[10] Run

Run

DATE

FEBRUARY 3, 2039

TIME

PM 09:41:32

            Lieutenant Anderson leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head. “Let’s call it a night, Connor.”

Connor kept his eyes on his terminal screen, typing aggressively.

            Hank peered over at him, watching his LED flicker between yellow and blue. “What are you looking for?”

            “I’m trying to find out how the serial killer gets these girls alone. According to the people who knew the previous victims, they were all last seen in the city.” Connor turned in his chair, looking to the lieutenant. “How could he kidnap them from such a busy area?”

            Hank huffed and leaned forward on his desk. “None of the victims had any close attachments with anyone else, though. All of them lived alone and were known only by name to the people they worked with. It’s amazing how little people pay attention to those around them.”

            Connor stared at his screen. “Four of the girls were waitresses…and another worked at a gas station…”

            The lieutenant finished his thought. “And the other worked at a grocery store. The last one we found the other day was a bartender.” He folded his arms across his chest. “We already decided the profession isn’t part of this guy’s M.O. It’s the appearance.”

            The android looked at Hank very seriously. “They are all jobs that have an evening shift.” His LED spun around yellow.

            Hank frowned. “What time does Cup and a Half Café close?”

Connor’s gaze wandered a bit and his LED flashed red before he jumped up from his chair and ran for the station door, yanking it open.

“Connor!” Hank called after him.

Without looking back, Connor ran for the street.

DATE

FEBRUARY 3, 2039

TIME

PM 10:01:04

Haley pulled on the café door handle as she turned the key, engaging the deadbolt. She pushed on it to check that it had worked. It didn’t budge.

She turned around, feeling for her car remote. She rested her thumb lightly on the unlock button and then glanced up. It was pitch black, save for the streetlights. Thick fluffy snowflakes glistened in the light paths. She set only one foot off the curb before she froze in her tracks.

In the middle of the parking lot entry stood a figure. Unmoving.

Haley’s pulse jumped as she tried to make out the mannish figure. Just a silhouette, but by the way he stood, she didn’t think he faced her. Maybe he hadn’t seen her yet.

She hit the distress button on her key ring, sending her location and a silent SOS to the nearest police station.

Her stomach turned over, the vivid image of the ragged man who attacked her at the café coming to her mind.

Haley placed her one foot back up on the sidewalk and slowly turned to her right. She started to quietly speed walk down the street side, keeping her eyes trained on an upcoming building corner where she planned to duck in and hide.

“Let’s play a game.” The familiar voice grated her ears. Much closer than she expected.

Haley froze in her tracks, and hesitated before turning around slowly.

The man gave her a nightmarish grin when she met his gaze.

The same man who had attacked her in the café and killed David loomed only ten feet from her now.

“Do you like tag?”

Haley saw a flash of light refract by his thigh. A knife.

She spun around and broke into a run.

A blood churning laugh came from behind her.

In her panic, she dashed past the opening she had been planning to turn into just a moment ago, desperate to put more distance between them.

Haley ran as hard as she could.

Her lungs began to burn.

She could hear quick footsteps closing in behind her.

She ducked into the next alley.

Hopefully it wasn’t a dead end.

She rounded the corner and slipped on a patch of ice. She skidded across the pavement and into the far brick wall. She pushed off. Regaining her footing, she made for the fence that cut through the alley at the halfway point.

His footsteps echoed behind her.

Haley jumped and grasped the fencing. The cold metal dug into her fingers as she clambered for the top. A large, closed dumpster sat on the opposite side of the fence. That would be her landing spot. She grabbed the slick, frozen bar at the top of the fence with both hands.

Just as she began hoisting herself up, she felt a death-cold grip on her right ankle.

Her shoulders ached as she held on tight to the bar while the criminal yanked down hard. She broke into a sweat, even in the freezing night air.

She kicked at him and fought to pull herself up again. No. No. This could not be happening.

The attacker pulled down on her again.

Haley’s joints felt as though they might rip apart, and she lost her grip. She tumbled hard onto the pavement. A shock of pain shot through her wrists and knees, and she collapsed under her own weight, letting out a small scream. She pushed herself up and began to sit.

The tip of a pocket-knife hovered just inches from her nose.

She froze.

His blood-lustful eyes stared at her from the other side of the blade.

“Tag. You’re it.” His mouth pulled back into a menacing smile.

Suddenly there was a loud crack and a flash of light by the ground near the man. Haley thought her heart might leap out of her chest.

