The People's Alpha ✔

37: Into The Sewers

"There's plenty of twists and turns ahead," I said to Brian. "He probably won't realise anything amiss for at least a few miles."

I suddenly remembered that the ignition was still missing. I pulled out the handle and hex shaft from where I had left them in the footwell and hand-started the car again. Using parking skills gained from nearly five years of living in the historic part of Corviston, I reversed and carefully extricated myself from our impromptu parking spot, and set off in the direction from which we had come. At the fork we had passed earlier, I turned left.

Once we were far enough down the road, we stopped on the side of the road to inspect the damage. The bodywork was dented in some places, the right-hand-side rear quarter panel was gone, and one of the tyres was flat. but the car seemed mechanically sound, and none of the hydraulic lines had been impacted.

"Look. It's cross-eyed."

I stepped out. Surely enough, one of the swivelling front headlights had detached itself from its linkage and was now facing the other.

I stared into the silly-faced gaze of the Moon Goddess. "Mike is going to kill me. This car is like his son. I'm going to be the first Alpha to be killed by his pack omega."

"Now that's what I call changing the game."

"Did they do anything, Brian?"

"Nothing. They knocked me out, drove me here and put me in the dungeon and that was it."

"Did you see anything weird?"

"Where's everyone?"

"I'll get to that later. I need to make some phone calls first."

Brian looked up at the overcast night sky. "There's probably not even any reception here."

"That's where you're wrong, Brian. Go back inside and undo the bonnet latch. On both sides."

I lifted the bonnet up on its hinges and reached behind the right headlight. "See, Brian, 

sometimes these headlights get quite dirty. So they designed a little door so you can put your hand into the lens and clean it"- I opened the little door and put my hand in, revealing the satellite phone, which I had taped to the back of one of the swivelling inner headlights, which now swung free.

Brian whistled. "Nifty."

"Now. Let's change the tyre." I reached into the driver's footwell and pulled the suspension adjustment lever to its highest setting.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Brian looked warily down the road, at the darkness beyond, then back at the way we had come.

"Relax. It'll take two minutes if we work fast." 

***

We set off, back to the Industrial Zone. Brian drove while I made some phone calls. I suddenly realised that both Brian and I hadn't changed clothes or washed in almost two days. We looked - and smelt - like two rogues.

I called Thurgood. The news was good. Thunder Falls had not discovered their hideout in the hydroelectric plant. There had also been a water quality testing facility in the hydro plant room, and Thurber had managed to use some of the lab equipment to do a basic autopsy. He had confirmed my suspicions. They were currently in the process of making their way down to the Industrial Zone as well.

I caught Brian up on the events after he had been abducted. My argument with his father, the Tim thing, throwing the Thunder Falls people off the trail.