Chapter 48: Manhattan
Alexandre left the shop. Though he was still annoyed at the unexpected extra cost, it was still worth it for the benefit of protecting his freedom and anonymity. However, he was now almost out of cash, and it was time to leave the Underground.
After about twenty minutes of squeezing through the labyrinthian "streets" of the floor, Alexandre finally returned to the elevator which had brought him to the floor. Ordinary customers could've retraced their steps using the numbers which marked the various sections of the floor, but Alexandre's sharp memory and senses meant he didn't even need to rely on these.
Alexandre got into the elevator. The lobby button was no longer lit up and couldn't be selected, but another button labeled "Exit" was now lit up. Alexandre pressed this, feeling the slightest pull as the elevator began its movement.
This journey was slightly longer than the descent had been. Eventually, the elevator stopped and its doors opened. Alexandre stepped out and found himself on the ground floor of an office complex close to the Clark Street station. Feeling curious, Alexandre waited for a moment after the elevator doors closed, then pressed the "Open" button on the outside. When the doors opened again, a different elevator car was there, one that looked like it only took you from floor to floor in the office building.
"How interesting," Alexandre muttered, then turned around and exited onto the street. The sun's rays fell over him as he stepped outside, and the scents of the city returned.
Alexandre quickly retraced his steps to the Clark Street station entrance, where his cab was waiting.
The driver looked incredibly relieved when Alexandre got back into the cab. "I was beginning to think you'd been thrown in a Dumpster! I tell ya, a few more minutes and I've had thrown your bags on the ground and left."
Alexandre didn't bother replying to this whining, but he narrowed his eyes when he saw that the fare meter had risen to $950 in his absence. That was the price to be paid for monopolizing the cab, but it was still a bitter cost. Still, Alexandre paid what he owed and then growled, "Satisfied?"