The Secret Manuscript (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Whenever he left Gladys's house, it was usually at night or early morning and always through the back exit. With two killers knowing where he lived, Ben thought it would be wise to stay as far away from his neighbourhood as possible. With each moment he stayed there, he was putting Gladys in danger, but he did not have a choice. Moving back to Cold Lake with Kyle was not an option he was willing to entertain. It had taken him far too long to leave that soul trap and he was not ready to go back there just yet.

Sneaking through several backyards, Ben eventually emerged onto the main road where he could blend in a little better. Wearing his parka with the fur-lined hood pulled low over his head, he waited at the bus stop with the other commuters. Within a few minutes, the bus showed up, pushing through the morning fog as it slowed to a stop in front of the crowd of people. Ben walked on, paid his fare, and took a seat near the rear exit.

The bus made several stops throughout the city, picking up young and ambitious college students who were heading to their morning classes. First the seats filled up, then the aisles. The more packed the bus became, the more Ben's anxiety rose. To take his mind off his claustrophobia, he tried to ignore the chatter and focus instead on the rhythmic hum of the bus and the scenery outside. Periodically, condensation formed on the window, but he would wipe it away with his sleeve. Through the blurry window, he saw cars whizzing by, pedestrians huddling together at intersections, and buildings decrease in size as the bus travelled further from the downtown core. The long bus ride allowed Ben to clear his mind and think about his next move.

After about forty minutes, the bus stopped at the main terminal on the University of Calgary campus and everyone funnelled out the two exits. Ben was one of the last to leave. With his backpack slung over one shoulder, he rose from his seat, and walked along a pathway like everyone else.

Entering the computer lab, Ben found his usual spot near the back. He unzipped his jacket, threw his backpack on the chair next to him, and took a seat. Among the things he retrieved from the secret room was his flash drive. That was where the file of his novel had been saved. Throughout the past week, he had spent at least part of each day at the campus library writing his novel. He had about 50,000 words written and was quite happy with the way the plot was developing so far. After inserting the drive and loading the file, Ben cracked his knuckles and began to work. The scene he was working on was where his character, named Ben, encountered some bad men, who broke down his door and roughed him up. As he was furiously typing away, he had an unexpected break in concentration combined with the sudden urge to look up. When he followed his instinct, he had to do a double take because he could not believe his eyes.

"Impossible," he said to himself.

Ben shrank low in his seat to conceal himself behind his computer screen. He quickly saved his work and waited for his flash drive to safely eject. Once finished, he took the flash drive and shoved it in his pocket. He poked his head over the monitor and saw the two men who had tried to kill him walking toward him. He put his backpack around his shoulders and cinched the straps tightly in case he had to run. The two men walked slowly, carefully scanning the faces of the students in the computer lab. As they approached, Ben crouched down and hid under the desk.

How did they find me? he asked himself.

He followed the men's legs, which were at opposite ends of the row of computer terminals, and hoped they would not look under the desk.

"He's under the desk!" one of the men yelled out.

The commotion caught the attention of everyone in the library. Ben bolted from his position and hurdled over a vacant computer station. Once his feet hit the ground on the other side, he sprinted as fast as he could. Again, he led the men on a foot chase. This time, they did not have access to their car. Even though the two men were not as agile as Ben, they were not far behind. Ben ploughed through a few people and exited the library.

Not knowing his way around campus, Ben ran in the only direction he knew. Darting across an open field like a madman, Ben headed toward the science building. He burst through the doors and staggered up the stairs. His pace had slowed considerably as he was now exhausted and completely out of breath. Once at the top floor, Ben was dripping with sweat. He turned around to see if he had lost his pursuers. Fortunately, they were not behind him. He continued on his way, but was not paying attention to what was in front of him. He clumsily bumped into a girl in the hall, causing her to drop her papers.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," he said, offering to help pick them up.

The woman bent down to pick up her papers as did Ben, yet the whole time he kept looking over his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" the woman asked.

Ben turned his head back around and looked at the woman for the first time.

"Vanessa?" he said in disbelief.