Taxicab Dreams

Out of breath and out of time, Billy froze under a bridge. It was warm for February. If he closed his eyes, it felt like a summer breeze was hitting him. Or was it panic? He peered out one side of the bridge, with a silenced thirty-eight in his right hand. I know he’s out there, he thought. Billy was more wired than tired, but at some point, rest was a must.

There were cars everywhere. People in all directions. Billy knew how to blend in and now was the time to try. Billy was certain they would not chase him on foot. Only an idiot would run, right? He thought to himself. Billy was running out of time. There were too many people to steal a car, unless someone was dumb enough to leave it for him. “I could buy one or twenty,” he said out loud, gripping the black briefcase in his left hand.

Billy was confident there was a million dollars in the case. I just need to get out of the city. Then I’m home free, he thought. He peered above him. A busy street bustled with activity. He saw several taxis waiting in front of a hotel. It looked high end. Billy casually made his way around the bridge to the steps and strolled near the street. He did not let his outside show how out of place he felt inside.

Across the street were the taxis. Billy ran across the street to an empty one. He nodded to the driver who motioned him to come inside. Billy let out an unmistakable breath of relief when the other door opened. In sat a young girl, maybe fifteen. She was black, with long hair tied in a ponytail, and a pink backpack. She wore a skirt without leggings.

“Already taken,” grumbled the driver.

“Wait,” said Billy instinctively. He saw an opportunity. “Let’s share it. I could use the company.”

“Um, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she said. “My mum says I should avoid strangers.”

“I’m William. I just need to get out of town. Drop you off wherever you wish. My treat.” Billy raised his palm to the driver. The fare had started moments earlier.

“You have nowhere to go but taking a taxi? Seems like an expensive way to see the city,” she said, sitting down. The driver started down the street and Billy stared out the window. He looked forward and backward but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The city just kept moving around him, paying him no attention. “Are you running from someone?”

Billy quickly turned to her. “No. Maybe I’m running towards something or someone.” Billy smiled and she smiled back. “What’s your name?”

“Mia,” she said, extending her hand. Billy shook it.

“Where are you headed, Mia. Our driver is probably anxious to know.” Billy felt more relaxed in the taxi but was still cognizant of cars behind him. Everything looked in place.

“West One Hundred Sixty-Fifth Street. Just passed Yankee Stadium,” she said with confidence.

“You’re taking a taxi all the way to Harlem?” asked Billy rhetorically. “Geez. This is going to be an expensive cab ride. They have subways, you know.” Billy gripped his briefcase and shifted in his seat.

“Subways are dangerous,” said the girl. “I could get lost down there.” Her pink backpack rested between her legs. Billy tried not to notice her school uniform, especially her skirt resting above her knees. Mia caught his eyes wandering.

“What’s in the bag?” asked Billy, trying to make sense of his wandering. “Books? Homework?”

“Just some tools for my education. And a little black book,” she said. She unzipped the backpack and showed him the book. It was black leather and had a lock on it.

“A diary?” asked Billy. “You know I had something like that when I was young.” Billy lied to the young girl.

“I wouldn’t call it a diary. That’s old school,” said Mia. “I prefer journal.” She opened the book with a small key, attached to a bracelet around her wrist.

Billy watched her closely and laughed aloud. “What’s in the journal that’s so bad you need to keep it locked? Your dad go snooping?”

“My daddy’s dead, William,” said Mia emotionless.

Billy winced at the revelation. “I’m sorry. Just passing the time. I didn’t mean anything-”

“It’s ok, William,” said Mia. She started reviewing some of the pages in her journal. Billy looked over with his right eye and noticed the pages read more like lists. “You still look young, by the way. What are you? Thirty-one?” asked Mia, playfully.

Billy groaned. “Thirty-four, and counting.”

“Since we’re friends, now. What’s in the briefcase?” asked Mia. She reached across the seat to touch it, but Billy turned his right shoulder to stop her.

“Whoa. Sorry, this is personal,” he said. “My life’s work is in this briefcase.” Billy moved the briefcase to his left hand, further away from Mia.

“Oh ok. Must be important if you’re heading nowhere and sharing a cab with a stranger like me.” Mia took out some red lipstick from the backpack and applied it to her lips. Billy caught the driver watching Mia from the rearview mirror.

“How old are you?” asked Billy.

“Fifteen. And counting,” said Mia, winking at the driver. He caught the road and avoided sideswiping another vehicle. Billy laughed at the situation.

They were further uptown now. The driver glanced back at Billy and Billy nodded to keep driving. “Seriously, though, what types of things do you journal? Tormented secrets from high school?”

Mia smiled without looking at him. “You couldn’t get guess if you tried.” She starting flipping through the pages too quickly for Billy to get more glances. Billy did realize many of the pages were blank. Just as quick she locked the book and put it back into her backpack. “Where are you going, William? You know where I live but I know nothing about you.”

