Luda's Dodge Challenger was a responsive beast of mechanical engineering. Heavy in the front end and a bit too light for Kogami's tastes in the rear where it counted. With so many eager horses beneath its hood, the car made it a feat of concentration to keep it on the narrow, winding driveway leading to the remodeled auto shop that was the Iazzetti family home. Kogami abruptly hit the brakes and brought the car to a skidding stop at the end of the driveway.

"Phoenix!" Akane screamed.

"Akane, wait!" Kogami shouted.

Ignoring him, she leaped from the car and ran for the front door, vanishing into the interior darkness.

"Shit!" Kogami swore. She was so impulsive! He grabbed the 9mm from the small of his back and, holding the weapon in front of him in an offensive position, he followed her into the house.

Kogami took shelter behind an exterior wall and listened before he darted to the opposite side to get a different perspective. There were no signs of forced entry at the door, so he made entry through the partially opened door and positioned himself inside a recessed wall for cover. Clearing the right side, he stepped into the living room and scanned for any movement in the adjoining kitchen beyond it.

"Akane?" There was no answer. "Phoenix?"

The lower level of the remodeled house left little to chance, being spacious and open. Before the renovation, it had been the waiting room for customers whose vehicles were being serviced in the garage bay. Sweeping the rest of the living room, Kogami moved to the breakfast nook and hunched down beside it. A wooden blind that separated the kitchen when it was not in use had been pulled down. Kogami threw himself from the nook wall to the opposite side, clearing the kitchen and the bottom of the staircase.

Checking his blindspots, he made his way up the stairs and into the corridor. McNeill was waiting for him. "Hello, Ko. Or should I say, Enforcer Shinya Kogami?"

Before Kogami could react, Julius charged him from the shadows and smashed a tire iron against the side of his skull. Inertia sent him falling backwards down the stairs. His head, neck, and back took the brunt of the fall. Eyelids fluttering in shock, Kogami hit the kitchen floor and laid sprawled on his back, stunned and unable to move.

"Get his gun," McNeill said. Pointing a .45 at Phoenix's head, McNeill herded Akane and the child down the stairs and into the kitchen by the sink. "Not so fast," he ordered. "Let the man catch his breath." The tech mogul wrapped his powerful hand around her neck and gently squeezed to prevent Akane from running to Kogami's side

Retrieving Kogami's Beretta, Julius grinned into the Enforcer's face. But there was something different about him. Kogami fought to regain his senses, but the blow from the tire iron and the subsequent fall left him all but senseless. "Can I kill him?" Julius said. There was a pronounced lisp to the man's speech. Kogami came to his senses long enough to see that he had no teeth left. Was that the price for failure?

Kogami coughed, tasting blood in the back of his throat.

"Save your breath, maggot," Julius said. The mechanic struck Kogami in the face with the tire iron.

"That's enough, Julius," McNeill said. "Not everyone can share your good looks. Watch the girls." He stooped down and grinned sardonically at Kogami. "Still looking for good help, Ko, but I'm guessing you're not up for my line of work. A latent criminal? Imagine that. Man of your skills should really be looking for a change of venue." McNeill laughed softly. "Came here to take care of a loose end." He glanced back at Phoenix, who cowered against Akane for safety. "Imagine my surprise when the little brat starts piping about how her new friend from Japan would kick my ass." McNeill stood up, staring down at the helpless Enforcer. "You don't look like you could kick anyone's ass from down there."

"Let them go," Kogami gasped, spitting blood onto the floor.

"I will, but their freedom depends on you, Ko. The bet for the car is still good, but the stakes just went up. Way up. So I'll make this quick because it looks like you're about to take a little nap. One race. You and me. Winner takes all, including the ladies."

As his consciousness faded, Kogami laid his head on the hardwood floor. He felt like he was drowning.

"Sleep it off, Ko. I'll leave you a little message for when you wake up."

