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Neddie took so breaths, then walked north a block and a half to to Joice Street, an alley with a grate where the asphalt rate on an earlier excursion, and he pried it open now Metal creaked and he dropped inside a drafty opening, holding on to the curb until he found footing on the metal ladder

He heard water dripping, and cool air careet him as he entered the new, still-under-construction tunnel for the Central Subway

The tunnel was enorht from a pocket and flicked it over the heavy er and the backhoes Then he headed north between the just-laid train tracks

Rats scurried His running shoes slapped at the low tide He kept his light on the newly poured concrete walls, looking for the exit, and then his light kissed the ladder on the wall

Neddie put the end of his penlight between his teeth and cli open the drain A moment later he took in the sweet air and the expansive freedoht He ran; he pushed off walls and took the peaks and valleys of San Francisco’s exciting topography

He was still flying when he reached Cordelia Street He slowed and drafted behind three teenage boys, staying back and at the sahed and horsed around all the way to Powell

Neddie was ihts, eyes dohen he whue dude

“Hey Watch where you’re going,” said the big h school football player

Then he added the zinger, “Are you crazy?”

“I’ up his voice to his falsetto range

The big dude bent to gather up his briefcase, his newspaper, and continued on Then, as if a new thought had struck him, he stopped and turned to look at Neddie

Neddie thought he understood why

That newspaper headline—STEALTH KILLER And so dude think too ence in his eyes, the look that Neddie always tried to hide And the big dude was paralyzed by that look

Neddie thought he’d been recognized He said it out loud “Uh-oh”

Quick, his hand was in his pocket, where he wrapped his fist around a loaded sharp He’d never had a bit of trouble before, but the big dude was looking right at hiht