The Curious Case of the Two Dirk Gentlys

31: Meanwhile

The arrival signal came through as clear as day. The rope trailed across the floor, disappearing inch by inch into the void. Svald let out a sigh of relief. The dark was safe and the case would soon be over. Good thing too because Dirk was beginning to increasingly antsy. He was sure he already knew more than he should and he wanted more, even if he wasn't quite brave enough to ask for it yet. Svald's system of hiding himself among the group had been working well enough but it had very nearly run its mileage. Victoria had gone to throw out the lukewarm lasagna, Richard, having spent nearly a week running around in circles, had gone to take a well earned shower, and Albert was far too young to offer any defence. Svald couldn't really busy himself alone either, he had to stay to watch the rope. That just left him and Dirk wondering who would make the first move.

"Svald." Said Dirk.

"Hmm." Svald replied, his eyes glued on the rope.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anyone can ask anyone whatever they like. Whether you'll get an answer or not is an entirely different matter." He pointed out.

"Right...well can I ask you a question and get an answer?" He asked.

"Well that all depends on the question." He smiled. Dirk sighed. He'd dealt with some very difficult people in his life. In fact, the few people he managed to get on with could be considered 'a little tricky'. Yet he knew one day he would have to draw the line and that day was getting very near. "Alright fine. Ask away."

"Well I found this in your room." Said Dirk as he reached into his pocket.

"I told you not to go in there." He scowled. He should have known better than to tell someone like Dirk not to go somewhere. It was almost inevitable that the universe would lead him right through any locked door and into any restricted area.

"I know. It's just I had a hunch and-"

"A word of advice, Dirk, sometimes when these urges come, these little hunches that take over of our lives every now and then-"

"All the time." Dirk pointed out..

"Right...sometimes it's best just to ignore them. Ignore your urge to go straight past 'no entry' signs, ignore the feeling that you should run towards gunfire, and especially ignore that photograph." Svald told him firmly.

"I...I never said it was a photograph." Said Dirk.

"Well..."

"You knew I had it and you didn't think maybe we should talk about it?" He scowled.

"It's not relevant." Svald snapped.

"Hey, Svald." Said Richard. He leaned over the banister, his hair still sopping wet and dripping onto his shoulders.

"What is it?" He asked, turning himself away from Dirk so fast he could have broken his neck.

"I think you should come and look at this." He told him.

"Fine. Wait here." Svald groaned. He rose from his seat and stormed up the stairs. Dirk darted into his seat and grabbed the rope, just in case. 'What's so important?"

"Look." Richard pointed out of Albert's bedroom window. What was normally a quiet and quite empty street was quickly filling up with black vans. One man exited his vehicle and headed towards the door. Even from a distance Svald could see the symbol on the right side of his uniform, a symbol only a trained eye could know and fear, the black shadow of a mighty eagle, its wings stretched wide.

"Don't answer that." Svald thundered downstairs. Victoria nearly dropped the greasy tray as a loud knock rattled through the house. The group went silent. They starred at the door until Svald finally came to a decision. "We need to go now." Svald whispered.

"What about Todd?" Dirk whispered back.

"Believe me, he's safer where he is.

"How do we get out of here? We can't get to the car." Richard pointed out.

"How are you at jumping fences?" Asked Svald.

"Pretty good I think. Why?"

"I have an idea." He said. "Universe don't fail me now." He sighed.

Victoria scooped Albert up into her arms as they snuck into the kitchen. The man kept hammering on the door, shaking the walls. The group ran to the backdoor, filing out into the garden in an unorganised line. Svald placed his finger on his lip and pointed towards the gate. With a firm nod they made a break for it, just a short dash between them and the next street. A sharp squeak split the air as Dirk pushed the gate opened. The world went dead and still as they waited and waited for something to happen.

"Did you hear that?" Asked the man at the door.

"Hear what?" Asked one of the drivers.

"We got anyone around the back?"

"Don't think so." The drivers replied.

"For fucks sake. Get around there." He ordered.

"Fuck it. Just run." Svald snapped. He picked up a rock from Victoria's garden and charged into the street. He reeled back his arm and threw it through the window of the nearest car he could find, a little silver hatchback. Glass shattered on the drivers seat as the rock thud down. Svald reached through the gap, cutting his hand on the shards, and opened it from the inside.

"Goodness, Svald now is no time to embrace your anarchist tendencies." Said Dirk as Svald brushed the glass and rock onto the road.

"Shut up and get in." Svald ordered as he opened one of the backdoors. The group filed in, Dirk and Robert at the sides, Victoria in the middle, Albert on her lap.

"This is illegal." Said Victoria.

"Trust me, if you knew what was chasing us you wouldn't care." He told them.

"You can't hotwire a car like this." Robert insisted.

"I don't plan on hotwiring. Three holistics in a car. Finish the joke and find the keys." Said Svald. "Dirk."

"Um...I don't know...urr." Mumbled Dirk. Svald peered through the rear view mirror and spotted a small crowd of soldiers gathering on the street corner, looking up and down for a sign of their escapees.

"Now." Svald snapped.

"Okay, okay urr after Wendimoor Francis gave us a car. It's not like this car but sometimes Todd accidentally leaves the keys in the glove compartment." Dirk quickly spat out. Svald looked inside and sure enough there they were. Just as he suspected, the universe wouldn't dare let down all three of them.

"There they are." Shouted one of the soldiers.

"Hold on." Shouted Svald as the car roared to life. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator and raced away as the soldiers charged towards them, out of sight before they could summon a van to chase them.