Ryan Quinn and the Rebel's Escape

by Ron McGee

  “Brilliant. Wish I’d thought of that.” Steeg accelerated around two more vehicles, swerving in and out of lanes to find a clear path.

  A blinking red heart appeared on the map. Ryan grinned. Of course that’s the symbol Danny would give Lan. Looking up, he pointed ahead.

  “Left up here. They’re not that far ahead.”

  At the corner, Steeg took the left. The boulevard contained a shifting sea of delivery trucks, yellow taxis, and cars. Ryan forced himself not to examine each individual vehicle, focusing instead only on the color black.

  Finally, he caught sight of the Town Car turning at the next block. “There—Spring Street!”

  Steeg was on the wrong side of Broadway and had to cut across two lanes of traffic to make the turn. Spring Street wasn’t as busy, and Ryan could see that the Town Car was slowing to a stop at the next red light.

  Ryan’s phone buzzed and he saw Kasey’s name pop up on his screen. Probably his mom calling to tell him to stop. He didn’t have time to argue with her now, so he declined the call.

  “What do we do if we catch them?” Steeg asked. “They’ve got guns.”

  Ryan hadn’t actually thought that far ahead, simply moving on adrenaline. “We’ll do what you said before. Follow them to wherever they’re going and then call the cops.”

  Steeg glanced over. “I’m not sure how much good that’s gonna do.”

  “Why not?”

  “Lan’s still a teenager and her uncle’s her legal guardian. Plus, he’s got diplomatic immunity. There’s nothing the cops can do except maybe give him a speeding ticket. If he wants to take her back to Andakar, the police can’t stop him.” As he narrowed the distance between the two cars, Steeg clutched the steering wheel tightly. “I should’ve stopped him. I let him take her.”

  “No, it’s my fault. You guys were never even supposed to be that close to Aung Win. I thought you’d be gone long before he got to the roof.”

  They drove in silence, Ryan racking his brain for a way to save Lan. Steeg looked over at him. “I was a jerk to you and Danny at school,” he said. “Sorry. You guys are okay.”

  “You were just looking out for your little sister. Protecting her.”

  “Yeah, that’s probably what Lan’s douche-bag uncle says to himself, too. That he’s just protecting his people, looking out for them. But he’s really nothing but a bully.” Steeg glanced over at Ryan. “I’m not like him.”

  Ryan was surprised by the conviction in his tone. “I never thought you were.”

  As they made their way across the Bowery, Steeg stayed close to the Town Car, keeping behind a brown UPS truck so they wouldn’t be visible. The UPS truck abruptly shifted lanes, leaving the Lexus exposed. Ryan was shocked to see Aung Win turned around in his seat, looking out the back window right at them!

  “He saw us,” Ryan blurted, as the Town Car swerved hard to the right, taking off down a side street. Steeg pounded the brake, spinning the wheel so the sedan skidded into a turn. They fishtailed, but he managed to straighten out and keep going.

  Now that they knew they were being followed, the driver of the Town Car was much more aggressive, weaving in and out of traffic. Steeg trailed behind, matching his moves, though he wasn’t nearly as fast. The Town Car driver had obviously done this before.

  “He’s turning again,” Ryan said. “Left—left!”

  Steeg attempted the turn, but didn’t quite make it, popping over the curb and hitting a green trash can next to the streetlight. The trash can smashed off the bumper as the Lexus bounced down the other side of the curb, heading right for a parked car. Steeg jerked the wheel, barely avoiding a collision.

  “Man, I’m so gonna be grounded for this.”

  Ryan saw something fly out of the Town Car’s back window. Almost instantly, the blinking red heart on the tracking app disappeared.

  “He threw her phone out. Don’t lose them!”

  The Town Car executed a series of sharp turns. Steeg did his best to keep up, but he was no match for the professional driver, who clearly didn’t care if he hit any pedestrians. After several minutes, the Lexus pulled into an intersection, Ryan looking one way, Steeg the other.

  “Where’d they go?” Steeg asked.

  “I didn’t see.” Ryan glanced down as his phone began buzzing once more. Kasey’s ID again—probably his mom. He ignored it, searching the streets for the Town Car.

