I crouched on my bike, letting the night air cut around me. About two klicks from home, I noticed what might have been a tail following me. I couldn't get a good look at it on my bike, but I made a glance over my shoulder as I dropped into a turn.
A corporate car with few markings- it wasn't possible to read the liscence plate with the headlights shining on me, so I needed to ditch them.
I dropped into the turn fully, and spun the throttle as I straightened out. The bike roared beneath me, and I flew down the street, waiting for the corporate car to follow. The car squealed tires as it followed me around the corner, and that only urged me faster. Where these fraggers from my last run? Or even older enemies?
I thought for a second of grabbing the throw-away on my bike and shooting at the car, but the futility of the action struck me before I had reached for the gun. Even if I was by some miracle to hit the driver or scare them away, they would be able to recoup and come after me again, faster now that they wouldn't have to pretend they weren't following me.
My options limited by how close I had gotten to my doss before I noticed them, I dropped down a side street and flew toward the end, crossing fingers that they wouldn't follow me. Sure enough, as I was about halfway down the street, those headlights followed me. I started to panic now- was this just the chaser team-- was it possible that someone, or something, was waiting to suprise me?
I could hear the car engine roar behind me as they sped to keep up, but I had a few tricks still up my sleeve. I darted to the right, thumbing the security RFID pass as I prayed the gate would open fast enough for me to get through. If there was some sort of mechanical failure that the manager was planning on fixing in the morning, I was fragged.
Apparently Buddah or Jesus was listening, because the gate shuddered and began sliding open. I lifted up the front tire as I sped through the tiny space, revving the engine to get through faster as the car behind me pulled toward the gate, gaining ground on me. Once through the gate, I laid the bike into a hard left, almost low enough to drag my knee, sliding around the corner without losing much speed. I couldn't hear anything, but I imagined the pursuers in the four-wheel behind me cursing.
With the corporate lackeys stuck at the gate for a few seconds, I sped around to the other side of the apartment complex, thumbing my stolen RFID tag again to open the exiting gate. As I quietly slid through the gate, I was ever-vigilant of the area behind me, watching for the headlights of the corporate pursuers.
Satisfied that they would trudge through the apartment complex and lose my trail, but not wanting to take any chances, I took the long way around to my pad, watching for any activity at all. I even spent some time under a bridge, waiting and looking for a drone tail.
Satisfied at least in part that they hadn't been prepared for me to rabbit, I finally rolled onto the street of my doss. Without looking at my own pad, I rolled to the end of the street, watching for anything- any car, anyone who shouldn't be there.
Satisfied that no one was watching, aside from the nosier of my neighbors who happened to be up and watching at this time of night, I thumbed off my bike and rolled toward the garage. I leave it unlocked, so I don't have to waste time hiding my bike if I need to get off the street, but this does leave me open to some of the nastier suprises that corporate wageslaves can leave for me.
With baited breath, I thumbed my own RFID, opening the garage. For probably the hundreth time, I hold my breath as the door slides silently open. Once the door is all the way open, I check the street once more, and roll my bike into the darkness.
I go safetly into the darkness.
