The next day when Gerald awoke and finally caught himself, he decided that he needed to get on a train and go up into the countryside. He had spent the night in the alleyway and woke up to a rat walking up one of his legs and a roach crawling very closely on the wall behind him. That was honestly the creepiest things that had ever happened to him in his life. He started his day grossed out and anxious but was able to overcome both emotions rather quickly. He had managed to make his way down to the subway without anyone noticing him or at least, so he had thought. He bought his ticket at counter three and then proceeded to station five to wait for the train and to be honest this escaping venture was going a lot smoother than he thought it would.
As he stood awaiting the train, he noticed that there was a guy on his phone a bit farther away from him looking suspiciously in his direction. The guy was turning his head away from him clearly not wanting to be seen. He thought it odd, so he moved closer to observe. After all, this could be the guy that was setting him up. As he moved closer to the person, the stranger began to walk farther away. It was as if he was following Gerald and knew that he had seen him. Gerald decided to wait around a corner for him to walk back past him instead of continuing to follow. The plan worked like a charm. As the man passed by, he grabbed him and pulled him in the corner of a subway stall. To his surprise, the person was none other than the new tenant who he had only met for the first time not even 24 hours ago; It was Ryan. He was speechless.
"RYAN! Why are you following me? Are you the person setting me up?"
He tried whispering this to him as much as he possibly could have but was only successful with the ending of the sentence.
"You need to get to the station now! Police are searching for you all over. They are at the apartment complex searching every apartment looking for you. They said something about you kidnapping and maybe murdering two women. One from another area fifty minutes out and then the Ashley Pane lady."
Ryan sounded frantic and a bit scared however, Ryan seemed to be a naturally frantic person, so this didn't matter to Gerald too much. It was the additional information that left Gerald totally inclined to the conversation. He didn't have any devices that allowed him to listen in on the news, so he wasn't aware of any new developments.
"Did you just say they are accusing me of kidnapping two women?"
He replied to Ryan with the most confused tone ever. Who was that other woman? How were they coming up with these accusations? At that time, it was Gerald's best guess that they were pulling cold cases and trying to pin him to them. Either that or they were pulling these things out of thin air. Were there actually missing women or was there something bigger to this. Maybe a conspiracy or something close to it?
Ryan broke his intense thought pattern by handing him a small radio that worked on batteries. He stood handing over the radio hoping that he would trust him enough to take it. Gerald halted considering the assistance being given and wondering why Ryan was helping him. How did he even know that he was at the train station in the first place. Ryan officially became the first suspect as the person who he believed could be setting him up.
"Listen. I know that you are trying to escape this but the best way to do this is to go to the station and speak with them. They know more than you do, and I think that..."
Gerald stopped Ryan in between his speech by beginning to speak himself.
"Everybody...wants...me...to...turn myself in. I DIDN'T DO IT. Someone clearly set me up and I'm on my way to finding out who it is."
Ryan stood completely stunned and speechless at the words that came out of Gerald's mouth. It was like he knew something that Gerald didn't, but he was refusing to say. He was so shocked that he barely moved. Gerald stopped in astonishment as well confused as to why would Ryan be so startled by his words. He again tried handing over the small radio to Gerald this time slower in movement than he did before. Ryan's expression changed drastically. He became a bit down, sorrowful even.
"I think you should take this radio and listen to the broadcasts that are coming across it concerning YOU. There are things that you should know..."
Gerald's train was on its way and so he turned his back ready to get on. He neither trusted Ryan, nor did he want to take that radio in case it was bugged to track him. Him meeting Ryan of all persons in the subway after meeting him only a day before seemed very suspicious to him. It was like he was waiting there for him and that seemed creepy. Even more, Gerald needed most of his energy to focus on calming himself to go on a long ride. This was his main focus. Ryan shoved the radio on him along with an additional set of batteries. He was insisting that he needed to listen to the news and the developments concerning him. As he awaited the doors of the train to open and before he got on Ryan said something that kept him thinking for the entire ride.
