Page 49 of Live a Little!

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“CAR?”

“Yeah,” the super said. “They didn’t have any authorization for his car, and they didn’t have the keys, so we couldn’t release Mr. Harrison’s vehicle. They said they’d beback.”

Cynthia and Jake glanced at each other. “I’ll need to see thatcar.”

“Sure. Thisway.”

The super led them through a fire door to a set of cement stairs leading to an unsecured underground parking garage. “Mr. Harrison’s car is over there, the goldone.”

Jake spotted it immediately. A gold Lexus sedan. He did a double take. A gold Lexus with the driver’s door partially open. A sneakered foot rested on the cement floor of the garage and was attached to some little bastard who was hot-wiring Harrison’scar.

He hadn’t heard them. Jake smiled grimly. Suspect number one was about to be interviewed, whether he wanted to be or not. Jake reached for his Sig, motioned for Cynthia to stay back, and moved silentlyforward.

“Hey,” shouted the moronic super before Jake could stop him. “Get away from thatcar!”

Inside the vehicle, a head jerked their way. A young guy with longishhair.

“FBI, freeze!” Jake shouted just as he saw the kid’sgun.

“Get down!” he shouted to the old guy, while grabbing Cynthia and shoving her to thesteps.

Even as he vaulted the cement stair wall he heard the roar of a car engine. He landed, crouched and took aim as the vehicle reversed, tiresscreeching.

“Jake! Look out!” Cynthia screamed from abovehim.

“Stay down!” he yelledback.

He’d already seen what had caused her alarm. The little bugger gunned the engine and headed straight forhim.

Jake lunged for one of the cement columns, heard a bullet thud into cement somewhere above him, then jumped out and got one shot off as the Lexus fishtailed its way out of thegarage.

He was already running for his own car. “Stay put,” he yelled at Cynthia, wishing he had time to tie her up in the manager’s apartment just to keep her out oftrouble.

He sprinted out of the parking garage and headed for his vehicle. Cynthia came flying out the front door of the apartment building, boots clacking on the pavement, skirt riding high on her thighs as sheran.

“No!” he shouted, but he had no time to stop and argue with the most stubborn woman God ever put on planet earth. They sprinted in a dead heat, but the race was pretty even. He hit the automatic locks and she dragged open the passenger door just as he reached the driver’sside.

“He turned right,” she panted as they screeched out of the visitor’sparking.

“You’re crazy,” Jake told her. “You knowthat?”

“I can navigate while youdrive.”

“Do up your seat belt and hangon.”

“Now he’s turning left. Three streetsahead.”

He saw the blur of gold metal, heard tires squeal as the vehicle swung around the corner. “Call the cops. Tell them FBI requests backup and give the location and vehicle description. Looks like he’s headed for thehighway.”

While she dug into her purse for her cell phone, he concentrated on driving. A high speed chase in a residential neighborhood was his worst nightmare. His plan was to keep the Lexus in sight without freaking the kid out, so he didn’t do somethingstupid.

But just keeping the gold bullet in sight had them racing through the quiet streets. A moving truck started to lumber out from a side street, but a long blast from Jake’s horn haltedit.

After she’d finished the call, it seemed to him Cynthia’s breathing grew more ragged instead of quieting. He must be scaring the bejesus out of her. “Hang on, babe,” he soothed as he rounded a corner, only just staying on all four wheels. He had to catch that kid. Had to find out who was behind Harrison’smove.

Up ahead the Lexus made another sharp turn. Jake didn’t hear any sirens and he wasn’t taking any chances. He began closing the distance between the vehicles. The speedometer crept up and so did the rhythm of Cynthia’sbreathing.

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