The last thing Kogami remembered seeing was the look of worry on Akane's face. Surrounded by McNeill's henchmen, Phoenix and she were led out of the kitchen. As darkness closed, he heard the sound of McNeill's laughter and a high-pitched scream from Phoenix. "Kogami!"

# # #

Kogami came back to consciousness with the acrid scent of burning rubber in his nostrils. Memory replayed recent images behind his eyelids: Akane's frightened face, McNeill's smug smirk, and Julius' toothless grin, all punctuated by Phoenix's screams. McNeill's grinning visage lingered the longest as a portend of the dire consequences for failing to response.

"Akane!" Kogami tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea assailed him, and he violently retched, gasping up nothing more than sour air from his empty stomach. He fell back to the floor with a frustrated groan.

Hurried footsteps came up behind him. "Akane!" Kogami balled his hands into fists. Flailing his arms, he prepared himself for a fight, but was too weak and disoriented to effect any genuine defense.

"Ko, it's me," a voice said. "Damn, your pupils are blown!" Flashing a light in his eyes, Rodriguez stared into his face.

"Akane! Phoenix!" Kogami winced at the sound of his own voice and collapsed in the cop's arms.

"Nobody's here," the cop said. Dressed in street clothes, jeans, and a black ballistic vest, Rodriguez snatched a towel from the kitchen counter and pressed it to the side of Kogami's head. The cop's expression was grim. "Keep pressure on it. You're bleeding out like a stuck pig."

"Akane and Phoenix?"

"Told you, man, no one's here. I just arrived onsite. Saw you on the floor. Checked for vitals. Saw you were good and swept the premises. No one's home."

"Shit!" Kogami grit his teeth and struggled to sit up with Rodriguez to help. Stitches torn in the fall, he cradled his left arm against his rib cage.

"Is this McNeill making his move?"

"How'd you guess?" Kogami replied sarcastically.

"He left you a message outside." Rodriguez helped the Enforcer to his feet, and together they went outside.

The Dodge Challenger sat in the driveway where Kogami had left it on four flat tires. It wasn't enough that McNeill had sliced the tires, but he had set them on fire as well, melting the rubber and charring the sides of the muscle car. On the scorched hood, written in lipstick were the words: DOLOROUS CHASM. BRING THE PORSCHE. As the acrid scent of burned rubber hung in the air, stinging his nostrils, Kogami saw Akane's phone laying on the ground beside the Challenger. It was cracked from a bullet hole in the center of the screen.

"What the hell is Dolorous Chasm?" Rodriguez asked.

"Where street racers go to settle grudges or die trying. Where's Royce?"

"He was at the hospital on a security detail covering Nysa, but when they issued an Amber Alert for Phoenix, our SWAT unit was activated. I came here looking for the kid and hoping to find you. One out of two ain't so bad. I'm going to call this in."

"No, don't. McNeill's got Akane and Phoenix. If he's listening—"

"And you know he is."

"He might hurt them." Kogami struggled to shake the fog from his head. "I've got to go after him." He hissed pressing the bloody towel to his scalp.

"You're in no shape to do anything. I'm calling a bus at least. That shouldn't set off any alarms."

"There's no time." Reaching into his back pocket, Kogami pulled out his phone and tossed it onto the Challenger's ruined hood. "Virgil, you there?"

"No longer man, though man I once was," the AI replied. A three-foot holo of the Roman poet appeared above the phone screen in full relief.

"Dolorous Chasm?"

"The brink of the valley...a desolate chasm where rolls the thunder of high-octane engines and high performance tires, where only titans dare."

"Seriously? McNeill's calling you out to race?" Rodriguez asked.

"He still wants BabyGirl," Ko said. "Our little wager is still on, only he's taken Akane and Phoenix to leverage the bet and make certain I show up." Pounding his fists into the hood of the ruined car, Kogami balled his hands into fists until the knuckle cracked audibly. "Virgil, contact Luda."

"The Lord Patriarch has placed your well being above all, Cerberus. On his sole word, the Patriarchs were summoned and all Denizens roused. Behold, Beatrice descends."

