Look Both Ways (Complete)

16. Look Both Ways

Tie emerged from the ground floor stairwell after scrambling down them like a squirrel on an oak tree. Large rings of sweat re-emerged on his shirt.

He sprinted out the main door of the Chrysler.

The drizzle had resumed, turning the sidewalk into a river of umbrellas.

A construction barrier blocked access to the road where a hot mound of asphalt was being raked into an even layer.

Tie looked left; there was a hot dog cart, and a line of twenty patrons that forced the umbrellas to merge left as they passed, creating a jam.

To the right, a mob of students on a school trip owned the sidewalk.

Tie clutched the package to his chest, and ran forward. He barged into the umbrella stream, and stepped on a loafer.

Tie hurdled the construction barrier like a track athlete.

His Oxfords sank into the soft tar; he lost his right shoe, and abandoned it as he continued. Two steps later, he was on unpaved gravel, which coated his right argyle sock  like a powdered donut.

A worker with orange reflective overalls, steel toed boots and a yellow hard hat attempted to intercept him while carrying a stop sign. He easily outran the construction flagman that reminded Tie of a clown.

The clown stopped at the paving edge, barked at him like a Rottweiler, and threw the abandoned Oxford. The shoe bounced off his back, leaving a black footprint.

He traversed the next barrier, and forced a truck to brake.

Tie continued his game of Frogger.

A black Buick screeched to a halt; the bumper nudged his leg. A Ford F10 passed; the side view mirror grazed his chest.

Tie dove to the other sidewalk as the sound of car and truck horns permeated the street like a brass orchestra warm up.

He photobombed a plastic smile model as her boyfriend growled behind a 35mm Nikon.

He bumped his way through the next row of umbrellas like a pinball, and reached the door of the Socony-Mobil.

A panhandler blocked his way with an outstretched arm, his wormy fingers protruding from the ends of a glove as he requested change for a coffee.

Tie pushed past him and burst into the building.

He darted to the Dover that was waiting for him on the ground floor, already open.

A security guard shouted 'Stop', and then sprinted, following a trail of black prints on the polished white granite floor.

Tie pressed PH, and then repeatedly punched the 'close' button.

The doors slowly converged, as if undecided.

The ascent commenced. Tie sighed, and leaned back against the wall.

Between the stairwell and crossing the road, he had no idea how much time he had left.