Last Breath

43

No way out.

C.J. had sprinted past blocks of lightless buildings, across swards of brown grass, until she reached the chain-link fence at the edge of the complex. From a distance it didn’t look like an insuperable barrier. Only when she drew close did she see the coils of razor wire cresting the fence like spiked, unruly hair.

The wire would cut her to pieces if she tried to climb over.

Next she skirted the perimeter in search of a gap in the fence or an open gate. She found no gaps, and the gate, when she came to it, was padlocked.

Pick the lock? She didn’t have any tools. Cut the chain or the hasp? Not without a hacksaw.

Craning her neck, she peered up at a sign over the gate, which read “COMING SOON-MIDVALE OFFICE PARK.”

Below the words was an artist’s rendering of an immaculately landscaped commercial development on narrow, winding streets. The colors were bright and clear, and the picture had the wholesome appeal of a storybook illustration. But it was streaked with dirt and rain, and she guessed that construction on the project had halted some time ago.

She looked through the steel mesh of the gate at the surrounding darkness. There had to be a road or a home nearby, some sign of habitation or activity.

There was nothing. The office park lay in an unpopulated wasteland of sere desert hills, an environment that reminded her a little of the Mojave Desert where she had grown up. In the congested sprawl of the LA basin, Adam had managed to find that ultimate rarity-a secluded place.

She leaned against the gate, fighting for breath, trying to decide what to do.

Well, there was one option. She could bust her way out.

Adam must have parked his car near the garage, although she hadn’t seen it during her escape. If she could find it…

Maybe she could hot-wire the engine. All she needed was a tool to pry off the ignition cylinder-any bit of scrap metal would do. Then ram the gate and blow it off its hinges.

The difficulty lay in defeating the BMW’s antitheft system. But maybe she would get lucky. Maybe Adam had left the car unlocked. Even if he had, the system might automatically lock the doors and arm itself after a set period of time. Well, she would face that problem when she came to it. For all she knew, Adam had left the doors open and the key in the ignition. She could dream, couldn’t she?

At least it was a chance. A plan.

Carrying it out meant returning to the vicinity of the garage. If Adam had anticipated her strategy, he might still be there, lying in wait.

No, that was crazy. He couldn’t read her mind, for God’s sake.

Anyway, she had to risk it.

She headed back toward the garage, hoping Adam wasn’t smart enough to set an ambush there.