The World Beneath

Chapter 45

Joe turned away, holding his bleeding arm. Ozan had been a bad man, but what a brutal way to die. His last thoughts had been for his brother. He’d trusted Joe to find him and look after him. And he would. His brother shouldn’t be made to suffer for Saddiq’s misdeeds.

A man in uniform shouted at Joe, but he ignored him.

He snatched up the case with his good hand and ran. Speed was all he had, and he poured it on. His legs fell into his familiar stride for running on train ties, but faster than he’d ever moved in his life. He gripped the case to his chest and ran.

Another shot. The cops must be shooting at him now.

A train bore down on him. Not the 9:07, the one after. Joe jumped the third rail and kept going.

Barking told him that he’d captured the dogs’ attention. And their handlers.

They all converged on him.

He fled toward the tunnel that led to his house. If he got in, he’d have only two guards to deal with. That sounded like a picnic compared to the mob around him.

He made it to his tunnel, punched in the code with his left hand, waited an eternity for the light to blink off, and turned the key. Once inside, he slammed it behind him.

Three figures ran toward him down the tunnel. Abbott and Costello. And Vivian. Oddly enough, fat Abbott led the pack.

“Freeze!” he called.

Joe froze, dropped the case, and raised his hands over his head.

Behind Abbott, Vivian lifted an arm, lightning fast, and drove something into Costello’s back. He pitched forward and lay still.

“Cuff Tesla,” Abbott called over his shoulder.

“Not today.” Vivian stuck what looked like a syringe in Abbott’s left buttock.

Eyebrows frozen in surprise, he half-turned before collapsing on the ground.

She bent and picked up his fallen gun. “Please tell me that whatever you’ve got in the case is going to save my ass.”

“Maybe.” Thumps sounded against the tunnel door. Joe felt light-headed. Was he losing a lot of blood?

“Where do you want to go?”

“Elevator,” Joe said. “Hold it open.”

She ran like a deer, easier and much faster than Joe ever could.

He straightened his backpack and ran after her.

She waited inside the elevator, holding the doors open with her hand. “Someone’s calling it to go up.”