Rising Storm

looked desperately for side alleys, finding none, as they came around a curve only to find a dead end.

The moped fishtailed and almost went over, but she managed to bring it to a skidding halt, sideways to the main road. The limo came on and Sarah gasped in horror.

The gunmen, intent now on capturing their targets, ceased firing, but leaned farther out, shouting insults and threats. They came on fast and Sarah wondered if the goons intended to smash them into the wall.

'John!' she said, and hopped off the moped, readying herself to jump onto the limo's hood. In a second her son stood beside her.

The alley narrowed almost imperceptibly just beyond the deceiving curve.

Before the driver could stop, the momentum of the car forced it tightly into the alley; the gunmen disappeared and the glossy sides of the vehicle screeched as they were crushed against the stone walls of the surrounding houses.

'Whoa!' John said, wincing. 'That's gotta hurt!'

Blowing out her breath, Sarah let her head hang for a moment. Then there was a tapping sound from the limo. They, whoever had survived, were trying to break through the windshield. Thank God for bulletproof, shatterproof glass, she thought.

'C'mon,' she said to her son. 'Let's get out of here before they manage to break

out.'

John snorted in amusement and took hold of the bike. Together they lifted it up onto the hood and rolled it onto the roof. Within the car they could hear them screaming and pounding on the windshield and roof. When John and Sarah stepped up onto the roof shots rang out, followed by screams and curses as the bullets ricocheted around the armored interior.

It's like they're the Keystone Kops, Sarah thought, shaking her head in disbelief. I know Garmendia's men aren't the brightest tools in the shed, but John knew better than that when he was seven!

They got down off the back as silence fell within the limo. Sarah glanced at the blank glass and opened her belt pouch. She pulled out a set of lock picks and got to work on the trunk lock.

There was a sudden series of blows on the back windshield.

'I'd just like to remind you, Lazaro,' Sarah said, her voice mild in spite of her having to speak loudly enough to be heard in the backseat, 'that that glass is the only thing between you and me.' She looked up at the window. 'And you've been shooting at my son.'

There was silence for a moment, then the dim imprint of a face as Garmendia got as close as he could to the rear windshield. 'You lied to me, Connor! Your brat there, he threatened to tell!'

'I haven't broken my word,' Sarah said, her voice hard. 'The kid was bluffing, Lazaro. I swore that I would never tell and I never will, not even to him.' Her

eyes narrowed. 'I don't give my word often, Garmendia, and I don't break it when I do. But I'll break you if you DON'T BACK DOWN!'

The smuggler's face disappeared from the window and there was silence in the limo. Sarah went back to work on the lock. In less than thirty seconds she had it open.

'You're out of practice, Mom,' John said as the lid came up.

'Everybody's a critic,' Sarah groused. Then she sucked in her breath through her teeth at the sight of von Rossbach. 'Eeee-ee,' she said.

The big man lay on his side, his hands tied behind his back, his blond hair soaked in blood. As was the side of his face, and his nose and eye had begun to swell.

I could sure use a drink, Sarah suddenly thought. A chaotic snarl of emotion was erupting within her, horror at her friend's condition mixed with compassion, as well as rage at Garmendia for doing this to him. Not to mention the stiff anger she felt toward Dieter for being so foolish, and John for risking himself, and herself for risking John. It was almost overwhelming. She licked her lips.

A nice drink would sure… Do no good whatsoever. A smoke would be nice, too, but that wouldn't help either. She took a deep breath and pushed the insidious cravings aside. 'You awake?' she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

'Barely,' he said. Dieter turned his head and looked at her. His eyes were mere slits in the bruised flesh. He tried to smile.

'Uh, Dieter,' she said, her heart sinking.

Reaching in, she checked his bonds. John tapped her on the shoulder, flicking his right hand to set the blade of his balisong. She took the wickedly sharp little knife and cut the sisal twine, unwound the ropes from where they were digging into his wrists. Shaking her head, she stood back to look at him.

'C'mon,' she said, 'let's get you out of there.'

'You sound like a nurse,' he quipped.

Sarah didn't answer but held on to his shoulder to keep him from falling over.

John hastened to lend a hand, supporting him from the other side.

Glancing at the moped, John said, 'Mom, we can't get him away on that. We'll look like a team of Chinese acrobats.'

Putting a hand to her forehead, Sarah tightened her lips as she thought. 'You have a place to stay?' she asked quietly.

John nodded.

'Okay,' she said. 'Go steal a car. I'll follow you back on the moped. Once we've got him inside, you can return it to the same neighborhood.'

Without another word John jogged off.

'You've got him well trained,' Dieter said, impressed as always at the way John and his mother worked together.

'Shut up,' she said, offhandedly. Then she frowned at him. 'You can lie down until he gets back.'

'I don't think so, if you don't mind,' the Austrian said. He gripped the edge of the trunk and began to climb out. Sarah steadied him. 'Is there a point to this?'

'Yeah.' Dieter worked his sore jaw. 'I'm afraid I'll go unconscious again.' He sat on the back bumper.

'CONNOR!' Garmendia shouted from within the limo.

Actually she was surprised he'd been this patient.

'Yeah?' she answered.

'Get me out of here!'

Given the company he was keeping, she could well understand his desperation.

'Hang on,' she called back. 'Don't worry,' she said to Dieter. 'I have no intention of doing anything until you two are well out of here. Even then I might only give him advice.' She smiled slightly and shook her head. 'You're an idiot.

You know that?'

'John advised me against it,' he admitted.

'I figured that,' she said.

He frowned slightly, then winced as the movement hurt. 'How did you know?'

'You were alone in the trunk,' she said.

John and Dieter had been gone about ten minutes, and it had taken both of them to walk him back down the alley to the car John had boosted. Sarah shook her head as she remembered how weak he'd been. Ideally they'd be out of town before Garmendia made it out of this alley, but von Rossbach's condition made that chancy.

She let out a deep breath and slammed the trunk lid. 'Okay,' she said. 'What have you been doing in there?'

'Smothering and waiting for you to get us out,' Garmendia snapped.

Sarah grinned. 'Well, I guess I could shoot a few holes in the window and you can kick it out. But if I were you I wouldn't be too comfortable with that idea.'

'What do you suggest, Senhora?' Lazaro sneered.