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"Here co under the wheel until his eyes barely peered over the top of the dashboard "Everyone down!"

The words were barely out of hisinto the Cord One burst ripped the right fenderh the roof, shredding the leather padding andthe metal skin underneath

Pitt tensed and tried to duck even lower as the left side of the car was cut open as if attacked by an ares flew off a rear door and it fell open, hanging grotesquely for a few moments until it was torn away as the Cord brushed a tree Glass fragments flew like rain One of the women screamed, he didn't knohich one He became aware of a fine spray of blood on the dashboard A bullet had ploughed a furrow through one of Giordino's ears, but the gritty little Italian made no sound

Giordino probed the wound indifferently, aled to sorin "I fear last night's wine is leaking out"

"Is it bad?" Pitt asked

"Nothing a plastic surgeon can't fix for two thousand dollars What about the women?"

Pitt shouted without turning "Lily, are you and Hala all right?"

"A few scratches froaood and scared but not anywhere near the edge of panic

The steah-pressure jet now Pitt could feel the engine lose revolutions as it slowly began to seize up Like a jockey riding a tired old nag long overdue for the pasture, he pushed the car as hard as he dared

He worked coolly, concentrating on hurling the Cord around the last switchback before the sua to his rear bumper as if chained there

The engine bearings began to rattle in protest from the excessive heat and strain Another volley of bullets peppered the left rear fender and flattened the tire Pitt fought the wheel to keep the rear end fro the car down a 60-percent grade filled with large jagged boulders

The Cord was dying Oh the hood louvers Beneath the engine, oil seeped through a gouge torn in the oil pan by a rock Pitt could not avoid The oil pressure gauge quickly registered zero any chance ofthe temporary safety of the summit became more remote with each knock of the piston rods

The lead Mercedes charged around the switchback in a wild skid Pitt clutched the wheel despairingly He could picture the look of triumph on his pursuers' faces as they sensed they were seconds away froround

He saw no place for a desperation escape on foot They were trapped on the narrow road between a steep drop on one side and a sharp rocky rise on the other There was nowhere to go but ahead until the Cord's engine gave up and froze

Pitt jaainst the floorboard with all the strength in his leg and uttered a fast prayer