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.Hekick-started his Low Rider and took off into the night.He rode for miles, trying to clear his head, speeding to leave his garbage thoughts in the dust behind him.Somewhere down state, where the light wash from any city didn t disturb the dark and he could see theMilky Way, he stopped to gaze up at the billions of fires splashed across the heaven.He stayed there for thelongest time.When at last he knew what he needed to do, he turned around.He would get rid of all his stuff, get out of his apartment lease, give notice at the lube shop, and go back toa life on the open road just keep riding until someplace made him stop.He turned on the radio in his helmet.Johnny Cash was growling raw words in a driving rhythm, gonnabreak this rusty cage and run.Tom found a strange elation in the despair.Everything was clear now.He arrived home before dawn and fell into a dead sleep.* * *He woke to his cell phone ringing, the sun on his face.He fumbled for the phone on the floor at his bedside.It couldn t be any of his friends calling.None of them got out of bed before noon on Saturday.He wasafraid something had happened to his mother.He didn t recognize the number of the incoming call.He flipped the phone open. Yeah?That voice.No introduction.The voice didn t need one.Law just said,  Meet me at the hospital. There wasa lot of noise in the background.The voice woke Tom right up.A second later, he cued into what Law actually said.Hospital?Had Tom been really awake, he might have told Law to go to hell.Instead he asked,  Are you all right?Kings and billionaires world wide came to Cleveland for heart surgery. I m fine. Law said, and told him which hospital  Be there in a half an hour.Don t be late.They re nothappy about me using the parking place. And the signal cut out.Or else Law disconnected on him.file:///Users/J/Desktop/Jez%20Morrow%20-%20Force%20of%20Law.html Page 51 of 91hb056 05/02/2010 01:28Tom was puzzled.He tried to be angry, but he was too relieved to hear Law s voice.Like an addict given asmall hit, Tom s need was so strong that he was grateful for the smallest taste.He took a quick shower, pulled on his clothes and jumped onto his motorcycle.When he arrived at the hospital, he realized how big the complex was.He didn t want to go into the parking garage.Law hadn t told Tom where to meet him.Tom circled the block, looking around for the Diablo.A chopping sound from above grew louder, made him glance up where a helicopter was descending towardthe hospital roof.He glanced again.That wasn t a life flight.The logo of Castille Diversified shone blazoned on the helicopter s side.On Tom s second circuit around the block, a woman flagged him down.She asked if he was Tom Russell.She indicated where he could park his bike, then led him up to the roof.There was nothing like being escorted up to catch a helicopter to make a guy feel important.Hair flaying, eyes squinting, Tom ducked under the slowly turning rotors and climbed into the seat next tothe pilot.Tom looked around quickly, found no one else in the chopper but him and the pilot.He double-took at thepilot.The pilot was big.That black-helmeted, dark-visored science fictional being at the controls was Law.Tom found the seatbelt, strapped in, and the helicopter lifted straight up like an elevator.And Tom hadthought the Diablo was loud.Law tilted the bird.That gave Tom an interesting view of the city, its highest rooftops really close.Law s head moved, constantly looking around at everything, the instruments, the sky, that other helicopterhovering over the traffic on I-71.Law spoke into a mike angled right in front of his mouth, either to a toweror to other aircraft.Law took them higher, and then they were away from the city, flying toward the morning sun.Both Law s hands and both feet were controlling the chopper at first.Then Tom felt a brief caress up histhigh that sent a thrill up his spine.The chopper settled into straight, level flight.Less was happening with the pedals.Law popped open a smallwindow on his side and stuck his hand into the wind stream to cup the air.He shouted over the din,  You resupposed to be able to gauge your speed by the cup size. He seemed to consider the air in his hand , thensaid,  Funny I have no idea how fast I m going. He checked his instruments.There were over a dozen ofthem clustered on the panel.file:///Users/J/Desktop/Jez%20Morrow%20-%20Force%20of%20Law.html Page 52 of 91hb056 05/02/2010 01:28Tom found the window opening on his side of the helo and stuck his hand out. She s a D, Law, he shouted back. Thank you. He looked at his airspeed indicator again. So she is. Haven t you ever been with a woman? Tom shouted. Been with? Law s chin pulled back. Say what you mean. Haven t you ever had sex with a woman? Tom shouted. Not ever.Something glinted off to the left, and Law was speaking into his mike again.The silver flash was a Cessna.Tom rubber necked at the land below, seeing it laid out like a map.It didn t seem very long at all before the chopper slowed, descending a bit, its nose up a little.When thehelo wasn t going forward anymore, Law leveled it off.For a moment, they were suspended in the air, motionless.As hard as Tom refused to be impressed, the trip had been a rush.And this seat on top of the world wasn thard to take.Time had literally flown.They couldn t have gone far.This had to be New York state or Pennsylvania.They hovered over a swathe of green lawn that stretched between the shore of a narrow, brilliantly blue lakeand a stately mansion.The helo turned slightly in place, clockwise, then descended straight down.Law set the bird down lightly,the grass flattening under the downwash from its thrashing blades.The surrounding trees bowed and tossedtheir branches.Once settled firmly on the ground, the turbine engine wound down.The blades spent their momentum.Tom climbed out and stepped away from slow-turning rotors.Law was a few more minutes securing the ceiling fan and locking things down.While Law worked, Tom nodded up the vast lawn toward the mansion. Your house?Law shook his head. Friends place.They only come here for the season.I don t own a house.I have anapartment.Tom frowned, dubious. Really?Law shrugged. I m never home. You learn to fly in the service?file:///Users/J/Desktop/Jez%20Morrow%20-%20Force%20of%20Law.html Page 53 of 91hb056 05/02/2010 01:28 No.I already knew how to fly a helo.But I have to say, a Chinook is a little different than this.TheChinook is more like flying a building.And when you re flying a Chinook sometimes people are shootingat you.Law reached behind the pilot s seat for a leather traveling bag.He passed it back to Tom. Put thatsomewhere [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]