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#1: Rebirth - About - Go to Chapter 1

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Friday 24 October 2008

The Rising - Chapter 50: SPRAY: SLOW DOWN

Doctor Owen ran across the road through the pouring rain and got into the car, rubbing the rain water out of his hair. He had only been gone for fifteen minutes but to Jane it had felt like an eternity. In his hand he had a manila folder full of papers.

No problems?’ Jane asked.

None at all. That’s two down. Let’s get going. We need to head to the offsite storage facility to pick up the tapes.’

Jane hit the accelerator and took them down the road as fast as she could, dodging in and out of the traffic and paying no mind to the honking horns that greeted her manoeuvres.

She was happy just to be moving. All that time spent sitting in the car made her feel more and more like a sitting duck. The newspaper article had put the frighteners on her and the fact that the girl in the coffee shop had recognised her, even if it was only subconsciously, made her think everyone out there was looking for her. They had to get these jobs done as quickly as possible, then find somewhere to lie low. If anyone recognised her then that would be it. They wouldn’t have a chance.

Doctor Owen directed them away from the city but rush hour traffic was slowing them down. Jane cursed the city’s one-way system that took them on a convoluted route to get them on the right course for the Expressway.

How long will it take us to get there?’ Jane asked.

No more than ten minutes once we get on the Expressway. As long as it’s clear, of course,’ Doctor Owen said, ‘It’s not far out of the city.’

The bank was too easy,’ Jane said, ‘The Brotherhood must know we’re going to pick up the tapes. It’s stupid going there. We might as well call them and tell them we’re coming, for God’s sake. Isn’t there any way we can miss this place out?’

Not at all. The pact I made with Doctor Forrest was that whichever one of us had the ability would retrieve all samples and documents. The tapes are essential to continuing our work without allowing The Brotherhood to continue without us.’

Doctor Owen stopped talking when he saw the worried look on Jane’s face.

The story in the paper has hit you hard, hasn’t it?’ he asked.

Jane avoided answering his question directly. ‘No point in worrying about anything else. If we don’t get the samples, we’re all going to die in the end, aren’t we?’

They reached the Expressway and drove up the ramp to see a cloud of spray ahead of them reaching up into the grey sky above. Visibility was poor and the electronic signs that hung overhead at regular intervals advised drivers to slow down. One driver that didn’t heed the warning was the rider of a black motorbike that sped past them and disappeared into the misty spray.

Hey, that’s weird,’ Jane said.

What’s that?’

I’m sure I saw that motorbike before, when you were in the bank. It pulled in behind us.’

Are you sure?’

I recognise the plate.’

Jane tried to shrug it off, hoping it was a coincidence but couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was amiss.



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