Carson called into the prison system, quickly bypassing all the clearances with his work badge. Finally, the computer connected him to cell 29. The line rang twice, and then the cell guard picked up. "Hello Officer David Carson, just a sec. Let me get a hold of Richard Harrison." 803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoX8Ffk7p9X
"Sure thing," Carson responded. He waited.
"Your secure call is being connected. Please hold," the computer said. There was a tone, and then a click.
"Why?" a gruff voice said. "Why do you want me? Isn't it enough that she's gone?"
Something felt different about Harrison. He seemed empty, as if he once had time, but used it all up. And whom was he talking about? Carson wondered. "Mr. Harrison, my name is Officer Car–"
"You're lying," Harrison said, suddenly excited.
"No, I'm–" 803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHpZ5GEWLJ
"You can't be one of them," Harrison said. "You have too much time."
"No, I… What do you mean?" Carson asked.
"We all can feel it," Harrison said. "We all can feel each other. But 'Officer,' why are you speaking to me?"
"Well, you know why," Carson said. "I have to run. I have to hide."
Harrison remained quiet as if he didn't know what to say, but Carson knew that wasn't true. Something about Harrison, the way he breathed, made Carson think that Harrison was thrilled to be speaking with him.
"I know a place…" Harrison said.
"What? A place?" Carson asked.
"You know, what do I get out of this, Officer?" Harrison asked. "Are you willing to do something for me for a chance to run?"
It was Carson's turn to stop. "What? Why do you get to make demands? You are the murder–" and then Carson realized his mistake. "I'm sorry. What would you want?"
Harrison sighed. "All I really want is to see my Emilia again."
"Who's that?" Carson asked. "We can call her in–"
"I killed her years ago," Harrison said. "But you can help me free her."
"Free her?" Carson asked. "What do you mean 'free her'? You said she's dead."
"No details until I know you're in. Yes or no?"
"Yes," Carson said immediately. "Now, tell me about your place."
"A police place," Harrison said. "For accidents, cops who don't want to be Time Killers. It's a place for them to hide. The rest of us leave them alone."
"What? Where?" Carson asked.
"Above ground. Upper Denver," Harrison said. "It's a place known as the Terrence Ephemera." 803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO6Dcm7C2N
"I've never been above ground," Carson said. "I've only been to Under Denver." That wasn't strictly true, as Carson had been born in an above ground city, but he hadn't been in one for so long that it didn't count.
"Well, a good trip to you," Harrison said. "Above ground is absolutely stunning."
"What? So I just drop and go?" Carson asked. "Man, I have a job."
"I don't know logistics. I just know where it is," Harrison said. "Now my thing."
"What about your thing?" Carson asked. "Do I have to do your thing?"
"Never, in your wildest dreams or deepest nightmares, offend a real murderer," Harrison warned. "The only reason I'm still here is that I have no reason to be out there. Now, I just want you to kill someone, preferably a woman, and give her to my name. Then I can take Emilia and shove–"
"What?" Carson demanded. "You want me to kill someone?"
"You've already done it before. What's the problem with doing it again?"
"Lots of things. Besides, it was an accident!" Carson defended. "Okay, look, I kill someone, give them to you, whatever that means, and then you get your mother, daughter…?"
"Girlfriend," Harrison clarified. "I get Emilia into the body, then that's the end. You get her time and I get my girl, end of our deal."
"Okay…" Carson said. "I don't want to know how that works."
"Deal?"
Carson hesitated, even though he knew there was no other way out of this. "What does it matter if she's alive? You're kind of stuck in your cell," he asked as a last resort.
"If I wanted to, I could drop and go to my favorite coffee shop in ten minutes," Harrison boasted. "I've been in jail before, and there are many ways out of a white padded cell. So, Officer. Deal?"
"Okay, fine. Deal." Carson sighed, wondering how he even ended up here.
"I'll know when Emilia's mine," Harrison said. "Don't make me wait too long. I know where you are, and now I know your secret. You have no idea who you're playing with."
"This is so absolutely wrong!" Carson said, and then immediately regretted losing his temper in front of an inmate. "Don't get me wrong, I will do it to hide."
"Running's also wrong, Officer. Running from the law."
"I know. Bye."
"Bye." Harrison hung up on Carson.
Carson got up and paced his cramped cubicle, trying to force the blood out of his head. Murder someone on purpose? Carson realized. This is much worse than anything you could have imagined. I was just one small mistake. One… large mistake. 803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQP5aaoHu2
But there was no turning back from this one mistake, and there was no time to lose. Carson ordered a metro ticket from Ithaca to Upper Denver for the next morning and filed a two-week vacation with Stan. He hoped two weeks would be enough to sort out his situation, whatever was left to salvage. 803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyZ2po3akM
