"Inspectors 81 to Headquarters, request all available units for backup. Witness has been spotted on the corner of Judah and 48th street, heading east towards 47th street. Witness is female, 14 years old, approximately 120lbs, African American, wearing a bright red coat and dark pants. Inspector Keller is giving chase on foot. Requesting immediate assistance from all units in the vicinity to apprehend witness."
Mike lowered the radio before turning on the siren and pulling the Galaxy out of the tight parking spot.
In the dense noon traffic, he barely made it to 48th Street before having to slow down to avoid hitting a jaywalking pedestrian.
"Come on now!", he cursed, trying to keep an eye on his partner.
Off in the distance, he recognized Steve's charcoal dress jacket, as the young Inspector ran against the flow of pedestrians to follow Chantal. Speeding up again, Mike rushed past an approaching rail car full of people.
His fingers were wrapped tightly around the steering wheel and he forced himself to slow his breathing, desperately trying to keep up despite the heavy and slow traffic ahead.
The two eastbound lanes on Judah were packed car to car, not allowing motorists to get out of his way. Despite the emergency light on the roof to alert oncoming travelers of his presence, he was making little headway in keeping up with his partner.
In a final act of despair, Mike decided to navigate the streets by swinging into the opposite lane whenever traffic allowed.
In the background, he'd heard at least three squad cars respond to his request for assistance and he could see strobe lights several blocks away heading towards his position, but facing the same dilemma.
Mike glanced off to the left again, hoping to see his partner. Between dozens of pedestrians and brightly colored sidewalk signs, Chantal was blending in frighteningly well- and so did Steve.
Drawing in a deep breath, he rushed past a couple cars that had pulled over for him, almost taking off one of their mirrors.
"Come on…", he cursed again, when he finally saw his partner reappear close to the intersection at 47th.
Speeding up once more and using up the opposite lane as often as possible, Mike came within a couple hundred feet of the intersection. From his position, he could see a car on the corner of 47th come to a screeching halt as Chantal darted out in front of it, before crossing the road, causing a slew of horns going off in protest.
Once safely on the other side, she pushed past several people and vanished inside a corner store. Steve was close behind and rushed towards the heavily protesting car still sitting at the stop sign, hesitant to proceed upon realizing that there was a foot chase in progress.
It was then when Mike noticed something his partner was painfully unaware of.
A couple vehicles behind the first one, a motorist had grown tired of the unexpected stop and began to swerve out of the waiting line and speed toward the intersection.
Not expecting another car heading south on the wide one lane road, Steve never bothered to look to the left as he rushed across the street after Chantal.
"No…no…!"
Mike beeped his horn, then stepped on the gas pedal, trying to intercept, but he was too far away.
Without slowing down, the black sports car hit his partner head-on, just as he emerged past the southbound lane. The impact caused Steve to roll across the hood and hit the windshield, before getting propelled several feet into the air and crashing hard onto the asphalt below, where he remained frighteningly unmoving, as bystanders rushed to gather around.
Mike's heart skipped a beat as he watched the surreal scene unfold just a few car lengths away. With his eyes glued on the intersection and the horrific accident that had just taken place, he never realized the danger he was in until it was almost too late.
In the end, it was the angry squealing of tires that pulled Mike out of his temporary state of shock. A squad car had come barreling down Judah in the opposite direction and was now sliding toward the Galaxy, as he drove against traffic in the sole open lane.
"Damn it!"
Slamming on the brakes, Mike barely managed to slow the sedan enough to avoid a head-on collision, the two grills a mere foot apart by the time both vehicles came to a complete stop, the smell of hot rubber quickly filling the cab.
Mike already had one foot out of the door while taking the other one off the brake and shifting the car in park, his heart racing, the fear for his partner's life causing a flood of adrenalin that threatened to drown his rational thinking. Breathing heavy, he rushed toward the intersection, never even acknowledging the police officers following close behind as he was dodging onlookers that were gathering like vultures around a carcass.
Half a dozen people stood around his partner, sharing insecure shrugs, unwilling to help but too curious to walk away. Amongst them was the driver who stood by the door of her car, unsure what to do.
"Where in the hell have you learned how to drive?!", Mike barked as he approached in a hurry, "You just hit a police officer, lady!"
"He ran out in front of me! I couldn't stop in time.", the blonde responded and nervously held on to the door handle.
It was then when Mike realized what vehicle she drove.
It was a Mustang.
"The black horse…", he mumbled, before swallowing hard.