Echoes of Danger

Dana didn’t dare make a quick move. She’d heard about people like this man. People who lived in their own little worlds; people who went berserk and killed everyone in sight. People who lived in the park, in the dark, people who lived on the fringes of reality. From the way he was dressed, and the way he acted, she’d say this man was on the verge of some sort of rampage, and she didn’t want to stick around to find out what it was.

“We’re trying to get away,” she said in a calm voice, her body protecting Stephen behind her. “So we do need to keep moving.” Inching closer, she added in a whisper, “And you’re frightening my little brother. Mister, we’ve had one really bad week, and you’re not helping matters.”

The man waited for the sirens to die down, then he released her to step back. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I used to be a cop, and when I hear that sound, well, it reminds me of things I don’t want to think about.”

Stephen’s eyes lit up. “A cop? Wow! Policemen are our friends.” He shook his head back and forth. “Got to get away from bad people. Bad people are after us. Policemen are our friends.”

Dana grabbed her brother by the collar. “Hush, Stevie. Let’s just get going now.”

Leo lifted his head. “What kind of bad people?”

Tony sighed, then wiped a hand across his dirty brow. “Look, Leo, we don’t want any trouble. We have to keep moving. This woman and her brother are being harassed by some strange cult—the Universal Unity Church—and we need to get out of here.”

“Caryn Roark, the woman who speaks with a false face,” the man said, nodding his head in slow motion. “I’ve heard stories about her.”