Page 82 of Billion-Dollar Ransom

OKAY, TIME TO pull over, hijack this Beemer, and hit the road again.

For Dowd, stealing the BMW was stupid-easy.

His time with TRAP had given him access to an assortment of override microchips that worked on any vehicle with a computerized ignition system.

Which was pretty much all of them. This was how he had been able to quickly change cars yesterday.

Dowd opened the passenger door of the BMW for Boo as if they were on a date.

And who knew? Maybe they were now. She touched his hand as she lowered herself into the seat, nodded thanks, then gracefully pulled her legs into the car.

As he walked around to the driver’s side, the cell phone in his pocket buzzed.

There was only one person in the world who could be calling. And it was pretty much the last person Dowd wanted to hear from right now.

But Dowd reminded himself he was still very much Two, at least for the moment. He answered the phone with “This is Two.”

Boo smirked at him. She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue as if they were on a playground instead of committing grand theft auto.

“I understand you and your hostage are in the wind,” One said.

“Yes, thanks to your warning,” Dowd replied. “We were on the road before SWAT was on the scene.”

“Just two minutes before the police arrived,” One said in the tone of a chiding schoolteacher. “You received your warning five minutes before that.”

Dowd glanced over at Boo, who was running a finger along the leather dashboard, tracing a slow, lazy line toward the glove box. She was either bored or flirting. Perhaps both.

“Five minutes isn’t very long,” Dowd said, trying to keep his annoyance in check. “There were certain… logistics to consider.”

“You cut it way too close.”

“I understand.”

“Do you have your hostage under control? We’re at the endgame now. There can be no slipups.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I know I don’t.”