Chapter 3: Spinning out of Control

CHAPTER THREE- Spinning Out of Control

“You got back.” Tyler said, eying the bag hungrily.

“Yep.” Will grunted, standing up and tossing the plastic bag in Tyler's direction.

Tyler pulled out a loaf of bread, took a piece out and handed the loaf to Jay.

“There's cheese and some mixed nuts in there too.” Will said as he pulled his own t-shirt back over his head.

“Thanks.” Jay said. “You want some?”

Will shook his head. “I'm going to play doctor.”

“You want some help?” Jay offered through his mouthful of food.

“Nah, I can do it.” Will bit off the end of a tape roll and pulled away a long strip.

Jay gestured in Will's direction with his water bottle. “Still bleeding?”

Will shrugged uncomfortably. "Don't worry about it."

Burchell frowned. “You should eat something if you're losing that much blood.”

“Don't worry, I will.” Traveler said, pressing a pad over his skin and taping it down.

He came and sat on the damp asphalt with the other two, and picked up a water bottle.

For a few minutes, they all ate silently, no one wanting to ask the question they knew was coming.

“What are we going to do now?” Tyler finally voiced it.

Will put his sandwich down and stared at the ground.

 “I've got someone that can help us.”

Jay stared hard at Traveler.

 “Come on, Will. You messed this up, and you're going to fix it. Clear our names.”

“Or what? You'll beat me up again? We're not in high school, Jay. We're going to try to clear your names and end this.”

---

Will ignored yet another one of Jay's and Tyler's secret conversations as he climbed into the backseat of the car and fastened his seat belt. 

He was to tired to care about the conversation. 
He knew they didn't trust him. Patiently, he was painstakingly taking the time to prove himself. He knew that words wouldn't change anything.

“Uh, it'd be nice if I knew where I'm supposed to be driving to.” Tyler pointed out.

“I'll give you directions as we go." Will answered.

“Where are we going exactly?” Jay wondered.

“I've got friends that I can still trust, believe it or not. I'm taking you to meet David. He's a good reference and is still connected to a lot of the people holding the strings. Trust me, guys. He's the one we need right now.”

“How do you know him?” Jay asked, tracing the pattern of the rain on his window.

"We were both recruited at the same time. I was sent out on the field directly. David was always more of an office guy; we always depended on him for the research, phone calls, alias burning, all that junk. He's a gifted man.”

“How far away is this place?"

Tyler glanced back. “Will? Where are we going?”

Jay turned in his seat and shook Will's limp body. “Will! Ugh. He's out cold.”

Jay climbed into the back seat with Will and slapped at his face.

“Let's hope that this friend of his can fix him. Do you think he's going to be okay?"

“Get him wet and ask him.” Tyler joked.

Jay poured some water onto Traveler's head, and Will sat up quickly, sputtering.

“Hey! What was that for?”

Jay shook his head sadly. “I think you'd better give us full directions to David's before you pass out again.”

Tyler gripped the wheel and focused through the pouring rain while Jay and Will looked through stacks of the files that had been pulled from the old offices earlier that week.

“This is useless. We already know which companies are involved in the Drexler plan."

“They know that something was going to happen, yes. But how can we be sure that they knew what was going to happen?” Jay realized.

“Jay, look at this one.” Will handed a thick manila folder over. “Do you see the...”

“See the what?” Jay asked.

Will's eyes rolled back and he fell onto Jay.

“Woah!” Tyler exclaimed, looking at them through the rear view mirror.

“He's starting to pass out in mid sentence.”

Unfastening his seat belt, Jay leaned forward and half-lifted, half-pushed Will back onto his side of the car.

“Okay, what's in that file?”

Jay picked up the file and spread the pages out on the seat next to him. “I don't know, I don't know!”

“Well keep looking!”

“Here, I think this is it.”

Jay tapped his fingers on the paper. “Here's a business name with a lot of suspicious words. I think they're referencing the bombing....let's see. 'Estimated date...unspecified project...anonymous contribution...involved persons.'"

"I guess it sounds suspicious. Really, though, Jay, that could mean anything. Which company is that file for?”

“The Bellman Law Firm.”

“Really? Jay, that's the law firm that my dad's company works through. If they know anything at all about the Drysler, they might be threatening my dad, or just using him. Maybe he doesn't know what's going on, maybe he's innocent.”

“Tyler,” Jay said gently. “You talked to him yourself? Remember? There's no way he's innocent...”

“Well pardon me for having any hope.”

Burchell closed his mouth and pushed the papers back into the file.

“Jay? Don't freak out.”

Jay looked up from the file. “What's wrong?”

“We've got a tail.”

Jay slowly turned and glanced through the rear windshield. A black car with heavily tinted windows was two or three car lengths behind them.

“How long have they been behind us?” Jay cried.

“At least the last six blocks, maybe longer. What should I do?” Tyler panicked.

“Can you spin around and turn onto the street back there without getting us killed?”

“Which street?”

“East.”

“Worth a try.” Tyler muttered. “Seat belts?”

“No time! Go!”

Jay braced his feet and laid down over Will's body as Tyler threw the wheel to the left and spun the car around. Jay squeezed his eyes shut tight, almost praying that it would work.

It seemed like time slowed down, and Jay felt like they had been spinning for hours. Then everything went dark.

Jay felt the car moving for a long time long before he could open his eyes or move. A million questions and fears flooded his mind as he regained consciousness; as his memory returned he was almost afraid to open his eyes.

 He wondered what had happened, if they had been captured and were being taken to some secret facility. He dreaded seeing what had happened to Will and Tyler. Finally, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

“Tyler?”

“You're awake!" Tyler sighed with relief. "Try not to move too much, okay?”

“Where's Will?”

“I'm here, Jay.”

“Are you okay?” Jay sat up, then gasped and collapsed back. “What happened?” he moaned, touching the blood that matted his hair.

“We spun out of control. The car's fine, but you weren't strapped in. You went flying.”

“And Will? What happened to you?”

Will leaned forward and beckoned for Jay to bend down.

“You, Mr. Burchell, saved my life. Tyler said you were laying on top of me, and so I didn't go

anywhere. Let me see your head.”

“Ow.” Jay winced.

“Hold still.” Will muttered.

“Are you okay, Tyler?”

“Yep. Fine.” Tyler said.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, not a scratch. I was sort of wearing this thing called a seat belt. You should try it some time.”