43. West
CHAPTER 43
WEST
Before I can do anything incredibly stupid, a flash of movement catches my eye.
Crew . He’s weaving his way through the shipping containers toward me. I never knew I’d be so happy to see him of all people. I’d much prefer Fletcher covering my six, but now is not the time to be choosy about my backup.
Crew motions for me to follow him, keeping a container between him and the negotiation on the other side.
I’m not entirely sure why I should follow him, but at this point, we’re outnumbered by four of them and only two of us. I’m not counting a zip-tied Lucky and Sydney with an apparent death wish.
She’s a horrible negotiator, but that's something I love dearly about her—as long as it doesn’t manage to kill her today.
I catch up with Crew. “Where did you park the car?”
He points over toward a blue cargo container twenty yards passed a green one. “On the other side of the blue.”
I glare at him. “You realize we have to get both Sydney and Lucky over to the car, right?”
He grins, pulls a lighter from his jeans pocket, and then a small firecracker.
I shake my head.
“What?” he whispers back.
Shrugging, I decide not to argue with it. “I guess sometimes the simplest ways are the best.”
He hurls the lit firework over the cargo container we’re hiding behind. Then promptly lights four more. How many cherry bombs can a guy hide in his pants?
I snatch a couple from his hand, and he looks at me in confusion. “You have a horrible arm,” I whisper back just before the first firework explodes, and there’s a shout of surprise on the other side. Crew and I throw the last remaining fireworks, some of them exploding in mid-air.
The two men standing on either side of Lucky take a few quick steps back, trying to find the source of the noise. They run around the far side of their black SUV and I take the opportunity to jump between the two containers and latch onto Lucky’s arm. I meet Sydney’s wide eyes over the top of Dario Ricci’s head as he’s bent down to the ground, protecting himself from the ‘blasts.’
A gunshot sounds and for one awful moment I see Sydney jerk to the side. My heart stops. But then she turns to look at me, still standing upright.
“Run.” For once in her life, she does what I say right away and we all run into the maze of shipping containers.
Crew pulls something else out of his pants and tosses it toward them.
A smoke grenade. I can’t help but admire his sense of preparedness. It’s quite nice.
“Gracen told me he always tends to overdo it,” Lucky tells me conversationally as we run side my side.
Sydney is running parallel to us but with a cargo container in between. I thought for sure she’d been shot, but she looks like she’s keeping up fine.
Lucky’s hands are still tied behind his back, but he has good balance, and I don’t even have to steady him.
“Where are the keys?” I ask Crew as Sydney cuts in across another row of containers to catch up with us.
“In my pocket. There are thieves around. I couldn’t exactly leave them in the car.”
“You are the thief,” I mutter.
Crew points to the left. “It’s down here.”
I never knew I could be so happy to see a Mini Cooper. “Give the keys to Sydney.”
Sydney’s eyes widen. “Really?”
I nod.
Crew looks skeptical as he pulls the keys from his pocket. “I think I’d better drive?—”
I wink at Sydney, who grins at me then snatches the keys from Crew. “I hope none of you get car sick.”
I shove Lucky in the back seat and push Crew in after him. My butt barely touches the seat before the car shoots forward the momentum slamming the door on my leg.
“Ouch!” I pull my foot inside and close the door, then turn to glare at Sydney.
She grimaces, but she doesn’t look that remorseful.
She doesn’t even look scared.
In fact, she has a rather gleeful look in her eye as she shifts gears and slides the car in between the shipping containers and out into the open.
“I’m afraid to ask, but I’m going to. Where the blazes are we going?” Lucky asks from the backseat. “And does anyone have a knife to get these blasted zip ties off?”
“Listen, it would probably be better if I drove since there seems to be a car chasing us. I’d rather not get killed by my great uncle,” Crew pipes up as he pulls a knife from his pocket and proceeds to cut the ties off of Lucky.
“Maybe you can use that as a bargaining chip,” I tell him as we’re all thrown to the side and a collective bonking noise sounds through the car. “Maybe you could get down on your knees and play the family card.”
“They’re gaining on us!” Lucky yells as he stares out the back window.
Sydney glances over her shoulder at the pursuing vehicles; then she turns to look at me. “Do you trust me?”
The longing look in her eyes matches what I’m feeling. She’s alive. If she drives as well as she claims she can…we might actually have a shot at a future together.
I give her a solid nod. “Always.”
“I’m not sure if I do!” Lucky chimes in as Sydney cranks the wheel. We careen onto a main drive that leads from the pier to the highway.
But what greets us around that corner has me laughing.
SWAT trucks, police cruisers, and spike strips line the only exit point.
Sydney grins as she skids in behind an unmarked police SUV and puts the car in park. We all jump out of the Mini, following her lead. She has a ridiculous grin on her face as we dive behind a police truck just as the Riccis come careening around the corner.
One of the SUVs runs over a spike strip, and the other shoots around the corner so fast it rolls on its side and then onto the roof. Glass shatters and metal sparks as it continues skidding until it stops only a few inches from another spike strip.
Police officers, SWAT teams, and people wearing coats that say FBI on them swarm the two vehicles.
I glance down at Sydney. She’s got a giant grin on her face.
“How do you like them apples?” She asks with a cackle.
I glance at Crew and Lucky. They look a little green around the gills after that car ride. Meanwhile, my favorite stowaway practically shakes with glee.
I smile at her and bend down to kiss her. I want to make sure this isn’t a dream. Because I already can’t imagine a world without her in it. She’s everything that is bright and good and makes life worth living.
And I realize a fundamental truth. Against all odds, I, West Turner, have fallen in love with a woman all in a week’s time.