Then I could notice no more as Ally jerked around a car trying to exit the parking lot and jumped the curb, screeching south onto Broadway, cutting off a car as we swerved across the two lanes going north and pulling right out in front of a squad car coming south.
The cop car was about to execute a turn in to BJ’s but jerked back out onto Broadway behind the Mustang.
“Pull over, let the cops have him,” I said.
“No way! This guy shot me!” Tex yelled.
Ally wasn’t listening anyway, she rocketed down Broadway, shifting gears quickly, ratcheting up the mph to levels so far beyond safe it wasn’t funny.
“Ally, pull over!” I screamed.
“He’s two cars in front of you. Pass! Pass!” Tex shouted.
We shot passed two squad cars going north, their lights on and sirens blaring. One screeched to a halt and did a uie behind us.
“Stop now! There are more cops, he won’t get away!” I yelled.
“Don’t stop!” Tex shouted. “Never say die!”
I went to bars and clubs without my purse, usually carrying money, credit cards, driver’s license and lip gloss in my front pocket and my cell in my back. It was now that I felt my cell phone vibrate against my ass as I heard it ring. I snatched it from my pocket and tore my eyes from the road long enough to read, “Lee calling”.
I flipped it open as Tex crowed, “No cars in front of us, bump him! That’s it!”
“Don’t bump him!” I shrieked “He’s in someone else’s car.”
Ally didn’t listen, we bumped Pepper Rick, did a nauseating, out of control jerk from side-to-side before Ally righted us and then she yelled, “Righteous!”
I was too scared even to scream.
“Indy.” I heard Lee’s voice in my ear and didn’t realize I’d put the cell there.
“Yeah?” I replied, sounding calmer than I actually was.
“Bump him again, girl,” Tex encouraged.
“Where the f**k are you?” Lee, on the other hand, didn’t sound calm.
Another cop car going north screeched to a halt and swung a uie. I looked behind us and we had three squad cars trailing us now, their sirens blaring and lights rolling. It looked like other cars were back there too, members of the chase, and one of them looked a whole lot like Lee’s Crossfire.
I turned back forward and answered Lee.
“We saw Pepper Rick so we’re following him. Going south on Broadway.”
A car shot passed us, looking like it had Terry Wilcox’s goons in it. It jerked in front of Pepper Rick and slammed on its brakes. Everyone behind it, including us, slammed on their brakes and went into evasive maneuvering. Ally’s Mustang did a couple more sickening lurches and then we all accelerated, Pepper Rick and Coxy’s boys jockeying for position in front of us like they were on a NASCAR track. Thankfully everyone on Broadway was pulling well over because of the squad car posse behind us.
“Pull over,” I heard Lee demand in my ear.
“She won’t listen to me,” I told Lee. “She and Tex are on a mission.”
“Indy, tell Ally to pull… the f**k… over,” Lee repeated.
“Ally,” I said, “Lee wants you to pull over.”
“I can’t,” Ally returned. “I can’t do it. He’s not gonna get away. He shot at you.”
It was then I lost my mind, pulled the phone from my ear and screeched, “Pull over, God dammit!”
We were well into Englewood when a squad car came up beside us, Willie Moses at the wheel. I saw Brian Bond sitting in the passenger seat doing hand gestures at us, his face a mask of disbelieving fury. Ally turned her head to look at him and lost control of the Mustang.