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I TRIED TO look casual opening the door of my unmarked car. There was no reason to believe that Kevin Doyle knew what I looked like.

I didn’t know what it was, but something spooked the shit out of Doyle. I wouldn’t say he panicked. But he made a bold decision. He threw the Trailblazer into reverse and hit the gas.

Initially, the sound of the roaring engine made me jump away from the SUV. Then I realized he was trying to make some room behind him. All I knew was the vehicle moved backward and started climbing up onto the hood of the Mercedes parked behind it.

I was so shocked by the maneuver, I wasn’t sure what to do. I went with my initial instinct. I ran forward and jumped onto the hood of the Trailblazer. I glanced over to my right as I gripped the top edge of the hood. Trilling had darted into the middle of the street, away from the Trailblazer.

My knuckles rubbed against the windshield wipers as I held on to the hood like I was riding a bull. I hooked my feet on the front and side of the vehicle to give myself some stability. When I looked through the windshield I could see Kevin Doyle’s face clearly. He looked just as astonished as I did.

I removed my right hand for just an instant, trying to reach my pistol. That was a worse idea than jumping on the hood in the first place. Now Trilling was starting to approach the vehicle from the side on foot. I saw him catch Doyle’s attention.

Then I felt my world start to tilt. It took me a moment to realize what was going on. I could feel gravity tugging on my right side. I could see things like paper, pens, and a comb inside the Trailblazer start to fly.

The SUV had ridden up over the Mercedes’s hood, but now the driver-side tire was sliding off the roof of the Mercedes. The SUV rocked, then flopped onto its side in the street. My first fear was that Trilling had been caught underneath the tumbling vehicle. That thought lasted only a moment as I was tossed onto the asphalt and narrowly avoided a Kia as it swerved to miss the rolling SUV.

I somehow came up onto my hands and knees and looked over at the Trailblazer as it lay on its side with the wheels still spinning uselessly in the air.

This had not turned out anything like I had hoped.