Chapter III - Life interupted

Chapter III

I don't know why, but the following morning, I went back to work. Admittedly, I wasn't thinking strait, my body was still aching and despite my attempt at cleaning and bandaging the wound, it had gotten worse. But nobody seemed to notice that at the office. Not even the cold I had caught got a comment...

I walked in, a large bandage over my shoulder and leg. With a broken hand and no question was asked...

"What the hell?" I thought out loud

People passed by me, not even looking at me.

"Have I become a ghost or what?" I asked to nobody.

"Not that I know of" Came a voice from behind me.

I turned around and saw my boss, Mr. Warner. "Is everything Alright Mr. Black?"

"Yes. Mr. Warner."

After one insane theory gone, I just went to my cubicle and did what any productive employee does. Pretend to work. Except that instead of browsing the web, I started thinking about last night's events. I had encountered proof of the supernatural. Gotten badly wounded. Killed someone or something and left substantial evidence of who I was.

Someone had probably noticed the sound or the smell of the blood. So I was really screwed...

I had to remove proofs of my presence. My coat was a big one. But the blood was a different story. If I couldn't, could I plead self defense? With what had happened to him, it was a bit overboard... Short of torching the place, there was very little I could do. And If I said the truth I'd probably go strait to Douglas and a strait jacket. Come to think of it maybe I was... I mean... Zombie-Vampire-thingy don't exist... Do they?

I kicked the issue around for several hours. It was nearly closing time when My Cell phone rang... Odd. I was pretty sure I had closed it... In front of me, my computer screen displayed the words

FOLLOW THE MAGICIAN

Reluctantly, I brought my cell phone to my hear and meekly said "Hello?"

"Ezekiel Black?" Came a feminine voice from the other side of the line.

"Yes. Can I help you?"

"It's the contrary. Stand up slowly. Look at 9 O'clock."

I looked up above the cubicle line and saw two man clad in identical black suit and mirror shades. They spoke to Mr. Warner who then pointed in my direction. I went back down.

"Who are they?" I asked to the phone lady.

"M.I.B.s They know what happened last night."

"What did happen?" I asked

"No time for that. They've come for you. You have to run.If they get you, you‘ll wish you were dead."

I paused for a second… "Where to? They're blocking the exits."

"Office 756. There's a window washer platform. You can use it to reach the roof."

I looked above the cubicle wall for a second. The M.I.Bs were nearly at me. Crouched, I ran to an adjacent cubicle, leaning on it's wall, hopefully out of sight.

"Good. In five, run to the intersection to your left. Then wait for 10 seconds... NOW!"

I did as she asked. Something in me trusted her. Beside those men were suspect as all hell. There was something odd with them. They were one step away from being twins... Or clones. I mean, even feds shop at different places and have different hair styles.

She gave me more instruction and I didn't know how, but her timing was perfect, exactly as they moved their sight, I slipped by.

"Good. Open the window and get on it" She asked when I finally got into the office with the platform. It was windy as all hell, and the platform was covered in snow. I leapt onto it, crashing against the safety railing. I raised the platform just as the Mirror shade clad men entered the room. Smashing down the door I had locked.

Bullets flew into the air, one of which grazed my lower right arm, creating a shallow cut alongside it. Regardless, I kept raising the platform until I reached the roof. As quickly as I could, I leaped on the flat, gravel filled roof and dashed to the stairway. However as I got to the midway point, two pair of agent smiths bashed the door open, gun blazing.

I went back for the platform but one of the men fired and the control panel blew up, sending a shower of sparks flying toward me. I didn't have much options left so I got cover behind a ventilation unit.

"ZEKE!" The woman yelled

I picked the phone back to my ear and declared to her "I'm done for. Both ways are blocked."

"God fucking damn it!" She screamed "Look I didn't want you to have to do it, but there's another way out."

"Which is?" I asked in disbelief.

"Jump off." She said perfectly seriously

"Are you crazy? I'll take the torture over suicide..."

"NO! Do you trust me?" She asked

"Eh..." I replied meekly

"Right. Then tell me. Do you believe what happened yesterday was real? That something not natural happened?"

I wanted to think about it, but bullets flew by, many hitting the climatization unit. Thinking about it, death by fall seemed quicker than bullets or torture...

"Okay... What now? I just jump off?"

"Just remember what you did against that ghoul. Think about the feeling that coursed through you."

I swallowed my saliva and ran for it. For the edge of the roof that is. With one look behind at the M.I.B.s, I let myself down.

And I flew...

Okay, not really. It was just incredible how much time slows down, it probably took me a few seconds but It felt so slow. I was like a feather. The last thing I did was take a look at my phone. It's screen displayed another message.

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD