Page 74 of Velvet and Valor
“What have you got under the hood? Not the three cylinder it came with in the fifties.”
“Twelve cylinder.”
“Twelve? You’re going to break the drivetrain. At least it’s not turbocharged.”
“I haven’t broken the drivetrain yet.”
We take off like a bat out of Hell. The beat up Ford pickup struggles to keep up.
“Slow it down, man,” I say.
“I’m trying to lose the tail.”
“Don’t. Don’t lose the tail. Remember, you’re just an ordinary taxi driver.”
“I get that, but this isn’t exactly breaking character.”
I can’t argue with that, but he does dial it back a notch. The address takes us away from the concrete canyons of LA and down the coast. The sea looks rougher than ever, a metaphor for what’s going on inside of me.
I fill Ezra in on the when, why, and how of the shit hitting the fan. He interrupts constantly to ask stupid questions, to the point of driving me insane but he eventually gets it.
“So, this Moorcrock guy intended to steal the gems for himself all along?” he asks.
“Right. If it hadn’t been for June getting ID’d as their courier, he probably would have gotten away with it, too.” I snicker without any humor whatsoever. “So much for honor among thieves. Moorcrock would have been long gone by the time the Triad realized that the courier was missing. ”
“He would not have let the courier live,” Ezra says. “No way he would have left any loose ends.”
“Exactly. If I hadn't shown up when I did, June… She…” I can’t seem to get the words past the lump that has formed in my throat at the thought of what might have happened to her.
“And your client just got in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” He chuckles. “What are the odds?
“This is LA,” I say. “Anything can happen here.”
“It ain’t LA no more,” Ezra grumbles. “We’re halfway to Mexico at this point.”
“You exaggerate, but we are pretty far out from civilization. Guess we can’t count on the local cops for help.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to call your buddies at the security agency for help?”
“Moorcrock says he’s watching them,” I reply. “That’s a lot of manpower to dedicate, but I can’t take the risk that he’s not lying. I’ve got to make sure nothing happens to June.”
Ezra glances back at me before returning his gaze to the road.
“You’ve really got it bad for this chick, don’t you?” he asks.
“Shut up and drive.”
He laughs. “That’s a yes. I think I know where we’re going.”
“You recognize the address now?” I ask, perking up in the back seat.
“No, look.” He points at a gray monolith squatting on the coastline like an overgrown tumor. “I think that’s an old shipyard. Or what’s left of one.”
“Looks like a great place to get ambushed and murdered,” I reply. “I guess you're going to have to drop me off and come back.”
He nods. “Don’t worry. I can be subtle for a big man.”
“Subtle? Like engaging in a high-speed car chase on the freeway?”
