I have a routine that I go through every morning. Like most people - I suppose - I go to the bathroom first. Then I feed the cat; check the indoor/outdoor thermometer in the living room window (and look out to see what's what); and finally, check my weight, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature (text them to certain people), and take my morning meds. Simple. This morning, when I looked out the living room window, there were 2 police cars parked outside - one on each side of the street - and one right behind my car!
"They're on to me!", I thought.
Then I got a hold of myself. I hadn't done anything in a couple of weeks. And Doyle had told me they'd take care of me. I had nothing to worry about, right?
I sat on the arm of the love seat, slightly back from the window, and watched. Maybe 5 minutes went by before they got out, meeting on my side. They paid no attention to my car, just headed for the corner. Since mine is the corner apartment, I watched them cross past my bedroom window, and enter my building.
I heard them in the vestibule. At the buzzers. They rang one.
It wasn't mine.
They got buzzed back and, using the peephole in my front door, I watched them go upstairs. I decided to check my emails before I took my blood pressure.
When I'd finished up everything, and was about to go out for the morning, I checked the living room window again. The police car across the street was just leaving.
Many of the nearby areas in Avenel, Rahway, Colonia, Edison, and Metuchen are residential. Some of them are down-right suburban. I started in Avenel, but on my side of Route 1.
I turned off into the first development and there, right in front of me, was someone in a brown hoodie walking in the street. I followed for a block or so, and started checking my mirrors for traffic. No one. Just the guy in the brown hoodie.
I drew closer, the Flasher in my hand. I lowered the passenger side window. One last look around. I slowed as I pulled up beside him.
Point, press, Flash.
I drove away as he sank towards the curb. I never could understand why someone would walk in the street when there was a perfectly good sidewalk right there. I headed towards Colonia. About 10 minutes later, my phone beeped. Text message. Confirm.
Colonia is pretty upscale, but there are some more typical residential areas. As I drove around in one, I saw one of those satellite installers climbing a ladder toward a roof. Piqued my interest. I slowed. He was on the roof now.
I drove past, and pulled to the curb, watching through my back window. He was moving around pretty freely up there. I checked my mirrors, then got out of the car. I walked back towards the installer. Still looking around. No one. Nothing moving except the satellite guy.
Point, press, Flash.
He sagged down at an angle as I walked back to my car and started it up. In the rear view mirror, I saw him slide down towards the roof's edge. I drove away, thinking on heading towards Edison. As I passed the Metro Park Train Station my phone beeped again. Confirm #2.
I drove into the park behind the mall, thinking I might come upon a jogger. No such luck. The weather may have been too damp. But I did find a park worker weeding around a tree. I stopped across from him, but he seemed not to notice me.
I looked around. The park was empty as far as I could tell. He worked his way around the tree. As he came to the right side, and back into my line of vision, I was ready.
Point, press, Flash.
He slid down behind the tree, and I drove away. Metuchen was nearby.
Metuchen is like a quaint little town surrounded by small, suburban neighborhoods. As I entered one of them, my phone beeped. Confirm #3. I drove around slowly, conscious the whole time of how to get back to the major through-roads. Suddenly, I saw a woman power-walking towards me. I pulled over and parked. Taking out my phone, I pretended to check messages and make a call. She got nearer.
I checked my mirrors, my windows. No one else.
Point, press, Flash.
I started the car and drove away. I didn't see what happened to the walker.
As I reentered Edison, two things happened.
One, it started to rain, heavily.
Two, my phone rang. It was Craig. He wanted to meet. Since I was close to Route 27, and was going to stop at WalMart anyway, we agreed on a Dunkin' Donuts nearby.
He was sitting inside, with 2 cups of coffee, when I got there.
"Hello, Mr. O'Neill. Been busy, I see."
"Hiya, Craig. What's up?" I took the coffee he offered - I knew it would be what I would have ordered.
"First off, I can confirm your fourth Event. Congratulations. Putting the latest model to the test, huh?"
"What can I say? If it hadn't started raining so hard, I may have had more."
"That's the main reason for my call. I need to ask you not to do so many."
"What? Why?"
He drank some coffee. "We're stretched pretty thin, Mr. O'Neill. What with Agent Doyle still using personnel in Delaware. And every time you stage an Event, I have to leave at least 2 agents there to monitor the situation and clean up, if necessary. I just don't have the manpower anymore. In fact, with the satellite guy, after he slid off the roof, we just checked him out and left. Broke his neck."
"Oh. I...I didn't know." My turn to drink some coffee. "Doyle never said anything, and I guess I didn't think about it."
""It's OK, now, Mr. O'Neill, but if I have to continue to keep a 24/7 watch on you, I really can't afford to tie up too many agents. You understand, right?"
"Absolutely. No problem. I'll try not to overdo it from now on. By the way..how're things going with Doyle and Delaware?"
More coffee. "I'm afraid I don't know, and if I did, I probably couldn't tell you. But I did hear from Agent Doyle today. He said to tell you that he'd be in touch soon."
We both drank some coffee.
"Fair enough. Thanks for keeping an eye on my back, Craig. Whatever you need, please let me know."
"It's all good, Mr. O'Neill."
He stood, taking his coffee.
"Safe home and stay dry, Mr. O'Neill."
He left.
"You too, Craig." I thought.
I stayed, and finished my coffee.
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