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THE FALL OF WATER
Fall A1
[Choose Fall A1 to leave immediately.]
From the tone in Sky's voice, Diva sensed that the meeting would take place immediately... as soon as she got there.
So she rushed to her bedroom, grabbed some comfortable clothes off her unmade bed, and threw them on. Back in the main room, she found her scuffed sneakers, snatched the purse and car keys from her computer desk, and with one last hurried look at her computer, her TV, her apartment, she locked the door before bolting down the stairs to her old gray Toyota.
As Diva -- Clap! -- shut the car door, she happened to glance at the digital clock -- '11:45' -- and sighed, "Damn, almost midnight."
And she started the ignition.
"The signal was terminated before the trace could be completed," the subordinate agent informed Agent Greene.
"No matter," Greene replied, hand to his earpiece. "We've narrowed the next probable target point to within a 10-mile radius." From behind his mirrored sunglasses, his green eyes surveyed the twinkling nighttime cityscape from the topmost floor of the tallest office building.
The subordinate paused for a moment. "But it will take time--"
"Then begin the search now!" snapped Greene. Regaining his cool composure, he added, "Begin at the center of the target area... at Rainbow and Lakeview."
As Diva sped along the highway, she couldn't help but check her rearview mirror for headlights, taillights, or any other signs of traffic activity. She began to wonder, 'I'm not paranoid, am I?'
She glanced at the MPH speedometer -- '71'... '72'... -- and whispered to herself, "Slow down, slow down. Not too fast, now. Don't wanna get a f*ckin' ticket at a time like this!" So she applied the squealing brakes, a small step at a time, and glanced again -- '61'... '60'... '59' -- and breathed much easier. "Whew, that's better."
As she approached the off-ramp exit, Diva noticed something along the right shoulder of the highway -- a black, partly-shiny, partly-reflective mass against the dark-gray concrete barrier. Her first thought was the worst thought, 'A cop car?'
"Oh, sh*t!" she uttered, slowing her car even more -- '56' '55' '54'... -- while her heartbeat raced even faster.
In moments, she finally passed the black mass and uncovered the screaming truth.
"F*ck!" she cursed, with the simultaneous thought, 'That WAS a cop!'
As she sped away cautiously -- '53' '54' '53'... -- Diva checked her rearview mirror yet again, her pulse pounding in her ears yet again.
And she sighed, "Whew!" There was nothing -- no headlights, no flashing red-and-blue sirens, no police pursuit... nothing but the poorly-lit exit coming up ahead.
Choose Fall A1A to forget it, 'This isn't worth it,' and skip the exit.
Choose Fall A1B to take the exit to head to the meeting place.
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