"If it wasn't so dangerous for me, I would have come along with you. You seem like a cool guy, and I hope that you figure things out. Good luck man."
Ryan jogged off quickly without even looking back. Gerald hoped that Ryan wasn't really setting him up in some way as he didn't want to have to change his direction or plans. He couldn't understand what he had meant by 'if it wasn't so dangerous for him.' Did he mean that he was dangerous or was he referring to escaping the authorities? There was no time to waste though, and the thoughts had to wait. Gerald saw an officer walking down the stairs in the same direction that Ryan left. He knew it. Ryan was a part of whatever this is. Suddenly he saw Ryan call out to the same officer from on top of the stairway in which he had just climbed, and started speaking to him frantically, pointing to the opposite side of the station as if directing him to something urgent on that side. The officer took off in a hurry, moving to the area on the other side. As he quickly moved along, Ryan watched directly at Gerald showing a faint smile and giving him the thumbs up.
Gerald just couldn't understand the statement that Ryan made to him about something being dangerous. He couldn't understand why he would refer to him as dangerous, so he brushed it off as him meaning the escape plan and the process of evading the police. He tried his best to blend in while on the train. He didn't want anyone to notice him and as being a blessing in disguise, there were mostly older persons on the train. They were almost all too busy sleeping to even notice much but for those that weren't they were instead reading a book or enjoying the scenery on the way.
"Hey, where are you heading?"
A gentle old man asked as he stood over him smiling from ear to ear. He had a long white beard with no mustache. Gerald didn't bother to answer because to be fair he honestly didn't know what his next move was to know how to answer him correctly. Nonetheless he continued.
"You know I have a small cottage in the countryside way up in the hills where I would stay for weekends when I went hunting. Very cozy and far from you know.... the authorities and other visitors."
As the old man mentioned the last part of the sentence, he slowed his speech and at the end he winked at him. Gerald sat up in a bit of a panic. He figured that the old man must have recognized him from the news. He became very agitated and suddenly the train made a stop at a station. He thought it would be wise to get off there in an attempt to get away from the old man however when he looked around, he saw two police officers patrolling on the outside.
"I wouldn't get off at any station before the final stop if I were you. They are always up to date about fugitives. B..O..L..O. It means be on the lookout."
Gerald had already known that, but he didn't respond to the man. He didn't know what to do so he just sat there. As the train drove off the old man comforted him a bit even though he was yet to speak a word to him.
"I was an army captain for almost thirty-five years. Served in as many wars that you can name you know. I know an innocent man when I see one and I know someone who needs help."
Gerald kept looking at him knowing very well that he was indeed both innocent and needed help. He didn't even listen to any broadcasts on the radio that Ryan had given to him as he didn't want to become distracted by it on his way up. He finally spoke back to the old man accepting his place of accommodation.
"I...I honestly don't know where I am going. I have no idea what is going on and I am very confused. If you are willing to let me stay in the cottage, I would be grateful but that is if you also would like to help me, find the person trying to set me up for these kidnappings."
The old man watched Gerald with a straight face as if trying to comprehend exactly what he was saying. His look was almost identical to Ryan's when he had mentioned being set up to him. Why was everyone looking at him so strangely whenever he had mentioned that? He knew that maybe they didn't believe him, and this just made him sad. He bent his head in hopelessness.
"Son, you can stay there as long as you would like, and... your secret will be safe with me."
The old man moved closer to whisper while finishing the sentence. With a glimmer of hope, Gerald's spirits were raised high. He was blessed and he knew it. He usually would pray to all the higher powers in one and he had started to feel as if it was paying off. He had found a place to stay without even trying and the old guy had seemed to be one of the nicest persons ever. He was pleased with this. Now, it was time to figure out who, what and why. To solve this case and hand it over to the police so that he could return to his life as it was before.