Running out of Time, Christina Chorney [books for men to read .TXT] 📗

Prologue


His heart was racing.

He looked in the rear view mirror and could see the headlights gaining and gaining fast. He threw the car into a different shift and skid the corner sending everyone leaning to one side. Looking back he cursed wildly seeing the other car has scraped through the change in traffic and was readily trying to gain speed.

Shit Shit Shit...

He slammed the gas pedal to the floor and sped around cars, narrowly missing one that put on it's brakes.

"You stupid shit move!!!" He screamed at the car he was passing vaguely noticing the driver's gaping expression as he flew by.

The car was gaining fast. He swerved onto the turn pike, tires screeching. He could hear the screams in the backseat and his partner cursing. He checked back to see the car speeding up to the bumper. The first impact hit shoving them forward in their seats. He could see the turn coming…
No guard rail…

Oh fuck…

He could feel his heart beating; the anticipation for this exchange was beginning to cause him an aggravation. He sat in the driver’s seat drumming his fingers along the steering wheel.
“Would you knock it off already?” An annoyed voice came from the passenger side of his car. He looked over at his partner Lena, her red hair was down and pushed behind her ears, her soft sculpted face and bright green eyes showed obvious signs of annoyance.
“Your stupid finger tapping is getting on my nerves.” She said. Erik merely looked at her before reaching into the console of the vehicle to grab his cigarettes and punched in the car lighter. They both knew this exchange wasn’t going to be a pleasant one. Michael “insisted” to bring the person responsible for the exchange back to his office for a meeting. Michael, their boss and the leader of drug exchanges and sex trafficking was not a person you would want as an enemy. Their last meeting with Michael wasn’t as much for the exchange as for the instructions to which person they would be bringing back to him.


Flashback:


Erik woke up from his phone buzzing. Noticing the number on the screen he immediately answered. “Morning Erik, I need you to come see me today, I have an assignment for you. “ Michael’s smooth voice poured through the phone. Erik cringed at the sound. He knew Michael only had him do the jobs he wouldn’t trust anyone else to do. So it must be a big exchange this time, or he’s got a high priced whore to be escorted. “Oh yes, make sure to call Lena as well. I want you both on this mission.” With that, he hung up leaving Erik dazed from his interrupted sleep and lack of coffee….coffee, need coffee. Erik thought to himself as he got out of bed. He stammered out a muffled curse as he ran into the dresser with his foot and meandered out of his room and into the kitchen. He went over to the counter and flipped on the coffee maker. With a gratifying moan he sat back and inhaled the wonderful scent of fresh coffee brewing. He reached into his pocket and texted Lena to be ready for today. Not more than a minute later he heard his phone buzz and a knock on his door. Before he could even get up to see who in the hell was at his door at this ungodly hour of the morning, Lena let herself in.
Erik scowled at her with her ever so pleasant expression on her face.
“Don’t you know it’s rude to just barge into someone’s house?” he growled. She simply looked at him and smiled.
“You take too long to answer your door so I thought I’d let myself in.” she answered back. She sat down across from him and looked over to his half asleep form. “So, what did Michael want?” she asked him. He looked up at her briefly before getting up hearing the ding on his coffee pot.
“Coffee,” he said. Her eyebrows rose in amusement.
“Michael wants coffee?” She smiled again when Erik muttered something about a “red head smart ass” He poured himself a cup of black coffee, took a large gulp and leaned back against the counter feeling the rush of caffeine wake his system up.
“Dunno, he didn’t say. All I know is; we have exactly an hour to get our asses to Michael’s before we end up on the chopping board.”

End Flashback.


They sat in silence, watching a giant black limo pull into the parking lot in front of the Seagrass Café as scheduled. They both climbed out of the vehicle, ready to greet their “guest of honor”. Erik flicked his cigarette off to the side took a side glance at Lena who gave him a small nod. She put on a trained smile as the driver of the limo got out and opened the door for Enrique. A man stepped out of the passenger door, He was well dressed in his tan suit and black shoes, his dark tanned skin showed he had been in the sun quite often and his eyes, showed the Spanish ethnicity he carried in his blood. “Buenos Dias,” he said to Lena, a smile spreading across his face. He took her hand, his golden rings decorating all of his fingers as he bent down slightly to give her hand a kiss. Lena smiled back and returned the greeting. For a brief moment she stood there with him and small talk laughing lightly to some of the things he was telling her. Erik held back the urge to pry this man away from her. Lena looked over at Erik and smiled before looking back at Enrique once again.
“Please Senior Virecrios allow us to get you into our vehicle, our boss is anxious to see you.” She said. Erik stood silent, disgust pitting his stomach sour watching this man touch Lena like she was a consolation prize.
“Yes, and might I ask, my dear to what is the occasion for this calling?” Enrique asked. Lena smiled and answered him.
“We are not sure; we were simply told that he wants to celebrate on the investment of his business with you.” Enrique studied her for a moment. Erik began to wonder if he really believed her. A smile donned back on Enrique’s face again.
“Good man your boss is, come we should not keep him waiting.” He said following Lena to the car. Erik opened the back door for him to get in. Once settled, he shut the door and made his way into the driver’s seat, started the car, and headed into the mountain side towards Michael’s personal building.


Skyline Corps. South Carolina

They pulled in right on schedule. Erik got out and opened the door for Enrique as Lena proceeded out of the passenger side. They escorted Enrique into the building. The main floor was donned in a mute tan with stunning pearl tiled floors and deep gold columns. The receptionist desk was a dark burgundy with a light gold finished counter to accent the room. A young woman looked up from her computer and smiled at the trio approaching her. “Good morning Erik, Lena and good morning sir.” She said kindly. “Mr. Montgomery is ready to see you now.” They headed towards the elevators; two large body guards dressed in black watched them as they headed into the elevator up to the top floor. The silence was brooding as the sound of the muted music played in the elevator was overpowered by the large sound of the “Ding” announcing the passing floor. They finally reached the fifteenth floor.
Stepping out, they walked into the long hallway and stopped at the desk. Jan, the secretary came over to the desk and buzzed into the office letting the boss know his guest and his associates have arrived. “Send them in.” The voice on the intercom said. She walked over to the large oak doors and showed them in. The room was grand. A large bookshelf stood and covered the entire left wall of the office. The rest of the walls were a burgundy color similar to the red they saw at the front desk in the main lobby. The right side of the room held a small table with a carafe sitting on it, steam still pouring out of the tip of the teapot. The center of the room held the large oak desk with stacks of paper pile neatly to one side, a statue of a crow with his wings spread stared down at you. Erik never did like that crow. There was a large chair behind that desk facing away from them and viewing out the large window behind it. Shortly after they had walked into the room the chair turned and a man faced the three of them.
He was a medium build, jet black hair cut short and waving down as it laid combed back against his head. His dark blue eyes gave off false warmth when you looked at them. His narrow face was pulled back in a large grin as he looked at his guests. “Ah, I’m so glad you could make it.” He smiled as he spoke to Enrique. He stood up with a fluid motion; giving him such grace some people would assume royalty. He reached out his hand to his guest and shook it with great enthusiasm. Erik and Lena stood back and listened as Michael and Enrique exchanged dialogue with each other. Lena leaned over to Erik and whispered “What do you think Mike’s going to do to him?”
Erik side glanced at Lena and shrugged lightly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to wonder, you know how he is.” “Remember what he did to the last guy.” He