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Until they came into the outskirts of the city, there was little Pitt could do but crush the accelerator pedal with his foot and keep the wheels aiside the painted line in the center of the road

Without a speedometer, he could only estiuess was between one-ninety and two hundred kilo she had

Held by the safety belt, Maeve twisted around in the bucket seat "They're gaining!" she shouted above the roar

Pitt stole another quick peek in the rearview mirror The chase car had pulled up to within a hundred ht His reflexes were every bit as fast as Pitt's He turned his attention back on the road

They were coht have tried to lose the Cadillac on the house-lined streets, but it was too dangerous to even consider He could not risk running down a faht stroll He wasn't about to cause a fatal accident involving innocent people

It was only a matter of another e with the increased traffic for safety's sake But for the moment the road ahead was deserted, and he n flashed past that warned of construction on a county road leading west at the next junction The road, Pitt kneinding with nuh open country before ending on the highway that ran by the CIA headquarters at Langley

He jerked his right foot off the accelerator and ja wheel to the left, snapping the Allard broadside before tearing down theacross the asphalt Before the car drifted to a stop, the rear wheels were spinning and the Allard leaped onto the county road, which led into the pitch-black of the countryside

Pitt had to focus every bit of his concentration on the curves ahead The old sealed-beahts did not illuen units, and he had to use his sixth sense to prepare for the next bend Pitt loved corners, ignoring the brakes, throwing the car into a controlled skid, then ht line until the next curve

The Allard was in its ele for a road car, but its suspension was noPitt had a love affair with the Allard He had an exceptional sense of the car's balance and gloried in its sirin stretched his lips as he threw the car into the curves, driving like a de only on the hairpin turns The driver of the Cadillac fought on relentlessly but rapidly lost ground with every turn

Yelloarning lights were flashing on barricades ahead A ditch opened up beside the road where a pipeline was in thelaid Pitt was relieved to see that the road carried through and was not blocked coravel for a hundred meters, but he never took his foot off the accelerator He reveled at the huge cloud of dust he left in his wake, knowing it would slow their pursuer

After another twobreakneck ride, Maeve pointed ahead and slightly to her right "I see headlights," she said

"The ed "Here is where we lose theood"

Traffic was clear at the intersection, no cars approaching from either direction for nearly half a kilometer Pitt burned rubber in a hard turn to the left, away from the city

"Aren't you going the wrong way?" Maeve cried above the screeching tires

"Watch and learn," Pitt said as he snapped the wheel back, gently braked and eased the Allard around in a U turn and drove in the opposite direction He crossed the junction with the county road before the lights of the Cadillac were in view and picked up speed as he drove toward the glow of the capital city