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  He looked up and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The woman in the hall had called him cute. He had been told by others that he was handsome, even striking, but also quite forgettable. He knew why too. There was no singular feature that stood out at first glance, not his brown eyes, his shortly cut dark hair, his Irish nose, not even his lean, muscular body or his above average height. He would pass as anonymous in a crowd, never receiving a second glance.

  A smirk grew on Reddic’s mouth. In his world off the court being unforgettable was a premium.

  A stiff rattling drew Reddic away from the mirror. He knew the sound. The vibration meant he had received a text message. He briskly walked through the suite to where he had left his phone on the nightstand. He felt his eyebrows furrow as soon as he saw who had sent the text.

  “I no u gonna keep ur mouth shut, right rook?” the text read. Reddic erased the text and tossed the phone on the bed. He was livid. The audacity of Brandon Watson was not only astonishing, it was infuriating. It was bad enough that this man was having a late-night tryst, but to hurl threats. That was going too far. Reddic felt like storming over to his room and dealing with him once and for all. He took a deep breath and terminated the thought. At twelve-thirty in the morning a skirmish was not the answer. There were other, better ways to deal with the situation. He would store this away for another time.

  With his mind racing and pulse pounding, Reddic knew there would be no chance of getting back to sleep any time soon. He needed to get some air and walk off his aggravation. He grabbed his jacket and threw on some sweatpants before heading to the door.

  He stepped out of the elevator as it opened to the main level. He walked across the marble flooring of the sumptuous lobby beneath the brilliant crystal chandelier that hung from above. He gave a curt nod to the night manager at the front desk, but said nothing, heading straightway, instead, to the motion-activated sliding doors.

  The night air was cool and humid as only an early spring in Northern California would be. The stars looked dull above the bright, expansive radiance of the Oakland International Airport nearby. In seemingly every direction pockets of artificial light glimmered from the vast urban landscape.

  At the far limits of the parking lot, Reddic peered down the parallel street and spotted a gas station nearly three blocks away. A large neon sign at the corner of the property seemed to be beckoning the desperate motorist to pull in and purchase the expensive fuel. Reddic shook his head as he started off toward the service station. The volatility of gas prices was ridiculous, even for those who could afford it. When oil prices declined, gas prices didn’t seem to follow suit. However, the second the price of crude oil increased, even a fraction, gas prices spiked soon thereafter.

  A small, blue Prius sedan pulled up to the station’s convenience store just as Reddic, lost in his thoughts, walked past the first row of pumps. The driver’s door popped open as a slender brunette woman wearing tan trouser slacks and a black wool overcoat jumped out and rushed into the store. The mere proximity to the airport swayed him to surmise that her arrival meant she was just now returning from a trip.

  Moving toward the convenience store, Reddic abruptly stopped mid-step. A black SUV pulled into the gas station’s parking lot with its headlamps extinguished. It slowly rolled into a parking space only two rows away from the woman’s hybrid. Reddic ducked back behind a large column to examine the new arrival.

  If the blackened headlights weren’t suspicious on their own, the fact that the vehicle had no visible license plates and completely opaque window tint sent Reddic into a state of hyper-alertness. He waited out of sight to catch a glimpse of whoever operated the vehicle. As far as he could tell there was no movement from inside.

  The vehicle was eerily still.

  Reddic tried to make sense of the situation. He quickly computed all the facts in his mind. At this time of night there could be a couple different reasons explaining the eccentric behavior of this nondescript, unmarked vehicle. The occupants could be drug dealers keeping a low profile. Maybe some college kids were just screwing around. For some reason those assumptions just didn’t feel right to Reddic. His intuition was telling him it was something much worse.

  A robbery was about to go down.

  Reddic reached into his pocket searching for his phone. Calling the police was his first priority. But as each pocket came up empty, he suddenly realized that his phone was lying on the bed in his hotel suite. He cursed himself for the lapse of judgment; he should never have left the hotel at this hour without his phone.

