Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Three hours later…

"THEY GAVE UP, right?" I said it. But I didn't really believe it.

Kira shook her head. "They won't stop. Not until the mission is complete. Defined as you and me dead."

The two of us were hanging on a metal ladder high above the bottom of the tunnel. We'd been there for a long time, waiting for night. Right above us was a metal street grate, anchored in cement. I watched as darkness slowly settled overhead.

Finally, it was time.

Kira swung herself to the side of the ladder like a trapeze artist. "Okay," she said. "It's all on you now."

I edged past her and pressed one hand up against the grate.

"Use your back, like I taught you," she said. "Remember?"

"We never practiced with a flimsy ladder and a deep-set storm drain," I replied. "It's a unique situation."

I pressed up as hard as I could. I felt the ladder rung starting to buckle under my feet. I moved up two steps, redistributed my weight, and pressed my shoulder up against the grate. I took a deep breath and jolted my body upward. Once! Twice! On the third hit, I felt the near side of the grate loosen. Crumbs of black gravel rained down on our heads and dropped into the tunnel below with distant plinks. One more shove and the whole edge popped up.

"My hero," said Kira. "Now move !"

I strained and pushed until a one-foot gap opened up between one side of the grate and the roadway. Kira swung back to the center of the ladder just below me and eyeballed the opening. "You first."

I shoved my head through and then pressed my torso up. I felt like a human can opener. The rusted edges of the grate shredded my shirt and carved grooves in my shoulders and back. But anything to get out of that hole. A few seconds later, I yanked my legs and feet through. As soon as I was out, Kira followed, worming her hips through the narrow opening.

"Where the hell are we?" I asked. Our run through the tunnel had taken us a long way from my neighborhood.

"About five miles from home," said Kira. " My home."

I stared at her. "The loft?"

She nodded. "It's our only chance."

I really hated that idea.

The loft she was talking about took up the whole tenth floor of a converted factory building. The loft was a total secret—and an architectural illusion. According to the city files, the building had only nine floors.

I spent the most agonizing six months of my life in that place. That was before I had any idea who Kira really was or what she wanted with me. The training she put me through was brutal. It nearly destroyed me. She did it to turn me into a replica of my great-grandfather, the legendary Doc Savage himself.

Not my choice. But she had her reasons.

"If we can get there," Kira said, "we can buy some time, get some weapons."

That damned loft was the last place on earth I wanted to go back to, but what choice did we have? I was sure the killers had the address of my apartment. They were probably waiting there right now.

"Lead on," I said.

I thought I knew Chicago pretty well. I'd lived there since grad school. But I didn't know it like Kira did. She knew the city the way a rat would. Every grimy little path. She pulled me through alleys and underpasses I never knew existed. I got totally turned around.

A few minutes later, we stopped. "Wait here," said Kira. I huddled under a rusted bridge while she checked every which way, making sure we weren't being followed.

After another hour of ducking and dodging, things started to look familiar. Then I saw Kira's building straight ahead. Just looking at the place gave me the creeps. But Kira was already heading toward the rear entrance.

I followed her through the metal door behind the loading bay and down a basement hallway. We stepped into the service elevator. She pushed the button for the ninth floor. When we got out, we walked down a corridor to a fire door. Kira pressed a code to bypass the alarm. One more turn and we were on the hidden staircase that led to her loft. Kira took the stairs two at a time. I was right behind her. The door was ten steps up. Solid steel.

The next instant, a huge blast blew it away.

The stairwell went white, then dark. I hit the landing on my back, with Kira on top of me. There was smoke everywhere. I felt blood trickling from my nose. Kira rolled to the side. She looked stunned. We were both covered in plaster dust.

For some reason, I started crawling toward the staircase, even though it was broken off at the top. My ears were ringing so hard I could hardly hear Kira shouting.

"Doc! Stop!"

I started climbing. The steps were twisted and bent. The railing was scorching hot under my hands. When I got to the last rung, all I could see were flames and bare beams and open sky. The entire loft had been leveled. Walls, doors, windows—all destroyed. I climbed back down. Dazed. Aching. Eyes burning. Kira grabbed for my arm as I got to the bottom step.

"Everything's gone," I said.

The city of Chicago never knew Kira's floor existed.

Now it really didn't.