CONFIDENTIAL PROLOGUE CONFIDENTIAL TRASH CANS New York City was known as the city that never sleeps There was always something going on in this bustling metropolis regardless of the time of day Morning noon or night people hustled about going from one place to another racing from home to their jobs or out to meet friends or to enjoy a brisk walk through the city's famed Central Park Of course cities don't sleep They don't need sleep People need sleep It should be called the city that never sleeps because it doesn't have to but the people who live there sure need some rest This is probably too wordy for a slogan
And the easiest way to get to any of those places was the subway A series of underground trains that ran up down and across the city's five boroughs including the island of Manhattan the subway could take a person practically anywhere they wanted to go So it wasn't at all strange to see people walking around at any time of day entering any of the city's 472 subway stations What was strange was how one particular woman stared straight ahead as if she was looking through the crowd of people coming up and down the stairs at the Fourteenth Street and Seventh Avenue subway entrance She ran right into a surly man walking a grunting bulldog past an overflowing trash can Why don't you watch where you're going the surly man complained as the curious bulldog sniffed at the trash can But the woman didn't notice the surly man at all It was like she wasn't even on the same planet She just looked ahead her eyes glassy Going to the subway lots of work to do she 9
10 said to herself Trek through the tunnels beneath the avenue What's that the man asked You a poet or somethin The woman didn't react but she kept on talking Drip drip goes the water as we keep on rhyming Watch the garden grow isn't it enlightening The surly man bit his lip Weirdo he said and the bulldog tilted her head and growled At last the woman began walking again and she disappeared down the subway stairs This city is full of weirdos the surly man said then turned to the bulldog who was still sniffing the trash can Ain't that right Ms. Muggins Ms. Muggins snarled in reply shoving her body against the surly man forcing him away from the garbage What now you're actin weird too the surly man asked He watched as the bulldog picked up something off the ground in her mouth What is that Get that outta yer mouth You don't know where it's been the man said as he reached in He pulled a long spiky object from between Ms. Muggins's teeth
Unexpectedly the trash can moved forward closer to Ms. Muggins and the man The garbage inside expanded as the trash can grew larger and larger Sitting on top of the can was a small green metal box What the the surly man said dropping the spike But that was all he could manage before a beam of light flashed from the green box ZAP The man's complaining stopped immediately and he became quiet His eyes glazed over and he let go of Ms. Muggins's leash and followed the moving trash can down the stairs in the same direction as the weird woman had gone The helpless dog could only bark as the surly man said Going to the subway lots of work to do Trek through the tunnels beneath the avenue 11