  Without being able to notify the police he had two options left. The easy thing to do would be to turn around and retrace his steps back to the hotel and try to sleep. The more difficult option was also the last thing he wanted on the eve of his final game of the season. But he knew he couldn’t just walk away. His training, his instincts were pushing him forward.

  Crouching low to the ground, Reddic shuffled from one pump to another away from the vehicle until he stood in front of a bucket of window cleaner. He lifted the bucket’s handle with one hand and gripped the squeegee that rested inside with the other. Liquid sloshed out of the bucket as he drunkenly ambled toward the convenience store.

  He meandered across the asphalt surface with no destination apparent. He let the bucket fall out of his hand when he reached the front right tire of the SUV and began washing the windshield with the squeegee. The ruse seemed to be working as nobody left the vehicle to protest. Reddic inconspicuously peered inside at the passengers as he lazily worked, but the glare coming from the building’s lights and the presence of more tint on the windshield made it all but impossible to see the interior. Despite the lack of clarity, he was able to make out two silhouettes.

  He glanced over his shoulder at the convenience store and saw that the brunette was just finishing paying for a cup of coffee and moving toward the door. She halted her step in the doorway when she spotted the SUV. She stood there frozen, staring at the vehicle as if she were taking an eye exam. The woman was clearly frightened. Reddic turned his body toward her and gave a reassuring wave. The gesture seemed to pacify her, for she took a deep breath and quickly scampered for her car.

  Without warning the passenger side door of the SUV swung open and connected to Reddic’s shoulder. He tensed as a pair of black shoes hit the pavement and started moving. Had the door not struck him he may not have known that anybody got out of the vehicle at all. The entire sequence was soundless.

  The man stalked across the pavement like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. He was broad-shouldered and looked to be around six feet in height. No other physical feature was distinguishable; the man was clad entirely in black, including a balaclava. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long, cylindrical object. Reddic craned his neck to the side for a better view. What he saw made alarm bells in his head go off.

  The man held a hypodermic needle.

  At that moment Reddic knew he had been completely wrong in his assessment of the situation. This wasn’t a robbery.

  It was a kidnapping.

  The time for planning was over. Reddic knew he had to act now before this got a whole lot worse.

  He clenched the squeegee tightly with his right hand and rammed his shoulder into the side of the door, slamming it shut. The sudden commotion caused the woman to turn toward the source. She let out a piercing shriek of fear as she saw the thick man approaching. Reddic leaped forward and swung the squeegee down forcefully against the arm of the assailant.

  The needle fell out of his hand and bounced off the pavement. Reddic quickly swept it away with his foot. Out of his peripheral vision he saw the man move rapidly toward him. Reddic stepped aside, dodging a wild punch thrown in his direction. He kept his distance, not allowing the attacker to grab a hold of him. He shot a quick jab out and struck the man on the nose. He followed it with a fierce left hook to the ear.

  The large man stumbled backward, caught off guard by the sudden blows. Reddic took advant
age of the confusion by stepping inside and delivering a crushing knee to the man’s genitals. The masked man offered a moan as he bent over clutching his damaged parts.

  “Get out of here,” Reddic shouted at the woman.

  “Watch out!” she screamed.

  Without looking Reddic dropped to the pavement and rolled over. The rear passenger window of the hybrid exploded, spraying shards of glass into the air. Reddic sprang up to his feet and fixed his eyes on the SUV. The passenger-side window was down, exposing the driver. He, like his partner, wore a full balaclava to cover his face. He had his arm extended in Reddic’s direction. There was no doubt what he held.

  A gun with a silencer attached stared him down.

  Reddic dove forward at the feet of the gunman’s cohort, rolling into his shins like a bowling ball into pins. The man toppled rearward and cracked his head against the asphalt. The gunman fired again. The discharge of the weapon sounded like a cough. A chunk of the asphalt fragmented only inches from Reddic’s feet.

