Chapter 5

Max had barely slammed the passenger door before Jonas stepped on the gas.

"Call the gate and tell them to open it," Jonas ordered calmly as his Mercedes slid through the first curve.

Max called while Jonas negotiated the second curve. The Mercedes slid on the rough surface of the road and as soon as the tires regained traction Jonas floored the gas pedal again.

"You should buckle up Max," Jonas said in a normal voice. "Traveling in a car without your seatbelt is dangerous."

Max glanced at Jonas then at the next curve hurtling towards them and quickly buckled up.

"Thank you Max," Jonas said in a conversational tone as the car momentarily rose on two wheels in the next curve. It shot forward as it settled back on all four wheels and immediately slid through the first hairpin curve.

Max glanced at the dash and saw the speedometer hovering around 80 MPH on the next straight away. He looked back at Jonas's calm features and yelled, "Are you trying to kill us? Slow down."

"I'm not trying to kill us and we don't have time to slow down," Jonas replied calmly as the big Mercedes slid through another hairpin curve and immediately after the last curve before going towards the gate.

The gate was just opening and Jonas didn't slow. Max sucked in a gasping breath as he saw the gates loom large in front to the car. His eyes opened wide as the Mercedes shot through the opening that was just large enough to allow the car to pass. The sides of the gate scraped along the sides of the car in a shower of sparks and the Mercedes careened into the street. It lifted on two wheels again as it straightened then dropped back on all four and shot down the street.

"Ah Joe," Jonas complained aloud. "You could have got them open a little farther. Now I'll have to get the car fixed."

"Don't worry Jonas. I don't think it will be worth fixing after this mission. You'll probably need a different one. Maybe you should get something a little sturdier the next time."

Max was looking at Jonas wide eyed. He tried to say something, swallowed and tried again. "Who's Joe?" he asked with a croaking sound.

Jonas glanced at him then back at the road. He shook his head and muttered, "I wish you could give me credentials like the FBI or Secret Service." He snorted a laugh at the concept and after a deep breath said, "Joe is God. That's what he told us to call him." Jonas ran a stop sign and slid into another turn on to a major road. He started weaving through the traffic and the speedometer started climbing.

"You call God Joe and you were complaining to God about the gates not being opened far enough?" Max asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Jonas said with a sigh. "He said I would need to replace the Mercedes after this mission anyway so it didn't matter."

Jonas noticed that Max tried to edge farther against the passenger door. Jonas smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'm not dangerous. I won't hurt you." He blew through a red light between cross traffic that left just enough of a gap for the Mercedes to fit through.

Max was looking at him like he was crazy and Jonas, after thinking about it for a minute, could understand. "Anyway, Joe suggested I get something a little sturdier next time."

Jonas opened the console with one hand and pulled out his cell phone. He hit a speed dial and waited for an answer.

Cleves answered the phone and demanded, "Jonas, where are you?"

"I just crossed Cookingham on Woodland Avenue going north," Jonas said. He swerved into oncoming traffic for a moment to get past some cars then back into his own lane. He flashed under the freeway and said, "I just went under the 435 Cleves. I'm heading for the Dunhill airport. Mary and Pam Connors have been captured by the Cordova Cartel. The Cordova Cartel thinks they are in a blood feud with the Family and they are coming in force. This is the first strike. Cleves, Mary and Pam are innocents and I have to get them back."

"I heard about the attack but I didn't know the mother and daughter were taken. Did you know that Mike Connors was killed?" Cleves asked.

"I heard but not from Joe. I guess he was already dead." Jonas replied. He slid into another corner and said, "I'm on 126^th and coming up on Virginia." He glanced in his rear view mirror and saw flashing lights.

"How can I help?" Cleves asked.

"I have a black and white on my tail. Can you ask them to back off?" Jonas asked.

Jonas heard Cleves yell something in the background then he got back on the phone and said, "It will take them a few minutes but they will back off. What else can I do?"

"Yeah, is there some way to close down Dunhill so no flights take off?" Jonas asked? He powered through another curve onto Virginia. He was gratified to see the flashing lights dropping back in his rear view by the time he got straightened out.

"I don't think so. It's private so no tower," Cleves answered him. "I'll see what I can do though." Jonas heard something said off line and Cleves said, "I have some black and whites on the way and I'm coming too."

"Thanks Cleves," Jonas said sincerely.

"Is there anything else," Cleves asked.

"Joe said I'll need to replace the Mercedes after this job. He suggested I find something a little sturdier. Do you have any ideas on a make or model that would fit the bill?" Jonas asked.

There was a snort on the phone then Cleves said, "I'll see what I can come up with some suggestions."

"Thanks Cleves," Jonas said and hit the end button. He put the cell in his shirt pocket and reached back in the console. He slid the false bottom back and pulled out his .357 SIG-Sauer. He worked the slide before sliding the pistol into a shoulder holster. He pulled out two additional 13 round magazines and dropped them in his pocket. He glanced at Max before swerving around another car and sliding onto the approach road to the airport.

"What?" Jonas asked.

"Was that Detective Jordan?" Max asked.

"Yeah," Jonas replied as he slowed. He was approaching some buildings on the perimeter of the airport.

"He's helping you?" Max asked.

"Let's just say that he is sort of helping me," Jonas said.

"Does he know who Joe is?" Max asked. His voice was so faint that Jonas had to strain to hear it.

"Yes," Jonas said with a sigh. "He has reason to believe me." Jonas slowed farther as he approached the buildings.

"Where are they Joe?" Jonas asked as the frontage road took them around a hanger.

"Fourth hanger down but it is too late to stop them there. They are pulling out now. You'll need to stop them on the runway."

Jonas stomped on the gas and turned toward the runway. A long moment later out of the corner of his eye he saw a small jet exit a hanger. It picked up speed as it headed towards the end of the runway to start its takeoff.

"Will they kill them if we stop them?" Jonas asked calmly as the Mercedes picked up speed down the middle of the runway.