Page 42 of The Company We Keep

The bike roared — Herron revving it and turning on the blindingly bright headlight to divert the cops the minute they arrived on the scene.

“I need a clear sign from everyone but Vi and Herronbefore I detonate,” Dust reminded them. He still had a show to put on, after all.

“Roger, I’m clear,” Leta said quickly. “Heading your way, Vi.”

“Clear here,” Wayles said. “Right behind Leta in the van.”

“Boss?” Dust asked.

The street was washed with red and blue lights as the cops turned the corner.

“Damn it, Carrow, you clear?” Dust asked turning back behind his corner and sprinting across the street. He needed to get clear, too, before it was too late to move off of the building. If Leta and Wayles were already in their vehicles, he was running out of getaway optionsandplaces to shelter from the blast he’d planned.

“Boss, where the hell are ‘ya?” Dust said into the comms. And then, as his heart pounded: “Anyone got visuals on Carrow?”

“Lost track of him three minutes ago, Dust,” Vashvi said. Her voice was distorted and Dust realized she must be running down stairs to meet Leta.

“Last contact was in the garden,” Leta said, cooly.

“Fuckme,” Dust said, his blood running cold.

The hollow “pock!” of gunshots erupted on the street in front of the museum, and Dust wondered if it was Herron or the cops doing the shooting.

“I’ll circle for you, Dust,” Wayles said. “What’s your position?”

“The van’s too slow,” Dust said. “I’ve got to find Carrow, anyway. Just get out.”

A black sedan that Dust hadn’t even noticed screeched to a halt a few feet from where Dust was huddled behind a concrete piling.Carrow.

Dust sped into the street and slammed into the passengerseat of the car. Carrow was moving off before he even had the door shut behind him.

“Comms fucking jammed,” Carrow said, not looking over at him. “Everyone accounted for?”

“Everyone but you, boss,” he said. Then, into the comms unit: “I’m with Carrow.”

“I could use some backup,” Herron said calmly, the roar of the bike giving their words a strange, echoing quality.

“Where are they?” Carrow asked.

“Take a right and a straight shot — that’s where I saw them last,” Dust said. And then, to Herron: “We’re coming for you.”

They took the corner hard, just in time to see the tail-end of two police cars disappear around a corner two blocks away. Carrow gunned the engine, narrowly missing a parked car as they squealed past the museum.

“Tell Herron to head to Emerson’s. Vi, Leta, and Wayles need to redirect to the northern safe house,” Carrow said. Dust relayed the orders quickly.

“Wayles can head to the safehouse,” Leta responded, “but we’re backup until the cops are off Herron.”

Carrow didn’t bother arguing with Leta, and after a moment, Dust caught sight of Leta and Vashvi in an identical black sedan, following their path just a block behind them. Herron was drawing the cops towards the highway, Dust realized after a moment, watching their progression.

“We’re about to be on the 110.”

“I’m aware,” Carrow said. “Fucking maniac.”

The highway would have traffic, even at this time of night.

They lost track of Herron and the cops for a moment, but as soon as there was an on-ramp in sight, it was impossible to miss the string of mayhem. Herron was baiting the cops — three cars in all now — driving just slow enough that the cops didn’t lose them.

“Well, let’s draw them back,” Carrow said, flooring it as they reached the straight shot of the highway. A ripple of reaction rolled through the traffic as drivers noticed the cops, slowing and clumsily moving out of the way. Dust wished they’d just cut their goddamn sirens because the panicked drivers were making it harder forallof them except Herron to navigate the five lanes of traffic. Herron weaved a maddening path through the cars.

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