Chapter 2: Grocery Shopping

-Introduction to Chapter 2-

It's kind of crazy how many times I have edited and rewritten this chapter.

I think my lack of experience as a fugitive of the law might have had something to do with it. :)

The end product is accurate to the best of my ability.

I also attempted to throw a colorful streak of humor into this chapter, towards the end. It might be over the top for this particular story line, but I feel it has found its place in this particular chapter.

I hope you enjoy reading it!

CHAPTER TWO- Grocery Shopping

       Will shifted his position, jolted into full consciousness by the cold, wet cement scratching his palms. He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and shook the bleariness out of his head, trying to remember where he was.

In his foggy thoughts, he remembered the dampness and awful stench of the night spent in the dumpster, but he couldn't remember how the three of them had escaped.

As he woke up, he realized that he was sitting on the floor of a parking garage. 

He jumped as a pair of feet came up and stopped in front of him.

“Did you pass out again?” Tyler asked, wiping his hands on his jeans.

Will swallowed and stared right into Tyler's gaze.

 “No, of course not. How's it coming?”

“Not good. I've tried to hot wire two cars already, but I can't get either of them to start.”

Will ran his hand through his brown hair. “Did you have Jay try?”

“He's watching the entrance.”

“I'll take a look.”

Tyler grabbed his arm and yanked Traveler roughly to his feet; Will swayed and fought to keep his balance, but Tyler just sat back and watched him.

Slowly, Will realized that Fogg was taking pleasure in his pain.

“You know what, Will?” Tyler commented, sitting on the hood of the car and taking a bite of an energy bar, “Jay might care if you live or die, but I don't.”

“Got it. Anything else?” Will stood as tall as he could and looked Tyler in the eye.

“Oh yeah, absolutely.”

Tyler hurled insults at Will for the next eight and a half minutes. Will met his gaze and calmly waited for it to stop.

When the air was silent again, Will didn't say anything, cautiously giving Tyler a moment to cool down. Finally, the fire in Fogg's eyes subsided.

Will nodded and pulled his tools out of his jacket pocket.

“Good for you. That was very eloquently put. So which cars did you try?”

“This one first.” Tyler pointed reluctantly.

“Where's the other one you tried?"

Tyler shrugged. “Right here.”

Will nodded.

“Much better.”

He got behind the wheel and worked at the wires for a few minutes.

“ I like that you stand up and speak your mind, Tyler. I like how you're not afraid to try something just because it won't work. You're a good man, Tyler.”

“Shut up.”

Will almost grinned. 

He'd known Tyler for two years; he knew how to compliment him and get through to him....at least, he'd known how to get through to the old Tyler; the one that couldn't care less about life choices and whose constant thoughts were focused on entertainment.

This Tyler was a little different, Will noted. 

Fogg's eyes had a more thoughtful look in them, and his guard was up.

Will sighed and gave the wires one last, hopeful spark.

With a pleasant, rolling roar, the car came to life.  

Standing up, Will smiled at Tyler.

“Magic.” he said, waving his hands in front of him.

“I'll go get Jay. Don't you dare even think about going anywhere."

Will leaned against the side of the car and closed his eyes, fighting the nausea back down into his stomach. Despite his brave air and confident words, he was very scared. He'd never been shot before.

His training had taught him all the practical aspects of taking care of himself in dangerous situations, but it was more frightening than he had expected.

At only twenty-two years old, he was constantly torn with decisions of mammoth size, and usually felt like the weight of the world was driving him to the ground. 

 He hadn't told Fogg and Burchell that the bullet was still inside, lodged in the lower half of his back, burning and digging painfully to remind him that he had saved Jay's and Tyler's lives.

Slowly, he put his hand behind his back and eased his fingers up and down his lower left side. He stamped his foot, trying to relieve the jittery, uneasy agony.

“Ready?” Jay said as he and Tyler approached.

“Yeah.” Will quickly pulled his hand away from his back and stuck it in his pocket.

A few hours later, Tyler drove their stolen car into the parking lot of an old car shop and parked under a large tree.

Jay undid his seat belt and started shoving bullets into his gun.

“We should get some food.” he commented.

“Will's asleep again.”Tyler slapped at Will, who had leaned against the seat in the back. Will came to with a jolt.

“We're going shopping.” Tyler said sarcastically.

“Alright.” Will sat up. “Let's go find something to eat.” he winced at the movement and gently pressed his hand to his wound. “And maybe a drug store.” he added.

“You doing ok?” Jay said, his brow wrinkling slightly.

“Why do you care about him?” Tyler muttered.

“What'd you say?” Jay asked Tyler, sliding out of his seat.

“Nothing.” the other growled under his breath.

“Will, if you're not okay, you need to tell us.” Jay said to Will.

“I'll live.” Traveler smiled painfully.

He climbed out of the car and popped the trunk open.

Whistling, he said, “You guys need to come check this out!”

In the back of the car, there was a wheelchair, a change of an older man’s clothing, a case of water bottles, and a window scraper.

