Nowhere To Run To Part II

Reed’s Realm

Reed and Martin froze in the middle of the walkway. Before anyone could make a move or say another word, the man that they were looking for came walking out from the room from which the additional security guards had emerged. Reed could not make out the face of the man at first because of the darkness in the club, but soon another song began beating from the speakers below and the disco lights pulsed around them. As the lights flashed on and off the newcomer’s face, it became totally clear that Reed was indeed standing face to face with David Willings.

The years and the life style had changed the way Willings looked. Gone was the wavy hair and porno mustache. He’d also aged, but not as much as Reed would have expected. Nonetheless, time and a fashion makeover couldn’t hide the man’s basic features that could be seen no more than ten feet away, and that was all the proof that Reed needed to make a positive identification of his suspect.

Willings worn face was very cold, but as he stared the policeman in the face, it was his eyes that told the story that no words could express. His was a glare that would have sent many a man in the other direction, and spoke only of malice. It was evident that if glares could kill a man, Martin and Reed would have never been able to walk out of Club 9.

Reed, having been given the evil eye by many a man in his long career, was not impressed, and was not going to be intimidated by a piece of trash like Willings. Without taking his own eyes off Willings, he slowly reached down with his right hand. With a motion much like a gun fighter in the old west, Reed pulled the right side of his coat back so that his NOPD badge and loaded 9 mm that was strapped at his side ready to go to work could be seen by all the men standing in front of him.

Reed returned a hardcore glare of his own and broke the silence by yelling over the music. “David Willings, you are under arrest for the murders of Peter Kerrigan and Jonathan Simmons. You have the right to remain silent.”

Willings expression finally changed, first showing amazement as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes wide. After a moment, he shook his head and a look of utter distain transformed him, as if having his rights being read to him was a totally offensive act.

Before Reed could finish, Willings spoke to the guards that were in front of him, though neither Reed nor Martin could hear what was said over the loud music It was very easy to recognize that Willings had spoken the two words, “Get them!”

The two guards, without any hesitation started to quickly move forward. In total unplanned unison, Reed and Martin both drew their guns and took aim at the guards in front of them. Both of the behemoth men stopped in their tracks and threw up their hands. Neither of the guards apparently intended to attack them, and were action as a diversion. Behind them, Willings, in one quick motion, grabbed the rail and jumped over the side to the floor below.

Reed and Martin both rushed to the rail and looked over to see that Willings had landed among the group of dancers on the floor. Bodies were scattered about, some standing and some on the floor due to the impact of Willings landing on them. From those that were laying one figure arose in the middle. Willings had landed on his feet unharmed. He looked up at both detectives, straightened his shirt, and then quickly made his way to the side door in which he had come.

“Let’s go,” Reed said as they ran over to the stair case that led them back to the lower level. Reed didn’t have time to contemplate how Willings had made that leap without injuring himself. As the policemen made their way down the stairs, Reed saw the huge body guard they passed earlier waiting for them at the bottom. When Reed was almost down to the bottom step, he grabbed both of the rails of the stairway and swung both legs up, kicking the guard with both feet square in the chest, sending him flying backwards and onto the floor.

“Go out front and get the car,” Reed yelled to Martin as he took off in the direction of the door for which Willings was heading.

Reed made his way quickly through the mass of people, thrusting more than a couple out of his way, and drew his weapon as he reached the side door. He took in a deep breath and thrust opened the door, scanning the area of the alley that he could see. With his gun held beside his face, he peeked his head out to look around the corner. He saw nothing in both directions. He cautiously stepped out of the doorway and again looked both ways as he walked out into the middle of the alley. There were no signs of Willings anywhere.

“Damn it,” Reed muttered as he moved towards the front of the club. The sound of an engine trying to start drew his attention behind him. Reed jogged in the direction of the sound of the motor, which was coming from a side alley down about a half a block.

As Reed was about to reach the alleyway, the motor raged full blast, Before he could react, the bike, with Willings driving, came screaming around the corner. There was nothing that Reed could do but dive and roll out of the way before getting up and giving chase on foot.

As Willings turned the corner out of the alley, he was almost hit by Martin coming to pick up Reed. Realizing what was happening, Martin tried to cut him off by blocking the alley, but had to stop short so as not to take out Club 9 goers that scattered and screamed when the SUV crossed onto the sidewalk upon which they were walking. Martin’s momentary hesitation gave Willings enough time to pull the motorcycle out of the alley and onto the street. The engine of the bike roared as he hit full speed moments later, tearing away from the club.

“Go, Martin,” Reed yelled as he reached the SUV. Reed leaped to the step rail and grabbed a hold of the side mirror of the driver’s side.

Martin put the car in drive and floored it in the direction the suspect had gone. He rolled down his window so that he could hear Reed.. Driving fast on the narrow streets of the city was dangerous at any time. In the middle of the night with a passenger hanging on the side of the vehicle made it especially treacherous. Reed hung on as Martin weaved and swerved through parked cars and the night traffic on the streets.

“There he is,” Reed said as a speck in front of them became visible as the speeding motorcycle ahead of them. “Get on his ass, Martin,” Reed yelled as he moved down the running board, holding onto the top luggage rack until he reached the driver’s side backdoor. As he reached down to open the door,

Martin ran through a red light at an intersection, not seeing a car coming from the cross street. He jerked the SUV quickly to the right. Reed lost his grip on the car door handle and spun around with his back against the car. As his back impacted with the vehicle and his breath rushed from his lungs, he heard the screeching sound of breaks locking up and tires being ripped by the road. He looked up to see the headlights of the breaking car, which had been passing through the green light and was now on a collision course with the SUV at exactly the point where Reed was standing.

