Twice Upon A Time

Part 13- Clues For Aubrey

Josh's POV:

"I have to work outside the law now, Cobbie." I was speaking to Jacob on the phone.

"You do realize there are far greater risks involved if you're working outside the law, Aaron."

"Yes, I do."

"Where are you heading now, Aaron?"

"I won't share that, Cobbie. I wanna disappear now."

"Alright, go solo. It's a better alternative anyway. And one other thing, Aaron... How on earth did you survive that goddamn blast?"

"Which one?"

"Always witty. I forgot this is the second time that you survived a bomb blast. Listen Aaron, some people want to blow you out of their lives for good. Please be cautious. I'm being dead serious."

"Yes, I will. Thanks, Cobbie. Talk to you later." I hung up and threw the cell phone into a ditch, for obvious reasons.

I went to a payphone. I rang up Aubrey. Extremely good with numbers that I am, I memorized her cell phone number. After a few rings, she picked up, her voice sounding like she was about to break down any moment.

"Hhelll.. Hheel.. Hellooo, who is.. who is it? I am.. I am sorry. I am just.. just.. You rang me up at a... at a very wrong time." She sobbed.

"Hello Ma'am, I'm from Tourist Travels. Please don't hang up. This is a promotional. What's your name, Ma'am?" I used a Mid-Western American accent so that Aubrey or anybody hacking her line won't realise it's me. I'm brilliant at using accents whenever I wish.

"Aubrey Smith. And no, I don't need it. I'm hanging up."

"Wait.. Just wait. Don't just hang up, yet. We can arrange travel destinations to anywhere you want, Miss Bree, ummm, Aubrey Smith. We are offering travel destinations at really affordable prices!! You can note down the information to contact Tourist Travels if you're interested.." I hoped "Bree" sealed it. And it did..

There was a pause.

"Wait. Let me just get a pen and paper.."

She returned within seconds.

"Alright Ma'am, come to our address at 20, College Street Avenue. Our package number 170515 covers any one of these countries... India, Australia, Mexico, Norway, Oman, Thailand, Dominica, England, Algeria, Denmark. Do get in touch with us, Ma'am and good luck." I blurted out and hung up, even before she could reply.

I knew that there was indeed a Tourist Travels Office at 20, College Street Avenue.

I guised the information well. So well, that it should be nearly impossible to figure out for anyone eavesdropping on the conversation via hacking her phone lines. But that was the least of my concerns. More importantly, can Bree figure it out? She's the only one who can anyway.

And I do need her help.

I had recorded what I had told her beforehand on a tape-recorder.

I placed the pay-phone on a repeat mode and inserted a device I had (FBI had given it to me earlier this year). I wired the phone to the device which had the ability to make random phone calls to random people at random numbers and say the exact same things that I told Aubrey, via my tape-recorder.

I then messed up and jammed the lock of the payphone-booth, so that it would be impossible for anybody to get in, even me now that I'm outside. I also placed a timer bomb inside the booth (a small piece detached from the one set on my trail by my enemies earlier). Yeah it served my purpose too. And it had a small 50V battery, so it would make a tiny localised explosion, which would be enough to blow off the telephone booth, but not anybody around it, as they were outside and not inside the booth. I set the timer at 2 hours.

My call with Aubrey took less than a minute intentionally, so it was impossible to trace the call (any voice call requires a minimum of one minute to get a trace). So, my call with Bree took roughly fifty seconds. Now, after 2 hours, mathematically the phone should have made over 140 calls via my device, by the time it gets blown. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Anybody listening in on my end will have 140 random leads to deal with. Anybody listening in on Aubrey's end can neither trace the call, nor (hopefully) be able to decipher my message to her.

I ordered coffee at a cafetaria just beside the payphone-booth and wasted my time flirting with the waitress, when I noticed three guys staring at me, most suspiciously, following me. I carried on wasting my time and flirting with anybody, just anybody with boobs, and even without, i.e. men. I really didn't care or feel embarrassed. I was bullshiting all around, as I was waiting for two hours to pass right there only. And sure it did.

After two hours, BOOM!! And just as I expected, the blast wasn't fatal to anybody and didn't claim any lives, just the telephone. Yet, people, being people, started panicking everywhere and rushing around everywhere outside. Within seconds there was a panicking crowd outside.

This was my window of opportunity.

I found a muffler in a store and placed it around my head. I also had my sunglasses to cover up my eyes. Along with the muffler, it's more than enough for a disguise. I had to make sure I wasn't being followed.

[Author: Pic at the top depicts Josh in a hasty getaway in a quick-witted disguise]

I heard someone shouting in the panicking crowd, "WHERE'S THAT SON OF A BITCH? WHERE'S THAT ASSHOLE? GODDAMN IT, YOU MORONS!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER HIM!! WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND HIM IN THIS FUCKING CROWD?!! HE THINKS HE'S TOO SMART!!! I'LL CRUSH HIM NEXT TIME! BUT WHAT WILL I TELL BOSS NOW, YOU DICKHEADS?! THAT I LOST HIM FROM UNDER MY NOSE, YOU IDIOTS??!" I heard one of those three guys from the cafeteria scream at the top of his voice. He was shouting so much that I could even hear him above the roar of the panicking crowd.

Well, they aren't idiots. You are the biggest idiot, moron. Thanks to you, I know much more now.... That you three were following me. And that there was a "boss" who instructed you to get after me.

Anyway, I eloped from the scene. But I was still confused as to where I should go, when..

"An highly unusual murder, almost bordering along the lines of a fairytale, took place at Granborough Road, London as local police and the Scotland Yard are left bewildered at the cause and the motives of the irrational murder. The nature of the murder has apparently lead a bunch of onliners to dub it 'The murder of Snow White and seven dogs'..." declared a BBC News broadcast at all the T.V. screens in the T.V. shops. Thanks to people panicking everywhere around me, it was hard to notice it at first.

"Good God, what's happening with our societies? Always crime and murder and blasts.. Tell you what, aliens are doing this." an old-aged man watching the telly said to me.

"Sure thing, Sir. Human beings who behave like aliens." I replied.

Thanks BBC. Now, I know my destination..

I always had a feeling I had to return to the place where I learnt it all.. spent a great deal of my life, learning a great many things. It's where my life changed. Only time will tell if it's for the better or for the worse..

Ahoy, England beckons, chaps!