Cliff Ryder - Out of Time

You just take care of business—whatever it is—

and then give me the all clear when you can.”

“Thanks, Karen,” Brin said, slapping her cell phone shut before the other woman could press her for more information again. Then she slowly sank down against the wall and started to cry.

“I’ll park in one of the maintenance spaces, inside the garage. Soo Lin has gone to visit her sister for a few days. We get up to the apartment, get you changed and bandaged up, then we’re gone.”

Liang drove under a hanging canopy and guided the red car into the covered spaces that were part of the maintenance department of his building.

“I’ve got everything I need in my bag,” Alex said. “It’ll just take us a few minutes to grab it.”

Liang pulled the parking brake and threw open the door. He watched as Alex struggled out of the car.

Alex tried to mask his growing weakness, but he was a large man and the modified Trans Am was too low to the ground. The pain had spread from his legs and traveled all the way up to his hips. His eyes didn’t want to focus, and his head pounded.

Liang stepped out of the sleek sports car and followed. He glanced around, but saw no one.

They didn’t know if the men in the black sedan could identify the car, but if they’d gotten any kind of look at it, they could. Didn’t matter. They’d needed speed, and it was all that was available.

On the way to the elevator, they passed a man in gray overalls. He stared at them, obviously ready to say something about parking restrictions.

Liang stepped forward, whispered something into his ear and pressed some money into his hand.

“Five minutes, brother, five minutes and we’re gone.”

The man stared at the money, tucked it into his pocket, nodded and turned away.

Once they were in the elevator, Alex relaxed a little. He leaned back against the wall and took some of the pressure off his legs. He knew that Liang was watching him, but it hardly mattered anymore. All that did matter was that Liang got him to the airport and into the air without incident.

The doors opened and Liang shot forward into the hall, Alex following slowly. He was desperate for a chance to just sit, to relieve some of the pain in his legs. They had begun to weaken considerably since he had reached China. There was no telling how far they would actually take him before they gave out altogether.

Liang raced ahead and unlocked the apartment door. Alex stepped past him and into the back bedroom, grabbed his duffel bag and slung it over one shoulder. The added weight staggered him, made him reevaluate the strength he had left.

“Are you sure you’re going to make it?” Liang looked truly concerned. “They told me to keep an eye on you—said you might not be yourself.

Something I need to know?”

“I’ll be fine. I have to be.” Alex nodded curtly, as though that would make the statement more true.

Alex stopped in the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face, then did a quick job of bandaging up his shoulder. He changed into clean clothes, and felt almost human again. He didn’t have enough time to get all the layers of blood and dirt off, but for the moment, he thought he’d pass muster.

Liang stared a moment longer, as if trying to evaluate their odds. Then he nodded.

“Off we go, then.”

The two men swung into the hall, pulled the locked door shut behind them and hurried into the waiting elevator. When the doors opened, the car was in plain sight. No one was in the garage, thankfully, not even the maintenance man they’d paid off.

Liang started the engine and Alex slipped into the passenger side, arranging his bag on the floor so he’d have room to stretch his legs. A few seconds later, they were speeding down the wide avenue toward the outskirts of town. It had taken several calls, but Liang assured him that there would be a plane waiting for them, and that there would be no trouble with customs.

Alex felt the need to explain himself. More than anything, he didn’t want Liang to think he was weak or inexperienced. He had put the man’s life in danger by taking on this mission when he was less than one hundred percent. He owed the man something by way of explanation. And yet, there just weren’t the appropriate words. Liang knew all he needed to know about Alex, the mission and his situation. Anything more would put the man in even more danger.

They reached the airport without incident, but the minute they passed through the main gate and had the terminal in sight, Liang stiffened. “We’ve been spotted,” he groaned. “You suppose that PMC

guy is hooked into the Mafia here, too?”

Alex looked behind them to where that same black car, flanked now by two SUVs, had fallen in line and were in hot pursuit. “Shit,” he said.

“Anything’s possible. Maybe they were paying someone off. You think we can lose them? Maybe you’d better call them again and tell them to keep the engine running.”

Liang flipped his phone open, clicked speed dial without looking and started jabbering into the mouthpiece. He listened for a second, and then nodded grimly. He snapped the phone shut and gunned the engine, leaving their pursuit vehicles scrambling to keep up.

“I hope those legs have a little juice left in them, brother. You may have to run for it. The plane is fueled up and ready to go, but when I told them who was on our ass, they got a little jumpy. They aren’t going to be too patient.”

Liang skidded in a short curve and raced for the runway.

Alex leaned out the window. He saw the plane.

The engines were already revved, and Yoo Jin-Ho stood on the gangway, watching the chase. The little man waved frantically, as if he could help the car move faster. He was screaming something at them, but there was no way to make it out.

Alex dragged the duffel bag off the floor. The effort sent fire shooting through his legs. He unzipped a pocket on the side of the bag and dragged out two shoulder straps. He slung it over his back, tugged it into place and pulled the straps tight.

“Pop the latches on that T-top and blow the hatch.” Liang shouted.

“You might not be able to stop and get it back.”

Alex grinned at him. “What do you have in mind?”

“It’s not my car, and the guy who owns it,”

Liang shouted, “he’s not here. I’ll get it fixed for him. Don’t worry about the car. Get that roof open, and get ready.”

Alex glanced ahead. The plane was moving, and not slowly. Liang skidded in behind it on the runway. Alex stared at the plane, then back at Liang. “And you say I’m crazy?”

Liang just grinned. “I’m coming in straight under that plane, brother,” he yelled. “You’d better be ready—you aren’t getting a second chance.”

Alex closed his eyes, focused and slammed his hands up, snapping the clamps on the T-top. It caught in the wind and whipped away behind them. He hoped it hit one of the pursuers in the windshield, but he didn’t bother to look back. He balanced himself in the seat, hands braced on the roof, and watched as they pulled up behind the plane. It began to rise.

He saw Jin’s terrified face watching from the still-open hatch on the side of the plane. Liang hit the gas, and the powerful car roared forward. The plane had barely cleared them, but Liang didn’t hesitate.

“I don’t think they can see you from here, man.

Maybe they think you missed it. Maybe they’ll chase me,” he shouted.

“Safe home,” Alex screamed. Then he glanced up, said a silent prayer and shot his legs out like pistons. He cursed, screamed and prayed in the same breath. He reached out, caught the bottom of the door and used his momentum to carry him up and forward. He tucked his knees in close and whipped up and through the hatch. He released the rail and felt hands grabbing his waist, dragging him in. Moments later the hatch swung closed, and he felt the plane rising. He lay curled where he’d landed, his eyes closed, waiting for shots to bring them down, or the hatch to open and suck him back out.