Part 26 (1/2)
Enrique looked up quickly, and saw the svelte figure of Cheena Tao standing in the doorway. She was wearing an immaculate cream and beige business suit. She looked every inch the boss's wife. Enrique held up his bleeding hand. ” The b.i.t.c.h got her talons in me, look at it would you? I am probably going to need a shot.
Cheena Tao sashayed slowly into the plane and placed the large attache case she was carrying very carefully on the table next to the corpse of Calista Johnston. She looked down into the contorted face for a long moment and emitted a tiny grunt of satisfaction, ”Tell me, did she suffer much?”
Enough, said Enrique gruffly. ”You wanted her dead-job done. Now I want what I got coming.” He looked at the attache case greedily. ”That mine?”
Cheena Tao smiled brightly.
Enrique licked his lips. ”Now I don't like to say I don't trust you and that husband of yours, Tao- but I don't trust you. So you won't mind if I take a look inside will you?”
A tight smile twisted across Cheena Tao's face. She said nothing, simply held out one of her tiny doll-like hands and gestured towards the bag, as though inviting Enrique to inspect the reward at his leisure.
Enrique needed no further bidding. He s.n.a.t.c.hed at the bag and pulled it open. His face lighting up with greed and excitement-it was the greatest score he had ever pulled. He reached in and pulled out a thick wad of bearer bonds. ”It better all be here,” he said, reaching deeper in the bag. His fingers closed around something unexpected and he looked up quickly.
Cheena Tao raised the silenced automatic she had brought from behind her back and let loose two very quick shots at close range. The bullets took the wind out of Enrique. The thick wad of bearer bonds fell from his fingers. He staggered backwards in shock, clutching at his chest. He pulled his hand away and saw blood. He looked at Cheena Tao, a question forming on his lips, but she stepped forward and shot him again-this time in the head. He went down and stayed down, his heels rattling softly against the plush carpet as the final death spasms ran through him. She stood over him for a moment admiring her handiwork. Then, very slowly and methodically she emptied the bearer bonds out of the attache case, and removed the explosives. She set the digital timer for forty minutes hence and placed the explosives in one of the overhead lockers. Next, she replaced the bonds in the case and made her way out of the aircraft. She turned briefly and threw a wave to the pilot. He had received his instructions and a handsome bribe. He had been told to head for Guadalajara Mexico, but the only place he would get to would be the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
65.
Santa Monica More helicopters roaring over head, Blackhawks this time, followed by Cobra guns.h.i.+ps and a flight of V-22 Osprey short take off planes, with their tilt rotors angled for level flight.
In the beach side parking lot, Reed had the door of the Range Rover open. Carly was already inside, but Julia stood by the vehicle and looked up at the sky. ”Look at that, they are having an air show. You think they are putting on a display for the President honey?”
”Get in the truck would you-I don't know how much time we have, but we have got to get out of here and fast. I am guessing those aircraft are pulling an evacuation, moving out all those G20 leaders to a place of safety. Soon as they have done that, there will be an announcement and all h.e.l.l will break loose.”
”An announcement?” Reed frowned. ”Yeah, an announcement on the radio and stuff.”
His words were cut off by the sound of an old-fas.h.i.+oned siren, wailing siren, that sounded like something out of an old war film, or a cold war news bulletin.
”What the h.e.l.l is that awful noise,” asked Julia, her face scrunching up.
”That is the tsunami warning siren,” snapped Reed, jumping into the Range Rover. Small groups of people were beginning to gather, looking with puzzlement for the source of the awful noise.
”I guess no one has ever heard it before,” said Reed as he slammed the Range Rover into gear and burned out of the lot. The SUV bounced over the sidewalk and pulled through the intersection on red. Horns blared, but Reed paid them no mind. As he hit Ocean Avenue, he found the traffic was backed up as far as he could see. The road was cordoned off and large crowds were gathering on the sidewalks, looking down towards the Pacific Coast Highway to see if they could catch sight of the President or other World Leaders.
Julia braced herself, her feet rising onto the dash, as Reed pulled through the traffic like a mad man. ”All these people, surely if there is a tsunami coming...”
”They should be warned, of course they should,” said Reed his face grim. ”It is a cla.s.sic play, the authorities want to evacuate the most important folks first before the panic starts. Everyone else is expendable.”
Julia looked shocked. ”How big is this wave exactly?”
”If it is a level nine threat you can bet it is big, real big.” Reed pulled over the central divider and cut through oncoming traffic. He took a turn onto 4th street then over to 7th moving north and east, away from the ocean and towards Pacific Palisades. Reed sped along the back roads at a breakneck speed, with every turn he headed up to higher ground. The winding, palm-lined Avenues curved lazily into the hills, then down, rolling west to the sea. Every turn Reed took, the coast road was cordoned off by Black and Whites from the County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol. He glanced down at the GPS screen with frustration. ”These d.a.m.n roadblocks have us boxed in,” he growled, we are never going to get into the mountains unless we get creative.” Pausing for a brief moment Reed flipped screens on the GPS navigation system and narrowed his eyes.
Are we going to get ice cream now daddy?” enquired Carly.
”Sure thing, but you are going to have to sit tight for a little while longer princess.”
”I talked to her about ice cream Reed. It wouldn't hurt you to be supportive would it? I can't bear it when you undermine my decisions.”
Reed put his foot down and the powerful Range Rover burned up the hill with a squeal of smoking rubber. ”Kids like ice cream,” said Reed.
”Well, I don't agree. Ice cream is
unhealthy-”
The end of the street was coming up fast now and there was nothing but a chain link storm fence between the pavement and a dry scrub covered wilderness that stretched high into the Santa Monica Mountains.
”You are going to have to save the lecture and hold on to your seat, we are going off piste.”
”Cool,” said Carly. ”I love skiing.”
”Are you crazy?” shrieked Julia. ”You just got the car detailed, and besides, off road driving invalidates the dealer warranty-you know that.”
”Hey, screw the dealer warranty, there is a giant tidal wave heading our way.”
”Tidal waves and tsunamis are different, said Carly.”
”How would you know?” snapped Julia.
”We did about it in school,” said Carly proudly. ”Tidal waves are caused by the moon and tsunamis are caused by earthquakes.”
”How can the moon cause a giant wave? It doesn't make sense.”
”Gravity,” said Carly.
Julia pulled a face. ”Are you hearing this Reed? She is talking back to me again.”
Reed took a breath and hit the gas. The Range Rover powered over the dry hillside and smashed through the chain-link storm fence-they were in a lemon grove now, driving parallel with the steep hillside. As they sped through the trees, leaves and branches clutched at the windows and plump yellow lemons bounced like tennis b.a.l.l.s across the hood.
”You are going to kill us all,” wailed Julia.
”Let me out, I have had enough.”
”Chillax. ” said Reed. ”We got ourselves a 4 wheel drive vehicle here, the only place we take it is Beverly Hills and back every day of the week. I reckon it's about time we put it through its paces.” ”This is fun,” said Carly, ”I like this better than ice cream. Can we listen to the radio please?” Julia made an impatient noise and rolled her eyes, but she turned the radio on anyway. The gravel voiced announcer from KNX 1070 was reading the news headlines ”Boring,” trilled Carly. ”I meant, can we listen to some music?”
The radio announcer was running through, the usual dry stories concerning the economy and politics. Julia reached out to switch the channel, but a sudden electronic alarm pulsed out of the speakers. There was a pause, static filled the air, then, a dead voice announced-This is an emergency broadcast, from Los Angeles County Sheriff's office. This is not a drill. I repeat this is not a drill.