"Never mind!"
Haji shook his head, telling himself not to think too much about how "Lola" got another motorcycle. She was probably just lucky, and he would leave it at that.
What was most important was that...
He grinned, the fire in his heart blazing once more. "I guess I’m the lucky one."
With a backup now with him, Haji could continue avoiding all these other shooters, and she would cover him. Having two targets instead of one would take some of the burden off him.
Lola would do just fine, just like he did.
They had done this together countless times.
With that thought in mind, Haji refocused on the situation at hand.
"Three ahead, two at the back," he whispered, studying the vehicles that were deliberately slowing down so he could reach them. The closing distance wasn’t what concerned him, but rather the type of vehicle.
They were the same ones as the others—bulletproof, with grills on the windows.
Haji revved up his engine, closing the distance faster. He could take care of those ahead, but those in the back, he could only let "Lola" handle for now.
Little did he know, the one who came to his rescue was the last person he expected.
Scarlet.
Scarlet kept her sharp eyes ahead, barely catching a glimpse of Haji’s motorcycle. But by the speed he was moving, she knew he had picked up the pace again.
"He heard me."
BANG!
She dodged the bullet, which struck the pavement beside her, but that didn’t stop her.
"You’d better make sure you don’t let that guy get away," she hissed, eyes glinting with murderous intent. "Or I’ll kill you myself."
Jarvis thought he had calculated everything perfectly, Atlas and Lola included. However, what he didn’t account for was that he had also angered someone whose pride could reach the sky—and that he had angered her in a way he shouldn’t have.
The only person Atlas thought would be perfect for this mission: Scarlet.
Ignoring the gunfire aimed at her, Scarlet kept her focus on the two trucks ahead. She had seen these trucks on her way here, so she could already tell what they were.
"That guy, Jarvis," she breathed out. "He’ll regret not exhausting me yet."
Because Scarlet still had plenty of energy to spare, and an overflowing motivation to fight. All thanks to being trapped from the beginning until now.
She twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle roared. Smoke billowed behind her, clouding her position and making it easier to dodge the bullets. All her life, she had been raised as part of the Zorken Family—someone meant to contribute greatly to the Order.
Against someone like her, with a lifetime of experience, these mercenaries wouldn’t stand a chance. Not with their sloppy marksmanship.
Her motorcycle closed in on the trucks, positioning herself between them. There was no trace of fear in her eyes as she kept her pace, slowly reaching their rear until she caught up.
Soon, Scarlet was driving in the middle of both trucks.
At the same time, as if waiting for her, rifles emerged from the grills on both sides.
Scarlet smirked and abruptly let go of the throttle. Her motorcycle lagged behind instantly. At this speed, even a moment of deceleration was enough.
In other words...
BANG! BANG!
The moment the mercenaries from each truck opened fire, they hit each other. Both men immediately went limp, throwing the rest of the passengers into chaos.
Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Scarlet raised her rifle and focused on the truck driver. She opened fire. Distance didn’t matter to her, nor did speed. The grills didn’t faze her, nor did the risk of ricochet.
None of that mattered... as long as she got a clear shot.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
All three—including the driver—were down. As the driver slumped over the wheel, the truck veered off course. It crashed into a pole, ending its participation in the chase.
"Now..." Scarlet turned toward the remaining truck. "You’re next."
"Fucking bitch!" one of the passengers shouted, shoving aside another who had already been hit during the first exchange.
The man forced himself into position, twisting his body backward in the passenger seat. But at this speed, every bump and turn threw him off.
"Fuck this grill!" he shouted, unable to take a stable shot. Even so, he kept pulling the trigger, hoping for a lucky hit.
But Scarlet continued accelerating until she caught up alongside them.
"You—" the man at the back swung his rifle toward her. "Die!"
Scarlet decelerated, then accelerated just enough again. This time, her rifle was already raised. The grills were narrower on the side than at the rear, so she drove closer until her leg nearly brushed the truck.
She opened fire when she was close enough.
She took down the loud one in the back, but then the truck swerved toward her.
"Ah—" she yelped as her knee and leg were caught between the truck and the motorcycle. She twisted the handlebars, trying to create space, but the truck slammed into her again.
"Ugh..." she gritted her teeth. They were desperate to get rid of her.
This time, she timed it, lifting her leg and grabbing the rear grills to keep her balance. But doing so left her defenseless.
Seeing movement in the front passenger seat, Scarlet instinctively twisted the handlebars and let go of the motorcycle.
She jumped, clinging to the side of the truck.
The motorcycle veered off immediately, crashing into the roadside. At the same time, she saw the front passenger turn and aim at her.
BANG! BANG!
The truck swerved slightly, and the bullets missed. Dents appeared near her, but she didn’t flinch.
She let him fire and miss. Not because he was a terrible shooter—though that was part of it—but because speed alone ruined his aim. So, unless he had learned trajectory even with such wind or speed combined, his chances of hitting her were low.
Something she learned in the Order.
When the man pulled back to reload or reposition, Scarlet smirked. That was what she had been waiting for.
With effort, she slipped her rifle through the grills she was gripping for dear life.
From this angle, she had a clear shot at the driver.
BANG!