The Lost Scroll of Fudo Shin (6 page)

And that wouldn't do much good for him.

Unless...

Jimmy guided the Ducati down another street, determined to avoid any long straight roads that the Escalade could use to its advantage.

He saw a sign ahead that showed an alternative route to the airport and nearby he spotted a small building with a group of what looked like employees smoking out in back.

There.

He slowed down, glanced over his shoulder and saw that the Escalade hadn't yet found him.

Was there enough time?

He pulled over toward the smokers and got off the bike.  Then he unscrewed the gas cap and reached under his shirt, yanking hard on the T-shirt he wore.  A thin strip ripped off and he jammed this into the open gas tank.

I hate to do this, he thought.  But then he heard the sound of the Escalade engine a street away.

No time.

Keeping his helmet on, he looked at one of the smokers.  "Got a light?"

The smoker, a guy of perhaps twenty-eight nodded.  "Sure man."  He handed Jimmy his lighter.

"Thanks."  Jimmy turned back to the Ducati.  He had to time this just right and he prayed it would work.  He'd seen it a few times in the movies, but he had no clue if it was possible.

The Escalade's engine roared again as it turned onto the street.  They'd spotted him.

But Jimmy knelt as if he was having trouble with the bike.  The thin strip of his T-shirt dangled of the bike.  He patted the motorcycle affectionately.

His heart kept pounding.  All of his instincts screamed at him to run.

Not just yet.

He flicked the lighter to life and saw the orange flame lick at the strip of cloth coming from the gas tank.

He heard one of the smokers behind him cough.  "Hey, man, what the hell are you doing?"

Now...

Jimmy tossed the lighter back to the smoker.  "I'd head inside now if I were you."

They didn't need to be told twice, scattering and then one of them shouted at Jimmy.  "Look out!"

Jimmy glanced back and saw the Escalade bearing down on him.  They were going for it.  Now he turned and backed away, keeping the Ducati between the Escalade and him.

He counted off in his mind.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

RUN!

Jimmy turned and bolted away from the Ducati.  He heard the Escalade coming for him, prayed it worked and then he heard the boom and felt the concussion wave slam into him as the motorcycle exploded directly in front of the Escalade.

Jimmy risked a look back and saw the Escalade trying to avoid the blazing bike by going around it but the driver must have jerked on the wheel too hard.  The Escalade flipped over and came down with a shuddering crash.

Jimmy grinned and then ran around the corner.

Now he had to get to the airport.

In a recessed doorway, he peeled off the motorcycle helmet and then ducked back on to the sidewalk.  Already, he could hear sirens in the distance zooming toward the fiery scene.  He wouldn't have much time before the place was crawling with cops all looking for the guy who'd driven the bike.

But luckily for him, he hadn't let the witnesses see his face.  They had no idea he was only fourteen.  With any luck, the cops would look for someone older than Jimmy.

Still, he didn't want to hang around any longer than necessary.

Ahead of him, he spotted a bus stop and saw the airport shuttle sign.  As he approached, a green bus rolled up and Jimmy hopped on.  The driver eyed him.  "Two bucks."

Jimmy put a fearful expression on his face.  "Two guys back there just mugged me and took my wallet.  I'm supposed to meet my mother at the airport."

The driver sighed and then thumbed toward the back.  "It's all right, kid.  Sit down back there."

Ten minutes later, they came into the airport proper.  Jimmy kept an eye out for the long-term parking garage and when he saw it, he hopped off the bus, thanking the driver when he did so.

Outside, the roar of jets taking off and landing was almost deafening.  But he'd made it to the airport.

Barely.

He glanced around and then saw the entrance to the parking garage.  Vanessa had mentioned that someone would be there to meet him, but where would that meeting take place?

Jimmy frowned and thought about where he would have parked the bike if the Escalade hadn't tried to kill him.

Upper level.

He took the steps up to the first level and then caught the elevator to the roof level.  When the door slid open, he stepped out onto the paved rooftop level and glanced around.

Empty.

He could hear more sirens in the distance and stepped closer to the railing, looking back over at the city.  A thin tail of smoke curled up into the air and Jimmy knew that was from the explosion.

