Cold Night
An Early Edition Fanfic
Missing scene from “Fatal Edition”
By Kate O’Neil
11/22/99

Authors Note: Yeah, I don’t usually write fanfic, I don’t have the attention span. If you think that’s bad, you should see my personal projects! I thought of this walking to class Monday morning in the freezing cold. With the words ‘cold, cold, cold...’ in my brain, it didn’t take much to make me think of Gary sitting out in the cold at the end of part one of Fatal Edition and at the beginning of part two. So here’s what happened while the credits rolled...


A passing traveler walked along the lake front. The wind was so cold, the night had fallen fast earlier, and she had no desire to be out late in the dark when she could be back at her apartment sipping something hot. It was dangerous out here at night, even in such a public place. She had heard of a escaped murderer on the radio news she loved so much. But when a good friend asked her a favor, she didn’t think of herself, she wasn’t selfish. So she had dropped off his blueprints and took the fastest route back, along the lake shore.
She glanced out at the water and sighed. It was peaceful out here, but getting colder. She picked up her pace and noticed a shadow leaning up against the low wall near the edge of the lake. She paused for a moment to get a better view.
A man sat up against the wall, clearly not dressed for the weather. In the dark he was almost no more than an outline, but she studied him anyway.
‘Homeless? Most likely...’ she thought. ‘Funny, he doesn’t really appear the type.’ She looked down at her pocket book and shifted it to her left side. She started to walk again but stopped. With a second glance at the man, she felt herself sigh and she reached into her purse. ‘This is dangerous and incredibly stupid... but..., what the heck, I always have my mace.’
She walked over to the man, who didn’t seem to notice her approach. She held out a five dollar bill to him. The man flinched and looked up at her holding out the bill for him to take.
“This is... all I have, and it’s an awfully cold night to be spending on the streets,” she told him with a slight grin. The man nodded and reached up as if to take the bill then stopped.
“No, I can’t,” he said quietly and almost apologetically.
“Please?” She held the bill out further, wondering why this man seemed afraid of her when it should be the other way around.
Finally he took the bill. “Thank you,” he mumbled. She studied the kind eyes and saw a slightly haunted look to them. She nodded and walked away quickly, something in his gaze made her uneasy, but it was not for concern for herself...
“You know-” his voice called over to her. She jumped, startled. She turned to see him looking at her.
“It’s dangerous to be walking around on the streets this late, be careful,” he told her.
She nodded and grinned slightly. “Thank you, I will.”
She walked off at a brisk pace and wondered about what would cause a man like that to end up on the streets. She shoved her hands in he pockets and let out a breath of relief. To her, the night seemed a little less colder.

Gary stared at the five dollar bill in his hand for a minute. He shuddered, the realization of what could have just happened dawned on him. ‘What if she recognized me? By now the whole city is probably looking for me, she could be calling the police right now.’
He shivered and climbed to his feet numbly. He had been at the brink of sleep when the woman offered him the five bucks. What if he had fallen asleep? Did the police patrol this area? He would be caught for sure if they did. He looked around but saw no one. Gary started walking.
This whole situation was to fine a line to be walking. His thoughts lead back to nearly three years ago, fleeing from the police for the first time. Then it had been different, that time he was just wanted for questioning, they thought he was a danger, but not a murderer. Then he had spent the night on the El, this time he couldn’t. It would be no better then walking down to the station and turning himself in. He had no where to run to.
And no one to turn to. Marissa was a world away, and she was being put through enough. Chuck was in LA, there was no hope of a rescue from that front. Armstrong never believed him from the start. Then Brigatti-
Gary stopped and thought painfully of earlier. He had taken a serious risk to head to her home. The look in her eyes as she held her gun aimed at his heart, so angry, so betrayed, so hurt. She didn’t believe him. Hell, he wouldn’t have believed himself either. Standing in her house like the murderer everyone was making him out to be.
She hadn’t pulled the trigger. She wanted to believe him to be innocent, but couldn’t. All of her training was screaming that he was a killer, and she couldn’t fight that... but she had.
Gary started walking again.
It was getting colder, and he was exhausted. After escaping he had been running all day. He’d been lucky to make it this far. He wouldn’t even have gotten free if the paper hadn’t shown up.
The paper.
Why hadn’t it shown up this morning? He could have explained it to the attorney, to everyone. Undeniable proof of his innocence-
And the end of the paper. The police would have found a way to confiscate it everyday, or simply wouldn’t believe. Then what? Most likely the paper would stop coming. It would be like a sacred trust had been broken, the paper wouldn’t stand for it. It would all have stopped. He would have been free from two convictions.
He would’ve been torn up inside. At best the paper would stop coming, but the press would be all over him, or the police, or...
He didn’t even want to think about the possibilities. He was exhausted, he needed warmth and sleep, a shower would be nice too, but that was taking wishful thinking a little too far!
A group of warehouses were around the next corner. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t even noticed were he was walking, or so tired he didn’t realize. He reached the door and looked in. Empty, quiet. Sheltered. No one was using this warehouse for anything important it appeared.
A place to hide for the night. He crept in.
Amidst the old crates and other stored equipment he was able to find a length of some fabric or tarp. Obviously he wasn’t the only one who thought that this was a good place to spend the night. He remembered the woman by the lake front, offering him the money. She had thought he was a street person. He unconsciously placed a hand to the coat pocket were he had placed the bill the the other money he had gotten from Marissa.
He went to a sheltered corner and laid down. Listening for the slightest sound of someone who might give him away. He thought he heard a siren far off, but that might have been his imagination. This was, after all, Chicago.
He drifted off.

