Chapter - Following Skull

	Chapter - Following Skull
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As Joe turned the last corner, they looked around anxiously.

"Can you see the numbers on the buildings?"

"Can you see the taxi?"

"Hey! There's the taxi! It's Padma all right. And no Skull!"

"Darn! Padma dropped him off already."

"We gotta catch Padma and ask him where he dropped him."

"OK." Joe braked hard and turned around to follow the taxi. The taxi driver noticed them and stopped at the side of the street.

"Hey, Padma! Where did you drop Skull?"

"Hi, Mark. You mean the guy who flagged me down, instead of phoning for a ride?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Dropped him about a block back. The five story building with the first floor windows boarded up."

"Great! Thanks!"

"Don't mention it."

"You were followed," Warren accused Skull. "That taxi driver set you up."

"No. It - it must be a co-incidence."

"Look closer. Use my binoculars. Isn't that Joe in the car behind the taxi driver?"

"Ummm. Maybe. I can only see the back of his head."

"Keep watching. He'll look back this way again. He may even look up at this building."

Skull trembled. "No, it's not him, his - his hair is too dark. He's got a moustache. He's ..."

"There's no moustache. That's Joe. Come on. We're taking you out of here." Warren gestured. One of the three tough looking men nodded and pushed Skull toward the door to the stairs leading down from the top floor.

"W - Whu - Why?"

"They won't catch you here. They will see you leaving here. It was a temporary stop to fool them."

Warren pointed at one of the men who had a cell phone. "Wait here. Watch. I need to know how much time I have when we get to the bottom."

Skull tried to look enthusiastic as he started to hurry down the stairs. "Yes yes, a temporary stop. I leave here and go somewhere else where they can't follow me, and meet you there."

Behind him, Warren smiled grimly, and pointed at one of the tough's chest. He nodded and pulled his gun. They hurried on to the ground floor.

At the bottom of the stairs, Warren stopped them all with a wave of his hand. One of the men checked out the front window. Warren dialled his cell phone. A soft voice answered. "About one minute. They're turning around. The taxi is leaving."

Warren closed his cell phone. "Go. Turn toward the front. They must see you, Skull."

"W Whu What do I do?" Skull asked as they moved.

"Walk straight across the street. Then go through the alley and out the other side of the block, just like we practiced getting away from this building. We'll call another taxi to take you from there to Paul's house, so they think you were really heading there. You'll have plenty of time."

"Uh OK. Sure, Mr. Warren."

Warren pulled on a ski mask and bright yellow gloves, hidden from Skull behind the two toughs. They reached the front of the alley. Skull walked out and stopped. "They're right here!", he shrieked.

"Now", Warren commanded the man with the gun, and drew his own.

"There's Skull!"

Pow. Pow. Pow.

Skull jerked as the bullets slammed into his back, and fell on the sidewalk.

A figure with a black ski mask appeared in the mouth of the alley and with two bright yellow gloves pointed a gun at the car.

Pow. Pow.

"Shit!" Joe huddled low over the steering wheel and stomped the gas. The car roared past the body and the other two dived for the floor.

Pow. Pow-Pow.

Although the shots were muffled in the engine roar, they stopped anyone from looking back.

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