[Quinn 02] - The Deceived

“Oomph.”

A couple of the people standing just beyond the doorway yelled out in surprise when Quinn raced outside.

Tasha had moved across the alley and was standing alone. Quinn raced over to her, grabbed her arm, and began pulling her down the alley to the left.

“What’s going on?” she said.

“We have to get out of here now!”

“What happened?”

“Come on,” he said. “Just run.”

She looked confused, but instead of asking another question, she pulled off her high heels and began running barefoot beside him.

They sprinted toward the street at the end of the alley. When they were only a few feet away, Quinn heard more shouts behind them. He looked back and confirmed what he already knew he’d find. It was the men from inside. They appeared to hesitate for a moment. Thrown off, Quinn thought, by the fact that there were two people running from them. Not just Quinn.

“Go right,” Quinn said as they came to the street.

They ran down the sidewalk.

“Who are those guys?” Tasha asked.

“Two of the congressman’s security team,” Quinn said. “They were in Houston, too. At the house.”

“What?” she said, surprised.

Quinn angled between two parked cars, then ran across the street. Tasha was right behind him. At the intersection, they shot to the left down the new road.

For a moment, they were alone. They still had at least a thirty-second lead. Forty, tops.

“Go across the street,” he said. “Hide behind those cars. I’ll get them to follow me.”

“What if they catch you?”

“They won’t. Once they’re gone, head up to M Street and I’ll meet you there.”

She didn’t look confident, but she did as he said.

Alone now, he made sure to run heavy so that his steps would be loud and traceable. At the same time, he scanned the road ahead of him looking for someplace to hide. A few seconds later, he spotted it, another alley. This one off to his left.

He hesitated at the opening just long enough so that the first of his pursuers turning onto the street saw him. Then he continued forward.

The alley turned out to be another dead end. Its only purpose seemed to be to provide access to several private garages along the right. About three-quarters of the doors were closed. Those with open doors were empty, but hiding in any of them would be suicide. Guerrero’s men would flush him out in a hurry. The left side of the alley provided even less opportunity. The only thing there was a ten-foot-high brick wall.

He processed all his choices in the first second of his arrival and came up with only one viable option. The garage at the far end abutted the corner of the building the alley deadended against. It also had its door open.

Quinn rushed forward and, grabbing the side of the open doorway, climbed up the wall, using the V formed by the meeting of the two buildings like a staircase.

As he pulled himself up and onto the roof, he could hear the men again, this time nearing the alley. Quinn scrambled up the slope of the roof, slipping over the apex seconds before the others arrived. Gravity wanted to pull him down the slope and into the small backyard of the townhouse behind him, but he held on, and tried to remain as quiet as possible.

“Where the fuck is he?” a voice said from the alley. “He’s not in any of these,” another called out. “Check the closed ones.” Quinn could hear metal rattling, and wood groaning in protest. “They’re all padlocked,” the second voice said. “He must have hopped the wall.” Quinn could hear hands slap against brick. Then a grunt of exer

tion, followed by a strained voice. “There’s another alleyway. He’s got

to be back there somewhere.” “Come on. It’ll be faster if we go around.” Quinn listened as their footsteps echoed down the alley. Knowing there was no time to waste, he crawled back over the top

and eased himself down in front of the garages.

Two minutes later, he was back on M Street. Tasha was standing near the entrance to a bar, blending in with the small crowd outside.

Good, he thought. She’s learning. She looked relieved when she saw him. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Fine.” “Where are they?” “Still looking for me,” he said. He told her to wait where she was while he returned to the gallery

to retrieve his car. A twenty to the valet got his rental brought over in a hurry, and he was able to leave without anyone else noticing him.

“Did you talk to the congressman?” Tasha asked, after he’d picked her up and they were heading out of Georgetown.

“Yes,” he said.

“And?”

“And he didn’t have much to say.”