Sleeper's Run

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The two security guards seem to be glued to the TV inside their booth, when one of them sees us approaching. He taps his partner's shoulder and he immediately tenses up when he sees the patrol car. They're probably wondering what the Metropolitan Police are doing here so early in the morning.

"Good morning, officers," the security guard says.

"We're dropping somebody off," the cop says.

The guard takes a look at me, so I try to hide my face by rubbing my chin. "What's his business here?" he says.

"What do you think?" the cop says. "Open the gate."

Antagonizing the police is never a good idea, especially in this town and definitely not today. Besides, I'm already under police custody.

"Go ahead," says the guard, opening the gate.

When the cops told me to get into their car, I thought my luck had run out, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. The badly burned officer I had helped was a good friend of these guys. The EMTs told them about me, so the policemen wanted to thank me by escorting me to my destination. I told them I was meeting my brother at the general aviation part of the airport.

"This is it," I say as I point to the flight school up ahead. I've rented planes here before to travel the country with Trishna, so I know the place quite well.

"There's no one here," one of the cops says.

"That's OK, he'll be here soon." I get out of the car. "My brother is never on time. Thank you for the ride, officers."

"Are you sure you want to stay here alone?" says the driver. "Your brother might have been held back by the disturbances."

"No, I'm positive," I say.

"OK, then. Stay safe."

"You bet."

I wait for the patrol car to disappear in the distance before climbing over the fence. I hide my face from the security camera outside and cut its cable off. This gives me some privacy to do the pre-flight check on a Piper Mirage. I've rented this aircraft before; its range and glass cockpit are perfect for my needs. The gas tanks are full and everything looks fine.

I wrap my gun around my bloodied jacket and wait for the sound of a jet engine to muffle the sound of shots at the school's door lock. It takes a few kicks to open the door, but I'm in. The alarm starts to beep waiting for a password. I open the keypad with my knife and neutralize it before it goes off. I've seen more complicated electrical systems in my first year of college.

I take a headset from behind the front desk and a binder withthe Piper's tail number written on it. The keys are inside. Taxiing to therunway, I input the destination coordinates into the GPS and take off as soonas the tower clears me.