when didn't work, he clamped a hand on her mouth.
"I could also be more dangerous to your livelihood than a rumour of salmonella and e. coli infection in your diner."
"Even for a corporate running dog of the world conspiracy, you are a piece of work, you know that?"
"Lives are being destroyed here. Children have lost a parent. Nothing makes sense. But you are right about me acting beyond my authority. But that makes me more dangerous to you, not less. I am going to solve this, even if it ruins my career. And that should make you very very scared of me."
Despite Harley's best efforts, Maia was now loudly calling, "He's found us. He's found us! Let him help!"
The agent's voice from the front room answered, "I think I'm needed in your back room."
A new voice spoke, a male voice with just enough weathering to suggest to Harley that the speaker was not young, "This isn't the time or the place for confrontation. Nobody is ready for confrontation right now."
"Ready or not, confrontation happens now!" the agent said and Harley heard the swinging door knock open and then the agent loomed as a black silhouette in the storeroom door way.
"Mr. Night, should I still go get a warrant?" Agent Bridger asked.
"I think this would sound like probable cause to a jury," Harley answered as evenly as he could, standing up to face the agent.
"I thought you didn't know these children?"
"I doubt you care, but I was telling the truth. We didn't meet them until your planted evidence in my desk forced us to run for our lives."
"I didn't plant any evidence."
"Somebody did."
"I know, but I can't track down who. This whole thing stinks. Every witness says you're innocent and yet here you are with the kids yelling for help. All the evidence tastes like an inside job, but I'm looking at a classic kidnapping. You tell me what this is Night, because I can't figure it out."
"I can't explain anything that would make sense to you, because I don't know enough myself. I'm caught in a web and a story that I don't understand. I'm just trying to keep myself, my friend and these kids alive long enough to figure it out. But I have no answers for you, nothing you'd want to hear at any rate."
"You're not making a good case for my not sending you straight to jail on a silver platter."
"If I thought I had an explanation you'd believe I'd have told you already. And I'm a lousy liar."
"I can explain things. If you're willing to listen, that is." the male voice from before said.
Harley and Bridger turned to look at the man standing behind them. From the outline, Harley recognized the man as the figure from the corner. He was - as Harley had guessed- an older man, dressed in brown corduroy pants with a red shirt and a brown tweed jacket. The man's hair was an aged pale blonde and hung long tied back into a ponytail. He smiled gently and continued speaking.
"The other agents are following: the men of black and white who planted the evidence and send these four on the run," The man said, "You can wait for them, and then this will all go away Agent Bridger. But then you'll never get your answers, just a cover story and probably disciplinary action. But in the time it will take them to arrive, I can convince you that these folks are the good guys and that you should be on our side- if you're willing to listen."
"Keep talking." Bridger answered slowly.
"I promise that nobody will leave or try to run until we're done explaining. And, if you aren't convinced, I promise we will all surrender without a struggle."
"That's a generous offer," Bridger said, "How do I know Night and Day over there will honour your agreement?"
Harley quickly answered, "Marion isn't in any shape to do anything on his own. Look at him.
Bridger looked at the slumped form of Marion and then back to Harley, "What did you do to him? I thought he was your best friend?"
"He is my best friend and that's what your side did to him. We've been fighting for our lives here."
"None of this makes sense." Bridger pinched his nose.
"I can explain it." The man from the corner repeated.
"Look," Harley said, "I don't want to fight you, you're the first guy in a suit to talk like a human in days. And although I could run, I'd probably have to abandon Maia and Fitzroy and Marion, and I'm not doing that. So, whoever this guy is, "Harley gestured at the man from the corner, "I'm going to trust him, because I don't see another reasonable option here. I'm giving you my word I will honour that agreement if you do. "
Bridger looked at the man from the corner and then back at Harley, "Fine, your coworkers say that you're a stand up guy, so I'll trust your word. But if you break it, I will make your life the worst kind of hell imaginable. Now," Bridger turned back to the man in the corner, "I know who they are. Who in the heck are you?"
The man grinned and crossed him arms, "I'm the Witch Doctor."
Maia whispered, "He's found us."
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