Warren Murphy - Total Recall

Knowing that Chiun would never forgive him if the Sterling kid got killed, he decided to go after the car. If the Mexicans had come to the church to meet Moorcock, then it was almost a certainty that Moorcock would not leave the church when his guests did.

Remo started after the car, and although he knew he could catch it, even on foot, he decided against it. Instead, he used his superior speed to arrive at the Maple junkyard ahead of them.

When he arrived, he saw that there were already three men there. He didn't know if they simply worked there or if they were part of the drug gang, so he left them alone for the moment. He vaulted the fence and waited among the countless car wrecks for the opportunity to save one of Chiun's children.

The car arrived about ten minutes after Remo had. The four men who were in it accompanied Walter Sterling into the Detroit Auto Cemetery.

"What are we supposed to do with him?" one of the three men who worked in the junkyard asked.

"We have to find him a nice resting place," Burger replied. "The boss's orders."

"I don't understand," Sterling said. "Did you men kill my father? We were doing our part."

"We're just removing you, sonny, before you can do more than your part," Burger said.

The three junkyard employees remained at the entrance to see that the others wouldn't be disturbed.

"Take him in the back," one of them said. "There's a nice Rolls-Royce there almost still in one piece."

The four men walked toward the rear of the yard with the Sterling boy between them, still blubbering about how he didn't understand why they were doing this.

"Boss's orders, boy," Burger finally said. "Nothing personal."

"Donald?" the boy asked. "Did he tell you to kill me?"

"I'm talking about the big boss, sonny. Now keep quiet and try to die like a man."

"Oh, Jesus—" Sterling shouted, but his cry was cut off as a small Volkswagen suddenly flew off the top of a pile of cars and headed right for the group.

"Look out!" Burger screamed, and the five of them scattered. The Volkswagen landed squarely in the center of the space they had previously occupied.

"What the hell was that?" one of the other men yelled.

"Somebody threw a car at us," another man said.

"That ain't possible," Burger shouted at them. "Don't go crazy. A car just fell from the top, that's all. Where's the boy?"

"The boy—" the others said, and they all started looking around them, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit!" Burger shouted. "Find him."

As they gathered into a group again, another car came flying at them, this time a Pinto.

"Christ, look out!"

"Now tell me somebody ain't throwing cars at us," one of the men told Burger.

"This is crazy—" Burger started to say, but he shut his mouth as he dodged a Plymouth Duster.

"Christ almighty, they're getting bigger!" he shouted.

"I'm getting out of here before a fuckin' Caddy comes flying at us!" one of the others yelled.

"Wait, what about the kid?" Burger said.

"As far as I'm concerned," the other man said, "he's dead. Right, men?"

The others all agreed. Burger was about to argue, but when a Buick Electra came flying toward them, he simply nodded and followed the other men.

As the four men ran out the front way, one of the others yelled, "Did you do it?"

"It's done, it's done!" they shouted back, and kept on going.

"What's the matter with them?" one of the three said. "They act like something tried to bite them.

Remo dropped Walter Sterling over the rear fence of the yard and then joined him.

"How'd you get rid of them?" Sterling asked. "I couldn't see anything after you put me in that car and told me to keep my head down."

"I just scared them a little, that's all, Walter. Come on, let's get going."

"Where?"

"We're going to my hotel. There's someone there I think you'll enjoy meeting."

"Wait—"

"What is it?"

"The minister said you wanted to kill me."

"Well, he was wrong," Remo said, "as you can see. If I wanted you dead, boy, you'd be dead."

"I— I guess so."

"Come on. We'll talk at the hotel."

For the benefit of the boy, Remo hailed a cab and had it take them back to the hotel. As they entered the hotel room, Walter Sterling stared at Chiun and asked, "Who's that?"

"That's Chiun," Remo said. "He's my—"

"—companion," Chiun finished.

"He's also the main reason you're alive," Remo said. "Chiun, this is Walter Sterling."

"We are sorry about your father, child," Chiun said.

"I still don't understand what's going on," the boy said shakily.

"Well, let us tell you what we know," Remo said, "and then you can fill us in if you're satisfied."

"A-all right," the boy said, sitting on the couch.

"Now, we've figured out that you're selling drugs and that there are other kids out there doing the same… like Billy Martin."

Sterling didn't reply.

"The Martins had a large stash of cash, and so do you," Remo said, and that startled the boy.

"How did—"

"I found it. Don't worry, I left it where it was."

"That's for my mother, now that my father's gone."

"Your father— now, that puzzles me. Did he know that you were selling drugs?"

"Yeah, he did," the kid said. Then he gave Remo and Chiun a defiant look and said, "We were just trying to make some extra money, that's all."

"What was your father's part?"

"He used his position at the plant to ship the drugs to other cities."

"So that's it," Remo said. "That's why kids whose fathers work at the plant were recruited. You, Martin… Were there others?"

"I don't know. We were never really told more than we needed to know."

"That is wise," Chiun said.

"Hell, that means you don't know anything beyond your own personal duties."

"That's right."

"Well, if I knew that, I would have saved one of those guys at the yard for questioning."

"As usual, you were sloppy," Chiun said, "but lucky for you your friend called."

"Danny the Man?"

"Yes. He said that your meeting has been set up," Chiun said, and then proceeded to recite the location.

"Do you know where that is?" Remo asked Sterling.

"Yes."

"Good, you can give me directions."

"Who are you meeting?" Sterling asked.

"Damned if I know," Remo said. "Who's in charge of this operation as far as you know?"

"A man named Donald Wagner always gave me my instructions," Walter Sterling said. "As far as I know, he's the boss."

"Not from what the men in the junk yard said," Remo recalled. "One of them told you that it was the 'big boss' who wanted you out of the way."

"I don't know who that is."

"I don't, either— at least, not for sure," Remo said, "but hopefully I'll be meeting someone tonight who will know."

"Maybe he won't tell you."

"Yes," Chiun said, "he will tell. He will have no choice."

"Have you been hiding at the church all this time?" Remo asked.

"Yes. The minister has been taking care of me."

"What do you know about him?"

The boy shrugged and said, "Just that he's a minister of some new religion. I don't exactly believe what he preaches, but he was helping me."

"Out of the goodness of his heart," Remo said.

"I suppose. What are you going to do now?"

"We'll wait," Remo said. "You give me the directions to my meeting, and then we'll wait until dark. You'll stay here with Chiun—"

"I'll go with you. I can show you how to get there better than I can tell you."

"I will go also," Chiun said. "I think this whole business is about to come to an end, and I intend to be there when it does."

"All right," Remo said.

"Besides," Chiun said, "I have to make sure that this child remains alive. He is my responsibility now."