“I actually live in DC. I was here on business and thinking about heading somewhere for a vacation,” said Billy.

Mia turned her body to face Billy. She moved the shoulder belt behind her. Billy looked behind the taxi again and Mia looked with him. “Someone following you, William? You keep looking all around.”

“I’m just anxious to get out of town,” he said. “I’m not running, you know. I’m moving forward. Trying to start new. I figured I deserve a short break after a long days’ work.”

“It’s only three. Not exactly a full day’s work, William,’ said Mia. She looked at Billy from the side and shifted in her seat. Her skirt rested just above her knee and Billy got caught again.

“Real work doesn’t have start and finish times. Especially my line of work,” said Billy. He looked up and saw a few signs with Harlem indicated.

“Where you go, after the next stop?” asked the driver.

Billy leaned forward in this seat. “We can keep heading north. I’ll rent a car somewhere.”

“I can’t just drive you anywhere you wish. This is a New York City cab. Stays in New York City,” said the driver impatiently. He threw his hands up in disgust.

“There’s a rental place not far from me. I can take you there,” said Mia. Billy considered the offer.

“Driving there is a better option,” said Billy.

Mia nodded. “You trying not to be seen? Even with me?”

Billy shook his head. “Nothing to do with you, Mia. We’re just sharing a taxi for another minute.

“There’s a hospital up there on the left. New York Presbyterian. You can let me out there,” said Mia to the driver. He nodded and started to merge to the left.

“A hospital?” asked Billy. He started looking around more as the car slowed to a stop. Billy reached into his wallet and pulled out some cash for the driver. Mia exited towards the street and walked around to Billy’s window.

“My mom works here. There’s a Hertz just twenty blocks ahead. If you’re in a hurry, you should reserve it now. You take care of yourself, William Brown.” Mia walked inside the hospital. Billy caught himself staring at her.

“Hertz it is,” said Billy. He pulled out his phone and started to reserve a vehicle. Black Ford Focus. Boring, thought Billy. “Perfect,” he said aloud.

“She was different,” said the driver. Billy caught his face in the mirror and nodded.

“Yeah, she was. Random,” he said. Billy reserved the vehicle and put his phone back in his pocket. He continued looking around the vehicle with uneasiness. “You pick up very many high school chicks like that?”

The driver shook his head. “Of course not. Why would her school be five miles away from her home?”

Billy’s eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, that is weird,” he said softly to himself. “I don’t even remember mentioning my last name.” They arrived at the Hertz rental center and Billy paid the driver.

It took longer than Billy expected to get the vehicle. The reception area was not organized and it took the system a few minutes to catch up with his reservation from the Hertz app. Billy still clutched his briefcase and occasionally patted his right chest pocket inside his jacket. The thirty-eight was safe.

Billy exited to a garage opposite the building. It was small and there were over twenty cars lined up. He used his key fob to find his Ford Focus. He hustled over to it and sat down. He turned the car on and placed his thirty-eight on the passenger seat, under his jacket. The briefcase stayed close by, near his feet.

With the car on, Billy used the GPS to plug in his destination. Montreal, Quebec. Six hours to freedom. Billy knew once he was in Canada, he could breathe and determine next steps. With the briefcase, his options were endless. He thought about flights to exotic locations, but also Europe. Anywhere far from here would do.

Billy jumped out of his daydream when he heard a tap at his window. He reached to the right at the same time and then froze. “Mia?” he said, rolling down the window.

“I’m so glad I caught you before you left,” she said. “You dropped this.” She held out her left palm and on top was one of his cards. It must have fallen out of his wallet.

Billy reached over to pick it up. Before he could grab it, Mia’s right hand whipped across him and stuck a needle in his neck. Billy gagged for a few fleeting seconds. His eyes got big as he choked on his own breath. He tried to reach across for the thirty eight. Mia stuck him again in the back and he slumped over. All he could muster was a few fading breaths.

Mia had a glove on her right hand. She opened the door with it and turned off the ignition. She grabbed the briefcase and reviewed the contents. There were twenty bricks of cash, fifty dollar bills. She took one of them and put it in her backpack.

Before departing, she locked the car with William inside. As she walked back out to the busy street, she pulled out a flip phone and started to text. COMPLETE. NORTH HARLEM said the text. She added a picture of the car. She tossed the phone in a garbage can. She took out her black book from the front pouch of the backpack. On the page was the heading William Brown, 34. She crossed off the name and put the date underneath. As she walked away, Mia passed by a row of taxis.

“Need a ride, young lady?” asked one of the drivers.

he shook her head. “Not today. I don’t have any money.” She feigned a smile and walked back to Manhattan.

The End