"I thought you'd be driving a motorcycle."

Jimmy turned and found himself facing a raven-haired Asian girl perhaps a few years older than he was.  She was dressed in a black leather jacket and her eyes studied him as if he was a bug specimen.

Jimmy tried to find his voice and after a moment, managed to stammer out, "I, uh...had some trouble on the way in."

She pointed at the smoke.  "That kind of trouble?"

"Yeah."

She nodded.  "You think you're clean?"

Jimmy frowned.  He'd had a shower this morning.  Of course, he was clean.  Granted, he'd sweated a little during the whole Escalade thing, but-

As if reading his mind, the girl sighed.  "I mean, do you have anyone else following you?"

"I don't think so."

"Good."  She reached behind her and brought out a small backpack.  "Take this."

Jimmy took the bag from her and brushed his hand over hers as he did so.  He felt a rush of heat in his face and mumbled a quick, "thanks."

She must have sensed his discomfort and smiled.  "There's money, passport, and a ticket in there.  Get yourself some stuff in the airport.  The duty-free shop will sell some clothes.  And new shoes.  You've got to look like a legitimate traveler."

"Are you, uh...coming with me?"

She smirked.  "Me?  Hell, no.  I've got my own work to do."  She shrugged.  "But I'm sure we'll see each other sooner or later."

"Oh, good," said Jimmy.  But he hated the way it sounded so eager, like he was a little puppy dog.

"I'm Jimmy, by the way."

She laughed.  "I know who you are."  She pointed at the smoke.  "You think they'll looking for you because of that?"

Jimmy turned and looked back at the city.  The smoke seemed to have dissipated by now.  Probably because the fire engines would have arrived and put out any flames.  "I don't know, I was pretty careful to leave my helmet on, and-" he turned back around.

But the raven-haired girl had vanished.

Just like the smoke.

Chapter Five

Jimmy ducked down the stairway and opened the backpack.  He fished out the passport first and opened it.  His face stared back at him.  When in the world did Vanessa take this picture?

Last night while you slept.

Jimmy frowned.  The voice was back again.  He studied the picture; his eyes were open in it, but he looked strange.  Then he frowned and thought about how his eyelids felt a little sticky when he'd woken up.

"She taped my eyelids open?"

His voice echoed down the stairway and Jimmy blanched.  He'd need to keep himself in check otherwise they'd plop him into the loony bin.

Jimmy shook his head and looked back at the passport, reading his name for the first time.  

Terrence Livingston?

“Makes me sound like a nerd.”  Jimmy shut the passport and slid it into his pocket.  The rest of the envelope contained some cash and a note.  

Buy a one-way first class ticket to Tokyo with a layover in Los Angeles. 

Seems easy enough, thought Jimmy.  He hefted his hanbo.  But what was he going to do about the stick?  He didn't think security would be too keen on him waltzing through with a polished piece of wood.

Look in the bag.

Jimmy sighed and felt around the backpack.  He took out a handle and a piece of rubber.  What are these for?

The rubber tip goes on the bottom of the hanbo and the handle atop it.  Once done, it will look like an ordinary cane for someone with a leg injury.

I don't have a leg injury, thought Jimmy.

Pretend.  In my day, it was often necessary for operatives to be able to assume an alternate identity in order to complete a mission.  You must learn how to do this as well.

Operative?  Like a spy?

Like a ninja.

Jimmy felt his heart jump slightly.  Ninja?  

You need to get moving.  You have successfully evaded the enemy for a short time only.  Soon they will redouble their efforts and locate you again.

Jimmy got to his feet and took the stairway down to the overpass that connected the parking garage to the main terminal.  Once inside, he made his way up to the ticket counter and purchased his ticket.

As the ticket agent punched in his request, Jimmy glanced around the airport, trying to figure out if the raven-haired girl might still be around.  God, she was hot-

You are supposed to be nursing a leg injury.

Right, thought Jimmy.  Sorry.  He leaned on the hanbo as if it was the cane it appeared to be.

Do not allow yourself to be distracted.  You must maintain awareness at all times, even when you give the impression that you are not.