With a long slide, BabyGirl veered through the final curve in the driveway at speed and slid to a halt some feet from the rear of the crippled Challenger. Tsuki jumped out of the driver's seat with a grin, hands on her hip. She watched as her lavender Supra sped in behind her and came to a stop with Brian behind the wheel. "Luda thought you might need a ride! You've a score to settle, Cerberus. Let's go."

"Right." Kogami threw the bloody towel to the ground and quickly jumped into the Porsche. Rodriguez buckled himself into the passenger seat as the Porsche sped out of the driveway behind the Supra.

"Accessing route to Dolorous Chasm," Virgil said, usurping the car's navigation system. "Proposed route is 1.3 miles longer than required, but will avoid major intersections, congested thoroughfares, and planned interceptions on the crossings."

"Planned interceptions? What is this? Monday Night Football?" Rodriguez asked.

"Interceptions are imminent."

"What's that even mean?"

Kogami laughed as he cut the wheel to make a hard left turn to meet one of Virgil's crossings. "It means that Luda's people—the Denizens—are targeting McNeill's security detail. By taking them out, it isolates him. Virgil, how are they intercepting his henchmen."

"Here there be monsters, Cerberus," the AI replied.

The navigation system went blank. The map was replaced with live-feed footage from a traffic cam. Kogami recognized one of McNeill's black SUVs, or what remained of it, beneath the front tires of a blue monster truck. While the latter vehicle seemed mostly intact, the SUV beneath was mangled and leaking fluids from its undercarriage. Dressed in a blue t-shirt with the words—Cookie Monster—written on the front, the driver and his passenger launched themselves from the cab and engaged the dazed occupants of the truck with a baseball bat and crescent wrench.

"Status report: Cookie Monster has brought down his target. Incoming report: Pac-Man has also made a successful intercept. And," Virgil paused, "Kong and Superman have also disabled their targets. McNeill is on the run and alone."

"Monster trucks as interceptors?" Rodriguez grinned so broadly that his dimples showed prominently. "Total bad assery! Love your new friends, Ko."

"Is McNeill still headed for the Dolorous Chasm?" Kogami asked.

"That's affirmative."

"Akane's phone is destroyed. How are you tracking them?"

"Though she is not of legal driving age, Phoenix Iazzetti will one day be a Patriarch. No Patriarch races alone."

"Bullshit," Rodriguez said. "If McNeill got Akane's phone, he certainly took the kid's."

"Not her phone," Kogami said with a smile. "It's Tigger."

"McNeill's man must have hit you in the head really hard," Rodriguez said. "You're talking about a character from Winnie the Pooh while we're chasing down a sociopath."

"Phoenix has a stuffed Tigger. Her father gave it to her and told her to never lose it. To always keep it close. There must be a tracking device in it. Clever. ETA, Virgil?"

"Ten minutes, Cerberus. Maintain your current course and speed."

Rodriguez's phone rang. "Rodriguez here. I'm in the middle of something, so this better be good." His face went blank and then he exploded. "Patch me through! It's Royce!" He tapped the screen to activate the speaker. "Man, where the hell are you? Shit's getting real down here. PAC-Man and Cookie Monster are are doing the job the LAPD should be doing."

"Have you been smoking again? Shut up, Rodriguez! I'm in a chopper," the officer's voice came through a static cloud. "I'm staring through my sniper scope at one Travis McNeill."

"Can you get a shot?" Rodriguez asked with excitement.

"I wish. Can't risk it with civilians there."

"Is Akane there?" Kogami asked.

"Sitting right next to the smug bastard."

"Do you see Phoenix?"

"Negative. She's either cowering on the floor in the back seat or he has her in the trunk. Even if I could get a shot, Ko, I couldn't risk him losing control of the vehicle. He's hauling ass on the Palisades. One bad move and he flies off a cliff."

"What's he driving?"

"A gray Mustang Fastback."

Kogami grinned with a soft snort.

