A warrior still, p.18
A Warrior Still, page 18
The group rushed outside and ran to the parking lot on the side of the tower. The alarm still rang within the building. They reached their spot, but it was empty.
“They wouldn’t let us outside and they took our rental car away?” Christine said. “You’re right, Carson. Something shady is going on.”
Ryan sighed and placed his hands on his hips. “I ain’t getting that deposit back.”
“What’s the plan now?” Terrence asked.
“We find a way out of Ernin, even if it’s by foot.” Christine turned to her fellow bodyguards. “There’s RPF all over the city, and we just set off the alarms. We’re going to have some company soon if we don’t get moving. Does anyone know another way out of here?”
“Main Street’s the quickest way out of the city,” Terrence said. “But that’s too obvious. Palm Drive leads to some back streets we can take.”
Terrence had obviously studied the streets well.
Carson looked out at the city. It was a labyrinth of buildings and streets with the ocean as a backdrop. Lights from the RPF vehicles flashed in the distance.
“Lead us out of here, T,” Christine said. She looked to Carson. “I need you to shield Karina while we form a flank. We’ll cover you on all sides. Keep a hand on her and do not let go of her. Can you handle that?”
Carson met Christine’s stare and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He turned to Karina. “How fast are you?”
Karina shrugged. “Well, I ran track for a year in high school but other than that—”
“Good enough for me.” Carson held out his hand. “Hang on tight. Don’t stop running. If you get scared, just hold on tighter.” Karina rested her trembling hand onto Carson’s palm. He gently clasped her hand. “Will you be okay?”
Karina smiled. “As long as you stand by me.”
“We’re gonna flank them,” Christine said. “Ryan, you cover Carson’s three-o-clock.” She pointed to his right. “Terrence, you take nine-o-clock. And Carson?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gave him a nod. “I got your six.”
Fire blazed within Carson. History wasn’t going to repeat itself. He tightened his grip on Karina’s hand. “Let’s do this.”
Christine, Ryan, and Terrence got into formation around them, and they started into a sprint. Carson thought he’d have to slow himself down for Karina, but she was fast, and he had to haul ass to keep up with her. All the running he’d done in his neighborhood was paying off.
They pushed past dozens of people on the street and sprinted to the side of another building toward Palm Drive. Two RPF cars sped around the corner with lights flickering and sirens blaring. Carson had never encountered the RPF until today, and he didn’t know what they were capable of. That made him want to run even faster, but there was only so much they could do on foot. They needed a vehicle. Where the hell is Sho?
“Under the command of President Statem, we order you to stop!” shouted an RPF officer from the lead car’s PA system. They fired their weapons outside the window.
Carson’s shoulder stiffened as one of their shots buzzed past his ear. The bullet pounded against a building behind him with a thud rather than a metallic clink. Plastic bullets? The officers must have been ordered not to use their regular rounds. Statem wanted Karina alive, but what else did he want?
Carson shielded Karina with his body as they ran. His thighs and calves burned. Thankfully, he was in better shape than he had been a month ago.
The lead car accelerated around a corner, preparing to cut them off, until it had to swerve and avoid an oncoming van. The tires shrieked, and the RPF vehicle lost control. It spun onto a sidewalk, just missing two pedestrians, before crashing into a street light.
They raced along the side of a building at the corner of Palm Drive and Main Street, but before they could take refuge away from the main road, the second RPF car screeched around the corner and blocked their path.
Carson’s first instinct was to fight, but his job was to protect Karina. He wrapped himself around her, and everyone else opened fire on the vehicle. Officers popped up from the sunroof and fired their electroshock weapons.
Wires struck Ryan in the side, knocking him to the ground.
“Ryan!” Terrence shouted before getting hit himself.
Christine fired off three shots before she was also zapped. She moaned and tried moving her stiffened arm.
“Christine!” Karina tried breaking away from Carson to run to Christine, but he kept her close.