  But it was gone.

  Steeg pulled the Lexus to the curb. “What do we do now?”

  Looking out the front window, Ryan noticed the metal towers of the Williamsburg Bridge in the distance. With all the erratic turns, he hadn’t realized where they were. But as he looked at the sweeping expanse of the bridge that connected Manhattan to Long Island, something struck him: “When Aung Win called to set up the trade for my mom, he wanted to meet at the East Shore Aerodrome.”

  Gazing at the bridge, Steeg made the connection. “So they could have been coming this direction to get on the Williamsburg Bridge. But that place isn’t a real airport, is it?”

  “No. It’s more of a club for people with old planes,” Ryan said, feeling like he was on the right track. “But it’s got a runway and lots of old hangars and buildings.”

  Steeg got it, already shifting the car back into gear. “A good place to hide a private jet.”

  “If he gets Lan on a plane, we’ll never get her back.”

  Steeg said what they both feared: “If he hasn’t killed her already.”

  CHAPTER

  55

  NEW YORK,

  USA

  Kasey hung up her phone, frustrated. She’d tried to call Ryan and Drew both, but neither had answered. The sidewalk was now busy with onlookers who were curious about all the excitement, and the sounds of sirens could be heard approaching. Things were about to get even more complicated.

  Jacqueline had attended to Danny’s cut with the proficiency of a field medic. She’d stripped off Drew’s bloody jacket, and then appropriated a scarf and bottle of water from one of the bystanders to clean and bandage the wound. Despite her ordeal and the drugs in her system, Ryan’s mom stayed focused. This was a woman used to handling a crisis, Kasey thought.

  As the paramedics arrived, Jacqueline turned to Kasey. “Your bag,” she said. “Do you have a hair band or any makeup?”

  Kasey was surprised by the request. “I think I have both.” Opening the bag, she pushed aside the scissors and tools, grabbing a scrunchie from the bottom and some blush and lip gloss from the zippered compartment.

  Jacqueline pulled her disheveled hair into a ponytail and slid the scrunchie into place. As she applied the lip gloss and a quick dab of blush to her cheeks, she whispered urgently to Kasey. “Danny was robbed. The attacker was a white male in his twenties, wearing a green hoodie. He took off down the street. Got it?”

  Kasey nodded, feeling like she was in a spy movie.

  “Keep trying to reach Ryan.” Jacqueline handed back the makeup as she stepped toward the arriving paramedics. “Thank goodness you’re here! This poor boy says he was mugged, but I think he’s okay.”

  Jacqueline’s transformation was amazing, the weary victim replaced in a few moments with an energetic Good Samaritan. Kasey marveled at how quickly she had adapted to the situation.

  Kasey stepped away from the crowd as Danny took to the story like a fish to water and hammed it up for the crowd: “I could’ve taken him, but he was huge—like, seven feet tall—maybe bigger!”

  Instead of phoning Ryan again, she texted, It’s Kasey—call me! Moments later, her phone vibrated, and she answered instantly. “Are you guys okay?”

  “We lost Lan,” Ryan said. “Sorry I didn’t pick up. I thought it was my mom.”

  Kasey glanced over at Jacqueline, who was now busy with the paramedics as they checked out Danny. “She’s got her hands full right now. Where are you?”

  “Long Island. Headed toward the East Shore Aerodrome.”

  Kasey heard the frustration in Ryan
’s tone. “That’s where Aung Win wanted to make the trade, right?”

  “Yeah. I’m hoping maybe he has a plane hidden there.”

  “It makes sense he’d want to trade somewhere he could get her out of the country right away.” Kasey thought of something else. “Remember that warehouse Danny and I investigated? They had all that top secret, high-tech equipment hidden away that they weren’t supposed to have. Maybe a private plane is how they get it all out of the country.”

  “If Aung Win was caught smuggling top secret tech out of the United States, his diplomatic immunity could be stripped.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Kasey said, digging in her bag. She retrieved the business card Agent Calloway had given her, flipping it over to see the CIA agent’s handwritten cell phone number on the back. Glancing over, she saw that Danny was being wheeled away on a gurney. “I gotta go—I’ll call you back.”

