The Import, page 9
part #1 of Matthew Riker Series
“Helen, are you and Li okay?” He scanned the room for them.
“Is it safe?” The muted voice came from behind a bathroom door.
“Yes, but don’t come out yet.”
Riker ran over to a rack of clothes and grabbed a few random T-shirts and some sweatpants. He opened the bathroom door a few inches and handed the clothes to Helen.
“Take off all your clothes, and I mean everything. I want you and Li to put these on. Hurry, we need to get out of here fast. Make sure to play the hiding game with Li when you come out.”
While they changed, Riker searched the four gunmen for cash. He didn’t consider himself a thief, but he wasn’t going to lose any sleep over taking money from these guys. The first three had less than a hundred dollars each. When he checked the leader he found a roll of cash. There was a little over a thousand dollars in it.
A few minutes later Riker, Helen, and Li ran out of the store with the sound of sirens approaching in the distance.
14
THE THREE OF them hurried through the parking lot, Riker leading the way past the sparsely populated car parking area and to the motel next door. He spotted a line of semi-trucks parked alongside the motel. In the distance, sirens cut through the air. It wouldn’t be long before this place was crawling with police and EMTs. They had to be gone before that happened. The old gears in Riker’s head were spinning faster now, as if lubricated by blood and violence. He felt like he’d completed a mission and was moving on to the escape and evasion phase.
“What are we going to do?” Helen asked.
“We’re going to hide.” Riker’s voice was distant as he scanned the semis.
“In a truck?”
“Yes, in a truck.” He paused as they reached the first semi in a row of a dozen or so. He took a long look at the vehicle, then moved on.
“Why not that one?” Helen asked.
“We’re looking for a dry truck.”
“A what?”
“That one’s refrigerated. I’d rather not spend the next twelve hours in sub-freezing temperatures. We’re looking for the other kind. They call it a dry truck.”
He paused at the next vehicle. It looked like it would do. He quickly picked the lock, then lifted the handle on one of the doors on the back of the trailer, rotating it to the left. Opening the door a few inches, he shined the light from his cellphone inside. What he saw made him frown. The trailer was nearly full, and the way the load was secured didn’t fill him with confidence. It would be no use hiding from the cops only to be crushed by shifting cargo when the truck started moving.
He shut the door, closed the latch, and replaced the lock. “Let’s keep going.”
This time, Helen didn’t bother asking what was wrong with that truck. The sirens were getting closer now, and she knew as well as he did that their time was short. She didn’t waste it with words. Maybe she was beginning to trust Riker’s instincts.
The next vehicle was a fifty-three-foot dry truck, the most common type of semi on the road. Riker once again picked the lock and lifted and rotated the handle. When he peered inside, he liked what he saw much better this time. The trailer was only two-thirds full, and the pallets inside were nicely secured by two rows of straps attached to either wall. He climbed inside and tested the straps. When he was confident they were up to muster, he went back to the door and held a hand out to Helen.
“This is the one. Come on.”
She handed Li to him. The girl squirmed in his arms, restless and confused. Despite Helen’s earlier assurances that she was used to being carted around, the chaos of the last two days was clearly getting to her. Riker worried that spending the next half-a-day in the back of a semi-trailer wasn’t likely to help the situation. But Li’s comfort fell below her survival on the hierarchy of needs. He promised himself he’d try to make it up to her when this was all over. Setting Li down on the rough wooden floor, he went back to the door and helped Helen inside.
The door to the semi was designed so a person couldn’t lock themselves inside the trailer. Riker looked at that latch that needed to be pulled towards the outside of the truck in order to slide the bar into place. He took the laces out of both of his shoes and tied them together to get all the length he could. Next, he made a loop on one end. He placed it over the metal handle that pointed up. He ran the other end of the laces through the gap at the hinges of the door. Then he got back in the truck and held the end of the string. He pulled the door shut and tugged on the string. He felt the handle turn to the side and the bar slide into place. When the handle turned parallel to the ground, the loop from the laces slid off. He pulled the laces through the seam of the truck door.
Everything would look normal from the outside of the truck. Riker wasn’t sure how he would get the door back open, but that was a problem for another time.
“What now?” Helen asked in a soft voice.
“We wait.” He grabbed the trailer door and hesitated for a moment.
Li let out a little whimper as darkness enveloped them.
“It’s okay,” Helen whispered in Mandarin. “Go to sleep.”
That sounded like a mighty fine idea to Riker. He could hear the sound of the approaching sirens even through the closed trailer door now. The police might find them hiding back there, but worrying about it wouldn’t change their odds. They’d made their decision, and now it was time to wait it out.
“How do we know where this truck’s headed?” Helen asked.
“We don’t. But anywhere’s better than here, right?”
There was a long pause before she spoke again.
“So this guy might be headed south. Directly away from New York City. Maybe even back to North Carolina.”
“Entirely possible,” Riker admitted. He crawled his way over to the trailer wall and leaned his back against it. “Listen, I need to apologize. Not checking you guys for trackers was dumb. I shouldn’t have been so careless.”
