The Tower

Finally Alissa came on, standing outside a big commercial theater in downtown San Jose. "People complain that there's too much violence in the movies. But movies can also be a wonderful escape. Thomas and Deborah Atlasia have certainly found themselves to be the center of attention once again since their son, Allander, escaped from the Tower at Maingate seven days ago. But they're teaching us all a little lesson in human dignity. They're holding their heads high, and letting their lives go on."

Darby laughed loudly, then covered her mouth with her hand.

"Tonight, the FBI continues one of the biggest manhunts in history, calling in even more men from their national headquarters. Tonight, Allander Atlasia will find himself fleeing just that much faster. Many people are holing up in their homes in terror. And what are Thomas and Deborah doing?"

The story cut to footage of Thomas and Darby entering a movie theater. It looked like a Hard Copy shot of a celebrity who did not consent to be filmed. Although the theater sign was not in the shot, the camera panned past a coffee shop next door to the theater as it followed the Atlasias walking in. CUP OF CHEER, a neon sign announced in the window. The coffee shop had been there for over thirty years. Allander would recognize it, and know that it was right next door to Camera 9.

The camera cut back to Alissa. "They're at the movies," she said. "Inside sources tell us that they're finding that a healthier way to spend their evenings, at least until the storm blows over. What's on the program tomorrow night is anybody's guess. For Channel 5 Eyewitness News, this is Alissa Anvers."

Perfect, Jade thought. Just like they'd discussed. There was no way they could come right out and say that the Atlasias were going back to the movies tomorrow-that would have been too obvious. But Anvers had alluded to the possibility, and that, in combination with the reference to "inside sources," would hopefully be enough to get Allander's juices flowing.

Allander would think that they'd seen Chance Are tonight, and since he'd know Darby would never go to Peril, that ruled out Camera 9 for tomorrow night. It was logical that they'd go to The Cutting Floor if they wanted to see another movie, so he'd keep an eye on it for the next couple of nights. There was one nighttime show tomorrow-Orson Welles's Othello, 8:00 P.M.

See you there, Jade thought. See you there.

Thomas got up, turned off the TV, and headed back to the bedroom. Darby pushed one long red nail into the soft skin of her palm. It left a crescent-shaped indentation that faded quickly. She did it again.

Jade stood up, dug the car keys from his pocket, and left quietly. The front door clicked shut behind him.

There was nothing left to do except wait.

Chapter 44

J A D E chose The Cutting Floor because there was only one theater, and the entrances were in the front by the screen. There was no back door to worry about. He positioned himself in the front row several hours before the film started. It meant he had a long wait, but it was worth it to avoid being seen entering the theater.

From his seat, Jade could see everyone who entered. Sitting in the front also ensured that he could rapidly get down the aisle in either direction. If he chose a spot farther back in the theater, he was sure to get boxed in. Here he was the gatekeeper; Allander would have to walk past him to get to the Atlasias.

Thomas and Darby were going to have what appeared to be their first unprotected outing since Allander's break. Darby had already expressed her annoyance several times at having agents around the house. If Jade hadn't been open with her from the start, he was fairly certain that she would have refused to allow twenty-four-hour surveillance. She wouldn't have wanted Allander's escape to alter her whole life. Jade had Alissa allude to this during her news story by saying that the Atlasias were "holding their heads high, and letting their lives go on."

Jade bet that Allander wouldn't be surprised to see his parents on an outing without any coverage. If anyone knew about Darby's resiliency, it was he.

And his parents would be awfully tempting tonight. No cars would follow them from their house. Jade had drawn up routes for five different FBI cars so they would cross paths with the Atlasias' car on the way to the theater and follow them briefly. Each car would turn off after a few blocks, and another car would take its place at the next street. In a move that caused more than a little grumbling, Jade had also asked the agents to drive their spouses' cars. The last thing he wanted was for Allander to see dark sedans pulling out behind the Atlasias every few blocks.