  Without waiting for an answer, she hung up, pushing her way through to Danny. “Where are you going?”

  “The hospital—but I’m fine. I just need a few stitches. Hopefully, I’ll have an awesome scar.”

  Kasey leaned in close, walking along with the gurney. “I need the video of the warehouse.”

  Sensing her urgency, Danny pulled out a thin wallet and handed it over. “All the memory cards are in there. What’s going on?”

  “It’s time we got a little help,” Kasey told him. The paramedics hauled Danny up into the truck and slammed the doors closed.

  Kasey dialed Agent Calloway’s number.

  CHAPTER

  56

  NEW YORK,

  USA

  A huge sign read East Shore Aerodrome—Aviation Historical Society. Below that was another sign: No Trespassing!

  “Looks deserted,” Steeg said.

  Ryan got out of the Lexus to take a look. The afternoon was turning into evening, twilight coming on quickly. Tall trees lined the fence in both directions. On the other side of the gate, the road veered off to the right, making it impossible to see the actual airfield.

  The gate was wrapped with chains and locked up tight. Ryan checked to see if he could climb the fence, but the top was lined with barbed wire. Steeg got out and followed as Ryan left the road and walked the property line. He hoped to find a spot where he could see the runway or possibly find a tree to climb.

  “Maybe he took her somewhere else,” Steeg suggested.

  Then, a high-pitched whine echoed through the trees. They froze in place, listening.

  “That sounds like a plane,” Ryan said.

  Steeg pivoted and ran for the Lexus. “They’re gonna take off!”

  Ryan dashed after him, getting in the passenger seat just as Steeg shifted into reverse. He backed the car up several feet, then slammed into drive. “Hold on!”

  Ryan grabbed the handhold above him, bracing himself as the car surged forward. They hit the entrance with a violent impact, snapping the lock and flinging the gates wide open!

  Inside, the road changed from asphalt to dirt. They still couldn’t see the runway because of the surrounding trees, but the sound of the plane’s engine was getting closer.

  “Stop here,” Ryan said. “We don’t want them to see us.”

  Steeg pulled to the side of the road and they both got out. Using the trees as cover, they crept forward until they had a view of the airfield.

  A collection of hangars and small buildings ran alongside a grass runway, which stretched off into the distance. Halfway down, one of the hangars was open and a sleek, private jet emerged into the twilight.

  “They’re here.” Ryan pointed to the Town Car, parked just outside the hangar. The bodyguard and driver stood watching the jet as it taxied forward.

  “If they get her in that plane,” Steeg said, “she’s gone forever.”

  Ryan noticed an old bi-wing plane, like something the Red Baron would have flown, tethered close to one of the sheet metal structures. The vintage plane was probably part of the historical society mentioned on the sign. Looking past it, he realized that the buildings along the runway formed a line. From the airfield, it would be impossible to see the road.

  “We can drive around behind the hangars,” he said. “They won’t be able to see your car from the runway. If we come up between the buildings, we might be able to surprise them.”

  “And then what? What exactly is our play here?”

  “Kinda making it up as I go along,” Ryan admitted.

  Steeg shook his head. “How did I end up taking directions from an eighth grader?”

  They hurried back to the car and Steeg drove behind the row of buildings, where they couldn’t be seen. As they approached the hangar with the jet, the whine of the engine drowned out all other sound. Steeg got as close to the back of the hangar as possible before Ryan stopped him and jumped out. “Wait here.”

  Ryan ran to the front of the hangar and peered around the corner. The jet was very close, a small but stylish private plane. The stairs were down, and two cargo doors in the back were now open. The bodyguard and the driver helped the pilot and two other men load crates. Ryan recognized the logo of LTV Technologies from the video Kasey and Danny had taken at the warehouse. Aung Win was smuggling the stolen, top secret technology out of the country on the same flight he was taking with Lan.

  The back door of the Town Car opened and Aung Win got out, giving orders to his men. He gestured impatiently as Lan slid across the seat. Aung Win motioned for her to get on the plane, and she began to shuffle forward slowly. Ryan darted back to the open passenger window of the Lexus.

