Chapter 52

Stone ducked as a gunshot echoed past Billy's house. He glanced at his friends. No one appeared to have been hit.

Another shot went off.

"It's coming from where Sticks and Petry are set up," Billy said. He listened to something on his radio. "One of Viv's teams is moving in."

"They weren't the ones doing the shooting?" Stone asked.

"No."

Stone glanced at Dino. "LAPD?"

Dino shook his head. "They were hanging back to catch Petry and the others when they returned to the road."

"Then who took the shot and who were they shooting at?" Monica asked.

A Strategic Services security guard hurried over. "The guests are being moved into the house. You all should join them. It's not safe out here."

The radio on his belt squawked to life. "This is team five. We've got a body. Male, approximately forty-five. No pulse." After a short pause, the security officer said, "He has a New York driver's license, says his name is Nicolas Savage."

Viv gestured for her security officer to give her his radio, and he handed it over. "Team five, this is Vivian Bacchetti. No sign of anyone else?"

"No, ma'am. Just the one."

"There are at least two more out there. Proceed with extreme caution."

"Copy."

The fire engine had reached the small blaze, and firefighters were preparing to douse the flames.

"Billy, I need your car," Stone said.

"Where are you going?" Billy asked.

"To find them."

"I'm coming with you," Dino said.

Billy handed Stone the keys to the Audi. "I need to make sure everything here is okay, then I'll catch up to you."

"Here," Viv said, tossing Stone the radio.

Catching it in his right hand, he and Dino ran to Billy's garage.

"Dammit," Sticks muttered.

He had stopped just inside the brush to scan the road. From his angle, he could see several silhouettes crouched behind Petry's car.

More cops, he figured.

That morning, he and Benji had stolen a black BMW 340i and hidden it by a house that was being remodeled. Keeping under cover, he headed in that direction. He paused again when he reached the driveway, then relaxed upon seeing no sign of the cops.

He jogged to the vehicle and climbed into the driver's seat. As he reached out to start the engine, someone banged against the driver's-side window.

He flinched and glanced over, sure that it was the police.

But it was Petry.

The man yanked on the handle and the door flew open. "Out!"

"What?"

"Get out!"

"The hell I—"

Petry grabbed him by the shirt and tugged him out of the car, then he took the seat. Before Sticks could get back to his feet, the door closed, and the lock engaged.

"Hey!"

The engine started.

"Sorry," Petry said, not sounding sorry at all.

He put the car in gear and sped away.

Stone raced the Audi up the driveway and skidded onto the street.

"Viv said they were set up off the next road," Dino said.

Just as they reached the intersection, a black BMW squealed around the corner onto their road.

It whizzed past, but Stone caught a quick look at the driver. "That's Petry!"

He spun the Audi in a one-eighty and hit the gas.

"You're sure?" Dino asked.

"Positive."

Dino contacted Viv on the radio and reported what was happening.

"I'll let the police know," she said. "Teddy's heading out in his Porsche, so he shouldn't be too far behind you."

"Copy," Dino said.

Stone glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the single light of a motorcycle gaining on them. "We've got company."

"That's not a police bike," Dino said.

The motorcycle came up fast and went around them on the driver's side. The rider wasn't wearing a helmet and didn't even glance at them.

"Isn't that the guy who chased Tristan from the Roosevelt?" Dino said. "The one who works for Simon?"

Stone nodded, having also made the connection. "Phillip Pierce."

"Maybe he's working for Petry, too."

Phillip pulled a gun out from under his jacket and aimed it at the BMW.

"If he is," Stone said, "I don't think he's satisfied with the terms of his employment."

The gun flashed and the BMW swerved slightly but didn't slow.

"Are you armed?" Dino asked.

"Uhh…"

"You forgot, didn't you?" Dino said.

"It was a busy day."

"Did we or did we not discuss you carrying tonight?"

"I seem to recall something about that, but I'm not clear on the details."

The radio came to life with Teddy's voice. "I saw a muzzle flash. Are you guys okay?"

