There was a sound of breaking glass, and Annika fell sideways into Evan.
Stone turned and saw blood on Evan’s jacket. “Gun!” Stone yelled.
“Everybody down!” He threw himself at Annika and Evan, while on the other side of the table Dino got Gigi to the fl oor. Stone lifted his head and looked out the shattered window behind him but saw no one. He turned his attention to Evan, who was covered in blood. “Somebody call 911 for an ambulance and the police!” Stone yelled, as he reached to pull Annika away from Evan. He couldn’t believe that Evan had, once again, been the target of an assassin. Then he realized that the blood on Evan’s jacket was not Evan’s. It was Annika’s.
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DI N O PU T H I S head up and caught a glimpse of a motorcycle turning the corner from Simonton Street. “Motorcycle!”
he yelled, pointing. He got a glimpse of a black helmet, before the machine disappeared down the block.
Stone tossed him the car keys. “Go!” he yelled. “I’ll call Tommy!”
/> Dino ran, as Stone grabbed his cell phone. Evan was giving Annika CPR.
Dino got out of the restaurant in time to see the bike turn left at the next corner. He leapt into the rental car, which was parked in front of an antiques store across the street, and burned rubber. He was turning the corner when his cell phone rang. “Yeah?”
“It’s Tommy. Where are you?”
“The motorcycle turned left a block from the restaurant.”
“Elizabeth Street?”
“Yeah, that’s it,” Dino said, checking the sign at the next corner.
“Now he’s turning right on that busy street, what is it?”
“Eaton.”
“Yeah.”
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“I’m going to block the bridge from the island,” Tommy said. “I’ll call you back as soon as I’ve given the order.”
“Okay.” Dino slapped his phone shut and made the turn onto Eaton, scaring the life out of a woman trying to cross the street. He could see the motorcycle, three or four blocks up the straight street, passing cars with abandon. His phone rang again. “Yeah?”
“I’ve got two cars on the way to the turnoff for U.S. One. Anybody leaving the island has to go that way.”
“The bike is red, looks Japanese,” Dino said. “I can’t get close enough for a plate, but he’s wearing a green windbreaker and a black helmet. He’ll be at the entrance to the Navy base in a few seconds.”
“I’ve got another car headed to the intersection of Eaton and Roosevelt Boulevard,” Tommy said. “I’ve told them to ram him, if possible.”
“He’s past the Navy entrance,” Dino said, “headed toward the bridge over Garrison Bight, where the sports fi shermen dock.”
“My car is at the light he’s coming up to,” Tommy said.
“I’m closing in on him just a little,” Dino said. He whipped around a car and jammed the accelerator to the floor as he ran up the bridge. He had to slow for a curve after leaving the bridge, and he looked up to see the intersection ahead. A police car on the other side of Roosevelt was plowing through the intersection as the motorcycle reached it. The rider braked, slid sideways, then regained balance, missing the cop car by inches. He turned onto Roosevelt and accelerated.
“Your guy at Roosevelt missed him,” Dino said. “He’s headed up the boulevard now, and he must be doing eighty. Your car is backing up to get onto Roosevelt.” Dino turned on his flashing caution lights and began using his horn.
“Don’t kill yourself or anybody else!” Tommy said. “We’ll head him off at the pass.”
Dino eased off and got stuck behind a line of traffic. Ten seconds later, he was in oncoming traffic, blowing his horn over and over. 2 3 4