"That mean something to you?" Rodriguez asked.

"Maybe."

"Royce, we're close to them," Rodriguez said. "Can you see us? How far ahead is he?"

"Not far, don't worry," Royce replied. "Ko, you must have made quite an impression with Luda and his people."

"Here you must gather your soul against all cowardice," Virgil said through the car speakers. "Dolorous Chasm. You have arrived."

Tsuki's Supra slowed to a crawl up the crowded mountain pass. Leaving only a narrow path, a thick throng of cars, trucks, and other vehicles lined the road. The scene was reminiscent of the energetic crowds who gathered on the strip to watch the high-octane activities at Luda's racing events. As the Supra and Porsche drove passed, the vehicles behind them pulled onto the road to block any access. There would be no pursuit, at least temporarily. To further ensure that there would be no interference, pit crew members worked their way through the makeshift parking lot of vehicles with box cutters in their hands. The audible popping of tires and the subsequent hiss of escaping air under pressure could be heard.

"What are they doing?' Rodriguez said.

"A road block," Kogami replied. "Guess they want to make certain the police don't interfere with their justice. One disabled vehicle is easy to move, but 30?"

"Great. Royce, be advised. The Palisades pass has been blocked."

"Roger that."

"Tell the boys to stand down. I've got this one." Unbuckling the harness, Rodriguez turned to Kogami. "I was really hoping to ride shotgun for the next part, but that's not happening. You might as well let me out here."

"What are you going to do?" Kogami asked. "Arrest them all?"

"Are kidding me? All that paperwork would be a nightmare! I'll try to coordinate this mess and keep the peace on both sides of the line." Rodriguez got out of the Porsche and closed the door. Leaning through the opened window, he said, "You just concentrate on getting Akane and the Iazzetti's kid away from that bastard. And then, Ko, bring that asshole down. Permanently, if you want a page from my book."

Leaving Rodriguez at the base of the mountain road, Kogami drove on to where the rural street was blocked by a large, black tow truck. The name Lucifer was painted in red calligraphic script across the side. On the other side of the truck, McNeill was being dragged from the Mustang by the Patriarchs as the Denizens stood overwatch with pistols and shotguns.

With the situation under control, Kogami rushed toward the Mustang through the crowd. Tsuki opened the passenger side door and helped Akane out as he arrived. She ran to him, and he embraced her tightly, even lifting her off of her feet. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, but I was sure he killed you," Akane whispered through tears. She ran her fingers over fresh injuries to his mouth and forehead. Leaving her warm tears on his face, she kissed his brow and clung to him.

"Phoenix?"

"He put her in the trunk because she wouldn't stop crying." Akane reached back into the car and snatched the keys from the steering column.

Kogami waited by the trunk and caught the keys as she threw them to him. As the trunk lid went up, he found the frightened little girl curled into a ball in a spacious corner. Phoenix hugged her Tigger closely to her chest. Squinting against the sudden sunlight, he whispered, "Ko, is that really you?" The traumatic child fled into his arms. "I heard your voice, but I thought I was dreaming."

"You're not dreaming. I'm here. We both are." Kogami embraced both Akane and Phoenix and held them close as the crowd about them watched on.

Luda snatched the .380 from its holster and pointed the pistol at McNeill's forehead. "You gonna pay for that shit," he said, indicating the child. "You can believe that."

McNeill laughed, despite the fact that a loaded gun was pointed at his skull. "Is this payback for usurping your little AI? Seriously? If it makes you feel any better, the clever cur managed to give me the slip."

"Oh, you got jokes," Luda said. He brutally pistol whipped McNeill in the face. "But the joke's on you. Did you think you could hijack my shit without consequences? Bitch, please."

"Vain fool and coward!" Virgil thundered. A 30-foot, holographic image of the poet appeared above McNeill. "Fly you now to an empty shroud."

"Cute," McNeill whispered, wiping blood from his mouth.

