The streets of the inner city residential neighborhood were lined with typical Baltimore row houses—interspersed with the restaurants, small markets and coffee shops that were the hallmark of the Greek neighborhood. It was still early in the evening, and the sidewalks were crowded with pedestrians.
A couple of people started to step into the crosswalk, then jumped back as the Honda barreled toward them like a maddened rhino.
Beside him, Olivia held tight to the edge of her seat, her knuckles bloodless. She looked like she wanted to jump out of the car, but they were going too fast for that.
The vehicle turned the corner, then headed for the warehouse district near Fells Point.
Luke breathed out a sigh. At least they wouldn’t be mowing down any people here.
With the residential area behind them, Zabastian increased their speed.
“Stop,” Olivia shouted. “You’re going too fast. Let Luke take control of the car.”
Luke felt determination harden his features.
Stop it, you damn moron!
Do not speak to me that way, snake tongue.
He kept his hands on the wheel, his foot on the accelerator and his eyes straight ahead.
The car sped toward a cross street, right through a stop sign. Luckily there was nothing coming from the other direction, and they cleared the intersection without incident.
But their luck didn’t hold. At the next intersection was a stoplight, and it was red.
Coming from the perpendicular street was a set of large, wide-apart headlights moving rapidly toward them through the darkness
A truck. And it had the right of way.
“There’s a red light. And a truck coming. Stop! Stop!” Olivia shouted.
Luke added his silent admonition as he watched the vehicle speeding along the cross street, the driver obviously assuming that the car coming toward him was going to obey the traffic light and stop.
In this case, that was a faulty assumption.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Olivia’s face contort as she stared in shock at the huge vehicle that was now directly in their path.
Above the roaring in his ears, he could hear her voice shouting at the warrior.
“Stop. You’re going to get us killed. Stop.”