“You couldn’t have known.” She moved next to him. Their shoulders lightly brushed against each other as she settled in.
“I could have and I should have. I’ll be more careful from here on out. With your clothes, cellphone, and purse all back at the truck stop, I gotta believe we’ve ditched the tracker.”
“Matthew, if it wasn’t for you, they’d have us by now. And once they find whatever it is they’re looking for on Ted’s laptop, I don’t imagine they’ll let us go.”
Riker said nothing.
“You’ve saved our lives. A number of times now. Do I love hiding out in the darkness in the back of a truck? No. I feel like a sitting duck back here. I keep imagining that at any moment, someone’s going to open those doors and either drag us off to prison or shoot us in the head. But I trust you.”
“I appreciate that.” He paused for a moment, listening. He could make out at least two distinct sirens very close by. Probably in the parking lot. “Listen, this trucker probably won’t be out here until morning. And who knows how long he’s going to drive before his next stop. We might as well settle in and get some sleep.”
Helen let out a soft laugh. “After what we just went through? I’ve got so much adrenaline pumping through me that I won’t be able to sleep for a week.”
“You might be surprised. Your body needs rest, and it will take the opportunity even in less than ideal circumstances. Let it do its thing.”
“Okay. I’ll try.”
Within a few minutes, both Helen and Li’s slow, rhythmic breathing told Riker they were asleep. The human body was truly a marvel. As Helen fell into a deeper slumber, she leaned against Riker, instinctively snuggling up against him. He didn’t fight it. He didn’t dwell on it either. It was time for him to take his own advice and get some sleep.
He ran through the routine he’d used in the old days when he needed to sleep rough. He’d found long ago that the more aware he was of his own body and its needs, the easier it was to turn off his mind. Starting with his feet, he concentrated on each muscle, consciously relaxing it, letting the tension go. He worked his way up to his legs, his torso, his hands and arms. By the time he reached the muscles in his face, he found himself drifting away.
He slept hard, lost in a mercifully dreamless slumber. The world was gone for Riker. Though he was leaning against a metal wall and sitting on a cold wooden floor, he slept better than he did on his mattress at home.
When he finally opened his eyes, light was peeking through the cracks in the trailer doors. It was morning, which meant he’d slept for at least seven hours. He felt stiffness in his back and shoulders, but his mind was immediately alert. The weariness of the previous night was gone.
Helen and Li were still sleeping. Helen was pressed tight against Riker, her head on his shoulder. The intoxicating smell of her hair filled his nose. Li lay curled up on the floor a few feet away from the two of them.
The truck was moving now, and sounds of the highway cast a hypnotic spell. As Riker sat there, alone with his thoughts for the first time since finding Helen and Li at the rental house, he played the events of the last two days over in his mind. Some things didn’t add up, and things that pointed in directions he didn’t want to let his mind go. The constant rush of escape was lifted for the moment, and it brought clarity for Riker.
He looked at Li, the way her chest slowly rose and fell as she slept. She’d been through a time of almost unimaginable change and that had to bring fear and confusion with it. Yet, she still had the innocent optimism of a three-year-old. Riker vowed to himself that he’d protect that. He’d protect her. No matter what.
He didn’t want to wake Helen, but he needed to move. Seven hours in a cramped, half-seated position wasn’t doing his back any favors. He shifted ever so slightly, and he felt Helen stir. She drew a deep breath, not pulling away as he’d expected, but snuggling even closer for just a moment. Then she sat up.
“Where are we?” she asked.
Riker slipped the SIM card back into his phone and checked their location on his navigation app. “Massachusetts.”
Helen let out a soft chuckle. “All the time trying to get to New York, and we drove right past it as we slept.”
As far as Riker was concerned, it wasn’t the worst news in the world. Yes, they were north of the city now, but it seemed unlikely their pursuers would be looking for them in Massachusetts. Once the truck stopped, they’d start heading back toward New York, and this time they wouldn’t have goons in an Escalade chasing them. “Let’s just hope this guy stops for fuel before we hit Maine.”
Helen stretched. “Maine’s not so bad. You ever been?”
“A time or two.”
“I’ve only been there once, but it was a memorable trip. Ted and I took our honeymoon there.”
“Yeah?”
“We were so broke it was pathetic, but he insisted we have a proper honeymoon. He found this cabin online. According to the website, it was on a beautiful lake. We couldn’t believe it was in our price range. Then we saw it in person.”
“It didn’t live up to the hype?”
“Let’s just say the beautiful lake was more like a glorified swamp. This was the middle of summer, and the air conditioning didn’t work in the cabin. And somehow, no matter what we did, bugs kept getting inside. I don’t mean mosquitos, either. I’m talking black flies. When they bit you, it hurt. Not to mention that our only neighbor was this pervy guy in his seventies who kept creeping around. Ted was convinced he was trying to peek in our windows and get a glimpse of the honeymoon festivities.”
Riker smiled. “Sounds like the cabin from hell.”
“It was. And yet, we still had a great time. I’ll never forget that trip, especially now that he’s gone. I’ll treasure those memories forever.” She put a hand on Riker’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I guess it just goes to show that good things can come out of bad circumstances.”
