Page 55 of Savage Peril

Chapter 17

Gunner had known that he shouldn’t let Lori go off alone. He could tell that she was shaken by the incident, but it could have been much worse. Once Lori was in the car, Gunner headed for her house—only getting her there safely posed a challenge.

On Santa Monica Boulevard, the black Mustang appeared in Gunner’s lane, two cars back. It had to be the same guy. Gunner wasn’t going to let him get closer and find out.

Gunner’s Charger could stand up to the Mustang any day, especially with the Hemi engine purring under the hood. But with Lori sitting next to him, a long high-speed pursuit was too risky. As much as Gunner would get a kick out of leaving the muscle car in the dust, he’d have to forgo that pleasure and end this quickly.

“What are you looking at?” Lori said, then turned to glance back. “Oh no, that black car is behind us.”

“Don’t panic,” Gunner said. “He doesn’t know who he’s fooling around with.”

Gunner turned the corner and changed lanes. The Mustang followed, only he had called in reinforcements. There was a silver Camaro that traded positions with the Mustang. It appeared the two were teaming up to stay with Gunner’s car. And neither car made an effort to blend in with traffic.

Somebody was trying to make a point and didn’t have a problem with Gunner knowing he was being followed. But there was no way that they would get close enough to be a threat—whatever they had in mind.

Gunner glanced in the rearview mirror then said, “Close your eyes and sit tight while I lose these guys.”

Lori leaned back and gripped the seat. Gunner hit the gas, then whipped around a car in front of him. In a spilt second, Gunner flew into the intersection and the light turned red. He yanked the wheel so the car whipped around, facing the opposite direction.

Gunner sped by his pursuers stopped at the red light, facing the other direction. The Mustang edged into the other lane to turn and follow, but the oncoming traffic cut him off. Without another glance, Gunner made a right at the next corner, raced three blocks, then turned left.

The Charger hummed with power, tempting Gunner to play cat and mouse with the Mustang and Camaro, but he was on a mission. He headed for a secure destination, taking a route that he had memorized. Spotting a landmark, Gunner made a left down a long alley, then turned right onto a side street.

“Are they behind us?” Lori said.

“No, honey, they’ve just been outmaneuvered.” The abandoned chase had told Gunner that his tails were the hired help, not professional drivers.

Gunner headed for Bel Air, taking an indirect route—although he doubted the pursuers would pick up his trail.

“Where are we going?” Lori said.

“You’ve attracted enough attention for one day,” Gunner said. “I’m taking you to a place where we can catch our breath and figure out a strategy.”

In the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, secluded among the mansions of Bel Air, was a special property. The house was a gated estate on an acre of land, with a main villa and a guest house. At about twenty thousand square feet, it struck Gunner as more of a hotel than a home.

Gunner put in the passcode, and the iron gates opened. The house was hidden deep in a grove of tall trees. He wound up the long private drive to the landscaped grounds, then turned to the garages.

“What is this place?” Lori said.

“It’s a safe house.”

“I didn’t know you had those.”

“Yes,” Gunner said, “some of our clients need this level of protection.”

Gunner pulled up to the massive stone structure, then got out and entered the garage code. He pulled the Charger inside then cut the engine. “I need your phone.”

“What for?”

“I need to take the battery out,” Gunner said. “I wouldn’t want our friends finding this place.” Gunner removed the battery and put the phone in his pocket. “I can use mine. The transmissions are encrypted.”

Lori didn’t reply, as she was too busy looking at the estate grounds outside the garage.

“Let me show you around.” Gunner took her to the main house instead of the guest house. Since the property was unoccupied, he opted for the larger space.

Lori stepped into the two-story foyer and looked up. “This place is huge.”

Gunner gave her a tour, showing her the formal living room with a stone fireplace, a wood-paneled library, the dining room with wrought-iron arched windows, and a chef’s kitchen with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. There was a marble island and a separate breakfast room with a gas fireplace.

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