Run: Day 16

Word Count: 96,008

Summary of Events:

DaNiel admired the scenery as they continued to drive along the Columbia River, especially as things got more forested and lush the further west that they got. Ty, too, enjoyed the scenery — although he resented that he did because he hadn't wanted to go the way they were going — as they reached Portland finally; as they were entering in, however, they were pursued by a police car, prompting DaNiel to flee until they were able to hide in a parkade. DaNiel was sure the police officer had known the license plate number to be stolen, and so decreed that they were leaving the car behind, despite Ty's upset at abandoning his grandparents' car. Finding a motel to spend the night in, DaNiel settled down to watch the news . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Once the advertisements were finished the screen flashed red with all capitals screaming out: BREAKING NEWS.

After a few moments and a little, intense, edgy tune, the anchor appeared.

“We have breaking news to report,” the anchor said — apparently for all the visually impaired people, or people who just plain couldn’t read. “Police in Portland pursued, but failed to catch, a car on Interstate eighty four identified as bearing a license plate reported stolen in Ontario earlier this morning. They lost it in the downtown core, but succeeded in finding it in a parkade, already abandoned by its occupant. The car was wearing yet a different set of plates, with the plates it was reported to have been wearing before being on the car beside it.”

Wearing? It sounded like clothes, DaNiel would’ve thought bearing would be more the right word, but he wasn’t really actually sure what word to use to describe a car with license plates on, maybe that was the anchor’s conundrum too.

“Police are concerned because the plates stolen in Ontario this morning are part of a string of plate thefts across the country, all the way back to a set of expired plates in Alexandria, Virginia,” the anchor explained. “The plates belonging to the car found with expired plates that weren’t on its registration were found in Ohio, with the Ohioan plates on a car in Iowa, and on across the country, the car in Ontario this morning had Idaho plates on it.”

DaNiel swore. They’d been pieced across the country. He looked over at Ty, who seemed to not realise that his actions had been the cause of their chase today; the fact that he’d stolen any plates after they’d left Virginia had led to this, now their route was marked across the country by the plates they’d taken and left behind.

“The plates in Virginia were discovered stolen mere days after the mysterious escape of DaNiel Sparling, a young man convicted of murdering a postman by the name of Kelvin Robinson two years ago,” the anchor continued. “And based on the location of the vehicle first victimised by the plate thieves, police have reason to believe that his escape and the plate thefts are related.”

A second time DaNiel swore. How could they possibly have come to that conclusion when Ty’s grandparents’ vehicle wasn’t from anywhere’s close to the Test House or his parents’ place?

“As a result, police are advising the public to keep their eyes open for DaNiel Sparling,” the anchor continued, a picture of DaNiel beardless and cornrowed appearing on the screen. “They are warned not to approach him, as police consider him armed and dangerous, but to call police immediately and to remain calm as they walk away from him to somewhere safe and secure.”

DaNiel sat in silence as the reporter shared some more information related to the story before moving on. He then turned and looked at Ty, who seemed nonchalant.

“I told you not to steal plates,” DaNiel said.