Ash walked up the darkened stairwell quietly. It was the witching hour and the hallway was empty and every door silent as he walked down the hall, scanning the apartment doors until he found the one he was looking for.
Ash raised his hand to knock but stopped. There was slight splintering around the edge of the frame. The door had been forced open. Ash pulled out his gun and turned the knob. The door swung open silently.
The room was ransacked, furniture overturned with loose papers drifting across the floor. Ash wanted to call out but didn't dare give away his position in case the intruder was still here. Ash turned the corner and continued his sweep of the apartment. He nudged the bedroom door open slowly. Horror stopped him in his tracks.
Griff was on the floor, slumped against the bed. A gun was in his hand and his mouth hung open. Blood splattered across the back wall. Ash dropped to his knees beside his brother. He was too late.
Ash stood and leaned heavily against the door frame, his stomach lurching. He forced his breathing to come back under his control and a hatred and fury began to overtake the nausea. The distant wail of police sirens reached his ears. He didn't have much time.
He left the bedroom and began searching the apartment. The intruders had gotten there first but they didn't know his brother like Ash did. He looked up and saw a slight shadow in the bulb of one of the darkened lights in the living room. He found a chair and dragged it to the center of the room. He climbed on top and unscrewed the lightbulb.
Inside was a note. The message his brother had left for him. The message he had died to protect. Ash turned and took one last look at his brother. He made a silent promise and left.
The parking garage was the perfect place to wait. It had a nice view of Dino's complex and to any curious or prying eyes, Ash would look like just another motorcyclist parking his vehicle.
Ash glanced at the note and clenched his hand around it. He looked up at the sound of a gate opening. The heavy, metal gate of Dino's complex opened and a black truck drove out. It looked like a military vehicle. Whatever Griff had found, Dino knew its value and wasn't going to let it out of his sight without some heavy protection.
Ash touched his ear where an earpiece was concealed. "Hey, you guys want to grab some coffee?"
Shorter's voice crackled over the radio, "Yeh, boss. Max is just being a little stubborn about getting into gear this morning."
"Okay, I'm going to go ahead. You can meet me there. And don't forget," Ash said, "it's your treat this time."
"Yeah, yeah," Shorter's voice said. "I know. We'll be there soon."
Ash revved up his motorcycle and took off down the ramp and out of the parking garage.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky. The armored truck flew along the empty highway. The guard in the passenger's seat had his arm hanging out the open window as he fiddled with the radio.
There was a distant crack and the front wheel suddenly blew out. The truck lurched to one side and the driver struggled with the wheel. A second shot put a small crack in the tempered glass window.
Ash, his face hidden by his motorcycle helmet, appeared beside them and shot the guard in the passenger seat through the open window before zipping away. The driver cursed and rolled up the window, pressing the pedal to the floor and speeding down the highway.
He cursed as he saw a car stopped on the road, blocking the way with its hazard lights flashing. Skip leapt for safety just before the armored front of the truck rammed through the car, crumpling it like a tin can and skidding it to the side of the road.
Ash turned back sharply. He skidded to a stop and Skip leapt on behind him. Ash's tires burned rubber as they sped to catch back up to the truck.
The truck still barrelled on with a flat front tire and damage from crashing into the car. Ash pulled alongside and Skip leapt off and grabbed onto the side of the truck. He opened the door and Ash shot the driver through the opening.
The truck drifted to one side as the man slumped over the steering wheel. Skip opened the door and shoved the body out onto the road, taking over the wheel. He glanced down and saw the radio light blinking. He turned up the volume.
"-headed to your location. Keep the cargo on the move," the voice over the radio ordered.
Skip rolled down his window and signaled to Ash. "Ash! We've got company!"
Ash glanced behind him at the empty highway. Through his radio he barked at Shorter, "Where the hell are you?"
As if on cue an unmarked, white van crashed onto the highway, speeding to catch up with the truck. A military dog tag dangled wildly from the rearview mirror, the name "Max" still visible next to a bullet hole punched into the metal.
Ash pulled alongside him and signaled to Shorter. Shorter nodded and the white van fell behind. Ash pulled up beside Skip and gave him the same signal. Skip nodded and slowed down, holding the listing truck steady.
The van came back into view, Shorter driving it backwards down the highway. He lined up with the back of the armored truck and punched the roof of the van twice. The doors of the van opened and Bones and Kong looked out.
Kong reached out and forced the back handle of the truck with a crowbar and wrenched the door open. They jumped across the gap and entered the back of the truck, ready for trouble. It was empty - except for one person. As they approached, they saw a Japanese boy. He slept fitfully in a drugged sleep.
"It's a kid," Bones said.
"What?" Ash fell back and caught a glimpse through the opening in the back of the truck.
"A kid. The cargo is a kid."
Ash hesitated.
"The plan doesn't change," Ash said finally. "Take him."
Kong picked the boy up and tossed him over one shoulder. They leapt back into their van. Ash darted ahead and signaled Skip. Skip grabbed the leg of the dead passenger and laid it against the gas pedal. Then he climbed out carefully and jumped onto Ash's motorcycle behind him.
Shorter slowed down and started driving forward, moving back down the highway. Ash pulled up beside Shorter and Skip climbed in to the passenger's seat. They took an offramp as the driverless truck hit a guardrail and crashed behind them.
Ash caught Shorter's eye and gave him a quick hand gesture. Shorter nodded. The motorcycle and the van split up, taking different roads headed towards the city, the dark clouds now looming over them, heavy with rain.