Read Online The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeanette Winterson
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in a van, his right arm resting on the rolled-down window, elbow out, letting the rain run in, scrubbing his forearm in relief across his face.
Sudden summer rain.
—
Leo watched Xeno putting Pauline in a cab. Then Xeno went towards the underground car park. It was closed now but Sicilia had hired the space. They had the codes. Leo followed him. His own car was down there.
Lower level. Neon-lit. Concrete pillars. Painted bays. Same the world over. Hot like a dry-cleaner’s down there, the ventilation shafts whirring to clear the heat.
Xeno could never remember where he left his car. Tonight would be no different.
Leo knew where to find his Jeep. It was one of his fun cars. Ex-army. Khaki body, exposed oversized tyres, canvas top, three pedals, two seats, stripped-out dash with a single speedo dial, big chipped steering wheel, heavy rubber handbrake and a tall, skinny gear stick. He used it off duty. The Porsche was for work.
Leo fired up the Jeep with the clunky key and turned it 360 degrees on a screeching skid towards level one, where Xeno was backing MiMi’s Fiat 500 (pink) out of the parking space.
Leo jammed his foot on the gas, drove full pelt towards the Fiat and rammed it from the rear. Xeno stalled. What the…? By the time he recognised the Jeep and realised it was Leo, Leo was reversing fast down the arrowed one-way he had just driven up the wrong way. His Jeep disappeared round the corner, revs high, the engine noise bouncing round the concrete.
He’s on something, thought Xeno, looking at the caved-in flank, pink flakes of paint floating like fish food in the shallow puddles on the concrete floor.
Xeno got back into the car and drove. The wheel was catching where the wheel arch was dented. Better try to pull it free.
Xeno got out, leaving the engine running, and went round to the rear. He pulled at the dented arch.
There was a scream of rubber like in a bad movie. Xeno looked up as Leo came racing towards him, leaning out of the low door of the Jeep.
HERE’S WHAT YOUR GAME NEEDS
Xeno jumped sideways. Leo smashed into the Fiat.
“You crazy fuck!” shouted Xeno, but Leo was disentangling the bull bar on the front of the Jeep from the rear of the defeated Fiat by a series of thrusts and dives—and seemed not to notice Xeno anymore. Xeno stood back as Leo, once loose from his prey, drove straight into the car again—this time taking out the passenger door.
Something snapped in Xeno. He got back into what was left of the Fiat and turned on the engine. It fired. He headed for the exit signs.
Leo was coming after him.
Xeno ramped the Fiat up to level two, spinning the wheel as he cut crazily towards the exit. Leo was faster and right behind him. He shunted the Fiat, throwing Xeno and the car sideways. Xeno saw a space—too small for the Jeep—and swivelled left, leaving Leo jolting back into reverse.
But the turning Xeno had taken was a mistake. He was driving downwards, not upwards. He was driving deeper into the underground car park.
And Leo was still coming after him.
Head-on.
Somehow Leo had got in front of Xeno. The Jeep took a concrete corner on two wheels and pounded towards the Fiat. Xeno did the only thing he could do and spun the car to avoid the head-on collision Leo wanted.
The impact shattered the windscreen and knocked Xeno halfway out of the open passenger side of the Fiat. He was dazed for a moment, hearing acutely the distressed whine of the car’s instrument panel—seeing the yellow and red lights flashing their end-of-the-world warnings across the dials.
He had to get out. Go!
Xeno slid across the seats and pushed open the crippled driver’s door. He started to run.
And Leo came after him in the Jeep.
He’s trying to kill me.
Xeno was running. He was fast but the Jeep was faster. The neon overheads blurred. Numbered bays—20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. A metal screen ahead. The Jeep was right behind him, Leo’s fist on the horn. Xeno could feel the heat from the
Sudden summer rain.
—
Leo watched Xeno putting Pauline in a cab. Then Xeno went towards the underground car park. It was closed now but Sicilia had hired the space. They had the codes. Leo followed him. His own car was down there.
Lower level. Neon-lit. Concrete pillars. Painted bays. Same the world over. Hot like a dry-cleaner’s down there, the ventilation shafts whirring to clear the heat.
Xeno could never remember where he left his car. Tonight would be no different.
Leo knew where to find his Jeep. It was one of his fun cars. Ex-army. Khaki body, exposed oversized tyres, canvas top, three pedals, two seats, stripped-out dash with a single speedo dial, big chipped steering wheel, heavy rubber handbrake and a tall, skinny gear stick. He used it off duty. The Porsche was for work.
Leo fired up the Jeep with the clunky key and turned it 360 degrees on a screeching skid towards level one, where Xeno was backing MiMi’s Fiat 500 (pink) out of the parking space.
Leo jammed his foot on the gas, drove full pelt towards the Fiat and rammed it from the rear. Xeno stalled. What the…? By the time he recognised the Jeep and realised it was Leo, Leo was reversing fast down the arrowed one-way he had just driven up the wrong way. His Jeep disappeared round the corner, revs high, the engine noise bouncing round the concrete.
He’s on something, thought Xeno, looking at the caved-in flank, pink flakes of paint floating like fish food in the shallow puddles on the concrete floor.
Xeno got back into the car and drove. The wheel was catching where the wheel arch was dented. Better try to pull it free.
Xeno got out, leaving the engine running, and went round to the rear. He pulled at the dented arch.
There was a scream of rubber like in a bad movie. Xeno looked up as Leo came racing towards him, leaning out of the low door of the Jeep.
HERE’S WHAT YOUR GAME NEEDS
Xeno jumped sideways. Leo smashed into the Fiat.
“You crazy fuck!” shouted Xeno, but Leo was disentangling the bull bar on the front of the Jeep from the rear of the defeated Fiat by a series of thrusts and dives—and seemed not to notice Xeno anymore. Xeno stood back as Leo, once loose from his prey, drove straight into the car again—this time taking out the passenger door.
Something snapped in Xeno. He got back into what was left of the Fiat and turned on the engine. It fired. He headed for the exit signs.
Leo was coming after him.
Xeno ramped the Fiat up to level two, spinning the wheel as he cut crazily towards the exit. Leo was faster and right behind him. He shunted the Fiat, throwing Xeno and the car sideways. Xeno saw a space—too small for the Jeep—and swivelled left, leaving Leo jolting back into reverse.
But the turning Xeno had taken was a mistake. He was driving downwards, not upwards. He was driving deeper into the underground car park.
And Leo was still coming after him.
Head-on.
Somehow Leo had got in front of Xeno. The Jeep took a concrete corner on two wheels and pounded towards the Fiat. Xeno did the only thing he could do and spun the car to avoid the head-on collision Leo wanted.
The impact shattered the windscreen and knocked Xeno halfway out of the open passenger side of the Fiat. He was dazed for a moment, hearing acutely the distressed whine of the car’s instrument panel—seeing the yellow and red lights flashing their end-of-the-world warnings across the dials.
He had to get out. Go!
Xeno slid across the seats and pushed open the crippled driver’s door. He started to run.
And Leo came after him in the Jeep.
He’s trying to kill me.
Xeno was running. He was fast but the Jeep was faster. The neon overheads blurred. Numbered bays—20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. A metal screen ahead. The Jeep was right behind him, Leo’s fist on the horn. Xeno could feel the heat from the
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