  At this close distance Reddic knew the next shot would not miss its mark. He had only one chance. If his calculations were wrong, he was dead.

  He reached for the belt of the fallen man and searched his waistline. Reddic’s hand brushed up against a hard object near the small of the man’s back. Clasping it firmly he pulled the object free. It felt comfortable in his hand. His finger slid over the trigger as he steadied the weapon on the SUV.

  He fired twice into the passenger window, causing the driver to barrel-roll out of the vehicle away from danger.

  “Get in. We’ve got to get out of here,” Reddic said.

  The woman opened the driver’s door of the sedan and scurried across to the passenger seat. Reddic jumped in and slammed the door shut.

  “Where are the keys?” he asked. The woman tossed them into Reddic’s lap. He shoved the key into the ignition and pushed the car into reverse.

  “Hold on,” he said. The compact car shot out of the parking space, pushing Reddic and the woman toward the dash. Reddic pulled hard on the wheel, propelling the car into a tire-screeching 180-degree turn. Changing to first gear he stepped on the accelerator.

  “Faster,” the woman said. “They’re coming.”

  Reddic checked the rearview mirror and saw the SUV backing up. He knew this race was a mismatch. He just hoped it would end in his favor.

  3

  It was clear to Reddic that the manufacturers of the Prius were not thinking of high-speed chases when they developed the hybrid. These cars were equipped for marathons, not sprints.

  “They’re right on us,” the woman said. She sat sideways in the passenger seat, eyes peering through the rear window.

  “Would you like to drive?” Reddic asked. He bit his tongue before he said more. The sarcasm was a bit too acidic. After all, it wasn’t her fault he was involved, at least not entirely. Nobody had forced him to leave his hotel and walk to the gas station.

  “Who are you? And why are they after you?” he asked.

  “My name is Brooke. And I have no idea what is going on.”

  He had no reason not to believe her, but something told him she was not being completely truthful. She was obviously holding something back.

  “I really don’t know,” Brooke repeated.

  Reddic glanced her way and saw that she was staring heavily at him. She clearly had noticed his consternation. He didn’t respond. He tried to refocus his thoughts. It wouldn’t matter what she was hiding if he couldn’t lose the gunmen in the SUV.

  He pinned the accelerator against the floor, but the speedometer defiantly remained stable. He pressed harder, feeling his muscles tighten as he willed the hybrid to accelerate. He caught a glimpse of his hotel to the right. He wished he were still in his king-size bed sleeping.

  “What are you doing?” Brooke asked. Her words were clipped. Panic was setting in. Glowing red traffic lights were rapidly approaching. A few cars passed through the intersection directly in front of them.

  “Hold on,” he said.

  He jerked the wheel to the left as he pulled up on the emergency brake. The rear end started to spin as the compact car skidded sideways through the intersection. Reddic released the emergency brake and stepped on the gas just as the car was on the verge of careening out of control. He steadied the wheel and exhaled deeply as the car’s speed began to climb.

  It didn’t take Reddic long to realize that he had turned south onto a wide four-lane thoroughfare. Traffic was minimal. Only a handful of cars could be seen in the distance. Remaining on this stretch of road would prove to be fatal. They were too exposed and no match for a high-performance, eight-cylinder SUV.

  A quick glance at the rearview mirror confirmed his fear. The SUV was closing fast. Reddic started to tense up. Wind whistling through the shot-out window only enhanced the pressure. He needed to find a side road, a turnoff, something to keep the pursuer off balance.

  Not a tenth of a mile passed before a possibility presented itself. Reddic pumped the brakes hard and pulled right on the wheel, guiding the hybrid into a moderate sized parking lot. He quickly extinguished the headlights and geared down to slow the car’s speed even more. Unprepared for the sudden change of course, the SUV raced passed the turnoff, forced to lock up its brakes and skid to a stop. The cacophony of rubber scraping on asphalt echoed throughout the parking lot.