They rode on in silence for the next three hours, Li asleep on the floor, Helen nodding in and out, and Riker lost in his own thoughts. By the time the truck finally stopped, Riker felt he had his mind wrapped around the situation a little better. He was ready to head to the city. He just hoped there was safety waiting for them there.
15
RIKER FELT the truck maneuver through the stop-and-go traffic of a city. The driver was not just getting off for a food break; he was reaching his destination. He told Helen and Li to get ready to move.
“How do we get out of here?” Helen asked. “There is no way to open the door from the inside.”
“There’s always a way to get through a door.”
Four bolts secured the locking mechanism on the door latch. Riker removed one of the ratcheting straps securing the freight and went to work on the rivets. He pried space between the edges of the rivets and the paneling of the back door. Then he wrapped the strap around the rivets. Once he was confident that it was secure, he hooked the other end of the strap to the support bar on the side of the trailer. Satisfied, he started to tighten the strap.
The door began to creak and bulge near the rivets. As Riker continued to tighten the strap, the latch locks slowly broke through the door, leaving a hole large enough to fit Riker’s hand. He reached through and lifted the pole that locked the door.
They waited until the truck came to a stop, and Riker swung the door open. The day seemed incredibly bright after the dim interior of the trailer and it took a moment for their eyes to adjust.
Riker checked his surroundings. They were stopped at a light on a city street. Riker didn’t recognize it, but it had the feel of a smaller city. Certainly not New York. He glanced at the nearest street sign, which read 4th Avenue. No help there.
The driver in the car behind them had a very confused look on his face. The three hopped out of the truck, shut the door and walked down the sidewalk as if it were a normal day. Riker glanced back at the truck. He wondered what the driver would think when he found his door broken from the inside and all the goods still in place.
Li started to talk quickly and jumped up and down. Even if he hadn’t been able to speak Mandarin, Riker would have known she needed to go to the bathroom.
The three walked into the first diner they found. The hostess was on her phone when they came in. She looked up and started to laugh. She quickly regained her compose and asked if they wanted a booth or table.
Riker didn’t understand why she was laughing. Then he truly looked at his companions in the light for the first time.
Helen’s T-shirt hung down almost to her knees. The front had an image of a flying eagle and a waving American flag with the words “Trucker for Life” printed underneath. She wore blue sweat pants that were so baggy and long they completely hid her feet. That was a good thing since she wasn’t wearing any socks or shoes.
Li’s outfit wasn’t much better. Her long T-shirt looked more like a dress. The words “Guns don’t kill people, I kill people” were printed in camouflage on the front.
Riker suppressed a laugh and asked for a table at the back of the diner.
Li was completely unruly while they ate. She would not sit still and made loud noises. Riker tried to quiet her down but she smashed her silverware on the table and continued to draw attention.
“What is wrong with her?” Riker asked. “Why won’t she calm down?”
“You really haven’t spent much time with children, have you?” Helen shook her head. “First of all, she’s three. She doesn’t care about other people that much. Every three year old thinks the world revolves around them. Second, she's been stuck in cars or trucks for the last day. She needs to burn off some energy.”
“Can’t we just explain that she needs to focus now, and she can play later?”
Helen laughed. “Give it a shot. I want to see how this goes.”
Li was smashing her fork up and down into a stack of pancakes. Riker spoke to her in Mandarin.
“Li, you need to be quiet. We don’t want to cause a scene right now.” Riker spoke in a low calm voice.
“Look, a dragon is attacking the mountain.” She continued to smash the fork up and down. “Oh no, another dragon.” She grabbed her butter knife and smashed it into the fork.
“That’s great Li, but can they fight quietly?”
Li looked up at Riker and let out a very quiet roar in her high-pitched voice. She started to giggle and went back to attacking the pancakes.
Helen smiled. “You did better than I thought you would. In fact, you seem like a natural. I’m surprised that you don’t have kids of your own.”
“Not in this life.”
The smile faded from Helen's face. “Family is important. You should consider it.”
The two sat in silence for a moment while Li continued to play.
“What’s the plan now?” Helen asked.
“First, we need to get the two of you some shoes. I suppose we can pick up clothes that fit a little better as well.”
“Are you suggesting that I don’t look good in my designer shirt?” Helen puffed out her chest. The silhouette of her breasts pressed through the fabric. Even in her ridiculous clothes, her beauty was undeniable.
Riker smiled. “You two look great. Especially our little gun-toting killer over there. I just think we need something that doesn’t leave such an impression on anyone who sees you.”
“Fair enough. What do we do after that?”
“We need a car. That will be a little tougher to get than the clothes.”
“I’m starting to realize that you are pretty good at solving tough problems.”
Once breakfast was over, they made a quick trip to a department store to acquire clothing and shoes for the girls. Helen shopped quickly, selecting a simple T-shirt and jeans for herself and an outfit for Li. Riker picked up a backpack and a few items he thought might come in handy on their journey. They were in and out in ten minutes.
After that, Riker found a small park. It was nothing fancy, but it had swings and playground equipment. Just what Li needed to burn off a little energy.
