C. Palov - Templar's Quest

On the other side of the windscreen a fountain of water gushed skyward.

‘The water main must have burst.’

Finn peered into the wing mirror; they’d had a lucky break. The Mercedes had overshot the turn. The bad guys would have to drive to the next block, turn left and come back around.

Meaning that he and Kate had thirty, maybe forty seconds to get the hell out of there.

‘We’ve got to bolt on the double quick. Those goons will be coming round the corner any second.’ As he spoke, Finn searched the truck cab for a plastic bag. Finding one, he dumped the contents – a half-eaten sandwich and a half-drunk bottle of Coke – and handed the empty sack to Kate. ‘Put the notebook computer inside that. We need to keep it dry.’

Blasted by spewing water when he exited the truck, Finn slogged around the back end and swung the passenger door wide open. Ignoring his co-pilot’s panic-stricken expression, he grabbed the plastic-covered computer off her lap and stuffed it into the waistband of his trousers. That done, he cinched a hand around Kate’s upper arm and yanked her out of the truck. She swayed unsteadily on her high-heel shoes, water trickling down her face.

Finn quickly sized up his teetering companion. Five foot five, 115 pounds. Piece of cake.

Knowing she wouldn’t like what he was about to do, Finn decided to forego getting a signed permission slip. In a big-ass hurry, he shoved his left arm between Kate’s legs, wrapped his right hand around her upper arm, and unceremoniously hefted her on to his shoulder. Turning towards the nearest house, he ran across the soggy front yard. There was no car in the driveway and he figured the happy homeowners were out for the night. Good .

No sooner did he make it to the driveway than Finn heard the roar of a powerful engine at the other end of the block.

The unfriendlies in the Mercedes.

Had to be.

Not planning to stick around long enough to find out, he sprinted down the driveway. A wooden privacy fence enclosed the back yard. Finn stopped at the gate and reached for the latch. If they could just get through the gate before –

Yes!

He noiselessly shut the gate. Peering through the wooden fence slats, he saw a black Mercedes G500 SUV pull up next to the demolished truck.

‘Finn, what’s hap–’

‘Shhh!’

Two men with drawn weapons jumped out of the Mercedes.

Time to hustle.

Pivoting on his heel, Finn headed towards the back fence, sidestepping a kid’s swing. He opened the rear gate and quickly made his way into the alley. Kate started to squirm. Not ready to unload his cargo, he put a hand on her wiggling ass. She instantly stilled.

Passenger subdued, he took off at a fast clip. The alley reeked of urine, rotting garbage and an unidentified dead something . It was a muggy night and the stench hung thickly in the air. As Finn continued down the alley, he heard the rumble of thunder. On the far horizon, like a broken neon sign, streaks of white lightning flickered on and off.

Please, God, no rain , he silently prayed. We’re wet enough as it is.

Figuring they had enough of a lead, he came to a halt and set his passenger on her feet.

‘How far away is Wisconsin Avenue?’ he asked without preamble.

‘Umm –’ She glanced about. ‘I’m guessing it’s about a block and a half from here.’ As she spoke, her lips trembled. ‘We don’t stand a chance, do we?’

Hearing the terrified hitch in Kate’s voice, Finn mentally kicked himself. This was his mess, not hers. ‘If you want to get out of this alive, we need to get a move on it. Capiche? ’

She managed a shaky nod.

Thatta girl. Wisconsin Avenue on any given night was party town central, one of those streets where the beer flowed and the denizens flocked in drunken droves. The perfect place to fade into the crowd. He set a quick pace, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. As they neared the cross street, Finn heard the distinctive roar of a German-made V-8 engine.

Kate heard it as well. ‘Oh, no!’

‘Quick! Get behind that dumpster!’ he hissed, placing a hand on Kate’s shoulder as he shoved her towards a large metal receptacle. Right on her six, Finn crouched as close to Kate as humanly possible, wrapping his arms and legs around her backside. Attempting to make his six-foot-four frame as small as possible.

Twenty feet away, the Mercedes slowed, coming to a complete stop at the entrance of the alleyway. Finn heard the soft whhrr of an automatic window being lowered.

In front of him, Kate shook violently.

Tightening his arms around her torso, Finn silently urged her to keep calm. To stay motionless. His every sense directed towards the idling Mercedes, he listened to the steady purr of the vehicle’s powerful engine.

Long seconds passed before the SUV continued down the street.

Doing a fair imitation of a deflated inner tube, Kate slumped against him. If not for the fact that he still had his arms wrapped around her, she would’ve toppled over.

‘Come on. We need to get clear of the alley before the bad guys make the return trip.’

Grabbing Kate by the upper arm, Finn hauled her upright. Neither spoke as they rushed to the street corner.

A few moments later, they reached Wisconsin Avenue, the pavements teeming with pedestrians. Finn steered Kate towards a rowdy bunch of males, many of whom had Greek letters emblazoned on their T-shirts. Shouldering his way into the middle of the pack, he hoped the frat boys were too drunk to wonder how or why a soaking wet middle-aged couple had suddenly appeared in their midst.

Kate clutched her bag to her breasts, clearly unnerved by the crude language and loud-mouth jostling.

‘Don’t worry,’ Finn whispered in her ear, his nose bumping against her cheek. ‘These guys are harmless.’ The real danger was the congested traffic on Wisconsin Avenue. The bastards in the Mercedes had only to lower a tinted window, take aim and fire. Target eliminated. Since the Seven had proved that they’d stop at nothing to retrieve the Montségur Medallion, Finn figured their henchmen would first take out Kate. Him, they’d keep alive. At least until they had their damned gold pendant.

Without warning, Finn yanked Kate away from the frat boys. ‘Time to cross the street,’ he said, jutting his chin at the nearby crossing.

To his surprise, Kate vehemently shook her head. ‘The quickest route to my townhouse is down Wisconsin Avenue to the canal. It’s only six blocks away.’

‘Maybe so, but I’m starting to get a hinky feeling about all this.’

Like we’re walking right into a trap.

12

‘Quite frankly, I don’t care how you feel. I need to go home.’

Determined to escape the terror of the last few minutes – Those men in the Mercedes wanted to apprehend them. Or worse! – Kate continued down Wisconsin Avenue. Ignoring Finn’s muttered expletive, she limped gracelessly, hobbled by her four-inch-high heels. Breathe deeply. Mind over matter . This, too, shall pass.

Finn manacled her elbow in a powerful, one-handed grip. ‘I don’t think you comprehend the seriousness of our situation. The unfriendlies are still on the prowl.’ In commando mode, he constantly surveyed the environs, his gaze ricocheting from person to street to passing vehicle.

‘These being the same unfriendlies who incited the aforementioned hinkiness.’

‘Can the sarcasm, will ya? The guys in the Mercedes have not called it quits. They are gunnin’ for us.’

Taking exception to his rough tone, Kate pulled her elbow free from his grasp. ‘Just because I gave you a ride earlier, it doesn’t mean that I’m along for the ride. I’m through playing GI Jane.’