The Heart of the Jungle, стр. 28
"I can't do this."
"You can do this. Whatever is happening is bad, worse than I thought. Someone doesn't want us to find out what happened to Michael and your daughter. If we weren't on the right track, I wouldn't merit the special attention I got tonight. Are you making those turns?"
"Just a second. I don't think... wait. Oh no. A black Cadillac just came around the corner. What do I do?"
"You're going to have to lose him."
"What? How?"
Jason loped onto Jackson Street and traveled east toward Second Avenue. "I'm headed your way. Hang tight. Just keep driving toward the stadium. There's a Mariners game getting out in a few minutes."
"I'm on Fourth again. He's still back there---a couple of cars away." Chris's voice was strained.
"Stop panicking. Breathe."
"This cloak and dagger stuff is freaking me out."
"Just relax. Stay in traffic and don't let him get right behind you. Keep your cool. If he senses that you know he's tailing, he might do something stupid."
"Where are you?"
"Coming up on Second now. Chris, I need you to listen carefully. There's a big intersection where Fourth and Second merge. I need you to get to the head of the line by the time you reach that intersection? Got it?"
"I'll try."
"If the light is green when you get there, stop until it turns red."
"But that'll hold up traffic."
"Forget driving school, Chris, just pay attention. The light has to be red for what I'm planning."
Jason could see the intersection coming up. He was almost there.
Ignoring his growing fatigue, he quickened his pace and reached his destination a moment later. He peered up the street. Traffic was stopped two lights back. Somewhere in that sea of cars was Chris. When the distant light turned green, the traffic began to move again.
The light changed just as the oncoming traffic arrived at the intersection. One motorist sped through. Jason scanned the cars. Chris wasn't among them.
Again, the lights cycled. This time, he could clearly see Chris's late-model sedan in the front of the queue.
"I can see you now," he said.
"I see you too. What are you waiting for? Get in."
"No. Not until we lose your tail. It isn't safe."
Chris's car rolled to a stop as the light turned red. It was now or never.
"Okay, Chris. Punch it."
"Run the light?" There was a note of dismay in his voice.
"Chris, what are you waiting for? There's cross traffic. Go now."
Chris shot out into the intersection seconds ahead of the oncoming cars. He made it through as honking horns bleated out in reproach.
"Okay, I just broke the law... on purpose. That's lovely. Now what? Should I find a pedestrian to run down?"
"Get to Safeco Field."
"Where do I go once I get there?"
"The game just let out. Trust me. I'll have plenty of time to find you."
"What about the guy following me? This light won't stay red forever."
"Got it covered."
Jason uprooted a trash can and carried it into a shadowed alley. As the light turned green, he tossed it out into the sea of cars and watched as it hit the hood of an Acura SUV. The driver swerved amid a squeal of brakes and plowed into the car next to him, which careened left. The two cars effectively jammed all three lanes.
As the shouting started, he hurried away through the narrow alley and emerged into a crush of pedestrians on the next block. He took off running again, heading south toward the stadium.
As he'd hoped, the roadways were jammed. Things were starting to look up.
He shoved his way through the crowds, moving as quickly as he could, scanning the ocean of outbound traffic from Safeco Field until he finally spotted Chris's car.
A few moments of careful weaving through the maze of bumpers brought him alongside. He rapped on the driver's window.
Chris shifted the car into park and clambered into the passenger seat as Jason opened the door and climbed in.
"If you think I'm ever doing anything like that again, you've got another thing coming," Chris said. "You're doing the James Bond stuff from now on."
"Deal."
"Is it always like this with you around?"
"Not always. Sometimes it's worse. You okay?"
"I've never been this scared before," Chris admitted. "But I think I'll live."
Jason smiled reassuringly. "We'll be keeping a low profile from now on. I won't underestimate Brunner's resources again."
"I thought you said he was just a petty crook."
"He is---or he was. It would appear he's gotten a little more connected since he dropped off the face of the earth."
"Or he isn't behind this at all," Chris said with a note of panic, adding to his earlier suspicion.
The muscle in Jason's jaw clenched. He certainly hoped that was not the case---an enemy you knew, no matter how cunning, was certainly better than one you didn't. If it wasn't Brunner, they could be playing by all the wrong rules.
No time to think about that now. All they could do was move forward under the current course of action.
He dialed his telephone and waited nervously for Bradley to pick up.
"Hello?" The voice was groggy.
"I need your help."
"JayKay? That you?"
"I don't have time to talk, Bradley, I'm in trouble."
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"Look, I know things got ugly between us last night, but this is a matter of life and death."
"You're serious, aren't you?"
"If they find me, they'll kill me."
"I should hang up this phone. Why should I care whether you live or die?"
"I've never asked you for anything before. I need you now."
Bradley was silent for a moment. "How does it feel?"
"Are you going to help me or not?"
There was an audible sigh on the other end of the line. "What do you need?"
"Two tickets to Vegas, any flight leaving here within the next couple of hours. I'm en route to the airport right now."
"Let me guess, one for you and another for your new fling."
"Can you do it or not?"
"This better not