A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out to you. Over the weekend, I discovered the obsession that is The Walking Dead… So, yeah, that was what I spent my New Year's holiday doing! So, without further ado…
Disclaimer: I do not own Safe or Jason Statham, sadly. If I did, I would be doing much more enjoyable things with my time…
Luke walked nonchalantly up to the Audi SUV and unlocked the doors, tossing the heavy duffel bags into the backseat. The area was still swarming with police and S.W.A.T. team members, easily identified by their black cargo pants and shirts with "POLICE" emblazoned on the back. He pointed the remote at the car and locked the doors. With all of the ongoing commotion, he did not believe anyone would be able to hear Vassily in the trunk – if he was stupid enough to attempt to get anyone's attention.
He ducked between curious bystanders and headed toward the bookstore he had left Tatum at. His heart stopped when he glanced around the small shop and did not see her mahogany hair. The bell above the door tinkled merrily, and it irritated him. Where was she?
He looked over at the small, elderly woman watching television behind the counter. "Excuse me," he said, not caring if he was interrupting I Love Lucy.
"Yes, how can I help you, young man?" she asked in a thin voice.
"I'm looking for a girl who was in here earlier…"
The woman smiled at him. "Don't worry, dear. She'll be right out."
He clenched his jaw. "Out from where?"
She gave him an exasperated look. "From the ladies' room…"
Luke felt chagrined when he saw the blush rise on her weathered cheeks. "Oh…" He suddenly realized she had grown up in a time where women went to "powder their noses," as if that lie kept any man from knowing what they were really doing, but he had not meant to embarrass her. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.
"What a sweet girl," the woman remarked. "Are you her husband?"
"No, I'm not her husband. Just a friend…"
She clucked her tongue. "Such a pity. You two would make a lovely couple."
He felt his chest swell with pride, and he grinned.
At that moment, the door to a back room opened, and Tatum came out, drying her hands on her pants. "Ma'am, I'm afraid you're out of paper towels." She looked up and saw Luke, and her face paled. "Luke…" she whispered, her tongue not working properly. She had been so afraid for him that she could hardly believe he was standing in front of her now.
Luke smiled at her. He wanted to take her into his arms and ravish her mouth with his own, but he had caused the elderly saleswoman enough embarrassment for one night. Instead, he held his hand out for Tatum to take. She did so without hesitation. "You ready?"
She nodded but then pulled her hand out of his. "Just a minute. I'm ready to checkout," she said to the woman.
The saleslady nodded and pulled a brown paper-wrapped package out from behind the counter. "That'll be two hundred forty-two dollars and seventeen cents."
Tatum looked at her surprised. "Are you sure? I know it's worth much more than that."
The lady gave her a large, toothy smile. "For you, dear, it's two hundred forty-two seventeen." She winked at Luke.
Tatum shook her head and pulled out her wallet. "All right… But here—" she pulled three one hundred-dollar bills out "—you keep the change."
The woman winked at her and put the bills into an ancient cash register. "You. You come back soon!"
Tatum smiled at her, and Luke picked up the package. "I certainly will. Thank you." They waved at the wizened old woman and walked out onto the street. Luke steered her toward their car.
"What the hell was that all about?" he asked, a grin on his face.
Tatum shook her head. "I found the most incredible book in there! But we'll talk about that later; just be careful with it." They quickly got into the car, and Luke pulled smoothly into traffic, heading away from the pulsating lights surrounding The Flaming Dragon. "So, what happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked quickly, trying to assess him from the passenger seat.
"I'm fine… I got the money."
Her mouth dropped open. "Y-You…did?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It's back there." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, and she turned in her seat to stare at the two duffel bags that were stuffed full. "You sound surprised. Don't tell me you doubted me," he teased.
"Oh, my God," she whispered. She was not sure how to describe the sensation of being in the presence of thirty million dollars. It was an overwhelming feeling. "Now what?"
