They approached the last set of traffic lights out of the city and slowed to a stop. Fu’s body tensed, his fists clenched. He leaned forward in his chair and looked out his window.
His attention was drawn to a hooded person jaywalking across the street towards them. Fu looked around at the other windows but, as requested, they were all closed.
Looking back out his window, he was able to distinguish it was a young male in his twenties. The man had his eyes fixed right on Fu, as if he was able to see through the heavily tinted windows.
Keeping his eyes on the man, Fu tapped the privacy screen. The panel rolled down to about half way.
“Yes, sir,” the driver asked.
Still looking out of his window, Fu was certain the man was pointing something at him.
“Company, right side. Now,” Fu yelled.
His security guards moved to the edge of their seat. Tao fell behind them. The stranger had a gun aimed at Fu. His guards drew their guns.
“Boss, wind your window down,” the guard closest to the window asked, his gun aimed at the approaching shooter.
The man had stopped in the middle of the tram line, his gun aimed at Fu. Fu slid down his seat until his head was below the window line.
The driver accelerated. Fu heard car horns and brakes squealing all around them.
As the driver rounded the corner, Fu sat up in his seat. Resting his head on his headrest, he closed his eyes. They were now on the homestretch out of the city.
Fu’s rest was interrupted by moans from Tao as he began to regain consciousness. Opening an eye, Fu saw Tao had started moving. Closing his eyes, he flicked his fingers towards Tao. Everything was silent again.
“He’s too strong-willed for his own good,” Fu muttered.
The two guards sniggered but stopped as soon as Fu cracked open an eye and looked at them.
“What are we going to do with him?” the taller and more buff one asked.
“We’ll see. A lot can happen between now and then.”
Fu’s phone rang through his vehicle’s Bluetooth system.
“There goes my rest,” he said as he accepted the call and took his phone off the limousine’s Bluetooth.
“Yeah.”
“The girl. She’s still alive,” a deep male voice said.
“Frick. Casualties?”
“Minimal.”
“Good. Time this city woke up a little. Is the package still active?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Good.” Fu leant back in his chair and thought for a moment before continuing, “Kill her at any cost. Understood? At any cost.”
“Yes, sir. At any cost.”
Chapter 11
“Don’t look behind you,” Brian said. “We’re being followed.”
“Are we far from the University?”
“We’re not going to get there in time. Time for Plan B.”
“And that is?”
“No idea. Haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“What are they teaching at University now? You should always have a backup plan. You know. Just in case the first one goes belly up.”
They started to cross the road. A tram chimed its bell. Emily looked over. The last of the passengers was boarding.
“This way.” She pulled Brian towards the tram.
“This is a bad idea.”
“Run.”
The tram started to move. She flagged it down. The driver stopped and opened the doors.
“Quick.”
Emily ran ahead to the open door and jumped on. Brian wasn’t far behind. She looked back towards the foot traffic. A heavy-set man, black jacket, shaven head, was forcing his way through the pedestrians. Brian jumped on board.
“Quick, shut the door. Get moving,” she ordered the tram driver.
She looked behind her. The doors slowly closed and the tram began to move. The man’s steps had lengthened and he was closing in on them. He picked up his pace as the tram gained momentum. The tram was beginning to pull away from him. A city block away now, and gaining.
They took a seat near the front door. A few passengers, mainly those dressed in business attire, obviously disgruntled at their tram being held up, stared at them. Emily smiled back. The passengers quickly turned away.
“That was close,” Emily whispered to Brian.
“Ugh, too close,” Brian said.
Emily followed his line of sight out the rear window of the tram. There he stood, on the tram line, with another muscly man. The thugs stood within arm’s reach of each other.
“No, not again.” She held onto a nearby railing.
“Hold on, everyone,” Brian yelled.
Chapter 12
Harry peered out the office window and down the ten floors towards the city street. Police cars were barricading the neighboring intersection while officers were rolling out police tape from one side of the street to the other.
People were running out of neighboring buildings, and armed officers were guiding them down the street, away from his building.
“What’s your name?” Harry turned. “You should see these guys. You’d think I have a bloody big bomb or somethin’ up here!” Harry sneered.
“It’s... it’s Sharon,” a frightened Sharon Hann responded, looking down at the floor.
She wriggled her wrists but they weren’t moving. They were tied securely to her office chair arm rest.
“Shut up,” he yelled. “I don’t care what your name is. All I know is that you’re screwing the boss instead of keeping the bastard honest.”
Sharon looked up. Her mouth dropped open.
“I came here just the other week. I spent all morning driving here, not that you people cared. All I wanted was to get this shit sorted out. It wasn’t even bloody lunch when I knocked on his office door. The door was ajar so I peered inside and called out again when I’d seen you two, butt naked, screwin’ each other like a pair of bloody rabbits. Not a care in the world.”
Harry waved his gun in the air.
“Your boss,” he continued. “He waved me off while his face was still shoved in your hair. In between groans, he told me to come back later. So. Here I am. I’m back.”