"He wasn't shooting at us," Dino replied. "Where are you?"

"Thirty yards behind you."

Stone glanced at the mirror and saw the Porsche's headlights.

"Are you guys armed?"

"Funny, we were just discussing that," Dino said. "I am, but…"

"Stone forgot."

"That he did."

"Open the glove compartment," Teddy said. "There's a button just inside, on the left."

Dino found the button and pushed. The top of the compartment lowered. Clipped to it were a SIG Sauer P226 pistol, silencer, and one spare magazine.

He clicked the mic button. "Found it. Very nice. Now he's armed."

A few moments later, the black BMW took a sharp turn onto Mulholland Drive. Phillip shoved his gun back into his jacket before speeding through the turn, almost T-boned by a sedan going in the other direction.

As the Audi reached the intersection, Stone slowed enough to take a quick look at traffic before slamming down on the accelerator and slipping through a slot between cars to rejoin the chase.

Dino contacted Viv again and updated her, as the chase wove around the other vehicles, drawing honks and flashing headlights.

Phillip tried to pull alongside the BMW several times, but each time Petry whipped the wheel toward him, forcing the motorcycle to fall back.

At Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Petry turned south toward West Hollywood, and the motorcycle and the Audi followed. As traffic got worse, Petry veered into the oncoming lanes, forcing vehicles heading up the hill to swerve out of his way.

"Hold on," Stone said, then did the same.

A Tesla missed them by mere inches, but Stone was able to return to the right lane unscathed.

"If you could try not to kill me tonight, I'd appreciate it," Dino said.

"I'll keep that in mind."

When they reached the bottom of the hill, a spotlight lit up the BMW from above. Stone looked at the sky and spotted three helicopters, one the LAPD chopper with the light, and two from local news outlets.

"Smile," Dino said. "I think we're on TV."

Petry flew through the intersection at Santa Monica Boulevard, causing several vehicles to plow into each other in his wake.

He had no idea where he was going. At first, he'd just been trying to get away from the psycho on the motorcycle. But now he had this damn light on him, which meant the cops wouldn't be far behind.

What he needed was an enclosed parking garage where he could ditch the BMW and make a run for it.

When he saw the sign for Melrose Avenue, he felt a dash of hope. Simon's gallery was on that street, and he remembered seeing a big shopping mall with a huge parking garage not too far from it.

He took the turn and immediately regretted it. There was even more traffic here, and the only way he could keep moving was to weave back and forth across the center line.

Movement in the corner of his eye caused him to jerk his head to the left. The motorcycle was just outside his window, the gun in Phillip's hand pointed at Petry's head. Petry slammed the accelerator to the floor.

The crack of the gun caused him to jerk on the wheel, and his car slammed into the side of a city bus. As he pulled away, he heard a dull pop, followed by the flap-flap-flap of a shredded tire.

"No, no, no!"

He tried speeding up, but the ruined front tire pulled the car to the right.

He looked ahead for somewhere he could ditch and run. But there was nowhere, not even a—

A sign on a building ahead caught his attention.

Duchamp Gallery L.A.

He wasn't going to make it to the parking garage, but at least he could exact some revenge.

The wheel sparked off the asphalt as he kept the BMW moving. When he came abreast of the gallery, he whipped the car toward it. The few people inside ran out of the way just before Petry crashed through the glass wall across the entrance.

The airbag punched him in the face, so he didn't see the window display fly into a wall or the two easels that somersaulted over the car. But he did feel the impact of the BMW crashing into the back wall and coming to a sudden halt.

He sat there, stunned, as the airbag deflated. For a moment, everything was silent. Then he heard the rumble of a motor.

Petry's eyes went wide at the sight of Phillip pulling up next to him.

He scrambled over the center console to get out on the passenger side, but the door had been damaged and wouldn't move.

He tried to spin around to punch the glass out with his feet, but there wasn't enough room.

Phillip hammered the driver's-side window with the butt of his gun until it fractured. He pushed the glass out of the way and smiled.

"Hello, Mr. Petry."