"Y..yes," I said breathlessly.
"Sounds exciting, sweetheart," the man replied steadily on the other end of the phone. "Wanna tell me who you are?"
"Marie Cox," I managed to say, before I squealed as our car rocketed forward, an ear splitting crunch sounding out, as the Territory rammed us up the rear end. "Holy fucking shit," I exclaimed. "I thought they only did that on TV."
"Marie!" the voice on my phone said firmly. "Where's Pierce?"
"Beside me, driving the car," I replied, not too surprised that the person Pierce made me call knew he'd be with me, but considering the circumstances, I was surprised I could reason that out.
"Can I talk to him?" the guy asked.
"He's talking to Comms." Whoever Comms is.
"Where's Ben?"
Shit. I'd forgotten Ben was tailing us, and all of a sudden my stomach left me and sweat formed on my brow.
"I'm not sure," I said, feeling the weight of every word.
"Then tell me what's happening, Marie," the guy asked, his voice sounding calmer than it should have been, as though he'd flicked a switch and cut himself off from his emotions in order to deal with what was happening right now. "You've left your house?"
"Yeah, we're on K Road now, being chased by a Ford Territory and half the police force."
"OK," the guy said, tapping away on his keyboard and murmuring something to someone off the line. "Hang tight, sweetheart. And tell Pierce we've got Jason on the way to check on Ben."
I turned to Pierce, tears stinging my eyes at the reason why I had to convey this message.
"The guy says Jason is going to check on Ben," I said in a trembling voice.
Pierce nodded, and flashed me a small, understanding smile.
"He'll be fine," he whispered. But I wasn't sure if he was reassuring me or himself.
"Have you been hurt?" the guy on the phone asked.
"No," I said, as unbidden tears started trickling down my cheeks.
What if Ben was hurt? Like the uniformed policeman was obviously hurt. I hadn't see him, Pierce had made sure I didn't look as we passed his car. But if the cop was injured, and Ben was nowhere to be seen, was he hurt too?
I'd only just met the big, gruff Māori man and his woman, but I felt like they were friends already. Good people, nice people. Fun people. People I could come to love given time.
And what had Pierce said, "They'd lay down their lives, if need be."
Oh, God. Please let him be OK.
"Marie, you still with me?" the guy asked. I nodded, then realised he couldn't see me.
"Yep," I whispered, looking at a determined Pierce and then the world flashing by as we passed the motorway on-ramp at Symonds Street. I wondered why we didn't just get on there, take the chase away from the streets and innocent bystanders. But Pierce seemed to know what he was doing, still talking non-stop to Comms, which I gathered was short for Police Communications, where they'd coordinate their staff.
"My name's Eric," the guy on the phone said out of nowhere.
"Oh," I replied. "In ASI control."
"That's the one," he said, sounding like he was smiling. "My reputation precedes me then, I see."
A very small huff of laughter escaped me, which I tamped down considering the situation we were in and Ben's possible plight.
"Has that person found Ben yet?" I asked.
"Almost there, sweetheart," Eric said. "How are you holding up?"
Not good. The car was jerking from side to side, the Territory's tyres were squealing and engine roaring, as it sped up and tried to bump us again and again.
That driver just would not give up.
Then Pierce would dodge to the left, swing us out of the maniac's path, make my shoulder connect with the side pillar of the car, or my neck wrench painfully the wrong way. And every time my breath would get pushed out in a rush. Leaving me panting, and sweating, and freaking the fuck out. I felt overwhelmed and under-protected, and yet all I could think of was Ben.
"Please let him be OK," I whispered. "Please let him be OK."
"What's that, Marie?" Eric asked. I hadn't realised I'd said that aloud.
"Ben," I whispered again, and heard Eric suck in a surprised breath of air.
When he'd gotten himself under control, he said, "Where are you now?"
"New North Road," I answered automatically.
A fraction of a pause as he tapped on his keyboard.
Then suddenly, "Jason's made it on site." Eric sounded just as eager as I was to make sure Ben was OK.
How could I face Abi if he was not?
"HOLD ON!" Pierce shouted, breaking my train of thought, making me open my eyes abruptly at his volume and tone. I hadn't realised I'd shut them, praying for Ben to be all right.