Christine, Ryan, and Terrence lay paralyzed on the street. Every muscle in Carson’s body stiffened. Invincible as they sometimes seemed, they were still human. Now, he was the only one standing between the RPF and Karina.
Three officers stepped out of the car with weapons trained on them. “Give her up!”
Carson gnashed his teeth. Over my dead body.
He spun around to hustle Karina away. A shockwave of pain reverberated throughout his legs. He dropped to his knees, sending her to the ground along with him. With quivering legs, he fought like hell to get to his feet. Pins and needles dug everywhere from his ankles to his thighs.
When he’d been wounded in the Ronilian jungle, the last thing he’d told Jane was to fall back and leave him. He had to say the same thing to Karina. She was fast enough to at least have a chance. “Run,” he said.
Karina pulled at his arm. “I’m not leaving you.”
Jane had said that to him, too. If they wanted Karina, they were going to have to pry her away from him.
Using every bit of strength he had, Carson dragged her underneath him and covered her like a football player recovering a fumble.
The gang of boots clomped on the pavement behind them as the RPF officers approached.
“Stay down,” Carson whispered. “It’ll be okay.” He shut his eyes and anticipated their fate.
A song faintly played in the distance. Carson opened his eyes and looked around when he heard it:
With blood pumping and veins popping,
It’s gaining momentum!
When shadows surround, it ain’t stopping’,
It’ll strike like a cobra’s venom!
You can’t stop it or even slow it,
Won’t get trampled under your feet,
It’s the heart of a hero, so just let it beat!
“Is that my song?” Karina asked as the music grew louder. “Where is that coming from?”
A pickup truck sped around the corner with screeching tires. It gained momentum and barreled forward. Music blared from the speakers. The driver jerked the wheel toward the officers and slammed into them. They scattered and rolled along the street like bowling pins.
“Holy shit!” Karina shouted.
Warmth flushed into Carson’s ankles as he regained the feeling in his legs. He propped himself onto a knee.
The truck, now with a cracked windshield and dents in the front, pulled right in front of them. The driver turned the music down and swung the door open.
Carson grinned when he saw who stepped out. That’s my roommate.
Shoji held his arms out triumphantly. A wide grin was plastered on his face. “Who’s the man?”
“Sho, you made it!” Carson stood and stumbled a bit. Blood rushed through his legs and he held his balance.
“Just in time,” Shoji said. “No way I’m getting stuck paying your half of the rent.”
Carson laughed and embraced him.
“People are watching, Carson.” After letting go, Shoji turned to Karina. He tilted his head toward the truck. “How’d you like the song choice?”
Karina—eyes wide—gave him a nervous chuckle. “I approve.” She turned to Ryan, Terrence, and Christine. “We have to help them.”
The three slowly regained motion in their limbs.
Carson and Shoji pulled Ryan and Terrence to their feet. Christine propped her arm around Karina’s shoulder as she stood.
Ryan cringed as he opened and closed his hand. “Man, that was trippy. It felt like my whole body was numb.”
Terrence stretched his legs. “Long-range electroshock weapon that targets the nerves. We’ve been tased for training before, but whatever they got is pretty advanced.”
“Are you all okay?” Karina asked.
“Wasn’t the best feeling in the world.” Christine let go of Karina and stood up straight. “But I’ll pull through. I got up after getting hit by an SUV, remember?” She looked at Shoji and nodded to him. “Thank you. That was some great driving.”
Shoji winked and pointed a thumb toward the truck. “I told you. Respect the pickup truck. She’s old, but she gets the job done.”
Carson looked out at the streets of Ernin. The RPF officers moaned and twitched on the ground. Several pedestrians either stared or recorded with their phones. He didn’t hear any more sirens at the moment, but it was only a matter of time. “Hey Sho, we need to get out of the city. Think you can pull off another driving miracle for us?”
“Can I?” Shoji put a hand over his chest like he was pretending to have his feelings hurt. “Just watch me. It’ll be like something out of a movie.”
“Like Tokyo Drift, right?” Ryan asked.
