“Perhaps,” Mr. Li said. “However I, our superiors that is, believe that any project you may be involved in could be of our interest.”
“It’s not,” Gomez said.
“With all due respect, our interests are not determined by you. But that is neither here nor there. What I am trying to say is that we feel your little team would best be served to have an exclusive working relationship with us, and this project you are working on, whatever it is, should fall under our guidance. That way, anything you do will not be a threat to us.”
Jacob stared at Mr. Li, who stared back.
“How could we be a threat to you?”
“Anyone who does not work with us is a threat, Mr. Quince. Surely you understand this?”
“I don’t, and if you think our ‘little team’ is going to work with you again you’re crazy. So, just give us the rest of our payment and don’t contact us again.”
Mr. Li was silent.
Evgeny said, “Please reconsider this.”
“Are you going to pay us or not?” Gomez asked.
“You will be rewarded nicely as our working relationship unfolds,” Mr. Li said.
Gomez turned to Mr. Li. “Maybe you didn’t hear, we aren’t going to work with you again.”
Again, Evgeny stepped between Mr. Li and Gomez. “Gomez,” he said, putting his hand on Gomez’s shoulder once more.
Gomez quickly raised his arm to knock Evgeny’s hand away. Jacob watched one of the SRS men by the SUV moving in unison with Gomez’s arm, drawing his weapon from his jacket. On the edge of his vision, he saw Kat reaching around for her gun. An SRS man fired as Gomez twisted, pulling his gun from under his jacket.
Chapter 28
Kat yelled, “Go!”
Jacob grabbed Sandy by the arm, running for the cover of the raised gardens.
Gomez grabbed Mr. Li, holding the SRS man in a one-arm chokehold and firing.
“Get cover!” Gomez said to Kat.
Mr. Li, no longer surprised, elbowed Gomez. Gomez almost lost his grip, but he was bigger and stronger than Mr. Li and he held on, using the man as a shield. Undeterred, the SRS men continued to fire.
Jacob got behind one of the gardens. Sandy took cover across from him. Kat followed, aiming behind her and firing. Jacob started to look for Gomez. A shot hit the garden bed near his head and he jumped back behind cover. The sound of Kat’s gun and bullets hitting the container garden filled his ears.
Gomez came into view, slowly backing up. He still held Mr. Li, the SRS man’s legs and feet spread in front of his body at an odd angle as Gomez dragged him between the two raised gardens. When he was close enough, Gomez let Mr. Li drop, the dead man falling to the cement, his head bouncing on the impact. Gomez jumped behind the garden, stumbling into Jacob. Blood covered the front of Gomez’s jacket. Jacob couldn’t tell if it was Mr. Li’s or Gomez’s.
Kat looked over at Gomez. “This is not how I planned my day to go,” she said. She popped up and fired twice.
“Gomez,” Evgeny called. “We do not have to do this. It has already gone too far.”
Gomez responded by firing in Evgeny’s direction.
A whirring sound behind them drew Jacob’s attention. Two shadows made their way across the shacks, one large and one smaller, faster. He looked up. A drone and a helicopter. The drone hovered briefly, then darted toward the surface of the garage and opened fire on the SRS men. The helicopter came in closer, ropes dropping from its sides. The drone made another pass. Men in plain black security style uniforms exited the helicopter, descending on the ropes.
Gomez sat, his back against the raised garden. Jacob knelt next to him.
“Who the hell are they?” Gomez asked. His words were weak and breathless.
“No idea,” Jacob said.
Overhead, the drone flew back in the direction it had come. Four men in black ran past, guns raised and firing. Jacob tried to get a look at them, but couldn’t. One of them yelled, “Drop your weapons!”
The firing stopped.
Gomez coughed. Jacob turned back to him. He pulled Gomez’s jacket back. Blood soaked his shirt and pooled near the top of his pants.
“Shit,” Jacob said.
Kat and Sandy appeared next to them.
“Gomez,” Kat said, a hint of panic in her voice.
“I’ll be fine,” Gomez said. He winced.
One of the men in black walked up. “Is he okay?”
“We’ve got to get him to the hospital,” Sandy said, looking up at the man.
“We can’t help you. We are on orders to detain these men.”
Jacob stood. “Orders? From who?” he demanded.
“I can’t divulge that information.” He motioned to the other three. They walked past with Evgeny, Yuri, and Chen in tow.
“You’ve got to help us get him to the hospital,” Kat said.
“Sorry, we have our orders.” He turned to follow the others.
“Fuck your orders! He’s dying,” Jacob said.
There was no response.
“Go get the van, Jacob,” Sandy said calmly and forcefully.
Jacob started running. The van was parked at the loading dock on the street level beside the garage. He ran to the covered stairwell, replaying those words in his mind, he’s dying he’s dying he’s dying. He ran down the stairs, jumping the last few on each half flight. On the second floor, he landed wrong, twisting his ankle and crashing into the wall. Ignoring the pain, he stood and ran down the remaining stairs.
He got to the van and pressed his hand on the door, unlocking it. He started the van and switched the driving control to manual. As he pressed his foot on the gas, pain shot up his leg. He pulled into the street, causing an oncoming car to hit its brakes and swerve to miss him. In the garage, he whipped around the tight corners of each parking level, the screech of the wheels echoing with each turn.
By the time he reached the roof, Pigeon Eater and a small crowd of Steamers were gathered around. Someone had brought bandages and applied them to Gomez’s wounds.
