Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

and waited. After a couple of minutes, Agent Kim got out and took a casual stroll to a bench near his car. Rachael watched him from a few benches down.
    Sebastian took a big breath and got out next. He sat down on the far edge of the same bench as Agent Kim. Agent Kim pulled a large envelope from inside his jacket. "Had to call in every favor I could. Passport, driver's license, social security number, birth certificate, even a high school transcript. He graduated with a 3.6 from South Eugene High School. I couldn't fake SAT scores. There's serious security on those things."
    Sebastian pulled out the drive. "One terabyte of dirty deeds. All the strings you need to pull."
    Agent Kim slid it into his own suit pocket. "Is this the only copy?"
    "What do you think?"
    A black SUV with tinted windows slowly cruised down the street. The driver turned and looked at them as he passed.
    "Fuck." Agent Kim hissed.
    "I thought you said you could shake a tail?"
    "I thought I had!"
    Rachael ran down the row of benches and grabbed Agent Kim's arm yanking him to his feet. "Why shouldn't I hurt you?"
    Agent Kim's eyes went wide. "They're going around the block, it's a large park, and there are lights at every corner. You've got a couple of minutes. Get out of here, quick."
    "Oh, no. You either led them here, which makes you essentially hostage material for us, or they want to get you too, at which point you might want to stay with us. Either way, you're coming with us."
    "What?" Agent Kim snapped.
    "What!" Sebastian parroted. "We can't…"
    "Do you want to stand here and argue? I'm driving point. You take up the rear and break off if you need to. Move!"
    Sebastian raced to his car while Agent Kim was dragged to Rachael's. Sebastian threw the envelope at Daren. His hands were shaking so badly he could hardly get his key in the ignition. "Agent Kim was followed, and it looks like he's coming with us."
    Rachael pulled away from the curb and made a beeline for the freeway on-ramp to get them to the air strip. This was going to be about speed, not subterfuge. "Call our ride and tell them to be warmed up and waiting. We're coming in hot."
    Rachael wove through traffic with Sebastian right on her tail. At least his hands had stopped shaking, even if he could hear his pulse in his ears over the sound of the traffic. He peeked in the rearview mirror. Two cars back he could just make out a black SUV.
    An exit sign flashed by, and Rachael swerved across three lanes of traffic to the off ramp. There were blaring honks from other drivers as Sebastian managed to find the exit as well. Daren was still on the phone with someone. Sebastian didn't even try to listen to the conversation. He just focused on not crashing his thirdhand car that was never designed for high-speed-escape driving.
    They squealed around the corners of an industrial area of the city and ran red lights until, in front of them, there was an opening. The single gate guarding the airstrip was already open, and crew members were standing by at a small jet. Sebastian could already hear the engines as they approached.
    "I'm impressed," Rachael shouted as the cars squeaked to a stop beside the plane and everyone jumped out, Rachael carrying an M16.
    "My family made its fortune doing this kind of shit."
    The flight crew ran the duffel bag and laptop up the stairs and into the cabin. Daren and Sebastian held tight to the briefcases. Daren pulled a large, uncut red stone from his pocket and handed it to one of the crew members. "Give that to the captain: this never happened."
    There was a crash as a black SUV broke through the gate. It was followed by the rattle of automatic weapons fire, a sound Sebastian had prayed he'd never hear again. He dropped to the ground, using the car as a shield, pulling Daren down with him. Rachael and Agent Kim dove for cover with them. Agent Kim was shaking almost convulsively and had both arms wrapped around his head.
    There was more weapons fire, and the jet began to taxi with its cabin door still open. Sebastian pulled his weapon and Rachael returned fire, then handed Agent Kim his gun. Sebastian wondered when Rachael found the time to take it off him. He could see the agent's hands shaking. He could feel Daren shaking beside him.
    "Agent Joseph Kim, this is the FBI. Put down your weapon." A voice blared out from the SUV. "You are under arrest for aiding and abetting a fugitive."
    "Bullshit! You're not FBI! I'm fucking FBI!" Agent Kim shouted back and