Chapter 3: Business as Usual

When Jane came to reality, she stretched her arms up high, feeling the effects of a long night driven by alcohol. A monster headache supported that feeling, as she closed her eyes and shook her head in disgust. "I can't do this to my body anymore," she said.

After a few minutes of coming into consciousness, she realized something was wrong.

"Where am I?" she said out loud, looking around for any familiar faces. Nothing.

The bright sun then caught her face as the train whisked around a bend. Then it hit her - Gosen. Unaware of the prior night's events, Jane looked at her hands suspiciously. Questions ferociously jumped into her head. All of which she could not answer.

"Did I commit a crime? Does anyone know about it? Why am I on a train? Was that part of the plan?"

Straining for a couple moments, Jane came to the conclusion that Gosen's body would shortly be found. A brief, yet frightened smile surfaced on her worn down face.

At this time, it didn't matter where she was headed. Nothing mattered as long as she was free from Gosen, free from harassment, and free from the depression that caused all of this.

Within an hour, she had reached her destination. Looking around for what might be hers, she gathered the money left by her former (in her mind) boss, and exited the train - thirteen dollars to be exact.

The signs around town indicated her presence in a new community. Just what she needed - a new life.

*****

Back in Miami, Gosen appeared at work as usual. Working on Saturday has been required, due to the budget problems the office was going through. It was only supposed to be temporary, but that was said six Saturdays ago. Nothing looked like it was changing.

Noticing Jane's empty desk, he smiled to himself and asked Lydia, the loyal data processor who sat just across from Jane, of the whereabouts of one Jane McCaffery.

"I don't have any idea, Mr. Gosen. She hasn't called in either." Gosen smiled deeper, only he knowing the truth.

"Well, if you hear anything, tell her I need to speak with her," Gosen said, as he walked back to his office.

Four hours passed without a sign of Jane. No one really noticed her absence, nor did anyone really care. Jane wasn't the most popular woman in the office, always complaining about her pay, as well as her boss. Her co-workers never understood what her deal was, but then again, nobody knew about the constant advances made by her perpetrator.

*****

In Atlanta, Jane quickly became accustomed to the lifestyle, knowing that if she was seen as an outsider, her cover may be blown. All of this without her committing any type of crime. She would not know this for some time, as she had no intention of returning back to the scene of murder.

Lucky for her, Jane was single. Her family lived across the country, so they wouldn't miss her. Especially since she had a falling out with them some years back. This was her time to start over, her chance to be happy, and her opportunity to live for herself.

Although the whereabouts of her belongings bothered her, she had other things on her mind.

"Where am I going to live?"

About two blocks up, Jane noticed a 'Help Wanted' sign sitting on the ledge inside an Italian restaurant. From the way the sign was positioned, leaning against the window for dear life, Jane knew the establishment needed help.

She walked the last few steps with joy, opening the door, only to find an aroma of herbs that only John Gotti could appreciate.

Lorenzo, the manager, greeted her with a smile and good news. "You can start tomorrow," he said in a heavy accent.

One task has been completed, now, where to live?

"While I'm here, I might as well grab a bite to eat." For some reason, the food tasted better here.

*****

For the first time since Gosen's tenure, the office was quiet. It was as much of Gosen's fault as it was Jane's fault why she was in this situation. He knew it wouldn't last because Jane would soon be walking through the door with a look of revenge. At least this is what he thought. He had no idea Jane was going to be gone, permanently.

*****

That night, Jane laid in the basement of a church, a place where homeless people gathered for a night's rest. Her mind was clear of any distractions. No boring job, and most importantly, no Gosen. At least this is what she thought.

Continue on to the next chapter, following Jane's plotline...
Continue on to the next chapter, following the original storyline...