“Step away from her.”

Haley turned her head to see a tall android standing at the end of the alley. He had a pistol aimed at the attacker.

The vicious smile on the criminal’s face quickly faded, and he stood up, facing Connor.

The streetlight in the alley cast the android’s face half in shadow, making his hard expression even colder.

Connor’s eyes flicked to Haley for a moment, but then returned to the assailant.

The attacker hung his arm casually at his side, the knife dangling loosely in his fingers. He took slow, confident steps toward the alley entryway. “You plastic trash just keep getting in my way.”

Then the man wrapped his hand firmly around the blade handle and rushed Connor.

Connor’s reaction time astounded Haley, perfectly calculated. He kicked at the man’s knee as soon as he came in close, and he collapsed. Connor brought down the butt of the gun to hit him on the head, but the criminal caught the gun by the barrel, without looking up.

The man stood, his hand still on the weapon.

Connor did a quick twist to break free of his grip, but before he could counter, the man stepped in close and stabbed the android on the outside of his upper right arm.

The gun clattered to the ground and slid across the icy pavement.

Haley saw blue blood ooze and stain Connor’s sleeve and a blue spark emitted from around the knife handle. Her mind went blank.

The man brought up his fist, but Connor caught his punch. His right arm appeared limp, but he thrust the attacker back with his left hand hard enough for him to hit the wall behind him.

The man seemed stunned for a moment, and Connor approached. But he brought out a second knife.

The android stopped in his tracks as the man met him with devilish eyes through the thick tangle of his hair.

The man braced his hands on the brick wall, and pushed himself back to a standing position. He stumbled a bit but then brought the knife up in front of him.

“Drop it.” Haley couldn’t actually remember standing up, let alone picking up the gun, but she saw her arms shaking as she held it with both hands.

The wild-eyed man looked from the gun barrel pointed at him up to Haley. His expression held a little surprise, but mostly amusement.

Haley’s heart pounded.

He showed no fear.

She sank her weight into her feet, and tightened her grip on the gun.

Connor’s attention switched between Haley and the criminal.

A grin began to creep onto the man’s face, as a wail of sirens echoed from down the street. Red and blue lights flashed off of the alley wall, and the attacker’s face twisted into anger.

Connor lunged for him but the assailant quickly grabbed an aluminum garbage can and threw it at the android.

Connor blocked with his undamaged arm, and the can crashed over him in a loud clamor of metal and falling trash. The android jumped from the rubbish and darted to the alley entrance. He looked both directions but the criminal had disappeared. “Shit.”

BIOCOMPONENT #1183 CRITICAL DAMAGE // MALFUNCTION

BIOCOMPONENT #1184 DAMAGE

BIOCOMPONENT #1187 DAMAGE

Connor spun around to see Haley frozen in fear, still standing near the fence with the gun held out in front of her.

He slowly approached her. As he got closer, he realized she was trembling and still staring at the place where the man had been standing.

Connor stopped before her, and her green eyes finally met his.

“I--I’m sorry. I--I couldn’t-” Her words as shaky as her breath.

“It’s okay,” Connor spoke softly. “You’re safe now.” He carefully placed his left hand on the top of the gun and eased it out of her hands. He slipped the weapon into his belt at the small of his back and looked at her intently.

He almost wanted to put his arm around her, but the nearing blare of the sirens caused him to look back to the end of the alley where two police cars pulled up to the curb. He turned back to Haley.

“Are you all right?” Connor’s voice gentle and warm.

Haley stared back into the android’s coffee-brown eyes and managed to nod her head. Very aware of how close he was standing, not even half an arm’s length away, her muscles started to uncoil. Her heart continued to race.

The android turned his back to her and walked over to meet Lieutenant Anderson. “I’m sorry lieutenant, I should’ve been faster.”

“That’s all right, Connor. I’m just glad you made it in time. Is Haley all right?” Hank looked at Connor’s arm. “Oh my god! What happened to your arm?”

“Haley is unharmed. And as for me, it’s not as serious as it looks. Just a minor biocomponent malfunction that can easily be replaced.”

Hank went over to Haley and looked her over. “It’s okay, we’re gonna get you home.”

“More importantly, lieutenant, I was able to analyze the criminal’s face.”

Hank turned back to face Connor, his hands still resting on Haley’s arms.

“His name is Steven Ricks. He has a very extensive criminal record.”