“You shouldn’t have. There’s other ways to deal with what you’re going through. Instead... instead of like this.” Sharon looked at the gun still in his hand.
“You reckon, do you? You won’t even answer my calls. My emails. You won’t even answer my wife or my lawyer. Nothin’.”
“We didn’t have any messages from you. We didn’t know you tried contacting us.”
Sharon wiggled in her restraints. They weren’t budging.
“Bloody oath, there was. We left them all with you!” Harry snapped. He pointed the gun at Sharon’s head. “You personally. Remember, you gave us your direct line when this place took over our mortgage from our previous provider. Remember? Seriously! Do you think I came down in the last shower or somethin’? I may be from the sticks, and you city folk often refer to us as being slow. But I’m far from it. It’s snobs like you who often forget we’re business owners as well as providers for this country. As business operators, we need to keep ahead of the game just as much as you all do here, in this cement jungle. It must be hard to come to work, what with your climate-controlled buildings and everythin’. You wouldn’t last an hour at my workplace.”
“Let me get Andrew in here. We can get this all sorted then we can all go home to our families,” Sharon suggested.
“You know what? I’ve got a better idea.”
“What’s that?”
Harry walked over to Sharon and stood behind her. He pressed the cold metal gun barrel against the back of her head.
“I’ll finish you off right now. Then I’ll go find Andrew and deal with him, too.”
“What will that solve? Nothing.”
“No. You are right,” Harry said. He lowered the gun and thought for a moment, walking around to face Sharon.
“You’re going to help me, for
a change.”
“Like hell I am!” Her eyes narrowed.
“If you don’t, you’ll get one of these.” Harry threw a bullet. It landed on her lap. “How about you keep that one safe for me? That bullet is reserved just for you.”
“YOU BASTARD!” Sharon spat at him.
Chapter 13
The passengers on the tram followed Emily’s gaze. Chaos erupted as everyone grabbed onto any part of the tram they could.
Emily looked around. Her stomach dropped. Half way up, a mother sat, whimpering as she huddled her infant child.
Emily rushed to her side. “Please move up this way. Now. Take my seat.”
The woman looked up, her eyes puffy and red.
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
Emily watched as the mother scurried towards the front. She quickly glanced out the back window. A flare appeared in front of the shooter. She ran towards the front of the tram.
“Duck,” she heard Brian yell out.
The mother was just in front of her. They were still a couple of seats away from the very front of the tram. Launching herself in the air, Emily pulled the woman and child down with her and huddled her body over theirs.
A loud explosion erupted. The tram rocked from the impact.
Emily heard the mother praying, kissing her child’s head.
“It’s going to be okay. They’re after me, not you,” Emily told the woman.
The rear end of the tram lifted.
“Hold on,” she whispered into the mother’s ear.
Grabbing a chair leg with her free arm, she held onto the woman and infant.
The tram lifted higher. The mother was slipping out of her grasp. Locking her arm around the chair leg, Emily gritted her teeth. Using all the strength in her other arm, she held onto the woman and infant.
As the tram continued to rise, they began to slide. Grip tight, arm locked, Emily pulled the mother and child closer to the chair.
She glanced over at Brian.
“Hold on, Brian,” she yelled.
He was holding onto a support railing with both hands, and his feet were up against the side of the tram, his body braced between the two.
Brian looked up and winked at her before returning his concentration to stopping his body from becoming a human cannon ball.
Looking around, Emily watched on as passengers were being thrown towards the front of the tram, their screams trailing behind them.
She felt the tram’s incline slow down, until it stopped.
“Get ready,” Emily yelled.
The tram tilted to its side.
She heard an older man yell, “Move to the other side.”
Before anyone had a chance to move, the tram tipped and crashed on its side. The sound of shattering glass and metal colliding with steel tracks echoed through the tram.
Emily was slammed against the chairs before coming to a stop across a couple of chair legs.
Her chest felt heavy. She lay there in a daze, rubbing her head. Numb. The mother and infant were lying on top of her.
Emily stirred when she heard glass shattering nearby. Looking around, she quickly spotted Brian kicking the front window out.
Emily went to get up but couldn’t. She was pinned down.
“Ma’am.” Emily shook the woman on top of her. “Ma’am!”
The woman’s infant started crying.
“Ma’am, wake up.” She shook her again. No reaction. “Brian,” Emily yelled while trying to stir the mother.
“What’s up?”
“She’s not responding. She’s not allowed to die. She has a baby to bring up.”
Brian felt the woman’s pulse and shook his head. “There’s a very feint pulse.”
“No!” Emily shook her head.
She tried to move the woman but only managed to free one of her arms.
Brian handed her the crying infant.
“I, I don’t want this.” Emily tried handing the infant back.
“Get over yourself. We need to get the mother out of here. Now,” he said as he lifted the mother up. “You there,” Brian yelled at a passenger.
