She came off the ground like a sprinter off the mark— low and fast. She zigzagged through traffic, was nearly creamed by a Rapid Cab. The blasts of horns and shouted obscenities followed her to the opposite side.
She could see the flashing red, with nearly a full block lead, and ran like a demon.
Legs pumping, she dodged pedestrians, plowed through those who didn't have the sense to get out of the way of a woman holding a lethal weapon. A man in a pristine business suit, a pocket-link at his ear, shouted in shock as she barreled toward him. Panicked, he stumbled back into a glide-cart, scattering tubes of Pepsi and soy dogs, inciting the vocal fury of the vender.
Eve leaped over him, pivoted north. She'd gained a quarter block.
"Backup, goddamn it, where's my backup?" She yanked out her communicator on the run. Her side was aching like a rotted tooth. "Officer needs assistance. In foot pursuit of suspect, identified as Julianna Dunne, heading north on Seventh at Bleeker. All units, all units in the vicinity, respond."
She raced across the crosswalk, against the light, springing onto the hood of a sedan, then catapulting herself off. "In pursuit, damn it, of female suspect, blonde, thirty-four, five four, one hundred-fifteen, wearing red skin suit."
She jammed the communicator away. Cursed the crowds of people that made it impossible to risk using her weapon. She holstered it, and dug for more speed.
There was blood in her mouth, blood dribbling into her right eye. But she'd eaten up another five feet of Julianna's lead.
Fast, Eve thought as the adrenaline hummed in her head. Got herself in shape, knows how to run.
She could hear sirens scream in the distance, and bore down. She was only two body-lengths behind when Julianna flicked back a glance. And smirked.
It took her out from behind, a low body slam that sent her flying up like a rock in a catapult. She had enough time to think, What the fuck? before she fell with a bone-rattling crash. The back of her head smacked smartly into the pavement, and turned her world into spinning stars. Voices came and went like the tide of the sea.
She managed to roll over, retching, and gain her hands and knees.
"Did I do it? Did I?" The bright, excited voice drilled into her spinning brain. She blinked up and stared into the freckled faces of two young boys. Another blink and the faces sucked into each other and became one.
"It looked good, it looked real, right? Man, you flew." Clutching a fluorescent green airboard, he danced in place. "I slammed into you, just like I was supposed to."
She made some sound, spat out blood, then pushed up to her knees.
"Lieutenant! Dallas! God almighty." Thoroughly winded, Peabody pushed through the crowd. "She take you out?"
"This little ..." She couldn't think of a word. "I'm all right. Go! Go! She's heading north."
With one fearful look at her lieutenant, Peabody took off.
"You." Eve crooked a finger at the boy. "Come down here."
"Boy, that blood looks real. That's iced."
His face wavered and split again, so she snarled at both of him. "You little schmuck, you just assaulted a police officer in pursuit of a suspect."
He hunkered down and lowered his voice. "Are we still on camera?"
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Where do you learn to do stunts like that anyway? How come you don't get hurt when you fall?"
"I am hurt, you stupid little—" She bit off the rest, fought to keep her vision from going from wavey gray to solid black. He couldn't have been more than ten, and his cheerful face was beginning to show some fear and confusion.
"Like for real hurt, or on the vid hurt?"
"This isn't a video."
"But she said it was a vid. And when you came running after her, I should slam right into you on my board. I got fifty dollars. And I get fifty more if I did a good job."
Two uniforms pushed through the crowd, ordering people back. "You need medical attention, Lieutenant?"
"Did you get her?"