Fragments Gallery
Chameleon
The dogs were closing in. Karric, tall clean cut and clean shaven, strode purposefully down the street. His long coat billowed out behind him as it caught the wind. Beneath it a three piece black suit matched the style of those who shared the street with him; he blended in well with the crowd. He was a chameleon and this was his element.
The street bustled as business men and women streamed out of the nearby office buildings. He checked his watch and was pleased to see that noon had just passed. As the lunch time rush began even more people would crowd onto this road. This was the perfect time for him to be here; his careful planning appeared to have paid off.
He saw a familiar vehicle cross the mouth of the street before him. Casually he dragged his sunglasses from his pocket and settled them on his face. They made him less recognizable but in this crowd that also meant that he would be more likely to be remembered. The people here were rarely in the street long enough to bother covering their eyes. Not at this time of day anyways.
A pair of coppers appeared down the street, their iconic black uniforms standing out strikingly from the business wear of the crowd. Another copper vehicle passed behind the pair as they advanced up the street towards him. While they may not have been explicitly looking for him that was not a risk he was willing to take. He had to get off the street.
Mentally he checked his recollection of the subway schedule. From what he remembered there wasn't another train due for at least ten minutes. That wasn't good; he'd call that plan B. A friendly sign for a coffee shop caught his eye and beckoned to him. The shop was at the base of one of the office buildings, seemed like a good place to lay low. Nonchalant he changed course and sauntered into the building.
Inside people milled around or stood in groups talking. As crowded as the lobby was the way through to the shop remained clear. As he lifted the sunglasses from his eyes he noticed a familiar face in the corner of the shop. It was a detective he'd run into in the past. Although from his posture the man was there to do nothing other than have a cup of coffee that was not something that Karric could count on. He couldn’t allow that man to see him.
Calmly he altered course and veered towards the elevators. As he approached those he gently turned again; now he was once more heading towards the revolving glass doors at the front. He hesitated as he placed his hand on the door but before his hesitation was noticed he pushed his way through. He could be walking right in to the arms of those coppers.
As he stepped once more into the sunlight Karric glanced around. His sunglasses once more slid over his eyes as he searched the surrounding crowd. The coppers had vanished from sight; not a good sign. It could mean they had moved on but he doubted it. There were probably still around here somewhere.
The street still bustled and he joined the flow of the crowd. Outwardly he appeared composed and calm but inwardly he was scared. They were close; far too close for his liking. He started moving down the street again. There was nothing he could do beyond keep his head up and hope that they didn’t get too close. He could still get out of this.
A pair of uniforms appeared in the stream of people a few metres away. They were talking to the men and women who went past. One young man pointed towards the building that Karric had just left. The officer nodded to the man, tipped his hat, and then whistled his companion over. Together they began to move towards the building, they glanced over everyone in their path. So Karric was right to be worried, they were looking for him after all.
Running out of options Karric ducked into a nearby subway entrance. This was his best play now but if the trains weren’t there soon he could end up trapped down here. He was nervous as he walked down the white tile steps leading to the station; either he'd escape or this would end badly for him.
As he stepped onto the platform an eastbound train departed. It rattled away as he watched helplessly. He could only hope another would arrive soon. It wouldn't be long before they came looking down here for him.
The sign above the platform displayed that there were only a couple of minutes until the next train showed up. Relieved his pent up breath whooshed out and he walked out to the center of the platform. The train came sooner than expected so he didn't have long to wait.
As the train rattled into the station a pair of coppers came down the stairs at the end of the platform. They moved purposely up the platform glancing at the faces of all they passed.
The train door seemed to take forever to open then people began to leave the train; Karric kept his face carefully averted as he waited for his chance to step on. The coppers were quickly approaching.
The moment he could he stepped casually onto the train, raised the collar of his coat and then ducked behind it under the guise of checking his phone. The coppers strode by the still open door; one paused to look inside the train as he passed but then they were gone. With a quiet rattle the door slid shut and the train pulled away from the station.
Karric's heart hammered in his chest. That had been too close. Far too close.