“We stole a car from an old guy?” Jay gasped when he saw the trunk's contents.

“Chill, Jay. We didn't have a choice.” Will said. Tyler pulled out the wheelchair and Jay picked up the clothes.

“Woah. These are small.” he said.

Tyler lit up. “There's an old drug store around the corner from here. The guy doesn't own a TV or a computer, so he shouldn't be able to identify or recognize us.”

“We should still only send one us in, though. That'll minimize the risk of being recognized.” Jay cautioned.

Tyler nodded. “Ok. Who?”

Jay frowned. “The only one who would fit in these clothes is...” he trailed off and he and Tyler looked at Will.

“What are you saying? That I'm short?”

“We had this conversation a billion times before we knew who you really are. Face it, Traveler. You're short.” Tyler retorted.

Will sighed. “Fine. Give me the clothes.”

Will dressed in the tweed jacket and baggy dress pants, then slicked his brown hair back with some water and stuck the battered fedora over it. Pulling it down over his eyes, he slumped into the wheelchair and humped his shoulders.

“How do I look?” he rasped in a gravelly voice.

“I'd buy it, even from up close.” Jay commented, crossing his arms and eying Will critically.

Tyler just nodded.

“Alright. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, one of you come looking for me. Wear a cap, and don't come together.”

Will tucked his gun into the back of the pants and wheeled feebly away.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Jay muttered.

Tyler turned to him. “Why? You think he'll leave?”

"No, not exactly."

“So why are you nervous?”

“I don't know. He seems to have some friends in pretty high places. We need to have a back up plan.”

Tyler shrugged. “He squeaks, we kill him the second we get our hands on him. Good enough of a plan for you?”

“No! He's got too much valuable information, Tyler. We can't kill him.”

“Well, then, we'll run.”

“Where?”

Tyler walked a few steps. “Anywhere but here. If Will gets to them first..”

“Whoever 'they' are. We still have no idea who was behind the real bombing.” Jay pointed out.

“Right, that's what I mean. Anyway, if Will runs to them, there won't be anything left for us in New York. We'll get Kim and Nel and never look back.”

Jay bit his lip and looked anxiously after Will's disappearing wheelchair.

Tyler slapped his back. “Plus, there's no way he'll run.”

“Why?”

“You're kidding, right? Or have you not noticed that he passes out once an hour? He's like a clock or something.”

Jay started.

 “If he passes out in there, we're in trouble.”

Will wheeled himself slowly into the drugstore that Tyler had indicated and took a quick glance around. 

No cameras, no mirrors. So far so good. 

He leaned down and picked up a shopping basket, set it in his lap, and moved towards a small hand-painted sign in the back that read “First Aid”.

An older gentleman behind the counter looked up and smiled cheerfully.

“Morning, brother.” he grunted. “Want some help?”

Will shook his head. 

“Nope, thank you.” he said in his disguised voice. 

He grinned a little. “I told my Janie that I could still get around on my own, and I'm gonna prove it.”

“Eh, that's the spirit, brother.” the man shook his fist encouragingly.

Will nodded and continued to the medicines, where he filled the basket halfway with gauze padding, antibiotic medication, painkiller, and a couple rolls of medical tape.

After about fifteen minutes, he made it to the checkout counter with his basket full. As the store owner rang up the food and other items, he talked and rambled on about whatever; the weather, his store, his deceased wife, etc.

“Hey, one of my buddies, Eddie, has a coat just like that one.” He said, gesturing with his head at Will's clothes. Will's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his head down a little and grunted.

“That right?”

“Yeah. His car got stolen last night, shame on them reckless kids.” the man continued.

“No. The nerve.” Will scolded feebly.

“Yeah! They were saying in the paper this morning that it was them Drexler bombing terrorists. Shame on them kids.”

“Grandpa!” a voice shouted. Will's heart skipped a beat, but he saw Jay and relaxed slightly.

“Bobby?”

Jay rolled his eyes and grabbed the handles of his wheelchair.

“No, grandpa, it's Peter. Bobby is your son; my dad, remember?”

To the clerk, he said, “I'm so sorry sir, it won't happen again.”

The older man chuckled.

 “It's alright. We were having a nice conversation.”

He handed the bags to Jay and turned to Will. 

“You tell your lovely Janie that I wish her the best.”

Jay patted Will's shoulder. “Grandpa, Grandma's not here anymore, remember?”

“Hmm.” Will managed.

“You have a good day, sonny; and watch for the terrorists!” the owner said.

Jay smiled warmly and pushed Will's chair out the door and around the corner.

And that was it.

“What were you thinking? I was doing fine on my own.” Will hissed.

“You've been passing out non- stop.” Jay argued. “I want to know what you were thinking.”

Will looked down.

“If you had passed out in there, that man would have figure out you're not some seventy something shopping for your wife, and the pieces would have come together so fast it would have made your head spin. Come on, let's get back to Tyler."