"Virgil's one prevail primary function is his curiosity. You thought you were the hunter, but the whole time Virgil was piggybacking on your system and quarterbacking for mine."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"Your bank accounts? Mine. Your stock holdings? Mine. All being sold off at premium cost as we speak. Can't wait to break the news about your fall from grace. In a few hours, those stock options be worth the rubber you left back there on the road. Your Cayman Islands account and your Swiss accounts. Mine and mine." Luda laughed, still brandishing the pistol. "Reese's daughter ain't gonna have to work a day in her life, cause now she's got your life." Noting the scowl on McNeill's face, Luda grinned. "Not so funny now, is it?"

"I'll rip your heart out, you black—"

"Mind your words," Luda said, cocking the hammer back. "I'm not the dangerous one here, bitch." He pointed at Kogami. "He is."

Kogami swung as hard as he could, aiming the punch for McNeill's jaw. The blow knocked the man forcefully back against the Mustang and brought him to his knees at the Enforcer's feet.

Wincing as the cut in his lip pulled painfully in the corner, McNeill chuckled. "Nothing personal, Ko. Just business."

"If it was just business, why not come after me? Why Nysa?"

McNeill raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "That was personal. I've known for a while now that the FBI was trying to move on me. Wasn't too worried. Kill the bitch on the case and take out her kid. Perfect message against meddling. Had no idea they were all connected until I saw the name—Iazzetti. Dead racer. His daughter. And the grease monkey turned federal agent, who actually built the car."

"The federal agent you attempted to murder!" Akane said. She held Phoenix close to her and stroked her hair. "Haven't you done enough?"

"Call it a flaw in my character. I just don't know when to stop." McNeill looked up at Kogami. Leaning against the Mustang for support, he got to his feet. "Biggest surprise was you two. Enforcer Shinya Kogami and his handler Inspector Akane Tsunemori. It's not often the lion invites the hunter into his den without knowing it."

"A real lion wouldn't," Kogami replied.

"Let's put that to the test, shall we?" McNeill asked. "Bet's still on, Ko. Run the Dolorous Chasm with me. All the way. If I lose, I go into custody quietly and confess to everything. When I win, you let me go."

"Deadman walking," Luda sneered, raising the gun. "You have the nerve—"

Kogami put his hand up to quiet the Pit Boss. "I accept."

There was a collective gasp that swept through the crowd of Denizens and race spectators as Kogami answered the challenge and committed himself.

Glaring into McNeill's grinning face, Luda turned to Kogami. "You already know how this story has to end, Ko. This fool has nothing to lose. You do." He glanced at Akane, who was rocking Phoenix protectively in her arms.

"Bushido is realized in the presence of death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. There is no other reasoning."

"Is that some samurai bullshit?"

"Yamamoto Tsunetomo." Kogami laughed malevolently, his eyes steely as he glared at McNeill. "Some very wise samurai bullshit. It's post time, Lord Patriarch."

"If it were anybody else—" Luda shook his head, not finishing his statement. "Clear a path, people. Drivers, on the line."

Kogami went back to Akane and Phoenix. Sobbing, Phoenix wrapped her arms about his waist. "I w-want you to kick his a-ass, Ko. But I d-don't want you to d-die."

"Watch your mouth, young lady," Kogami whispered, smoothing her frayed hair. Braving Akane's reproving eyes, he sighed and reached out to touch the winter sapphire sparkling at the base of her neck. "I'm going to need this."

"Kogami, do I even need to say it. I don't think this is a good idea."

"And when has that ever stopped me?"

"Never, but Kogami—"

He silenced her protest with a kiss. "Of anyone here, any one person in the world, I need you to believe in me." Kogami bowed his head, resting it against her forehead as he caressed her cheek. "No one else matters. Just you."

Phoenix bent her neck backwards at a sharp angle to look up at Akane. "It's the difficult ones that give you the most in life."