Shoji glared at Ryan. “You just assume I’m from Tokyo? What a racist thing to say.”
Ryan’s face fell, and he held out his hands. “Hey man, I didn’t mean anything by that—”
Shoji grinned and tapped Ryan’s chest with his fist. “Just giving you a hard time.”
“I hate to break up this banter, but the RPF is still after us,” Terrence said.
“Right,” Christine said. “Shoji, you drive. Karina, take the passenger seat and navigate. Everyone else, we’re taking the truck bed. We’ll need to be ready to fire if more RPF guys tail us. Let’s move it!”
As soon as everyone positioned themselves, Shoji stomped on the gas and raced down the street. The truck sped over a grassy median and cut across another back road. The truck bounced around and Carson grabbed onto the edge of the truck bed.
***
Inside the truck, Karina studied her phone’s GPS. She scrolled around the map, looking for the best route.
“We taking Main Street out of the city?” Shoji asked.
“No, that’s too obvious,” Karina said. “Go southwest on Saranon Street up here.” They would have to find a place to hide after leaving the city. This route would eventually lead them to the middle of nowhere, which was exactly where they needed to be. They quickly approached the diagonal intersection.
“Which way is southwest?” Shoji asked.
Karina groaned and pointed toward the left path. “That way!”
Shoji made a sharp turn, barely making the green light and narrowly avoiding an oncoming car. “Why didn’t you just say ‘left,’ then?!”
Before Karina could respond, sirens whined faintly from behind them. Flashing lights reflected off the rear-view mirror. “They’re closing in on us,” she said.
“Then it’s time to really get fast and furious.” Shoji cranked up the volume and “Let it Beat” blared from the speakers again. The bass vibrated the truck. Shoji sped up and weaved through the other cars on the road.
Karina turned the song down. “I appreciate your love for my music, but let’s not advertise our location to the entire island.”
“Sorry. I just needed something to amp me up while I drive,” Shoji said back as he muted the stereo.
Karina looked behind her. Two RPF vehicles gained on them. Carson, Christine, Ryan, and Terrence all aimed. Bullets slammed against the metal of the truck, and Karina ducked. The vessels in her head pulsated, and her hands trembled. Coming to Ronilia was her decision. And now gunfire rained down on her protectors. Her best friends. If anything happens to them, their blood is on my hands.
31
Carson huddled in the truck bed with Christine, Ryan, and Terrence. Gunfire, sirens, and Christine’s orders assaulted his ears. He barely distinguished the scent of gunpowder from the stench of the old pickup truck. Thankfully for them, the excess smoke from the exhaust blocked the RPF’s view.
The truck swerved to the right, and Carson held his grip on the edge of the truck bed. His breathing intensified, and bolts of pain shot through his hands. A year later, and he was still dodging gunfire in Ronilia.
He peeked over the tailgate. Two more RPF vehicles joined the pursuit. That must have been why Shoji made such an aggressive turn. Buildings became trees and pavement became dirt as they approached the edge of the city.
Carson and Christine checked their chambers. “I got one left,” he said.
“Same.” Christine looked to Ryan and Terrence. “If you got a shot, take it.”
Ryan and Terrence were able to hit the lead car’s windshield, but it was bulletproof. They aimed for the front tires, which proved to be difficult targets, and missed. All four RPF cruisers were still on the hunt.
“Dammit,” Ryan said. He ducked his head and faced them. “The exhaust from this old-ass truck is messing with my vision.”
“Yeah, imagine having impeded vision,” Terrence grumbled.
Christine closed her chamber and nodded to Ryan and Terrence. “Let me show y’all how it’s done.” She propped herself on a knee, aimed, and fired her last round. The bullet clinked off the cruiser’s front bumper just in front of the tire. It didn’t slow the cruiser. Christine slumped, sighed, and placed a hand on her forehead.
“Not so easy, is it, Boss?” Ryan said.
Christine rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Ryan.”
Carson looked forward. They approached a narrow tunnel a quarter-mile ahead. It was one lane, one way, and the best chance they had to escape civilization.
