off a section of the roadway for a practice lap of Grand Prix cars.
Once more the dripping man managed to lose himself in the crowd. But Twitch was not going to let him get away so easily this time.
Steering around the policemen, he again slammed the Maserati into gear and started driving right on the famous racecourse itself. And for a third time, they actually caught up to the mystery man. Walking through a crowd of Japanese tourists, still dripping wet from his dive, he stuck out easily from everyone around him.
They had him …
But … at that moment the sky darkened. Where just minutes earlier there were no clouds, now a huge black overcast had moved over Monte Carlo. It opened up and the sunny place for shady people was suddenly treated to a massive downpour.
People scattered. Windows were slammed shut. Awnings were quickly lowered. Even the policemen ran, as if they would shrink if they got wet. The deluge was so intense it was impossible to see much of anything. Twitch had to pull the car to the curb again to wait it out.
The torrent lasted just a minute, and then the clear skies returned. But now everything had changed. Now, just about everyone within their view was walking around soaked to the skin.
Batman couldn’t believe it. This was crazy.…
I knew I should have gone to Gottabang, he thought suddenly.
But then came a bit of luck. Just as they were about to give up, a taxi went by them, weaving through the post-storm traffic. As it passed by, the passenger in the back seat looked out his window and right into the Maserati.
It was their dripping man.
“Son of a bitch!” Batman cried. “There he is…”
The taxi immediately accelerated with a squeal and was off.
Twitch turned to Batman and asked: “What do we do?”
“Chase him!” Batman yelled.
Another deafening screech, and Twitch was again in pursuit.
The taxi was really moving. Apparently in Monte Carlo during Race Week, everyone thought they were in a Formula One car and, therefore, drove like a madman.
But Twitch was a madman all year round. He wheeled his way in and out of traffic like a pro. Riding the curb, downshifting, upshifting, double clutching, triple-clutching—he was doing it all, and with a prosthetic leg no less. It was madness—and they weren’t doing the Maserati any favors either. But Batman could do nothing but hold on and hope for the best.
And somehow it worked. Because by the time the taxi reached the outskirts of Monte Carlo, the Maserati was only a few blocks behind.
But then the game changed yet again. The taxi began climbing one of the steep winding roads that led out of Monte Carlo, heading toward France.
Now the advantage was greatly in the taxi driver’s favor. Not only was he driving as insanely as Twitch, his little Fiat was more than a match for the powerful sports car at taking turns, especially when traveling at more than 100 mph. They lost sight of the taxi within seconds.
Still, the chase continued. The sun was gone and suddenly it was night and Twitch had a hard time finding the Maserati’s headlamps switch. Batman tried to help, but he had his seat belt pulled so tight he couldn’t move but a few inches forward. These few particular moments of madness, driving on the incredibly twisting, recently wet road, with no lights, going in excess of 100 mph, with Twitch at the wheel, were simply terrifying. Batman found himself wondering if such a fancy sports car might have an ejection button he could push.
Finally, Twitch found the headlights switch, and suddenly the road was illuminated, just as they were going around a very sharp bend at warp speed.
That’s when they saw the taxi again.
It went cruising by them—going in the opposite direction.
Twitch made yet another heart-stopping 180-degree maneuver, overtaking the taxi, then turning wildly a second time. There was dust, smoke and burnt-rubber fumes, but when it was over, the Maserati was blocking the road. The taxi could not get by.
Batman and Twitch jumped out of the steaming car, weapons in hand, and rushed up to the taxi. But they quickly discovered only the driver was inside. No one was in the backseat.
Twitch yanked the driver out and threw him to the pavement. Batman vigorously searched the backseat and even the trunk. But there was no sign of the passenger, other than the backseat was soaking wet.
“Where did you drop him?” Batman screamed at the driver.
The driver was frightened—and