Smiling down at Phoenix, Akane reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace. She carefully put it in Kogami's hand, closed his fingers over it, and put his hand over her heart. "You scare me sometimes, but I've never doubted you, Kogami." She wiped a tear from her frightened face and stepped back into the crowd with Phoenix. "Do what you have to, Enforcer?"

"Is that an order, Inspector?"

"No, but this is." Akane tilted her head and smiled. "Come back to me."

"LAPD is arriving on the scene!" Luda declared. "Drivers! Now or never!" He pointed to the Mustang as it rolled onto the line, and then he pointed to Kogami as he brought the Porsche into position on the inside of the road. "Virgil, it's post time!"

The leviathan-sized holographic image of the poet vanished, only to reappear in a normal size in the middle of the roadway. Dressed in his tunic and toga, the virtual Roman bore a grim expression. "Three...I am the way to the city of Woe. Two...abandon hope all ye who enter here. One...may God have mercy on your souls. Go!"

The Mustang roared off the line. McNeill was either not used to the powerful engine or was showing off for effect, but the car fishtailed. Sliding into Kogami's lane, the Fastback impeded the Porsche's start and jumped ahead on the narrow two-lane road. Forced to feather the throttle to avoid a collision, Kogami stayed tight on his bumper.

Considering the circumstances, the 911 lost no ground and effortlessly trailed the muscle car. While the Mustang was a legend for its powerful performance, it was not more powerful than the Porsche 911 nor was it more agile. McNeill's only hope to win was to maintain the lead.

From the case file, Kogami knew the former owner of the Fastback was fond of the quarter mile and little else, excelling in living life one quarter mile at a time, until McNeil's greed ended that life. Though surprisingly adept behind the wheel in the straightaway, the tech mogul was far too circumspect in the first turn. The backend of the car was too loose and swung wide through the corner. The lack of precise control would prove much more difficult in a hairpin.

A devious smile curled in one corner of Kogami's mouth. In Japan, the name of the game was tōge, a cat and mouse battle. Under normal circumstances, McNeill simply had to outdistance Kogami to win the heat or, by some stroke of fate, hope that Kogami crashed or spun out in order to claim victory.

Gravity would prove to be a disadvantage. In a downhill race, Kogami had no doubt that the Porsche's advanced handling and precision tuning would out corner the Mustang and make short work of the potent car and the desperate driver at its wheel. Going uphill brought a new set of conditions to the heat. Driving would require a more defined degree of skill, not just chance or luck, to stay in control.

To the delight of the spectators, Kogami pressed the Porsche's nose inches from the inside cliff wall as he drifted through the turn, mocking McNeill's swift corner. He hung tight to the Mustang's bumper, even as it accelerated. Though it was a subtle thing to see, McNeill was all over the road, and Kogami took full advantage of his inconsistency. He hoped to intimidate and press him into making a mistake like he had down with the mogul's mechanic, Julius.

Kogami downshifted and made a move to pass, but McNeill blocked him with the Mustang's longer, heavier frame. Well into the first hairpin, he was still sitting on McNeill's bumper. In a desperate attempt to shake him, McNeill risked a drift with the responsive Mustang. He was trying to force Kogami onto a slower, less effective line. Kogami's response was to drift in tandem, maintaining the same line as the Fastback and increasing his speed.

The Mustang was receptive to McNeill's demands, but the increased velocity made him anxious. He was not experienced enough to push the car to its full potential, thus BabyGirl's recovery out of the turn was faster and more efficient. Had it not been for the Mustang's longer frame and the narrowness of the pass, the Porsche would have passed on the outside lane.

The sound of shrieking tires reverberated against the cliff walls and drowned out the roar of the ocean as the cars fought for place. Kogami reveled in the thunder. Above the caustic scent of spent tires, he could smell burning exhaust and noticed the wisps of white smoke coming from the Mustang's tailpipe.

With its engine laboring under the stress, the car was burning coolant. Kogami narrowed his eyes and smirked. He had counted on Julius' meddling to hamper the car, as well as McNeill's pride to overlook the flaw. Regardless, there was no room to get overconfident. Speed was not the overall factor to winning. It would be the masterful manipulation of race lines and skill that would determine the first half of the race.

