One Night In San Francisco

Time is Everything

San Francisco, July 2nd, 2013. 10:47 PM

Travis Haley jumped from room 3408 and fell. The world spun around him in that familiar rush of vivid colors, and for a second, as he always did, he felt as if he was going to die.

Then he landed the jump. How could he have not? After all, they called him MJ for a reason.

He looked back at the window. It looked so far away, and as he always did he marveled at his God-given talent. 

The crane that had delivered him to room 3408 was working on the new Insurion building across the street from the hotel. And on long arm of the crane he now stood. It had been lowered to a height he could safely make the jump from. 

Being at such a height no longer frightened him. In fact, it made him so alive. It made him so close to death, and that absolutely thrilled him. After all, besides the money, he did it for the statement. It was so great to commit a crime and watch as the police tripped all over themselves as they chased dead-end leads.

But who had the guy in room 3408 been? Thanks god for him. He had really saved his life. Travis still had time to make it to the Hilton.

But f-ck whoever gave him the wrong place. "The glitzy hotel near the Insurion building. Tall. Can't miss it." What an idiot. Did he not realize there were two Insurion buildings?

But it was alright. Because Travis would find a way. He always did.  

He strode, cat-like, down the crane's arm. The operator was still sitting there, wearing a ski-mask. But he was just a cog in the machine of Project A. And although Travis didn't want to acknowledge it,   he was too.

He climbed into the pit.

"What's up?" he asked, casually enough.

"Need to move it back?"

"Yep. You read my mind."

The operator moved it back, while Travis observed him. He was a stocky man, Probably around 30 to 40. Probably a family man looking for some more money. He would regret this.

"There it is." the crane snapped into place so the arm poked into the space between newly laid floors in the building. Perfect for Travis to crawl through.

"Is it stable? Like, if you take your hands off the controls, will it hold."

"Yeah." The man took his hands off and held them up. For the first time, Travis noticed a handgun sticking out of the man's belt. Whatever purpose that served, he didn't want to wait and find out.

Travis shot him in the head before the man could make a move for the gun. In retrospect, the man probably wouldn't have anyways. "Shouldn't have done that."

Clancy and James still sat in the office. It had been silent for quite a long time. "Are you sure they're not done yet, Clance?"

"Who? The guy who broke in to your room or the one who sent the heads?"

"I'm not a detective and all, but I have a feeling they're the same."

"Yeah."

"So what now?"

"We solve the case. It has to do something with Insurion. And everyone in the City knows where Insurion is."

"Oh no, Clancy. No way."

"Why not come? You have to. It's the only way you can solve this. And you think anyone else out there is going to offer you protection? They're all working on this?"

"But...I can't."

"Fine." Clancy got up to leave. He had used this trick so many times on James when they had been kids. Clancy was older than him by still only single-digits, but he still lorded over James.