  “They’re putting her on the jet,” he said. “Can you keep them busy?”

  “What’re you gonna do?”

  “I’m gonna get her out of there.”

  Steeg peeled out, lying on the horn as he zoomed by. The Lexus exploded from between the hangars and headed right for the jet! Steeg was driving like he was insane.

  Ryan sprinted, knowing he’d only have seconds before Aung Win spotted him. Up ahead, Aung Win and Lan dodged out of the way as the sedan swerved back and forth. The huge bodyguard was already drawing a gun as Steeg steered right toward him.

  The Lexus plowed into the open door of the Town Car, wrenching it off its hinges. The bodyguard tried to jump from its path, but he was too slow. The Lexus clipped his legs—he rolled over the hood before crashing to the ground.

  “Lan!” Ryan closed the distance as she looked up, shocked to see him there. “This way!”

  Lan reacted a moment too late, giving her uncle time to grab her. He pulled her close, but was caught off guard when she slammed the back of her skull right into his jaw! Aung Win shrieked in agony, letting go. Lan shoved him away and took off running.

  Ryan indicated the dark hangars. “In there!”

  As they ran, he glanced back. Steeg was spinning the Lexus around to come back for them. But the Town Car driver fired a shot, shattering the Lexus’s side window. Ryan froze—did the bullet hit Steeg? But the Lexus did a quick U-turn, letting him know Steeg was still driving. Another shot rang out, forcing him to speed off away from the hangars.

  Ryan made it to the hangar as Lan disappeared inside. Aung Win and the driver were coming after them, guns drawn and closing in fast.

  CHAPTER

  57

  NEW YORK,

  USA

  Inside, the hangar was cavernous and dark. It must be some kind of maintenance area, Ryan thought. It was crammed with racks full of airplane parts and tools. He and Lan ducked behind a tall, mobile staircase used by mechanics to reach the airplane engines.

  “You shouldn’t have come after me,” Lan whispered. “He’ll kill you, too.”

  “Only if he catches us,” Ryan said.

  Ryan took her hand and they ran behind a row of steel shelves, crouching low to keep out of sight. The door to the hangar burst open. Aung Win and the driver entered, their raised weapons silhouetted against the evening sky. They split up, the driver moving away while Aung Win came in their d
irection.

  Spread across the length of the hangar were three vintage planes; two were bi-wings like the one outside, and the other was a Piper Cub with a big propeller on its front. Ryan motioned toward the Piper Cub, and Lan moved that way. Passing a rolling metal tool chest, Ryan had an idea. He grabbed the first thing he found—a screwdriver sitting right on top—and hurled it across the hangar.

  The screwdriver hit the far side of the building with a loud bang. Aung Win fired instantly, the sound echoing in the confined space. He headed off in search of Ryan and Lan, as they continued in the opposite direction.

  “I think I see an exit.” Lan pointed to the far corner of the hangar, which was mostly lost in shadows. The faint outline of a door was barely visible.

  “All right,” Ryan whispered. “Halfway there.”

  The clatter of a screw skittering across the concrete caused Ryan to swivel around. The driver was right behind them! Ryan pulled Lan out of the way as another shot rang out. Before the driver could fire again, Ryan was on him, using his forearms like a battering ram to knock the wiry man down.

  “Get to the door,” Ryan said. He turned to follow Lan, but the driver grabbed his leg, tripping him. He fell, the driver on top of him before he knew what was happening. The guy was fast, straddling Ryan and wrapping both hands around his throat. Ryan gasped, but he couldn’t get any air, the driver choking him viciously, trying to crush his windpipe.

  Wham! Lan swung a wrench into the side of the driver’s head and he toppled over, out cold before he even hit the floor. With a fierce look in her eyes, she reached out to give Ryan a hand up. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “So brave.” They both whirled around to discover Aung Win, his pistol aimed at Lan’s head. “But so stupid. Did you think two children could outwit a colonel of the ASI?”

  Ryan stepped in front of Lan, instinctively shielding her. Aung Win scrutinized him, curious. “Why do you care? Why risk so much for someone you barely know?”