As the two cars roared into the next hairpin just before the chasm, Kogami felt the Porsche's nose dip. There was a decline of elevation, and he realized that the sweeping dog-leg leading and adjoining hairpin into the mouth of the chasm was downhill, all downhill. Downshifting, he prepared for the Porsche's rear tires to slide as the weight shifted from back to front.

Kogami drifted early into the turn, maintaining a perpendicular angle to the rear of the Mustang. He then recovered enough to take a position on the opposite side of the road. Before McNeill could counter the maneuver, Kogami straightened the Porsche and was working through the inside line, speeding neck and neck beside the Mustang.

With such high stakes on the table, McNeill closed on the Porsche in an attempt to hit Kogami and send them into the cliff wall. Gunning the throttle, Kogami downshifted to take advantage of the downhill angle. BabyGirl raced ahead of the aggressive Mustang and took the lead position. Narrowly missing the Porsche's rear quarter panel, an undeterred McNeill brought the Mustang in line on Kogami's bumper and tapped the back end of the Porsche.

Braced for the dirty tactic, Kogami felt the Porsche buck, but remained in control. Without needing to downshift, he pressed the accelerator flush to the floor. The Porsche responded with a shriek of its turbos that drowned out the roar of its engine. Tires squealing for traction, BabyGirl hit the uphill slope at 60mph and went airborne. She landed, rear tires first, and raced into the final mile of the chasm.

Heavier than the 911, the Mustang crested the hill, but barely caught any air. McNeill stayed on the bumper of the agile Porsche as they roared toward the old church. He made another attempt to spin the the 911 by again aggressively tapping the bumper. Anticipating the dirty move, Kogami cut the wheel hard to the left and skidded into the opposite lane. The Porsche fishtailed violently, but held the line and narrowly avoided crashing into the chasm wall.

The ruins of the old church loomed one mile ahead. Kogami committed himself to the line. He would not be deterred. Even if he wanted to pull up, his options were limited. It was the church ahead or being rammed from behind by the Mustang.

His only advantage was the collapsed entrance to the church ruin was on his side of the road. It was large enough for the Porsche to squeeze through if he drifted into it. The dilapidated, concrete walls cracked but still standing. There was no way to avoid crashing, but he estimated there be just enough room to brake the Porsche and come to a reasonably safe stop. McNeill offered no guarantees as he was intent on spinning the 911 out of control into the wall.

Dropping the Porsche into second, Kogami let off the throttle. When he felt the Porsche's tires lose traction, he stomped the accelerator and let BabyGirl drift sideways. With a grin on his face, McNeill pointed the Mustang directly at the vulnerable Porsche. He was intent on broadsiding Kogami and driving him into the wall. But to accomplish that, he would have to catch the Porsche, whose speed was increasing, even in the midst of the drift.

Frustrated, McNeill downshifted to bare down on Kogami, but the Mustang's engine protested loudly. A cloud of white smoke escaped from beneath the hood, effectively blinding McNeill. Snapping the hood locks, the engine hood shuddered violently, and the muscle car's engine seized. The drivetrain promptly failed, causing a loss of power. Under pressure, a piston rod tore through the Fastback's hood as the remains of the crankshaft fell out of the car, leaving random splatters of oil and mechanical parts on the road.

Helpless to do anymore than brace himself for the impending impact, Kogami grit his teeth. BabyGirl's grill clipped the outer edge of the concrete wall at 65mph, but the Porsche remained true to the decided line. The momentum of the powerful drift sent the Porsche sliding laterally through the gap and into the ruins of the old church. The left side of the car smashed into another concrete wall. Though restrained in the five-point harness, Kogami's head thrown about violently in the aftermath of the crash.

