There were still quite a few cars on the road, but two lanes. Ryan zipped in and out of them nimbly, cutting people off, eliciting honked horns and causing the offended drivers to brake hard, further congesting the pathways behind him.
“Alright NOW!”
He cut the wheel again, sliding us into another alley. Rice flew. Soup rained down on us, so hot it felt scalding. But we made the turn. Dripping wet, yes, but we were still okay.
All at once Ryan hit the brakes and my jeep skidded to a hard stop. The two of us both turned in the same direction, our heads side by side as we looked out the back window…
Through the narrow mouth of the alley, we saw the black SUV speed past us.
“Thank God,” I breathed.
The jeep started rolling again, this time slowly. Ryan threaded it down two more alleys and another sidestreet, until finally he saw something that made his eyes light up.
“Ah. There.”
He pulled into a tiny parking garage. The little machine spat an automated ticket, the gate went up, and we glided up the ramp and into the shadows.
“What are we doing?”
“Laying low.”
The garage was poorly-lit, but mostly full. With the ceilings so low, the whole thing felt claustrophobic.
“I still don’t know why we couldn’t just call the police.”
Ryan only shook his head. A thin piece of noodle hung from his beard.
“Later.”
Three levels up we found a spot. Ryan slipped the jeep between a big Yukon and a Lincoln Navigator, effectively burying us from sight.
He killed the engine, and for a relieved moment we sat in total silence. My poor jeep smelled like the inside of a busy Chinese restaurant.
“Do you trust me?”
He held out his hand. This time I didn’t hesitate — I immediately took it.
“Yes.”
“Good,” he said, clicking the door open. “Then let’s go.”
Thirty
SAMMARA
It was the same shitty motel room you’d get anywhere in the world — cheap paneled walls, worn carpet, popcorn ceilings. A bed built for one thing — endurance — and a television so old you had to wonder if it was the first color model ever made.
Right now I sat on the half-dead mattress, wondering what the hell had just happened. My heart was still racing. Only now, to tell the truth, I felt more thrilled than frightened.
The shower was noisy, but it was comforting to know Ryan was only a room away. He’d received the full brunt of the Chinese food’s aerial assault, and I’d only gotten off with a mild sprinkling. After washing up with a soapy towel and cleaning a few spots off my sundress, I was no worse for wear. Ryan however required a full-on scrubbing, but not before bolting the motel room’s door and telling me to steer clear of the windows.
Someone had chased us halfway across the city.
Someone bad.
I still didn’t know what was going on, but I was grateful to be out of it. Leaving any time tonight could be dangerous, especially if they were still looking for us, which Ryan assured me they would be.
“We’ll hole up there until morning,” he’d said, pointing to the flickering lights of the Sunbeam Motel. “By then they’ll have given up looking for your jeep.”