Something was rubbing up against his head. Something warm and vaguely familiar. Then it was next to his ear.
“MEOW!” The cat called right in his ear. He couldn’t believe that cat, who had it it into his apartment? He pulled the blanket over his head. Why was it-
“Me-row?” The cat questioned as he pulled off the blanket, the horrible reality dawning on him. He was in a warehouse, he was on the run from the police for a murder he didn’t commit. He turned to stare at the cat who looked back until it seemed it was sure that Gary knew what was going on. Then Gary saw the paper and heard the far off call of sirens.
“Fugitive Captured...” He read and quickly got up, only then realizing how sore he was from sleeping on the floor. He watched the cat run from the building and hurried to follow suit.

Only ten minutes later the first cruiser arrived, then another and another. By now Gary would be lucky if his escape hadn’t made national news. He had read the article while hiding behind a nearby, but not to nearby, building. How close had he come this time? To close... he didn’t wait to see the police storm the warehouse only to not find him. Once again checking the article. It had changed, he was lucky this time. At some point his luck was going to run out, he didn’t want to be there when it did.
Gary headed off away at a brisk pace. He had to find the killer, and he had so few options left. He had to find Joe, that was the first problem. Without another look back, Gary Hobson headed off to find the real killer.

The next morning in a comfortable apartment a young woman sat drinking coffee and listening to some music on the radio. She reached over to check the time as a knock on her door told her it was her friend’s turn for carpool, she had forgotten.
As the door opened her friend came in full of energy, as usual.
“Hi Marcy,” she greeted.
“Hey Teresa, did you hear? The escaped fugitive was cleared of charges, it was a crooked cop who committed the murder they believe!”
“Really? I hadn’t listened to the news yet-”
“You need to watch more tv, here come look!” Her friend sat down on her couch and flipped on the tv, changing it to the news. The reporter commented on the facts about the past deaths and the accused but cleared Gary Hobson who had been framed. Marcy sat back and grinned.
“Just like out of a movie! Personally, I think Hobson’s cuter then Harrison Ford any day!”
Teresa looked up from her coffee in time for them to show a clip of Hobson declining interviews with the reporters from last night. She gasped and nearly dropped her coffee.
“What?” Marcy asked as Teresa went pale.
‘My god, that’s the man from the other night! The whole city was looking for this guy and I gave him five bucks! He could’ve... I could’ve...’ Teresa fell silent and Marcy just stared.
“Wow, it’s a good thing I don’t watch tv news! He helped catch the criminals last night! If I had known who he was and called him in, the real criminals might have gone free.’ Teresa blinked at the tv with amazement. ‘It’s dangerous to be walking around on the streets this late, be careful,’ he had told her.
“Come on, we’re gonna be late for work,” Marcy shut off the tv. Teresa fished her coffee and and got.
“Hey, what did they say that his bar was named? McGinty’s?” Teresa asked Marcy. Marcy gave her a funny look.
“I think so... why?”
Teresa grinned and grabbed her bag. “Let’s go, I don’t want to be late for work...”

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