"Taxi! Taxi!" Mindy cried out, her hand raised in the air waving back and forth. "Taxi!"
It was no use, Mindy looked at her watch. "I'm never going to make it to the hotel, it's already eight," she said to herself.
Darkness began to settle in as Mindy looked around, she had only seen one taxi in the last hour and she was getting nervous. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw something, someone, but she couldn't be sure.
"Hello?" she called out, but there was no answer.
Slowly she began to walk down the darkened sidewalk, her briefcase pulled close to her more for her comfort than safety. She paused as he walked towards a small alley, a cat jumped in front of her.
"At least you're not black," she said to the calico. "The last thing I need tonight is a black cat jumping in front of me."
Talking made her feel better. She continued to walk on apprehensively. She paused as she got to the next corner and looked for any signs of life. It was an uncommonly still night, no traffic, no lights, no people.
"What kind of city is this?" she mumbled to no one. "I mean where is everyone?"
She quick covered her eyes as a flash of light from an oncoming care shone on her. She peeked through her fingers and saw the distinctive yellow and black checker pattern on the car. A taxi.
"Thank god!" she called out, waving her hands in the air to hail the cab.
The taxi slowed as it approached her, the driver pulled down the window.
"Do you need a lift?" the driver peered out at her. He was roughly shaven and smelled of whiskey, his dark black hair shadowed with bits of gray. "Lady?"
Mindy looked in the cab but was unable to talk. Something felt funny, but she was so relieved to see a cab, a way home.
"I'm sorry," Mindy finally snapped out of it, "I, can you take me to the Grand hotel?"
"Sure, hop in," the familiar click of the doors unlocking greeted Mindy as she reached out to pull up the rear passenger side door handle.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you," Mindy started, "I can't believe this city, no cabs, no people, nothing."
The cab driver nodded in agreement, slowly pulling the car forward.
"I mean, I saw one cab but it wouldn't stop. Where I come from cabs are everywhere, here I've only seen two," she continued, talking to calm herself.
"Ever since a cab driver got beaten a couple of months ago," she felt the cab drivers eyes looking up at her in his rear view mirror, "no one has wanted to pick up any fares."
Mindy nodded in acknowledgement and looked out the window as the streets passed by.
After about five minutes she looked up at the driver. "Are you sure we're going to right direction?"
The cab driver just looked up at her through the rear view window again and nodded yes as he slowed the car down in front of a dark warehouse.
"Yes, I'm sure," he said as Mindy heard the click of the car locks go down. She hesitantly pulled her briefcase over her chest.
"What are you doing?" Mindy asked nervously. "This isn't my hotel."
The driver pulled up the lock on his door and opened it, slowly stepping out and closing the door behind him. He looked back at her and turned his head to let out a high pitched whistle.
Two men came out of the warehouse and waved before slowly approaching the cab driver. Mindy felt her stomach flutter as she slowly reached out for the lock on the door, it wouldn't budge.
She didn't know what to think as she watched the tree men conversing. One of the men was carrying an envelope and he handed it to her driver. She saw the other man shaking his head no, but couldn't hear what they were saying.
The man with the envelope was big, at least six feet tall, she thought. The other one was a little smaller but he looked stronger. Both of them towered over the cab driver, both of them looked much younger.
She heard the doors click open but was afraid to make a sudden move for the door, what if they caught her? She watched them slowly approach the car, the taller man looking right at her and grinning.
"She's cute," the shorter man said to her driver, "I'm sorry I disagreed with you."
The driver walked to his door and slowly opened it, crawling in he sat down.
"Here you are, the Grand hotel," the driver laughed, opening his envelope and counting the bills. "I hope you have a pleasant visit."