Emily craned her neck around to see a woman in her late fifties turn around.
“You okay?” Brian asked.
She nodded. “I think so. Just a few bumps and scratches.”
“Please look after the infant.” He nodded his head towards Emily. “Stay with the mother until the paramedics get here. Please.”
The woman nodded again and maneuvering over the carnage reached Emily.
“Is this your sweet child?” the woman asked.
Emily tried to force a smile but a tear rolled down her face. “No. Her mother is being carried out right now.”
“Oh, poor child,” the woman said as she picked up the infant. “It’s going to be okay.” She tapped the infant’s bottom and the crying subsided.
“Wow,” Emily said.
“Grandma’s touch.” She winked at Emily. “You did a wonderful thing protecting this precious child and her mother.”
“Thank you. But we need to get out of here.” Emily smiled.
The woman clambered out of the tram, tottering on her legs as she held a protective arm over the infant.
Emily moved her legs around until she felt the wall of the tram. She shuffled her body down until she was crouching in between the two seats.
“Are you all right to get up?” Brian asked as he re-entered the tram.
“Just working that out now,” Emily said as she tried to stand. “Ouch,” she grimaced as she applied pressure on her foot. Putting her weight on her other leg, she looked down. The ankle appeared to be swollen.
Brian grabbed her arm and did his best to guide her out of the tram. Limping over the shattered windows and the exposed uneven road, she stumbled along and maneuvered over the front dash, grabbing the side window frame on her way through.
Pain sliced through her hand and wrist as she pulled herself through.
“Shoot,” she said, applying pressure to her wrist.
Blood was dripping from the wound.
“Don’t touch.” Brian pulled her arm away. “Let me have a look.”
He held her hand and inspected the wound.
“I’ll be all right.” Emily pulled her hand away. “It’s just a surface wound.”
“Looks deep. We need to get it looked at.”
“Right after I get away from that man.” She pointed down the street.
“Here, put this around it.” Brian pulled a gauze pad and bandage roll from his backpack.
“Thank you.”
Emily wrapped her hand. Inspecting her medic handiwork, she turned to show Brian. He wasn’t there.
“Brian?” she asked, looking around.
She received a few shrugs from other badly wounded passengers.
Then there was movement. Brian staggered out with another person supported over his shoulder. She took a closer look and recognized the man on Brian’s shoulder.
“The driver,” she yelled.
Cheers and applause erupted around her.
Ignoring the pain in her ankle, Emily limped over. “Here.” She placed her body under the tram driver’s arm and helped Brian get him away from the wreckage.
The applause became louder as they seated the tram driver amongst the passengers. A few patted Brian on the back, thanking him.
Brian shrugged it off. “It’s okay. Just doing my good deed.”
Nearby pedestrians were running over to assist, offering water, jackets and shirts, anything they had on them to help compress the passengers’ wounds.
Emily gently pulled Brian away from the crowd.
“Can we go now?”
Brian looked up and down the road. “Is the gunman still around?”
Chapter 14
Limping to the upturned tram, Emily peered around the corner and down the tram line. The line was empty.
“No, but he won’t be too far away.” She looked around the street and along the footpath
s trying to spot him.
“You okay to walk?” Brian asked.
“Gingerly, yeah. I’ll be fine.”
“This way.”
Everyone was busy attending to the passengers while more passersby stopped to render assistance. Slipping past the crowd, they took one more look around them before stepping into a nearby alleyway.
“We’ve got to stop going into alleys.”
“You were right. You’ll be just fine. There’s nothing wrong with your humor.”
“How far to the Uni?” Emily asked, half skipping to keep up with Brian’s fast pace.
“Change of plan. There’s too much heat on us. You’ve pissed off someone today. We need to go underground. And soon.”
“Underground? For how long?”
“As long as it takes to find out what is going on.”
“Better not be too long. My father... he’s not well.”
“How long’s a piece of string?”
Emily stopped and stared at him.
“Look, I’m sorry. I honestly don’t know. I’m putting my own neck on the line here trying to help keep you alive.”
“I’m sorry. I am grateful for your help.”
They continued walking.
“It’s almost like,” Emily shrugged, “you were meant to be there today.”
Brian kept walking, his head bent over, focused on his cell phone’s screen, no hesitation in his pace.
“You all right there?” Emily asked nodding to his phone.
Brian’s shoulders flexed. “Ah, yeah, sorry. Just trying to find somewhere to bunk down.”
“Any luck?”
“We’ll soon find out.”
They stopped at a corner. Emily poked her head around the building. Their alleyway spilled into a major street. People everywhere, all too busy getting to their destination to worry about a couple of strangers standing on an alley corner.
She scanned the crowd. “All clear,” she said.
“Right. Remember we need to blend in with the traffic.”
Emily took one last look around and fell in with the next flow of pedestrians, bracing every step, trying to ensure she was walking as normally as possible.
The Analyst (Emily Lee Series Book 1) Page 4