  The glimmer of hope for temporary refuge immediately vanished as the pursuer reversed direction and began backing into the parking area. Reddic worked to steady his thoughts. If his plan was going to work, he needed to be decisive and act fast.

  He steered the car toward a building located at the near side of the parking lot. On the left-hand side was a slender concrete pathway, closely resembling a sidewalk. Reddic guided the hybrid onto the path. The narrow base of the vehicle barely fit. Any other car would certainly have been too wide.

  The path followed a circuitous, serpentine route into a verdant expanse. The moon and synthetic light from the airport cast enough illumination on the pathway for it to be seen. The hybrid silently moved forward, running on its battery reserves.

  A quick peek in the mirror told Reddic that his plan seemed to be working. Beams of light from the SUV rotated in unpredictable patterns around the parking lot. The hunters were trying to relocate their prey.

  “Where are we?” Brooke asked. Her voice was barely audible.

  “Why are you whispering?” Reddic asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? Unlike you I’m scared out of my mind.”

  Reddic paused before responding. He contemplated the implication of her statement. He had noticed that she had been studying him while he orchestrated the escape. Usually his unflappable demeanor helped to calm others. But this wasn’t a normal situation, this was personal. These men were coming after her. He could only imagine the trust issues she had right now. He needed to settle her down before she did something stupid and gave them away.

  “We’re on a golf course,” he said evenly. “We’re lucky your car can fit on this cart path. We’ve bought ourselves some time.”

  Before she could respond Reddic downshifted to first gear and slowed the car to a crawl. They had reached the northernmost corner of the property and the cart path was changing course. The pathway abruptly turned left, leading back toward the direction they had just come from. Returning to the parking lot was not an option. In fact, approximating the area was entirely out of the question. The gunmen were probably searching for them on foot by now.

  Reddic assessed the alternatives and immediately realized they were limited. If he were to continue moving forward, he would intersect a major roadway leading to the airport, but it was fortified with a barrier that prevented any entrance. To his right, approximately a stone’s throw away, was an enclosed long-term parking facility for air travelers. There was no way to gain entry without scaling a towering chain-link fence.

  He scanned the course property line along the eastern side. For yards at a time the dull, refle
cting glow of a metal and aluminum fence line made him feel like a rat imprisoned in an inescapable labyrinth.

  “How are your shoes?” Reddic asked.

  Brooke looked at him quizzically. “What?”

  “Your shoes. Can you run in them?”

  “Of course, but what are you—are you suggesting that we leave my car here?”

  “We may have no other choice.”

  Brooke’s expression registered incredulity. Reddic resisted the urge to mirror her penetrating glare. If not for the severity of the situation he may have laughed at the juvenile nature of the stare down.

  Suddenly, his gaze fell on a spot over Brooke’s shoulder. There was something strange about a section of the eastern fence line.

  “Sit back,” he said.

  He popped the car into gear and drove off the cart path. He kept his eyes fixed on the fence as the car passed over the undulating landscape. He hoped what he saw was real and not an illusion caused by light fragmentation.

  “Where are you going?” Brooke asked.

  “Do you see that spot over on the fence line that’s darker than the rest? I think it’s blacked out because a section of the fence is missing.”

  As they approached, he realized that his hunch was correct. To the immediate south of the parking facility a new construction project was underway. Part of the fence was missing, but only a small part, maybe only six feet in width. It would be a tight squeeze, even more difficult considering he would not use the brakes to maneuver through. Reddic held his breath as the chain link fence hit the passenger side, but instead of scraping it merely rubbed along the contours of the vehicle.

  They were through.

  Reddic slowly maneuvered around various mounds of construction material and debris until they reached a slightly inclined access to the four-lane highway. Reddic made a left turn, heading for the intersection they recklessly skidded through only moments earlier. At the traffic light he turned right and hurriedly made his way into the Hilton parking garage on the back side of the hotel.