The Necklace (#Wattys 2017)

Chapter 9 : Runaway Baby

Chicago seemed like a welcome sight, leaving aside any thoughts.
The snow falling, slow and gallantly, made the place seem so much calmer than it was.

It was people, everywhere.

Everyone rushing somewhere, having papers in their hands, talking on phones. There was a lot of energy, lot of buzz. But no one really cared about anyone else in this city. Too much to handle on their own, apparently. And the huge airport, handled all that just well.

She wants to get lost here.

And she can.

Smart ass.

But the good thing was, I could too. I wouldn't have to bother a lot with the disguises. But still, finding her would be a hard task.

But then again, it wouldn't. This is Chicago. They have records on everything. I just need to find her damn face, in those records.

And I know I can tell her face, no matter what her disguise was.

That got my mood up. I had to get to my small motel. I wouldn't stay there long, either. But right now, I just needed to get to a place off the charts, which had enough space for me to plan. And that motel was it.
The taxi didn't take long to come. Before I knew it, we were headed to the motel. No, I didn't let the driver see me. My coat was to my face, and I had a hat and a hand over my mouth. Constantly coughing, thats why.

Once I got to the motel, I quickly began scattering my things in their positions, while chewing on a sandwich. I shed my coat and other accessories. I wore only a light, blue, net-like sweater and my dark jeans.
No, it didn't really shield me from the cold. But I liked the cold, and it being on me would help.
In fact, the only reason I even wore anything on my torso at this point, was just in case I had to rush out.

I slept like a twitching bird that night. I didn't want to sleep, but I knew if I didn't, I might just lay flat, without knowing, in some shop on the street the next afternoon. And it was a blank sleep. No dreams, no thoughts.

Lights off, lights on.
It was morning, just like that.

I had a few places narrowed down. I just had to get there in time. I had tried to take a few big places, as well as some vague ones. And then the last hope was to just end up somewhere on the way to those places, and find her. But I was pretty organized, so I knew what I was doing-whether anyone else got it or not.

Besides, it'd be better if no one understood my plan.

The first place was a comparatively small part of the city. Comparatively, I said. It was pretty big for me, anyway. I wondered what she could possibly be doing, in this town if anything.

Would she work in a shop? Would she be part of a business? Would she work in a small firm?
She was pretty smart, after all. She wouldn't settle for something small. Something that didn't satisfy her running mind.

I walked around in a few stores, in a few malls, around some offices, to get an idea of the place. It was decent enough to hide, but not decent enough to get lost. I had to get somewhere else.
As I waited for a taxi, I pulled out my laptop. The surrounding information in most stores and buildings was being scanned. Hacking in here, was almost too easy.
I suddenly had the urge to look around. And look I did. To my right, a taxi was approaching. And to my left, a construction of the road was taking place.

And across the street, she stood.

I think I saw her hair first. It was windy, so it swayed across her face, not letting me see it. Without a thought, I closed my laptop screen, stuffing it in my bag, not taking my eyes off her. I grabbed my bag, and through the corner of my eyes I saw my taxi almost here.