[3] Stalled Engine: Conspiracy of Absences

Chapter 3: Conspiracy of Absences

Jasper needed have time to think. Unlike the dozens of cars going up and down the expressway, he decided to walk in the grass by the side of the road. The sidewalk outside the police station disappeared, leaving nothing but weeds scratching his ankles.

His mind began to wander as he wandered the side of the road while feeling the hot winds of cars on his side. He remembered hearing whispers of an underground network run by the city’s power brokers. They seemed to know everything. They would know about Axel’s fate too.

It took all afternoon to get information on where to find them. He had discreet conversations with various service workers: a doorman, a limo driver, and a food courier. All of them recognized the desperation that seemed to be radiating off his body and he had to pay them extensively to get a few scraps of information.

He found himself walking down a back alley late at night, behind a drive through. He stepped around large bags of greasy trash. Down a small flight of steps was the entrance to a basement. The red light hanging above indicated it was a dive bar.

Usually these places had some sort of unruly crowd outside with cigarettes adding to the urban smog. However the alley was empty, eerily so. There wasn’t even a bouncer watching for any unruly types.

He stepped down the half-staircase and touched the door. It was unlocked. He pushed it open to find a bar, but one that was surprisingly upscale. Chandeliers shined with the light from a hundred candles, illuminating the wall art and statues with a flickering orange.

The bar was sparse. Actually, the only person inside was a young woman. She was no older than twenty-two, with her hair cut in a bob. She wore a long purple sweater and a long skirt that was slightly off-color.

“We’re closed,” she said dryly. Jasper noticed wine swirling around her glass.