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.He ran, but he wasn'tquite fast enough, and the doors clamped shut, catching him and trapping himbetween them.He dropped his bag, and it slid a couple of feet before itstopped.Page 30ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAs muscles stood out in cords on his arms, he pushed the doors slowly apart.Nick said, "What do you want to bet his luggage isSampsonite?"As the man stood there, struggling against the pressure, obviously wanting tojump aside and let the doors snap shut, three people used the opportunity toget through the door.The last one turned around and took the beefy guy'swallet from his back pocket.The guy lasted another couple of seconds, then jumped away and let the doorssnap shut.He grabbed his luggage and began to run fast, obviously lookingfor another door out, so he could track down his wallet.The doors opened.Nick looked at the doors a moment.Since no one else was near them, the doorsstayed open.Nick walked over and pulled out the wall-plug.A second later,a guy in a jogging outfit raced through the open doors.The doors made nomove to close.The jogger realized they hadn't reacted, and he moved slowly closer toinvestigate.He moved still closer to the doors, wary of being caught bythem.As Nick and Annette moved past him, Nick touched the guy's arm, and theguy jumped.Innocently Nick said, "What's the problem?"Outside, the newspaper vending machine said, "Cheapskate!"Nick hesitated, glanced around to see if anyone was looking, then pulled hisgun and walked over to the vending machine."Er, nice day, isn't it?" said the machine.Chapter 14Nick and Annette rode without speaking for the first few minutes in the car.A light rain was falling, so the windshield wipers were on.The radio playedrock music, and the wipers moved from side to side in perfect step with themusic beat.The car hit a bump, and the station switched to classical.Thewipers slowed down to match the tempo of the classical music.Annette banged the dash, and the station changed back to rock.The wipers sped up again to match the rock beat.They drove past a parking lot with the sign in front, "Soon, a new officebuilding on this spot.Your tax dollars at work."A block later, they passed an office building with the sign in front, "Soon, anew parking lot on this spot.Your tax dollars at work."Annette finally asked, "Have you ever seen the guy who was chasing us in theairport?""Nope.But if anyone else tries to follow us, I'll spot him."Three car lengths behind, was a van following Nick's car.On the dash, a light blinked, as though the driver was tracking the car ahead.The van driver was Dennis Cotton, the red-nosed man who had nearly killed Nickin front of the hospital.Nick and Annette passed through the rain, and the sun started coming out.They drove by a theater with the marquee sign saying, "Aliens 9 -- In space noone can hear you vomit."A police car flashed past, lights and siren on.Nick took the package out of his coat pocket and handed it to Annette."Yougot anything to open this with?""Maybe." Annette opened her purse and glanced through it.She looked back at the package and frowned."What is it?""No idea."The driver of the van behind them flipped open a compartment on the dash.Hepressed a button.Numbers started to count down from thirty.Annette said, "You get stuff you can't identify very often?""No.Not really.Why? Are you suggesting--""Maybe I'm just paranoid."Page 31ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe numbers on the panel in the van kept counting down.Nick said, "You know, this is starting to bother me a whole lot.""It's about time."The digits got down to five and suddenly started repeating.Five.Five.Five.The van driver noticed and pounded on the box.Nick shouted, "Let's get rid of it!""Right!"Nick tried to roll down his power window.Nothing happened."It's stuck!"Annette tried her window control.Nothing happened."Mine, too!"The van driver banged on the box again.Nick and Annette simultaneously hit their car doors, and both windows starteddown.Nick threw the package up and out, arcing it into the road behind them.The numbers on the van driver's box finally resumed their count.Four.Three."Finally!" the driver said.He looked back at the road, and was justrealizing something lay on the pavement ahead when the numbers reached One.He cried out and yanked the wheel as the counter reachedZero, and the small bomb exploded right under his van.Two tires instantlyblew, and the back of the van nearly disintegrated.The driver lost control and crashed at the side of the road.Nick watched in the rear-view mirror."I've seen that van before.I'm sureof it.""Let's get out of here," Annette said.At Dennis's van, the smoke began to clear.Dennis struggled upright, openedthe door, and fell out, mashing his already hurt shoulder."I hate thisGoddamn job!"At the sound of an approaching siren, Dennis looked hopeful.The ambulance pulled even with his van, without slowing down, and sped away,going wherever it was already going.Annette frowned."That bomb was meant for us, you realize that?""I sure do." Nick turned a corner."You might even say it had my name onit.""I'm not joking! Someone just tried to kill us.""Not to mention me," said the car.They passed a huge building with an animated sign saying, "Hackers' MilitarySecrets."Nick hesitated."I'm sorry.I guess I'm a little punchy and confused.It'slike whoever's after you is psychotic.One time they try to kidnap you, thenext time they try to kill.And that package could easily have just gotten mewithout hurting you.""Well, what do we do?"A police car flashed past, siren on."Well, we could call the police."They passed a stalled car with its hood open.A man in a business suit wasbent over the engine compartment, working on it.A black, ugly part of theengine flew out of the engine compartment and bounced on the ground severalyards away.Annette shook her head."We should live so long.That desert island of yoursis looking better and better all the time."Nick checked the rear-view mirror."First things first.We've got to work fast and get this figured out.And I've got anidea."Chapter 15Nick and Annette pulled up in front of KSMY in Nick's car.Nick squeezed into a parking space and killed the engine.The car said, "Can I come, too?"Nick raised his eyebrows."Wait here, will you? You can listen to thePage 32ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlradio."While Nick and Annette waited in the lobby, Connie andHoward were live on the TV monitor.Howard moved to a new story."In a bizarre shoot out at the Beverly Hilton this morning, the last survivingBlood and the last surviving Crip killed each other."Connie took her turn."On a bitter note, four young moviegoers were gunneddown in a multiplex theater last night.Larry Costa is in custody after a group of survivors kept him at bay for sixhours until the police arrived.The feature was last year's remake of OldYeller.Allegedly, at an intensely emotional and very quiet point in thefilm, the four victims'hourly watch chimes went off."A door opened and Earle Thompson came in."Sorry to keep you waiting.Comeon in.""Thanks," Nick said.Nick introduced Annette as they walked down the hall [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]