Free The Stolen Da Vinci Manuscripts by Joshua Elliot James

the chasers haven’t guessed my
destination, but they know I’m heading north, so it won’t take a
rocket scientist to figure that I’m on this road.
    A faint dust cloud in the distance betrays a
fast moving vehicle and supports my theory. I squeeze the last drop
of gas into the tanks and get going.
    A Policia speed trap decides that I am making
too good a time and wants a chat.
    “Officer, I am American and am being chased.”
I make my excuse for speeding.
    “Why are you being chased?” Officer asks.
    “I have something they want.”
    “What?”
    “Just some old books.”
    “You need a gun to keep them away?” He asks,
eying the weapon.
    Damn, I forgot. “That is not my gun.”
    “It fell out of the sky?” He looks up.
    “It belongs to one of them…” I point down the
road. “Please – take it.”
    “I have my own. This is a serious offense
Senora, one that could see you in jail for many years.”
    “Officer, I have a plane to catch in Bilbao –
I am leaving the country as soon as I can, please… take the gun and
let me leave.”
    “You say it belongs to someone following
you?”
    “Yes, that’s correct.”
    “Well, we’ll wait here and speak to them –
what car is he driving?”
    “Not ‘he’ – they, and they are very
dangerous – they probably all have guns and will shoot first. Just
let me go.”
    “Senora, I cannot do that.”
    By now I can see vehicles approaching and the
officer takes ‘my’ gun and pulls a shotgun from the police car. He
positions himself at the corner of his vehicle and waits. When the
cars near, he holds up both arms to stop them and they pull over in
front of him.
    “That’s them.” I confirm.
    He walks towards the BMW in the lead and a
shot rings out. He drops face down to the ground and lies
still.
    I bend low and run to the Jag, there are more
shots but none hit their target, which I assume is me. The engine
accelerates me to seventy miles an hour in seconds and the chase is
on again.
    The GPS shows only minor bends ahead and I
find that the Jag handles a hundred and twenty with ease but the
chase cars aren’t too far behind. I wish I could push buttons and
drop an oil slick like James Bond could.
    The screen shows a town four miles ahead,
maybe I can pull something off there.
    The cell phone rings.
    “Gavin wants you to stop at Aronde del
Duero.” Voice says.
    “Sorry – can’t do that.” I decline.
    “He’s very insistent.” Voice reports; I hear
a scream in the background.
    “So you can shoot me, like the cop?”
    “That was unfortunate.” Voice laments. “But
necessary.”
    “It wasn’t necessary.” I refute.
    “Gavin’s next, if you don’t stop.”
    “Oh… he’s still alive?” I try to sound
nonchalant.
    “Only just - that was him screaming.”
    “Pulling fingernails?” I ask.
    “How did you guess?”
    I shudder involuntarily.
    “I see you’re still in Rome.” I remark.
    “I was told you were a computer genius.
Bravo. By the way, it wasn’t nice – what you did to my man in the
mountains. I’ll dedicate another fingernail to him.”
    I hear another scream.
    “I’ll have to start on his toes soon at this
rate.” Voice says.
    Gavin made me mad, but he doesn’t deserve
this torture and I’m feeling sorry for him.
    “You both know I cannot give up the ‘item’ –
for anything.”
    “So sad, but I really understand your
decision.”
    “Good, then you may as well let him go.”
    “No, I think I’ll hold on to him for a while
longer. You never know.”
    “Up to you. Well, it’s been nice chatting
with you, but I have to go now.”
    “Okay, I’ll be sure to tell my men to keep an
eye out for you – if you get my meaning.”
    “Bye.” I hang up.
    The town is small with twisting streets that
offer plenty of hiding places if that’s what I want. But do I? Is
that what my followers expect me to do? The GPS map shows winding
roads ahead so speed will not be a factor to any degree – there are
up to eight