> M in Plureality

Dan shook his head, the wind whipping across his neck. His head was pounding and the sirens and flashing lights were not helping. He tried to focus on the scene, his arm weighing heavy, looking down to the black megaphone in his hand. The spotlight gliding across the night sky, stopping on a rooftop some ten stories up. He could make out the shadow of a figure.   

“Max!” an officer yelled at him. “The chopper will be here soon. She’s agreed to let you and only you come up. Let’s get you connected and cabled - you are being dropped in, no weapons…” 

“Wait a minute-” Dan stammered, trying desperately to wrap his head around what was happening…  

*whomp whomp whomp*  

He heard the bird coming before he could see it, the dust flying around, stinging his eyes, the pounding in his head almost unbearable. 

“Ready to go, Max,” the young officer yelled over the growing roar of the chopper.  

“Wait a minute…my name’s…” 

Soon there were hands all over him hooking up the harness. He felt the clang of the safety buckles, he felt the tug on his waist, and soon his feet were off the ground. Watching the city grow smaller in the night sky as the chopper took him up hovering just above the rooftop, then slowly lowering him down. “Release, release,” he heard the officer in the chopper yell down to him. 

Not sure what to do, Dan tugged on the line hanging just to his left and he felt himself begin to fall, dropping with a thud onto the rooftop below him. “Wait!” he called, looking up and watching as the chopper disappeared. “What the fuck is going on?” he thought to himself.  

“Don’t come any closer,” the voice called out to him. He could make out her figure now, short woman, blackish brown hair. He could hear her crying.  

“My name’s…” He stopped for a minute… Thinking back to everyone calling him Max… Officer Max…  

“I am going to do it, Max!” she cried, turning...“What the hell?” she stammered, catching her first look at him… 

“Dan?” she asked. 

“xxxxxx?” he asked back.