Gabrielle flung open the car door and leaped inside. She had left it parked on a side street in Bronzeville, some distance from her search zone, and had sprinted there, cursing her stupidity every step of the way. She had radioed in and squad cars were now racing to Kassie’s house, but they were approaching from the north and west, fighting their way through traffic. If she was quick, there was a chance she’d get there first and every second counted now.
She slammed the driver’s door shut, just as Montgomery slid into the passenger seat. Without a word, she punched the sirens and slid the flashing light on to the roof, as Gabrielle fired up the ignition. The car leaped forward, both driver and passenger deftly clicking their belts in with one hand, as they roared off into the night.
‘He’s heading for the Wojcek house,’ Gabrielle breathed.
Montgomery didn’t need to respond, she seemed to get her line of thinking instantly. There was no reason for White to head through Back of the Yards unless he had a visit to make. And Kassie was the obvious target. Though it shamed them to admit it, nobody had done more to stymie White’s reign of terror than the fifteen-year-old girl. Perhaps White wanted to revenge himself on her, to commit one last orgy of violence before he fled Chicago for good?
‘You ready?’ Gabrielle continued, shooting a look at the junior officer.
She nodded, sliding her firearm from its holster and resting her finger on the safety catch.
‘Obviously, I’d prefer to take White alive, but if there is any danger to us, to the girl, we take him down.’
‘Sure,’ Montgomery responded, gripping her weapon a little tighter.
‘This has to end tonight. We may not get another chance.’
They fell back into silence, both reflecting on what lay ahead. Up in front of them, Gabrielle could see roadworks and a long line of traffic snaking back towards them. Assessing her options, she ordered Montgomery to raise the volume of the siren, then mounted the kerb, driving up on to the sidewalk. Cruising along, she gestured frantically at the pedestrians to move aside, and they obliged, ducking into doorways and leaping off into the gutter. Moments later, Gabrielle and Montgomery passed the roadworks and, wrenching the steering wheel to the left, Gabrielle guided the car back on to the tarmac.
The road ahead was clear now and Gabrielle didn’t hesitate, ramming her foot down on the accelerator. The car leaped forward with a squeal of tyres, then sped down the street. Gabrielle gripped the wheel a little tighter, sweating, as the adrenaline started to flow. This was it then, this was what the last few days had been inexorably leading to.
This was the endgame.