#26 Reunion

Ted looked around the train station. People walked briskly in every trajectory. He stood still like a pillar in the middle of all the hustling travelers. Striding forward he picked a twisting ribbon of people and joined the flow heading toward 42nd Street.

On the sidewalk he stood in line for a cab. In less than five minutes he lounged in the back seat as the car zipped in and out of traffic. He wondered about people who got uptight in taxis because of most cabbies' aggressive driving style. He had complete confidence in, he leaned forward to read the displayed hack license, Li Chang. Pictures of his wife and children were taped to the visor.

"Family man," Ted thought. "He wouldn't risk his livelihood by being reckless." He settled back into the seat and admired the sights. He wouldn't be in mid-town for long. Might as well enjoy it.

Ted needed a rest. His feet ached and sweat soaked his undershirt. He found a set of steps leading to a dark building that teemed with people Monday through Friday. On Saturday you'd find the doors locked and the lobby dark. Ted gathered himself. He knew he didn't have far to go from here.

He removed a piece of paper from his jeans pocket and checked the address again. He had done this same exercise so many times during the trip the ink smudged a little. He read the words for the thousandth time and shoved it back in his pocket.

Taking a deep breath, he bounced up off the steps. He raised both arms up in a V and exhaled.

"It's time," he said. Ted walked up the block and made a right turn at the corner. He followed the sidewalk for a two more blocks. He checked the paper again.

"This is it," he said. He threw the paper into a grate in the concrete. Narrow alleys separated the brick buildings on this block. Ted selected the alley on the west side of the building. He strode confidently into the shadowed space.

The scraping of a door opening on old hinges got his attention. He withdrew the pistol from the waistband of his pants. An outline of a man emerged from a doorway about a hundred feet away. He positioned himself in the middle of the alley holding something long.

Ted figured it out and shouted, " A shotgun, Dad? Really?"

The man raised the barrel toward Ted. "Really, kid." The man pumped a shell into the chamber so Ted clicked off his safety.