"Give me your gun."

Jennifer frowned, shook her head, and drew her pistol.

Kiku's gun was already out as she silently moved toward the door. She stopped, reached down, and pulled a five shot .380 from her boot and handed it to Jack.

Jack slid next to the door and waved Replacement back. He held up a fist, opened his hand, turned the k.n.o.b, and peeked out.

Anyone upstairs is going to realize their mistake right away when they see my old apartment is empty. Question is, do they rabbit or look for another apartment?

He could hear someone approach the stairs.

Jennifer moved behind him and leaned forward; she inhaled sharply and reached out for the wall to steady herself. Her hand pressed against the door, and it started to open.

Jack's hand shot out and grabbed the handle, but the door had already moved a few inches. He fought the urge to glare back at her, but instead kept his focus down the hallway.

He didn't have long to look as bullets ripped through the thin walls and into his apartment.

Jack spun around, pushed Jennifer down, and lunged for Replacement.

Kiku had already dove low and flipped over the hallway table for cover.

Jack grabbed Replacement, and she slid behind the counter.

Kiku's eyes followed along the bullet trail in the wall. She fired two shots through the wall before Jack cut her off.

"Cease fire. You could hit one of my neighbors." Jack held up his hand and listened.

"Snap." Replacement exhaled from the kitchen.

Jack glanced back and saw her crouched on the b.a.l.l.s of her feet, ready to go.

His ears strained to hear through the ringing in his head, and he heard the old front door of the apartment building crash open into the wall.

"Not you." He pointed at Replacement and then at Jennifer. "Watch her. Stay here."

He flew out the door with Kiku right behind him. Jumping down the steps, he used the railing to cover the first staircase in a leap. His chest tightened when he saw Mrs. Stevens lying face down in the hallway. "NO."

He rushed over to her.

Kiku kept moving and ran out the door.

As Jack looked for a wound, Mrs. Stevens's eyes flew open, and she started to scream.

"Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Stevens!" He held her by the upper arms. "Are you hit?"

Her red hair wobbled back and forth, as she shook her head, and then she burst into tears.

Replacement rushed down the stairs.

"She's not hit. Go get the stuff now," Jack barked.

"Mrs. Stevens, the police are coming. You're going to be okay. I'm sorry."

She looked like a plump koi as her mouth opened and closed, gulping for air. Jack helped her to her feet as Kiku ran back in.

"They were long gone. I didn't even see the make of the car." Kiku panted.

"We have to leave."

Kiku headed out back.

Jack turned to Mrs. Stevens. "You need to tell the police you need an ambulance, okay? Everything is fine."

Her eyes went wide, and she started to gulp air again.

"Not fine but...okay," Jack added. "It will be okay. I'll make it up to you."

"Go." She nodded as she began to fan herself.

Jack spun around and rushed back to his apartment. Replacement came toward him, zipping a duffle bag closed. Jennifer stood with her weight on one leg.

"I got everything." Replacement patted the bag.

Jack looked at Jennifer's leg and muttered, "Sorry. a.s.s in the air." He tossed her over his shoulder before she could complain. "Move."

Jack and Replacement hurried down to the bottom floor. They rushed across the little parking lot and hustled her over to the Impala.

Kiku waved them over as the sound of sirens came closer.

They all piled in, and Jack gunned the Impala as he raced out of the parking lot. He took the first right and pressed the gas pedal down.

Slow down. Drive normally.

Jack tapped the brake and looked down as something hit his foot.

Paolo's Magnum stuck out from under the seat.

"You left his gun in the car?"

"Whose gun?" Jennifer leaned forward.

Jack kicked the gun back under the seat. "A friend of mine."

"Why are we leaving the scene of a shooting?" Jennifer's jaw quivered as she glared at Jack.

"So you don't end up dead, stupid." Replacement shifted in her seat, and Jack slowed down as a cruiser flew past them.

"We can't go to the police right now," Jack muttered.

