River Guide: Pawprints on the Riverbank

Jack Rabbiting

A helicopter flew over the mountain range, searching for a lost hiker. At least, that was the official story. In reality, the man was running for his life.

Jack had accidentally uncovered the corruption going on between the company he worked for and a terrorist organization that was trying to overturn a few uncooperative governments. They used whatever methods they deemed necessary, including kidnapping, torture, and murder. Jack was simply a lowly financial manager. When something didn't add up, it was his job to find out why. He never expected to find out that the company he worked for was at the heart of the International Political Manipulation and Management machine. It was called the IPMM, and it terrified him. Once he was in those files, he was shocked and scared beyond anything he could imagine. Somewhere he knew an alarm was going off on a secure system, and people were being notified of a breach. A clean-up crew would be assigned and advised of the 'mess' to clean up. Jack was now that mess.

At least he was a single man with no family he knew of. He was raised in the foster care system and never knew his birth parents or other family members. He excelled in school to stay busy compared to his foster siblings, who excelled in troublemaking. So now he was paying the price for working hard to get a good education and a fine job from which he could climb the corporate ladder, have a lovely home, travel, and maybe get married. He was now running for his life from the most dangerous corporation in the world that had the most dangerous killers on its unofficial payroll. They didn't want anything from Jack. They just wanted him dead. He knew he had to go now, and right now. There was no going home to pack. It was just 'run.' He didn't even take his car. He left it in the building garage in its assigned parking space. He got out to the front street before the cleaners arrived and caught a taxi. He said, 'drive away and fast' to the cab operator. He used the excuse of an angry girlfriend that just found out he was married. It was believable, and the driver made a straight line out of there without questions. Jack soon told him to hit the airport.

He bought a plane ticket to the coast, but instead of catching the flight, he took a train headed north. He used his credit card for the plane ticket but paid cash for the train ride to keep it from being traced. He only did that because he knew what he was up against. By now, they were tracing all his purchases. He donated his plane ticket at the boarding gate, saying he couldn't go now. He'd buy another ticket later. People often got free flights that way, and his flight ticket was claimed by someone else quickly. He had just the time to buy his train ticket and get on board before it departed. He had no idea if he was being trailed, but he never doubted it. The news was always full of the carnage these clean-up crews left behind. There was never a trace to say who did the damage, but the damage was always extensive. He would be dead, and probably everyone within a few blocks of him would be too. At least with being on the train anonymously, he had time to think now. He only knew one place he might have a chance to hide undetected. At least for a while, anyway.

A few stops into the train ride and Jack departed well before his ticket destination. He could rent a lift and a driver to take him on from there, paying cash only and all up-front. Less than halfway to the rental destination, Jack got out of the car and paid the driver even more money to continue to the destination without him. It was essential, and someone should be waiting for the driver at the other end. Jack gave him a business card that wasn't even for himself but for a vendor from one of the office supply accounts, and he told the driver that if someone asked who the passenger was, to give them that card. There would be more money for him then. The driver took off, happy as could be. This was a great day! A drive across the county and more money than he usually saw in two weeks. So far! The driver excitedly hoped for more at the destination. There was likely a reward waiting, just not that kind. In the news were now breaking stories of a plane crash and a train derailment and explosion. Both were reported as being accidental, but both were still under investigation. This is likely the last fare that the driver ever took. Jack had no idea how many more people would die because he wanted to live, but the guilt was a little lower on his register than his overwhelming fear. And he didn't kill anyone! There was evil in the world, but it wasn't him. It was just chasing him and leaving behind a swath of death and destruction.