Luke turned down a side street and pulled into an empty parking space. He looked over at her and put his finger to his lips before pressing a button on a different cell phone. Ringing filled the interior of the car.
The mayor's voice flowed through the speakers. "Wolf," he greeted.
"I have your money, Danny," Luke replied calmly.
"What?" Tremello said incredulously.
"You heard me," Luke said, his voice cold. "Thirty million, in five thousand and one thousand dollar bills. I wanna talk—"
"No, no. What you want to do is calm down, so we can talk like adults," the mayor interrupted.
"Shut it, Danny," Luke directed. "I wanna talk, but I don't want to talk to you. I wanna talk to your boyfriend."
Tremello remained silent for a few moments. "You don't want to do this, Luke."
Luke laughed softly. "You have no idea what I want to do. What's the number?"
He recited the number off, his voice shaking in rage. "Don't do anything stupid…"
Luke hung up on him and immediately dialed the number he had been given. Tatum sat quietly with her hands in her lap. She focused on her breathing – in and out, in and out – to calm her jittery nerves. She prayed that they were almost to the end of this nightmare and that within a few more hours, Mei would be back with them, safe and sound. She purposefully did not think any farther than that, however. She had no idea of what the future held with Luke, and she did not want to get herself worked up over it while he was on the phone tying up their loose ends.
The call connected. "This is Alex."
"It's been a while, Alex," Luke said in greeting.
"How'd you get this number?" he asked, an undertone of amusement and incredulity in his voice.
"Come on, Alex. Reach up the mayor's ass, there you are."
He laughed. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, huh? Well, he's a better catch than Annie was, anyway. I never understood how you hooked up with a cow like that."
Tatum gasped in horror. What an egotistical asshole!
Luke just smiled grimly. "Yeah…it was never about her looks. It was her sense of humor."
"She's not so funny now, is she?" he asked smoothly, fake sympathy in his voice.
"No, she's not. Neither am I," Luke replied. "I have the money, Alex. And I had to kill a lot of people to get it, so listen up. You haven't made the combination exchange yet. What's in the other safe?"
She imagined that she heard Alex Rosen gritting his teeth over the phone. It made her strangely satisfied to know Luke had just pissed him off.
"A disk," he answered, all mocking gone from his voice. "Names, money trails… When our commanders sent the two of us to help Danny clean up the city, they attached a price. In exchange, Danny looked the other way while the assets seized from every group deemed a terrorist organization were funneled into their private accounts. It's amazing what people will let you get away with when their scared and wanna feel protected, huh?"
"Amazing how many scumbags there are out there waiting to take advantage of it," Luke retorted.
Alex laughed. "Like you didn't."
"I quit!"
"I bet that helps all those souls you sent to meet their maker without due process rest a whole lot easier! You thought you could atone by climbing into a cage and allowing yourself to get beaten to a pulp? Don't fucking preach at me, Luke! I'm getting paid for services rendered."
"Right," Luke said. "You sell the disk to the Chinese, so they can blackmail our old honchos, take the thirty mil, and waltz off with Danny to a villa in the Bahamas."
"Bali, but whatever, right?" Alex said, arrogance thick in his tone. "So, now you know. Now what?"
"Now you're dealing with me."
"All right. I'm turning around."
"No you're not," Luke instructed.
"What are you talking about? You got the money; the Chinese have nothing I care about."
"No, they have something I do."
"What?" Alex asked impatiently.
"A young Chinese girl, around eleven years old. She'll be with the Triads. Bring her to me, safe and sound, and you'll get the money."
Alex hesitated. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Nope," Luke said calmly.
He sighed. "Fine. Then what?"
"Call me when you have her," Luke instructed and then disconnected.
Tatum looked at him, her gray eyes wide.
Luke ran his hands through her hair and pressed his lips to her hair. "Don't worry. Alex will get her."
"But how many Chinese will be there…?"
"Don't worry," he repeated cryptically. "Alex won't have any trouble."
She shivered at the thought and sent up another prayer that Mei would be safe.