My turn. He firmly tightened his prosthetic around the pistol. Every muscle and nerve in his hand produced a piercing reminder of his trauma. While his past would never leave him, he was ready to push toward the present.
Taking a deep breath through the diaphragm, he crawled to the left corner of the truck bed and glanced over the tailgate. The truck’s exhaust hindered his vision, but a hubcap’s glimmer caught his eye.
He aimed and rested his prosthetic finger over the trigger. It felt natural now. He slowed his breathing and gave a tilted smile as he stared at the hubcap. That old Raider swagger returned with a vengeance.
He fired, and his final bullet sliced through the cruiser’s front tire. The RPF vehicle screeched and spun ninety degrees.
Shoji’s truck sped into the dark, narrow tunnel just before the cruiser smashed against the edges. The RPF’s path was blocked.
Carson sighed as relief washed over him. They were home-free, at least for now. He relaxed his shoulders. “Someone had to show you grunts how it’s done.”
Christine chuckled and bumped his fist. “Hell of a shot, FNG.”
“Nice job, Carson,” Terrence said. “Told you that prosthetic would work out.” He looked to Christine. “We should call the U.S. Embassy.”
Christine checked her phone. “We’ll try, but I don’t know if our phones will cooperate out here. In the meantime, we need to find a place to hide out.”
“Only so many hiding spots on an island,” Ryan said. “We gotta find either a sailor or a pilot to get us out of here. Preferably one that doesn’t want to kill us.”
The tunnel was long and dimly lit, but the light at the end grew brighter. They emerged on the other side. Groves of palm trees—each one a hundred feet or taller—lined the winding dirt road. Hills and grassy mountains painted the backdrop.
A sense of peace washed over Carson after all the gunfire and chaos. They’d evaded the RPF for now, but Statem wanted Karina, and he wasn’t going to stop until he found her.
The next couple of hours were peaceful. They rode along the dirt path, and the trees thinned out enough to reveal the sea. It was calm, and the setting sun reflected off the water. They approached a small village surrounded by a fortress of palm trees. It had dozens of small, rusted houses. Two young men wielding rifles stood in the middle of the path. The truck rolled to a stop.
Carson took a deep breath, as they approached the truck bed. They weren’t RPF, and they didn’t look like Mentis agents. They were no older than seventeen, and they wore dirty, tattered clothes.
They reminded him of some of the kids he’d seen in the Middle East: starving children and teenagers living in warzones, just trying to survive. He didn’t know what these boys were capable of, so he had to be calm but vigilant.
The shirtless kid held his weapon toward Carson. He had scrawny arms and a visible ribcage. “Hands up,” the boy said.
Carson obliged. “We aren’t here to hurt you.”
“Mentis is always here to hurt us,” the other boy said.
Carson showed them his blank forearms. “We aren’t Mentis.” He turned around and nodded to Christine, Ryan, and Terrence, who also displayed their arms.
The boys kept their weapons steady as they shared a glance. The door on the truck’s passenger side swung open, and they whipped the rifles around to Karina.
She threw her hands up and stepped back, nearly bumping into the door. “Whoa, easy there…”
Carson’s chest pounded when he saw the barrels pointed at her head. He pushed off on his knee, ready to leap out of the truck bed, but Karina held her palm toward him.
“Hang on,” she said, exhaling deeply. “I just wanna talk to them.”
He stopped, wondering what she could possibly say to calm them down. Their eyes already seemed to soften after she spoke, so he trusted her, and avoided any more sudden movements.
“Why did you come here?” the shirted boy asked.
She slowly lowered her arms, stood straighter, and lifted her chin. “My name is Karina Nava. I was born on this island, just like you.”
The boys looked at each other again. “Nava?” one of them repeated. They lowered their weapons.
Carson exhaled. Relieved as he was, he was confused by their sudden change in attitude. Karina hadn’t grown up in Ronilia, but her mother did. Isla must have been well-known in this village.
