'Run, Sarah!' Matt called out again. 'Back toward the alley!'
They recrossed the road. As they reached the alley, they turned back in time to see Sze-to and the remaining man climb out from between the cars. The revolver, now in Sze-to's hand, sparked. The brick just to the right of Sarah's head shattered. Matt grabbed her hand and pulled her down. Then together they whirled and sprinted down the alley.
CHAPTER 26
'Do you see them?' Sarah asked.
They were on a dark, deserted street, huddled behind a parked car. It was nearing midnight. The relentless, stinging downpour was continuing. Matt peered through the windows of the car.
'They're across the street,' he whispered. 'I don't think that other guy wants to go too far without Sze-to, and Sze-to's having trouble moving with that leg so messed up. I think we can beat them out of here.'
'Do you know where we are?'
'Not exactly. But downtown is that way.'
Sarah inched her way up until she could see the two men. They didn't seem to be moving with any great urgency.
'They're crazy! They killed Andrew. Matt, I'm really scared. I can't stop shaking.'
'That means you're going to have to be in charge because I'm worse off than you are. Listen, we can do this. Sze-to can hardly move.' He scanned the street. 'That alley over there. We break for it, and then try and make it to Stuart Street-or at least to where there are some people. You okay for that?'
'Matt, look!'
Where moments ago there had been two, now there were four. A pair of men had emerged from behind Sze- to, and now stood beside him, scanning the street. One of the new men held a gun. The other was speaking into a cellular phone or radio of some sort. Both of them looked relaxed and athletic.
'Jesus, they're like an army.'
'The tong. Remember what Benny said about them?'
'We've got to get out of here.'
'Oh, God, Matt. Over there. I think there's more of them.'
There were, in fact, three more, sealing off the street from the far end.
'That alley over there is our only way now. We've got to go for it. Just keep low until we reach the corner of that building, then run like hell. Ready?'
'Yeah.'
'Sarah, I–I really do care a lot for you. Come on. Let's do it.'
Crouched low, they inched backward, keeping their hands on the pavement for balance.
'Now!' Matt said.
They whirled and fled down the alley. Behind them, one of their pursuers cried out. An instant later they heard the snap of two gunshots.
'Stay low!' Matt warned. 'Keep running.'
The alley was narrow and filled with debris and loose garbage. Matt pulled over one overflowing trash can as he passed, then another.
'Cut to the right!' Sarah cried, pointing ahead of them.
At the far end of the alley, two more men had appeared. Suddenly Chinatown, which was no more than a dozen or so square blocks, seemed endless. Reacting to Sarah's command, Matt spun into the narrow gap between two buildings, slipped and fell, scrambled up, and kept running.
'They're multiplying like rabbits,' he said, panting. 'Sarah, I'm not sure we can make it out of here. I think we've got to find someplace to hide.'
Sarah was now clearly the quicker of the two of them. She was about ten feet ahead as they approached a cross street. She slowed and glanced to her right. The doorway of an old theater was just a few yards away. The theater, boarded up and not in any apparent use, still displayed torn posters advertising Chinese movies, and even one showing Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn navigating the African Queen.
'Matt!' she gasped, pointing at the door. 'Can you get us in there?'
He hit it once with his shoulder, then stepped back and, with one vicious kick, slammed it open. They slipped inside and closed the door quickly behind them. The lobby glowed dimly with the outside light from two small windows set high in one of the walls. Except for a worn carpet of some sort, the place was stripped. Still, even after what was probably years of disuse, Sarah could smell the popcorn that had once been made and sold there. Hand in hand, they entered the theater itself. Like the lobby, the space had several narrow windows near the ceiling, which had probably been curtained off during shows. The light from them was enough to make out a stage in front of where the screen once had been. The seats, with a few battered exceptions, had been removed.
'Probably dates back to vaudeville,' Matt said. 'We've got to find a place to hide, or else a side door out of here, and quickly.'
Sarah leapt onto the stage and then called out in a loud whisper, 'Matt, up here. Look.'
Just offstage was a steel ladder, free-hanging, its base just inches above the floor. It led straight up to a narrow catwalk, which was suspended from the ceiling. The catwalk, perhaps twenty-five feet overhead, was barely visible in the gloom. Without waiting for discussion or agreement, Sarah grabbed a quilted moving blanket from a pile of them near the stage and began to climb.
'It's solid, Matt,' she called down. 'Come on.'
Moments later they heard the lobby door crash open. Then there were voices. Matt peered overhead but could not see Sarah at all. He threw two more of the packing blankets over his shoulder and scrambled quickly up the ladder. The metal catwalk, three feet across and suspended from the ceiling by steel struts, was actually quite sturdy. Matt spread one of the packing quilts out next to hers and folded the other as a makeshift pillow. The blankets were damp and smelled of mold. But terrified and soaked to the skin, the two of them were quite beyond feeling discomfort. Matt lowered himself down next to her and pulled his knees up, just as some men entered the theater.
'Can you see anything?' she whispered, her lips against his ear.
Matt shook his head and then lay back, praying they were both completely screened from the men below. The men-it seemed as if there were two of them-chattered on in Chinese, without any particular urgency in their voices. Then, after only a minute or two, they made one pass around the theater and left. The lobby door opened and closed. Had they both gone?
Sarah started to speak, but Matt silenced her with a finger to his lips and pulled her closer to him. Five minutes passed before the man in the darkness below them cleared his throat and softly coughed.
'I knew it,' he murmured.
At that instant the lobby door slammed open once again. Several different voices conversed with the man who had been standing guard. And suddenly the dark, musty air was pierced by spears of bright light.
'Shit.'
Matt mouthed more than spoke the word.
Sarah pressed her body even tighter to his. She tried desperately to understand the Chinese being spoken below them, but could only come up with scattered words and, occasionally, a phrase. It was clear that Tommy Sze-to was both frightened and furious. It sounded as if someone-there was never a name spoken that she recognized-wasn't going to like it at all if Sarah and Matt got away and started talking. Whoever found them would be rewarded.
Trying not to move even as they breathed, they watched the beams of light play across the ceiling, the catwalk, and possibly even the underside of the packing quilts on which they were lying. Grabbing them had been sheer genius on Sarah's part, Matt was realizing. He tried to imagine what their nest looked like from below. Probably like nothing at all. If they made it out, he would have to find some special way to thank her. If.