"Where are we going, Officer?" Kiku began to reload her gun.

Jack handed her back the .380. "I fired two shots."

"Got it." She reloaded that gun too.

"Where are we going, Jack?" Replacement put her hand on his shoulder.

"The Imperial."

The Imperial The Imperial Motor Lodge was a popular stop for prost.i.tutes and drug addicts. You could pay in cash and get a room by the hour.

All three women looked relieved when Jack slipped the housekeeper twenty dollars for clean sheets and blankets. As far as the Imperial went, they had a suite. Separate bathroom, king-sized bed, round table, and four chairs.

Jack got the girls set up in the room and headed for the door. "I'll be right back."

"I'm coming." Replacement spun around.

"No."

Replacement huffed and flopped onto the bed.

Kiku followed Jack to the door.

"She goes, I go." Replacement hopped back up.

"Just me. Five minutes." Jack walked out and shut the door.

The Impala is too easy to spot sitting out here.

He drove a block east to a small ranch house with a detached garage. Jack pulled up to the garage and hopped out.

A man in his sixties opened the front door and peered out. "Jack?" he called in a deep voice.

"Hey, Carl. I got a huge favor to ask. I need to park in your garage for a couple days."

The man was dressed in an untucked flannel shirt that did little to cover his large belly. Round cheeks popped out from a bushy beard that matched his thick eyebrows.

"World must have gone to h.e.l.l if you're hiding the Impala in my garage." He laughed. "Zombie apocalypse?"

Jack chuckled. He didn't have many people he considered friends, and Carl was on the fringe edge of the list, but he was a good guy who kept his mouth shut.

"Something like that. Can I pull her in?"

Carl nodded. "Need a hand? It's actually empty. I finished the Ford I was working on."

"I got it." Jack ran over and pushed the door open.

"Jack, I'll need it again at the end of the week, though."

"I only need it a day or two. I appreciate it."

Jack pulled the Impala in. As he got out, he saw Paolo's gun sticking out from under the seat. He popped the door panel and dropped the gun in. He put the burner phone in his pocket, and sealed the panel back up. He walked back out and hurriedly shut the garage doors.

"I owe you. Thanks," Jack called out as he jogged down the driveway.

"You gonna run home? I'll give you a ride if you give me a minute."

"No, I need the exercise."

Jack's smile vanished as he ran back to the Imperial. He checked the burner phone as he went.

Nothing. Something has to break...soon.

All three women got up and peppered him with questions as soon as he walked in the door.

"Wait a second. Listen." Jack held his hands up. "Is your laptop set up?"

"What?" Replacement shook her head. "How about you start with what we're doing."

"Or where you went," Jennifer added.

"Or where we're going." Kiku leaned against the wall and folded her arms.

Jack put his hands on his hips and tried to catch his breath. "First things first. That cut opened up on my leg. Can you take a look at it?" he asked Replacement as he headed for the bathroom.

"Darn it, Jack. I didn't bring any bandages and I doubt this place has any."

Jack shut the bathroom door and held his finger to his lips. "Listen. My leg is fine. I needed to talk to you alone. You're the only one I totally trust. I need you to run that program for me. The one for the cars going through the tolls."

Replacement nodded.

"How long will that program take?"

She bit her lower lip. "Depends on the connection, but I'm just pulling data and doing the processing on the laptop so hopefully I'll have something in an hour or two."

There was a loud knock on the door and Kiku opened it a crack. "You need to hear this, Officer."

The three of them hurried back into the main room as the scanner clicked on. The police dispatcher was speaking. "No rain or snow is forecast. ME is still an hour out. The wrecker is on standby."

"10-4. Thank you, Bev." The other voice belonged to Tom Kempy, the world's most polite cop.

Medical examiner?

"Can you turn that up?" Jack walked over to the table.

"Shoot," Replacement blurted out. "While you were detained, they found a car on fire out on...I forget the-"