The Girl Who Kept Running

20. Running Desperate at the Street Theater

Harry's eyes were spitting fire. He was only in half a mood to control it as he only held her gaze for a second and flicked his eyes away. 

With the bat of an eyelid she dismissed her flicker of disappointment. He was on to her. The gong would sound any second. She would think about another place to stay later. Let the battle ensue, she whispered under her breath. She could field whatever he sent her way.

***

VOICES

Act I. Scene II.

[The inside of the RV is emptier than before. The sewing machine is packed, lying by the exit. Hala stands in the middle, a duffel bag hung from her shoulder, looking around. She runs to the desk and fumbles eagerly in a drawer, taking out an ultrasound capture of an unborn baby. She clutches it to her heart and sobs.

Adrian enters sucking on a beer can. His steps falter.]

ADRIAN: Come here, I need you. 

HALA: Don't touch me, you bag of filth. You've been stealing from my secret stash again. Now I know why. I would have let it slide if it was for something else. But I'm done with you and your habits.

ADRIAN (throws away the empty can): Did anyone come? A college boy … fascinated with my research… Let us clean up a little bit. He's about to show up. 

HALA (snickers): He was supposed to come at noon. You're late by an hour and more.

ADRIAN: He came. Where is he? Don't tell me he left.

HALA: He waited for half an hour, looked at your stuff then up and gone.

ADRIAN: You let him go? You could have called me! I was right there at Danny's two turns away. 

HALA: He didn't want me to. He said he'd changed his mind. Said don't bother calling him again. 

ADRIAN: Wh-- How? (Frantically opens a cabinet under one of his consoles.) How the hell is this open? I keep this locked! (Takes out a folder and checks it's pages.) He went through it. Didn't he? You let him. Didn't you? 

HALA (steps backward as Adrian moves angrily in her direction): Don't dare you pin this on me. 

ADRIAN: How can you do this to me? You know I keep this locked. The only way he could access my old reports is that you let him. Only you'd know the passkey. It's not fair to me he left scared by my old mistakes!

HALA: Why hide it from him it if it's all documented research anyways? What did you say to him to lure him here? Why not invite him to the institute if they have really accepted your proposal? You have been lying to me again, haven't you? 

ADRIAN: What is it to you? I cannot believe my own wife is the one laying down barriers in my way. 

HALA: I will not let you hurt another human being for your goddamn science!

ADRIAN: How dare you accuse me unjustly! 

[ADRIAN leaps to Hala in fury and bunches up her hair in his hand, laying the other on her neck.]

HALA: Are you gonna finish me with the whole neighborhood watching?

[ADRIAN releases her neck glancing nervously at the window.]