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Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. Acknowledgements
  59. About the author
  60. Copyright

Before he even made the corner, Chandler had been overtaken by the younger and fitter pair of Flo and Sun, their firearms at the ready.

As the pursuit continued along King Edward Avenue, locals nosed their heads out of their doors and windows to observe the commotion.

‘Back inside!’ ordered Chandler, his legs already heavy.

His order was ignored. Until the first shot rang out. The residents scuttled back indoors as quickly as they had appeared.

‘Don’t fucking shoot,’ shouted Chandler, trying to identify who had taken the shot, as the reporters swarmed him.

But desperation was helping ease Gabriel into the distance, already a couple of hundred metres ahead, Flo and Sun struggling to keep up.

Suddenly Gabriel darted on to the road, straight into the path of a chunky yellow Holden. It screeched to a halt. Miss Atherton, a local primary school teacher, threw herself out of the car as a gun was waved in her face. Getting in, Gabriel swung the hatchback around and zoomed off down Scott, pursued by another unidentified pot shot, a wild miss that screeched off into the distance.

And like that Gabriel was gone. For the second time.

Flo and Sun kept chasing in vain, following the car on to Logan’s Way, tailed by the press looking for that final camera shot, but there would be no catching their suspect on foot.

Mitch stood by Chandler. He was fighting for breath. ‘Why the fuck did you let him get loose?’ Mitch cried.

‘I didn’t. He must have got the keys.’

‘And how did he do that?’ he spat. ‘Your incompetent fucking officers, I bet.’

Mitch didn’t wait for Chandler’s defence, jumping straight on to the radio, putting the entire region on standby for the second time in two days.

35

Within ten minutes of Gabriel’s escape, Mitch had corralled his forces and issued instructions. All vehicles were to be mobilized with the precaution that Gabriel was to be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

‘What about Heath?’ asked Chandler as Mitch finished his speech. ‘We need to keep him under watch.’

Reporters gathered and yelled questions at them from close by, questioning what the police were doing about the murderer now loose in town. How did he get free? How were they going to keep the townspeople safe? The questions kept coming, spat like automatic gunfire.

Mitch paused, eyes rolling as if he had only just remembered his other suspect.

‘We need to focus on the one not in custody, Sergeant.’

‘I agree, but Gabriel’s determined to kill him. For whatever reason. Has he got information on him? Something we haven’t thought about?’