Chapter 15: The Tunnel

Duncan took the van and Marguerite out through the secret garage, and Astrid took Everard's own black sedan and pulled the convoy after her.

Vaughn lay across the passenger seat with one hand pressed to his side.

"Faster," he said.

"You're not the driver."

"Seven cars, Astrid. You need to be faster."

She put her foot down and took the gate at ninety.

The first SUV hit the road behind them and fired.

A bullet cracked the rear window, and she swung into the oncoming lane and back again.

"Left," Vaughn said. "There's a delivery truck coming, hold the line, let it pass."

She held the line, and the truck's horn blew past her ear.

The second SUV swerved to avoid it and went into a streetlight.

"Six," he said, through his teeth.

She cut across the city on the empty avenues, through red lights and across a tram line, with the convoy strung out behind her.

A truck came up alongside the pack with its lights off, and she knew who was driving it.

Celia drove it flat out and never braked for a corner.

"The tunnel," Vaughn said. "Under the river. It has service bays every hundred yards."

"Show me."

He pointed, and she dived in.

The river tunnel was a long, lit tube, and she doused the headlights halfway through and let the car roll.

She found a service bay in the dark, a concrete alcove with a steel door, and slid in nose first.

She killed the engine.

Six sets of tires roared past, and then the truck, and then silence.

She sat with both hands on the wheel, breathing.

Vaughn laughed, low, and then winced.

"That was the best driving I've ever seen."

"Be quiet. You're pale."

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