A police car had hopped the curb from a vacant lot on the left and was pulling across our path right now.

I jammed down on the brakes - too late.

The Escort skidded and caught the cruiser broadside.

Our front end folded right in on itself, as if it were made of molding clay. No wonder Ford was losing market share.

My chest hit the steering column hard, and I saw Adanne's head smack the windshield.

Already the other police cruiser was right behind us, siren screeching, spinners going like crazy.

“Adanne?” I sat her up and saw that her forehead was swabbed in red. She raised her eyebrows and blinked several times.

“You all right?” I asked.

“I think so. Don't tell them anything, Alex. More people will die. Don't tell them a thing I told you. Do you promise? Alex?”

Chapter 108

BLUE-UNIFORMED COPS WERE running up on either side of our car. When they threw open the doors and grabbed at us, Adanne came out easily. I was a lot more work for them.

When I was finally pulled from the front seat, I came up swinging, crunching a straight right fist into somebody's chin. It felt good.

Then two of them flung me down hard onto the pavement. That didn't feel so good. Something popped in my shoulder.

Jesus!

My arm flew up reflexively, and a wave of pain crashed over me, even as I felt the joint slip back into place. I wasn't sure if I could move the arm again, though. How could I fight them now?

The police were yelling on all sides, at least four of them screaming in a mishmash of languages I couldn't understand.

Then one of them fired his service revolver into the air to make his point crystal clear.

Adanne was shouting too. “I'm with the Guardianl I'm a reporter. Press!”

I could see under the car to where she was lying facedown on the other side. There were pairs of black shoes moving all around her. Then a pistol was pointed at her head.

But that didn't stop her from yelling at them. “Adanne Tansi! I'm with the Guardian]”

She shouted it over and over, not just for them, but for anyone who could hear in the neighborhood. We had already stopped traffic on both sides of the street.

With any luck, Adanne had just gone from anonymous suspect to known entity. It was a good move - especially given her state of mind after what had happened at her parents' house.

I saw two of the cops who were standing over me exchange a look. One reached down to pull my hands back and cuff me. When he did, my shoulder felt like it was being torn in half.

Then I was punched and kicked in the small of the back. Everything was getting hazy and surreal again in a hurry. I couldn't let myself black out.