"Damn it Leon, that's illegal."
Reggie was certainly not thrilled by my notion to secure our finances. Basically, I was going to sell a service that would jam personal CCTV signals being broadcast to the Eye. Not only was it a form of protest, but it also allowed us to make a quick buck and sustain our lifestyle.
I wouldn't even know how to jam cameras had it not been for a coworker of mine showing me how to do so a few years back. I've been mastering this hijacking process recently, and think I am well versed enough to start selling it as a service.
However, as Reggie pointed out, doing this would be a crime.
Not that I liked the Pupils and their constant watchful gaze over the entire city, but I also wasn't too fond of being thrown in prison for a quarter century. We were faced with quite a tough decision to make.
"Look, Reggie, I understand where you're coming from here, I do, but we have to consider our choices. What better option do we have?"
"Well, I mean you could work at a fast food place, or..."
"Reggie, fast food will not sustain our expenses for a whole week."
He sighed, clearly not on board with the idea. It seemed he found himself backed into a corner. "Alright. Fine. We'll sell the service. But where would we even begin?"
I grinned at his response. "I know just who to call." I got up, walking over towards my bedroom, closing the door behind me.
When I emerged half an hour later, Reggie looked at me with an expression that reflected both nervousness and eagerness.
"So?" he asked. "How'd it go?"
"Well," I said, "Let's just say we'll be getting a visit any second now."
"They're already on their way? Damn, that was quick! So, what, are they gonna ring our doorbell or something? Or knock?"
"Not sure. My guy keeps very discreet." The awkward silence that followed allowed us to become quickly acclimated to our setting. We could hear every noise, no matter how small.
This quickly came into play, as there as a whizzing coming from the window wall in the rear of the living room. Reggie and I hurried in that direction, scanning the skyline for any abnormal sight. At first, it seemed fairly normal, until the whizzing grew louder and we located where it was coming from. Something small and metal was barreling towards our window at high speed.
"Reggie, get down, now!"
"What, why?" It was clear he hadn't spotted the projectile yet.
"Just fucking listen to me!" I threw myself overtop of him, slamming us both to the carpeted floor below us. Within a matter of seconds, the impact came, glass raining down on us like it was nothing.
After catching some shrapnel, I stood up to find that the gaping rupture in the glass was now exposed to the high winds of New York. I followed the trail of glass across the living room to find the object had stopped when it hit the table leg on the other side of the room.
I walked in its direction, stepping past Reggie, who was still struggling to get up himself. When I leaned down, I was able to tell that it was a small jet engine with a GPS tracking system. I picked it up. When I turned it over, brushing off some glass bits, I was able to see that there was a note on the bottom.
It read, "Tomorrow, 8PM, Staten Island Ferry" I couldn't help but laugh. Despite the fact that we'd just lost a window that would set us back even more than we'd originally anticipated, it certainly was a way to make an entrance. Reggie, who'd finally gotten to his feet, was clearly agitated.
"So," he said, a hint of sarcasm and annoyance in his tone, "Tell me. Who exactly was it that you called, and why did they just launch a rocket through our fucking window?"
I scowled at him, but answered honestly nonetheless. "An old acquaintance of mine from high school. I haven't talked to them much since, but what I do know is that they're really good at camera hijacking."
"Ok," he said, "Sounds great." For a moment, he actually seemed satisfied, smiling. But, that quickly faded when the angry expression returned. "But that still didn't answer my question. Why did he just destroy our goddamn window?"
"Look, it's probably just a way to grab our attention, all right? Probably just their style."
"Their style!? Leon, I already wasn't on board with this whole hijacking idea. If we're working with - no, if we're working under someone who solves problems like this? Count me out."
He did make a valid point, a window that large would not be easy to replace, especially considering how tight money already was. However, I wasn't ready to give up just yet.
"Reggie, the business will be up and running in no time. All you need to do is sit back, lounging your lazy ass in the apartment like usual. I'll do all the heavy lifting." Angered by his loafing portrayal, Reggie stood up to intensify his response.
"Wherever the hell it is you're going, I'm coming with you." He placed his hand on my shoulder. While he may have expected otherwise, I rolled my eyes and pushed his arm down.
"No, Reggie. I'm doing this alone."
"No, I go with you."
"I just told you. This is my job, and you're not—"
"Damn it, Leon, I'm coming!"
"No, Reggie, you will not be coming."
"Give me one good reason why not."
"Because this 'mystery place' of yours just fired you." Those words shut Reggie's argument floodgates right up. However, some water continued to seep through.
"The ferry? I don't give a shit what they say, I'm going. They already fired me, right? I mean what else can they do?"
I sighed once more at his ignorance. "A lot, Reggie. Ever heard of restraining orders?"
"For a boat, Leon? You're telling me they're going to show me a signed slip of government issued paper saying that I can't come within 100 feet of a fucking boat?"
I just sighed again, walking away. Reggie, upset by my sudden self removal from the conversation, followed me.
"Hey, where are you going?" I pushed him off once more.
"I'm hittin the hay early. Goodnight, Reggie."
Reggie was going to say something else, but decided a simple follow up goodnight was enough.
Night passed.
The next day dragged; I was bored out of my skull. Finally, the time came to make my way to the ferry terminal. Despite my prodding, Reggie refused any other way, and decided to follow me out to the ferry terminal.
As to be expected, the guards had quite the problem with him being there. Having quite obviously been made apparent about the news of Reggie's firing, they refused to let him in.
Even though he was only there to ride, rather than argue and raise suspicions, I made Reggie wait at the ferry terminal whilst I boarded alone.
The ferry departed, leaving the Manhattan skyline behind us as we began to travel across the dirty waters to reach Staten Island. This was an exciting journey for most newcomers and tourists, getting to experience the thrills of the melting pot firsthand. However, once you'd lived here long enough, the ferry ride begins to become a burden, and you start to lose touch with that inspiration and hope.
As if I'd taken this ferry every day for my entire life, I had absolutely zero bewilderment or awe at the sights. I was too focused on the task at hand.
Finding her.
Finding not only my ticket to freedom, but potentially the start of my long awaited revolution against the government.
I scanned around the ferry, filtering out the snippets of multiple conversations I was picking up before. I caught glimpses of a few people that I thought looked like her, though it was hard to recall the look of someone you hadn't seen in a decade.
The ferry churned its way through the choppy waters, nearing the island. I frantically looked around at this point, realizing I may have just missed my chance.
I continued to search for her, but it was no matter. The horn sounded, alerting everyone that we'd arrived at our destination.
I nearly punched a wall in. Had I not been in a public place, I would've. I filed out with the rest of the monotone crowd, upset by my loss of this opportunity.
It would be a while before the next ferry left, so I had to find a place to bide time before returning to Reggie with the bad news. I found a bench just outside of the terminal that looked promising. There was some girl sitting on it, but she was on the other side, so it didn't matter. I sat down, worn out.
Thoughts coursed through my head. 'Where could she have been?' or 'How long until I can go back?' and 'Wasn't there something unusual about the girl sitting beside you?'
Actually, now that my brain pointed it out, I snuck a glance to my side, before realizing my issue. I nearly did a double take.
The bench I'd happened upon contained the very person I'd been looking for. She looked up from her phone when she saw my gaze.
"Well," she said. "It's about damn time." She turned the phone off and pocketed it. Then she stood up.
"So," she said, turning to me. "Ready to jam some cameras?"