Read Online With These Eyes by Horst Steiner - Free Book Online

The
lack of television and computer screens that littered most homes in
the area set his apart in an auspicious way. Fuji had finished his
prayer. It was becoming clear that he wasn't praying to the mouse.
He was praying for it. With the phone ringing in the background, he
lifted the rodent by its tail and placed it in a large terrarium.
The glass tank was home to Fuji's python. Fuji finally turned his
attention to the phone. He picked up the receiver and listened
without saying a word. Isabelle had gotten used to his
eccentricities over the years and liked the opportunity to begin
the conversation.
    "Fuji, it's me. Someone's been following me
since I left work. They're not as easy to shake as the last few
times."
    Fuji calmly responded, "So come by here.
Whoever they are they're going to have to wait outside."
    "I hope they know that."
    "There is such a thing as law and order."
    Isabelle contemplated the value of that
statement for a brief moment. She made an abrupt right turn into a
street followed by a left. Moments later, she found herself behind
the blue beat-up car from Tasha's sinister platoon. The
smoke-spewing hatchback swerved into the middle of the road. It
moved along slowly, forcing Isabelle to slow down drastically. The
Troopers made good use of their obstacle car's maneuver and were
now closing in on Isabelle from all directions.
    Inside the cement mixer, Tasha was getting
ready to attack. "Purple team, she’s in the alley. Cut her off!"
The concave screen displayed the map in a very prominent size.
Yellow icons were converging on the one in red - Isabelle. Tasha
was keeping an eye on the close-up from Isabelle's hidden
car-camera. She could see that Isabelle noticed her Troopers in the
rear-view mirror.
    In her car, Isabelle returned her attention
to the road ahead. She recognized several of the platoon's cars
from earlier closing in from various directions. She had watched
packs of hyenas hunt in the wild before and noticed her pursuers
were following the same pattern. Prey was one thing Isabelle would
never become. It was clear to her now that the blue car wasn't just
a motorist breaking down. Isabelle was an excellent driver. In her
career, she had driven on many obstacle and training courses for
special forces and police. Some were part of investigative reports,
some as favors from friends. Everyone in her social circle knew how
much Isabelle loved to drive. She had successfully outmaneuvered
and lost all her tails in the past. To Isabelle, being followed was
a sign that she was getting somewhere with a story. In this
respect, her confidence was strengthened by the presence of Tasha's
Troopers. The extent of their resources made it clear to Isabelle,
though, that she was facing an opponent of unprecedented
proportions.
    The signal ahead turned red. Isabelle could
see traffic approaching the intersection from all directions. She
didn't slow down for the stoplight. If her hunch was right, she
wouldn't have to. Sure enough, the cars approaching on either side
of her intersection skidded to a halt, Isabelle's car gliding
through the center undisturbed. Tasha's Troopers stayed in pursuit
of Isabelle, no matter what she tried. It was clear to her that
this was one tail she wouldn't shake simply with skilled driving.
Something bigger was needed. It wouldn’t take much longer for
Isabelle to get to Fuji’s. A turn on Fairfax, one of L.A.'s major
north-south connectors, and she was just a few miles from her
friend. Soon, she approached famous Venice Boulevard, the road that
lead to the popular beach. Just before the intersection, Isabelle
recognized a couple of the Troopers' cars outside Fuji's driveway.
Other members of the ominous pack were still swarming around her
car. Isabelle made a quick left into Fuji's property. She passed
the hedge of bushes and trees.
    Just as Fuji had said, Isabelle’s pursuers
stayed outside.

 
    10 THE MENTOR AND HIS DISCIPLE
    Fuji's long driveway was flanked by tall oak
trees.