The detective could only turn his head, close his eyes, and wait for the painful, probably fatal, collision. Seconds that seemed to last for millenia passed, and Reed felt nothing. He opened his eyes to see nothing but beautifully empty road where he thought the car would be. The car was behind them, stopped in the middle of the lane they just crossed over. Somehow, Martin had missed the car. For a moment Reed still felt paralyzed, but he forced himself to move again, turning and finally getting a grip on the door and opening it to make his way into the SUV. He quickly moved to the passenger front seat and buckled in, cinching the belt extra tight. He then pulled a red flashing light from the center console and placed it on the dash board.

Reed could still see Willings ahead of them, but he was moving faster and farther up the road. “We’re loosing him,” Reed said.

“We can’t weave through the streets in this tank as easy as he can,” Martin said before pausing and looking up the road and shaking his head at the red light ahead of them.

“I don’t know if we’re gonna make this one,” Reed said, seeing the solid line of cars blocking the road ahead.

Martin didn’t slow down. In fact, he actually sped up.

“Hey, we don’t have the room to pass,” Reed said with a panic tone in his voice.

“Hold on,” Martin returned as he jerked the wheel to the right and jumped the curb onto the side walk and flooring it again heading towards the intersection..

Reed put a hand on the dashboard to keep from crashing into it as the car bounced. Reed stared at the steady line of cars going in both directions through the intersection, with no break in the path to be seen. “Martin we can’t make it,” Reed yelled.

Martin didn’t say anything, proceeding at full speed on the sidewalk towards the intersection. Reed placed his right hand on the car door and his left onto the dash in front of him as they sped forward.

“Martin!” Reed yelled. He liked to think that he completely trusted the young copy, but his faith was being put to the test.

As they reached the intersection from the sidewalk, the traffic blocking the intersection stopped and the light turned green for their direction. Martin and the big SUV that he was piloting were heading for a yellow cab stopped at the light perpendicular to their direction. At the last possible second, Martin swerved to the left, missing the cab only by inches and the Chevy S 10 truck traveling their direction through the intersection.

As Martin continued to speed down the road Reed looked over and announced, “Next time, I’m driving!”

Martin smiled for a short time before responding, ”He’s getting on the freeway.” Buildings around them spaced out as they neared the highway.

Reed watched the motorcycle going up the on ramp. “He’s making a run for it. We’ve got to get him,” Reed said.

Martin passed one last car before turning onto the access road and up the ramp onto the freeway. There was not a lot of traffic on the road, and that made it easy to see that there was no sign of Willings up ahead of them.

“Where the hell did he go?” Martin asked. “He couldn’t have just disappeared! Do you see him?”

Reed looked at every car and truck on the road ahead and there was no sign of Willings anywhere. Martin pressed the SUV as fast as it would go, and the needle on the speedometer sank passed 120.

“I don’t see him either,” Reed returned.

Reed couldn’t believe that they had lost the suspect and he refused to give in to the possibility of defeat. As they sped toward and over an overpass covering normally busy Maple Street, Reed noticed cars stopped in the middle of the road. He then spotted the bike they’d been chasing on its side and Willings running over to it.

“There,” Reed yelled pointing down at the road. “He pulled off the freeway and dumped his bike at the intersection.”

They had just cleared the overpass guard rail when Martin slammed on the brakes to turn off the freeway. The big SUV rumbled across the grass and then onto the on ramp, going the wrong way. Martin swerved two cars that were coming up the ramp. He jumped the high curb on the left side of the light, the SUV becoming airborne briefly before landing in the road. Martin then quickly moved over into the right lanes of traffic.

“Where did he go?” Martin asked again.

Reed looked around and didn’t have one clue until he realized where they were. “I don’t see him, but I think I know where he’s going,” Reed said. “Take the next left at the light up here.”

Martin made the left and then looked over to Reed for further direction. “You don’t really think he would come here?” Martin asked upon realizing that they were heading down the road that led to the Port of New Orleans.

“Take the back road that goes between the warehouses and the river,” Reed told Martin.

“Okay,” Martin said, more than a little doubt in his voice.

“Take it slow,” Reed said. “He’s here. I feel it.”

As they came upon the warehouse section, Martin slowly proceeded down the road both of them being vigilant to every detail of their surroundings, searching for any sign of Willings. Martin watched the warehouses on the left and Reed scanned the crane loaders and docks. They had made it almost half way down the dock without seeing anything suspicious and Reed began to think that he had made a mistake in coming to the dock.

Then he saw something. “Stop,” Reed said.

“What is it?” Martin asked, bringing the vehicle to a stop.

“Look,” Reed said, pointing down at the next dock in front of them.

Leaning against a light pole was a black ninja motorcycle. Martin parked the car, and they got out, pulled their guns, and carefully walked down to the motorcycle.

“This can’t be the same one,” Martin said as the approached the bike.

Reed squatted down next to the bike. “Engine is red hot,” Reed said. “And look at the road rash job on the tins.” Reed stood up and looked over at Martin, “This is the bike.”

Martin shook his head, and looked over at Reed. “But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would he park it in the open under a dock light?” Martin asked.

“Because he wanted us to find the bike,” Reed responded, his eyes searching the nearest buildings.

“But why would he want us to find it?” Martin asked again, his face covered with puzzlement.

Reed lifted up his gun and switched off the safety. “He wasn’t trying to get away from us. He brought us here so we would be on his turf and away from witnesses,” Reed said, cocking his gun.

Martin’s face held a blank surprised look as he realized Reed was right, and that they were in a lot of danger. “So what’s the move, Boss,” Martin asked.

“Well, he’s expecting us, and I would hate to stand him up,” Reed said.

“I’m with you,” Martin said as he readied his gun for action.

“Let’s do this, then,” Reed said as they both moved down the dock through the darkness.