Page 22 of Luna & Andres

Little did I know what Fate had in store for me as I set out down the beach. I found a flight of concrete stairs a half mile down that took me to the street above the trash. The townhouses loomed above me as I walked down the sidewalk. Cars flew by as people raced the clock on their way to work.

I checked the time. Eight-thirty. In thirty-five minutes I'd be late for work again.

"Elliott wouldn't believe my excuse. . ." I murmured to myself.

None of that mattered now. I'd promised myself to this adventure with this strange, amnesia-suffering man named Vincent Mortale.

"Vincent. . ." I whispered. Was that even his real name?

My thoughts kept me occupied until the residential blocks fell away and were replaced by the commercial district. The townhouses changed to skyscrapers. Buses and taxis mingled with the cars. I joined the thick foot traffic that covered the sidewalks until I came to my stop.

My bank was a local city bank, the Royal Credit Union. The exterior of their offices mimicked the look of stone and were set back from the street so a pool of water could surround the building. Steps led up to a wide platform and the four doors that made up the entrance. The interior was completely modern. Marble floors reflected the heels of customers' shoes and overhead was a large chandelier. A long row of teller windows stood against the wall opposite the entrance. A short line stood at attention in front of the occupied teller windows.

I stepped into line and glanced at my watch. Ten minutes after nine. I'd have forty minutes to get my money and leave. The line moved forward at a steady pace, and after ten minutes I found myself at one of the windows.

I slid the teller my driver's license. "I'd like to make a withdrawal from my checking and savings accounts."

"And how much would you like to withdraw?" he asked me.

"All of it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with our service, ma'am?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No, I'm just going to need it, that's all."

"Very well." He typed my name into the computer. In a few moments the cash drawer beneath the counter sprang open and he counted out the bills. "One hundred, two hundred-"

"I'll believe you," I assured him.

"All right," he agreed. He finished the count silently and handed me the money. "Will there be anything else today?"

I rolled the money into a wad and tucked it securely into the inside pocket of my coat. "Nope, that's it."

He smiled and bowed his head. "Have a good day."

I clacked across the marble floor and stepped outside. The bright glare of the sun forced me to pause and blink. I raised my arm and glanced up at the sky.

That's when someone pressed the barrel of the gun against my lower spine. I felt a cold, familiar voice breath down my neck.

"Don't move or I'll be forced to use this."

I frowned and dropped my arm to my side. "Is that any way to speak to a citizen, Officer Pararius?"

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side out of the traffic that moved through the front doors. "Where is Mortale?"

I raised an eyebrow. So that really was his real name. "Haven't seen him." Not in over an hour.

I winced when Pararius pressed the gun harder against my spine. His voice hissed down my neck. "Don't fool with me, human. Tell me and I will let you go."

I snorted. "Like I'm supposed to believe you?"

He shoved me forward towards the steps. "Then move."

Pararius led me down the steps. A black sedan pulled up to the curb. The rear passenger door opened and Leno stepped out. The only evidence of her terrible facial injuries that remained were two faint, jagged lines of pink skin. She stepped aside. The way was clear into the car. My eyes widened as Pararius pushed me towards the exterior.

The crosswalk to our right turned green. The heavy traffic flowed away and towards us. A wave of people swelled behind us and between us and the car.

I jabbed my elbow into Pararius' gut and jumped into the flow of leftward traffic.

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