September rain drenched Mid City, flushing dirt in its human and object form. There had been complaints, about the Hound and the working boys and girls at night. The former was a sore eye to potential tourists who never came as Mid City had no attractions to offer and the latter was the poster for the declining economy. Notwithstanding the rundown business and the scowl on those condemned to leave the comfort of their beds in weather most considered horrid.
This was at least what the two brisk ladies in crinkled suits spoke of that morning. A café near the one Malik had taken Noah, offered a system where customers could donate a hot drink for anyone who needed it. It applied to any hot drink, not just tea and coffee. Noah guzzled his choice of breakfast, an elixir of dark piping hot chocolate and hints of orange zest.
He walked early to work resisting the urge to break into a jig. He hadn't been caught in the rain for years. His teeth chattered, he was soaking wet and his clothes would be a chore to dry but he was walking in the rain. His skin, which had suffered sunburns in those early days on the streets, danced with goosebumps. The sky's predawn lights, in their lavender hues, were borderline ethereal.
Noah swallowed the final sips of his breakfast, tossed it in the trashcan, and pushed his way to the janitor's room. He left a trail of dripping water and mud in his wake, thanking whatever god existed his boss wasn't around to see the mess before he'd have the change to mop. The building was in a lull, there were faint swishing sounds and tapering against the shuttered windows. Since the doors had been opened, Noah assumed there was the security guard there. The sign-in sheet was blank. The cleaning staff had not yet checked in.
Noah scrawled his name on the sheet and peeled his clothes down to the boxer shorts; his bare feet sent a fresh wave of ice-cold shivers. The rough overalls were too thin and shafted against Noah's skin, the metal clip over the breast pocket shone with N. Davis etched in black. He trembled as he piled his clothes into a ball and took to the nearest bathroom to dry them, wet socks included.
He ran the taps to give his clothes an overdue wash and rinse. He had spent a few hours sleeping a squat since the Hound was not an option. He'd gotten a fair share of grime and stale urine on them at some point. He twisted them up in tight knots to wick out the moisture. The drying came in a howling noise against the relative quiet. Noah sighed when the hot air started to defrost his fingers under the wet pair of jeans. The dryer's cycle whirled to a halt.
That was when he heard he wasn't alone.
The sound came from the hallway. A booming crescendo of thuds. The jeans slipped from Noah's hands to the ground. His bare feet, numb from the cold, stepped over them and followed the faint scuffles piquing his ears.
The sounds continued not from the hallway it seemed but from down the stairs. Noah raced down the ground floor, descending away from the fluorescent lights until he reached the landing and complete darkness. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness and his surroundings came into sharp focus.
There were two rooms with no indicative plates on their doors. From the map Mrs. Forester had him memorize, this was where the archives were. It retained information about the college faculty members and alumni. Possibly information on the student who had been expelled or dealt in suspicious behavior.
It was where Noah had intended to fish enough information to satisfy Malik's questions.
"I can't find..." a voice whispered.
Noah crouched low crossing on palms and knees to the spandrel of the staircase. He hid in the arms of dim shadows.
"Hang on." Another hurried whisper.
Noah brushed the plastered hair on his forehead and chanced a peek through the stairs' metal frames. A girl in a high ponytail and freckles stuck her head out of the door frame. If she was trying for an inconspicuous move, she was failing miserably. The flashlight she held illuminated the specks of dust and cigarette butts under her thigh-high chestnut boots. Noah had no inkling as to what she was doing yet regretted for the once the loss of his camera.
She raised the flashlight and waved it against the walls and the landing. Noah ducked and stilled. He heard the chunky heels of the girl's boots make muffled clicks. He forgot to breathe or twitch; confident he could outlast a ghost when it came to silence.
"Yeah, coast is clear." She said into the phone pressed against her ear and giggled.
A shrill female voice answered her and the girl puckered.
"Geez. Chill." She returned in a whisper.
More footsteps. A drawer rolling into place, a click, and a turn of keys. The girl turned off the flashlight basking them in darkness. A waft of vanilla passed over the top of Noah's head along with the slam of the girl's boots. He remained in position until her footsteps had faded.
Unfurling his body to stand, he turned the knob of the room which of course it had been locked. He could go back at the end of his shift for the picking tools in his backpack. There might be something worth un-
This time the noise was not a tumble of objects. It was the unmistakable sound of a person slipping. A body hitting the ground had a horror to it. Did the girl have enough time to protect her face against impact?
The thought was enough to let Noah clamber to his feet to the girl.
She was sprawled on the floor. A black crossbody bag was tossed a couple of feet away from her. Its contents spilled out textbooks, pens, and a compact mirror. Droplets of mud trailed along the red leggings shoved into her boots.
Mud Noah was meant to have swept.
Noah hunkered beside her. The girl propped herself on elbows.
"Are you alright?" Noah asked.
"Owie," she said.
She grabbed a fistful of Noah's overall at the knees, using it to prop herself into a sitting position.
"Liz?" a digital female voice echoed.
"My phone?" Liz said and looked around until her gaze fixed on a smartphone. It was laying screen up, the edges of its metal case glinting.
"Let me," Noah said and crawled to grab it.
Liz clutched the phone to her chest, as soon as Noah handed it to her, and breathed a sigh.
"The screen is okay," she muttered then raised the phone to her ear, "It's cool. I'll talk to you later, kay?"
She made a move to hoist herself up.
"Um. Maybe we should check if anything is broken?" Noah said.
"Bah," Liz said,"I'd be a crybaby if anything was. Help me up?"
Liz slipped an arm around his neck. Noah in turn supported her back. She leaned on him for a second before they set to collect the tumbled contents of Liz's bag.
Liz limped to stoop and pick up a thumb-sized tube in a translucent case. Noah's throat constricted.
You've been a useless rat. Now you're a rat causing damage. This will not be tolerated.
Liz frowned. "You okay?"
She stared at his feet and Noah curled his toes wishing he had his shoes or socks on.
He had to make this right.
"I'm sorry," Noah said bowing his head.
Liz shrugged. "I fall. I get up. What happened to you?"
Noah was about to reply when an ominous jingle of keys made them both turn at the stern stout woman.
Mrs. Forester had her arms crossed over her ample chest.
"Mr. Davis. In my office when you're done here." She said.
Liz laced an arm around Noah's.
"I haven't seen my boyfriend because of class and I guess we got a little carried away." Liz blushed.
Mrs. Forester huffed and turned on her heels.
"Wow. She is scary. Is Diane your boss?"
Noah, eyes wide, nodded. Why did she try to cover for him with such an uncomvincing lie?
Liz still had her arm in his.
"I hope I didn't get you in trouble," she said, "You're freezing.'
Noah untangled himself from Liz's semi embrace and took her hand. He willed his alterior talent to come forth. It cascaded in electrical currents down his spine and he stifled, from experience, the cries of pain from leaving his lips. Liz stood cocking her head to the side at him while the bruises began to leave her body and begin to form on Noah's left leg.
Satisfied the damage was no longer on Liz's body, he whispered; "Thank you."
Liz blinked at him, confusion flitted past her features then relaxed into a smile.
'Yeah. See ya around."
Liz waved and went down the hall. Her gait that of a healthy young woman.
Noah limped to where he'd left his shoes in the bathroom, though it didn't make him more presentable for the tongue lashing his boss had in store for him. The rain, however, continued to fall and it was the day's best company.