Barely conscious, the Enforcer glared at McNeill and the labored Mustang as the smoking car raced toward him in a direct line. He smiled when the seizing car suddenly veered erratically to the right side of the road and vanished out of sight. Before passing out, Kogami heard the violent impact as the Mustang crashed into the wall at nearly 50mph.

"No day shall erase you from the memory of time. Arise, Cerberus. The victory and all its spoils are yours."

Kogami woke up to the worried voice of Virgil and a pronounced ringing in his ears. His neck ached from the unusual position of his head, which was cradled on two deflated airbags, one from the door and the other from the ravaged steering column. Imploding immediately on impact, the safety features were designed to prevent traumatic, potentially fatal injuries to the driver's head, but they were not able to prevent all the damage.

He slowly sat up and stared at his bloody fingers. Looking into the rearview mirror, he saw the gash about his left eye and blinked as blood dripped into his face from shifting his position. Kogami groaned in pain from new injuries and old ones. Pinched by the tightened five-point restraint harness, the bullet injury throbbed unmercifully. Though the injuries were significant, he would live to recover. So, too, would BabyGirl.

Having taken the obvious brunt of the damage, BabyGirl's windshield was significantly cracked in five places. A cobweb of fissures spread across the glass and limited any forward vision. The hood was crumpled in from the initial contact with the wall, and the driver's side, including the door, was smashed in and pinned against the interior chapel wall. Suggesting much more than cosmetic damage, a light veil of smoke blew into the cabin.

Desperately trying to regain his bearings, Kogami scanned the car for the source of the smoke. He realized with relief that it was not the Porsche, but an external source on the other side of the wall.

Unstrapping himself from the harness, Kogami gasped as it released. Blood seeped through the Henley shirt that Luda had given him. Head bowed, he hunched over, compacting his long, muscular frame and crawled across the center console into the passenger seat. Throwing open the door, he fell out of the car.

Kogami tried to stand. Unsteadily, his legs fought to find purchase on the loose soil. Too disoriented from the crash, he slipped in the gravel and landed on his chest. Breathlessly, he called, "Virgil?"

"Be still, Cerberus," the AI said through the car's speakers. "I have no hands to help, but my voice has been heard."

Kogami rolled to his side. Using the passenger door for support, he pulled himself up to his feet and remained there until he could stand on his own. "McNeill?"

"The foe, though vanquished, is not punished enough, Cerberus. But the gates of hell are open night and day. See there how the flames rise for one who belongs among the damned."

As the ringing in his ears faded, Kogami forced himself to move back toward the road and the ominous crackling of fire. He wavered unsteadily and was forced to travel along the interior wall of the dilapidated chapel. Startled by the intensity of the heat, he yanked his hand away from the last section of concrete. A fine film of smoke rose from the stone surface from the build-up of heat coming from the opposite side.

The Mustang had crashed head-on into the wall and was engulfed in fire. Ten-foot flames licked up the wall and scorched the cracked surface. Black smoke billowed from the ruined hood of the muscle car and from the driving compartment. Shielding himself with his arms, Kogami tried to open the driver's side door, but burned his fingers on the handle.

With no regard for himself, Kogami reached into the open window and grabbed McNeill's unconscious form. Growling with the effort, he dragged him through the window to the ground. Still smoking from the intense fire, McNeill's face, head and hands all showed severe burns and other injuries from the crash.

Struggled with the dead weight Kogami dragged him back inside the roofless chapel behind the wall with urgency. Seconds later, the Mustang exploded violently. The detonation of the gas tank shook the ground with the potency of a natural earthquake. Hidden behind the wall, Kogami shielded McNeill from the blast and detritus caused to the ruined walls as a result. Relying on the old wall to absorb the majority of the blast, he leaned over the unconscious man and waited out the secondary explosions. As burning debris fell from the sky, raining ash and charred car parts over them, Kogami leaned back against BabyGirl and panted as shock set in. "Virgil?"

"Do not yield to misfortunes, but advance more boldly to meet them, Cerberus," the poet said gravely. "You are a better man than any I know. Rest easy now, the cavalry is here."