Cutler, travelling the world in an American bubble, with loud exuberant movements that stood out awkwardly. Kovic raised a hand and kept moving, but noticed a young Chinese spat on the ground in his path.
Kovic touched Wu’s arm before he could retaliate.
‘It’s cool. Leave it.’
Kovic focused on the throng, his eyes sweeping the sea of people in their path for pursuers. He crouched down and pretended to retie his shoelaces, then abruptly changed direction as they reached the sidewalk. To their left a man slowed then quickened his pace. How many more were there? He changed direction and Wu followed as they neared the two entrances to the car park, a ramp and some stairs. He weighed up abandoning the car and getting into a cab – anonymity versus mobility – and decided on the car. The right call? They would soon know.
Wu fired up the X6 and moved out of the space toward the exit ramp. An Audi pulled out in front of them and the driver leaned out and fed a ticket into the barrier. Then a second car, aCorolla, drew up behind them. The barrier lifted and the Audi moved forward. The barrier came down again. Wu went forward and fed his ticket in, but the barrier didn’t open. The Audi’s reverse lights came on. They were sandwiched between the Audi and the Corolla.
‘Go! Go!’ Kovic yelled.
Wu looked at him, pained.
‘I’ll buy you a new bumper.’
Wu’s face was full of anguish as his sense of duty struggled with his passion. Duty won, and he stood on the gas. The X6 shot forward through the barrier and slammed into the Audi, sending up a spray of splintered plastic. Wu kept his foot down and the transmission screamed in protest as they ploughed the Audi up the rest of the ramp, slewing it sideways. There was a narrow gap between the car and the Armco that lined the ramp.
‘Go for it.’
‘It won’t fit!’
‘Just do it.’
Kovic’s first thought was that this was a hijacking, but it was soon clear they weren’t bothered about taking him alive. The rear windscreen exploded, blasted by bullets from the Corolla behind. The X6 let out a graunching screech of protest as it forced its way between the Audi and the corrugated barrier. They roared up the ramp, bouncing over a speed bump, into daylight.
‘Okay, I’ll buy you a new car. Just keep going.’
‘Where to?’
‘I dunno – anywhere.’
Kovic tipped the rear-view mirror towards him and eyed the scene behind just as one of the Audi’s doors flew open and the driver reached out to take aim with a suppressed QSZ-92 pistol, the Corolla helpfully slamming a door on his arm as it tried to follow. Kovic smiled; there was nothing like one bad guy fucking up another for you to help out. But he knew it had brought them only temporary respite. What was clear was that these guys had no fear upsetting the authorities or causing chaos, as if they had their own licence to cause mayhem.
Kovic thought he saw tears in Wu’s eyes.
‘I have this car three weeks.’
‘I have had . Think about your grammar.’
‘I’m thinking about my car!’
‘Well then, think about your ass instead.’
The street was one way, the traffic solid, but the bus lane was clear. Wu, clearly resigned to more damage, swung left against the flow, scattering oncoming mopeds like skittles. He tore down the lane to the next junction and turned left into a narrow street, cutting a path through slow moving vans and bikes, horn blaring. A man with a ladder chose this moment to cross the road. The X6 clipped the back end, which swung the ladder 180 degrees, knocking a cyclist out of his saddle.
The cross street at the end was also choked with vehicles and the Corolla had caught up. Wu’s survival imperative had kicked in; he forced his way between two cars, grazing both. The opposite lane was moving, so why not use that?
‘Good job I disabled the Active Cruise Control,’ said Wu as he turned into the oncoming traffic.
‘Why?’ Kovic asked. He thought he should humour
Kovic touched Wu’s arm before he could retaliate.
‘It’s cool. Leave it.’
Kovic focused on the throng, his eyes sweeping the sea of people in their path for pursuers. He crouched down and pretended to retie his shoelaces, then abruptly changed direction as they reached the sidewalk. To their left a man slowed then quickened his pace. How many more were there? He changed direction and Wu followed as they neared the two entrances to the car park, a ramp and some stairs. He weighed up abandoning the car and getting into a cab – anonymity versus mobility – and decided on the car. The right call? They would soon know.
Wu fired up the X6 and moved out of the space toward the exit ramp. An Audi pulled out in front of them and the driver leaned out and fed a ticket into the barrier. Then a second car, aCorolla, drew up behind them. The barrier lifted and the Audi moved forward. The barrier came down again. Wu went forward and fed his ticket in, but the barrier didn’t open. The Audi’s reverse lights came on. They were sandwiched between the Audi and the Corolla.
‘Go! Go!’ Kovic yelled.
Wu looked at him, pained.
‘I’ll buy you a new bumper.’
Wu’s face was full of anguish as his sense of duty struggled with his passion. Duty won, and he stood on the gas. The X6 shot forward through the barrier and slammed into the Audi, sending up a spray of splintered plastic. Wu kept his foot down and the transmission screamed in protest as they ploughed the Audi up the rest of the ramp, slewing it sideways. There was a narrow gap between the car and the Armco that lined the ramp.
‘Go for it.’
‘It won’t fit!’
‘Just do it.’
Kovic’s first thought was that this was a hijacking, but it was soon clear they weren’t bothered about taking him alive. The rear windscreen exploded, blasted by bullets from the Corolla behind. The X6 let out a graunching screech of protest as it forced its way between the Audi and the corrugated barrier. They roared up the ramp, bouncing over a speed bump, into daylight.
‘Okay, I’ll buy you a new car. Just keep going.’
‘Where to?’
‘I dunno – anywhere.’
Kovic tipped the rear-view mirror towards him and eyed the scene behind just as one of the Audi’s doors flew open and the driver reached out to take aim with a suppressed QSZ-92 pistol, the Corolla helpfully slamming a door on his arm as it tried to follow. Kovic smiled; there was nothing like one bad guy fucking up another for you to help out. But he knew it had brought them only temporary respite. What was clear was that these guys had no fear upsetting the authorities or causing chaos, as if they had their own licence to cause mayhem.
Kovic thought he saw tears in Wu’s eyes.
‘I have this car three weeks.’
‘I have had . Think about your grammar.’
‘I’m thinking about my car!’
‘Well then, think about your ass instead.’
The street was one way, the traffic solid, but the bus lane was clear. Wu, clearly resigned to more damage, swung left against the flow, scattering oncoming mopeds like skittles. He tore down the lane to the next junction and turned left into a narrow street, cutting a path through slow moving vans and bikes, horn blaring. A man with a ladder chose this moment to cross the road. The X6 clipped the back end, which swung the ladder 180 degrees, knocking a cyclist out of his saddle.
The cross street at the end was also choked with vehicles and the Corolla had caught up. Wu’s survival imperative had kicked in; he forced his way between two cars, grazing both. The opposite lane was moving, so why not use that?
‘Good job I disabled the Active Cruise Control,’ said Wu as he turned into the oncoming traffic.
‘Why?’ Kovic asked. He thought he should humour
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