I actually found him 3 days after I decided to start looking. I’d been hanging out and smoking behind shitty restaurants near the tenement, waiting for him to show up for a smoke break. Eventually, he does.
   He looks a hell of a lot different wearing the white uniform and a black apron. He must’ve hung up his chef’s hat inside. He’s got dark sweaty hair and bags under his eyes.
   He notices me, looks away, lights a cigarette, takes a big drag, leans against the brick wall with his arm over his head and takes a big breath out, then turns to me.
   “How did you find me?” he asks.
   “Doesn’t matter. I’m out, Hermes. I can’t do this anymore.”
   He snorts. “I’m not- don’t call me Hermes here. My name is Lyle.”
   “Lyle.” I say. Doesn’t fit. “I’m Lucky.”
   “I agree.”
   “No, that’s my name.”
   “Oh.” he takes another drag. “MATH handles all the names and messages, obviously. Crazy bastard.”
   “You didn’t acknowledge the important part of what I said.”
   “I know, chill out man. Give me a second.”
   Lyle leans his back against that grimy brick and looks at me, sitting on some stacked plastic crates. Cars pass by outside the alley, and there’s a cool wind coming in from the water a couple blocks down. Maybe rain coming. It’s a peaceful moment.
   I felt like Lyle let me into some part of his world there. He probably thought more of it than I did.
   “Jawbreaker’s after you?” he asks.
   I nod.
   He sucks in through his teeth and looks off out the alley. “Don’t talk on us.”
   “They’re not taking me in. I can’t go back to prison.”
   Lyle nods. “So you’re thinking about leaving?”
   “Yeah.”
   He laughs to himself. “MATH really does know everything, Lucky. It does.” he puts the cigarette behind his ear in a practiced motion and pulls out a disc and portable downloader from his shirt pocket. “It gave me this this morning. For you.”
   I take it with some deliberation, after he shakes it at me.
   “One last gig.” Lyle says, putting the cigarette back in his mouth.
   I shake my head. “I can’t. I want to live a life I can be proud of and look back on. I don’t want to be a part of this at all, winning or losing- it makes me paranoid and sad and pathetic and I hate myself, maybe always, but maybe just when I’m doing this. It’s my curtain call, I can feel it.”
   “Think of the money, Lucky. Curtains tomorrow. Another score today.”
   I think for a while about what to say. Lyle beats me to it.
   “Lucky, the best time for you to do what you’re thinking was years ago. You’re well past that. What’s the difference between today and tomorrow? You’ve got some more money in your pocket if you quit tomorrow. Who can blame you for that?”
   I shrug.
   Lyle walks up closer to me, and speaks softly. “I hate to say it, but if you were to really ditch with all that you know… MATH might have to do something about you.”
   “What?”
   He shrugs and tosses the cigarette at the ground. “People like you go missing, Lucky. These things happen. I don’t want to see it happen, but these things do happen. So do me a favor and look at those instructions when you’re alone.”
   I just watch him, probably showing my fear on my face. He frowns and motions his head to the road.
   “Get out of my alley. I gotta sit down.”