The ticket agent handed him his ticket with a smile.  "All set, sir.  Are you going for long?"

Jimmy swallowed.  "Uh, yeah.  My father is stationed over there.  I'm spending the next year with him."

"Well, have a pleasant flight."

Jimmy's face felt hot.  "Thanks."  He turned away and took a deep breath.

That was close.

You did well.  In the future, try not to blush.

Easier said than done, thought Jimmy.

On the terminal concourse he spotted a number of stores.  Inside one of the clothing shops, he grabbed a few pairs of jeans and shirts.  If he was going to be on the run until he reconnected with Vanessa, casual seemed a good way to go.  He added a few packs of underwear and socks and felt like he had enough stuff.  

He picked up a new pair of Nike sneakers at the sporting goods store.  He ditched the soft-soled shoes outside and checked himself out in the store's window.

Not bad, he thought.

On the concourse, he saw a newsstand and wandered over.  Nestled in the back next to the magazines, he found a small sketchbook and a package of pencils with a sharpener.  He grinned.  After losing his sketchbook back at the house, he'd almost forgotten how good it would be to simply draw again.

Outside, he bundled all of his new purchases into the backpack and made sure to practice walking with the cane far away from the security gate.  When he felt better about how he appeared, he headed down toward the gate, taking his time as he did so.

This will be your first real test.  Do not be too self-conscious about trying to pretend you are someone else.  It must be natural.

Easy for you to say, thought Jimmy.  You're not about to get interrogated by a couple of rent-a-cops.

Just keep your breathing under control and you will be fine.

It's not my breathing I'm worried about, thought Jimmy.  It's the jackhammer inside my chest.

The TSA agent nodded as Jimmy limped up to the checkpoint.  "Good morning."

Jimmy handed him his documents and the TSA agent nodded toward the conveyor belt leading to the X-ray machine.  "Put your bag there, please."

Jimmy put the backpack on to the belt and watched it go through.  Another TSA agent eyeballed it as it rolled through.  

Jimmy was about to step through the metal detector when the first TSA agent stopped him.  “Just a moment, please.”

Jimmy gulped and looked at the guard.  “Yes, sir?”

He pointed at the hanbo.  “I’ll need to examine that, please.”

Jimmy leaned against the X-ray machine and handed the cane over.  The security guard looked at the handle and the rubber tip and then passed the entire hanbo through the machine, peering closely at the screen as he did.  Jimmy’s heartbeat thundered in his chest as the guard’s eyes narrowed.  Finally, he leaned back away from the screen.

“Just a cane,” he said.  He handed it back to Jimmy.  “Hope you don’t need it for long.”

“That would be nice,” said Jimmy.  He limped through the detector and luckily, no alarms went off.  On the other side, he put his backpack back on.

The TSA agent smiled.  “Have a nice trip.”

“Thank you.”  Jimmy returned his smile, aware that his heart had slowed down to its normal rate.  Fifteen minutes later, he went on board the jet.  

At his row, Jimmy stowed his backpack in the overhead compartment, fished the sketchbook out of it, and then sat down in the window seat trying to relax.  He couldn’t help it; he’d never been on a plane before and the thought of finally flying had his stomach jumping up and down.  He watched as more passengers boarded the plane, filing past his seat back into the coach section.

Finally, one of the flight attendants secured the main cabin door.  Jimmy heard the turbine engines crank up.

Here we go, he thought.  My first plane ride.

But just as it seemed the plane about to push back from the terminal, it suddenly stopped.  One of the flight attendants opened the door.

Jimmy strained to see what was going on, but couldn’t make anything out.  He could only see part of the flight attendant.  

What was going on?  Had the TSA agents known he wasn't really Terrence Livingston?  Were they coming to arrest him.

And then he saw a man come on to the plane.  He only carried a small bag.  He had short hair and a mean hard face.  He seemed extremely interested in looking at the faces of the people sitting down.  As his eyes swept over the rows of people, he suddenly turned and locked eyes with Jimmy.

Jimmy felt a pain in his stomach and looked down.  When he looked back up, the man was already on his way toward his seat back in the coach section.