The second Jarvis’ truck took a sharp turn, Gene looked back and waited. He waited with bated breath, thinking Haji’s motorcycle would appear once more.
But after a few minutes, when it didn’t show up, a deep exhale escaped him. He turned to Jarvis, gulping.
"I think... they got him?" he guessed, thinking that the mercenaries in this district had finally forced Haji to make a full stop.
Jarvis didn’t bother giving Gene a look, seated like royalty in the backseat.
"That’s the whole point, Gene," he muttered, finally sliding his gaze to the corner. "I didn’t order them to stay on standby and engage in this chase for nothing. You should learn from that."
Gene nodded and finally looked away from the rear. "Jarvis, where are we headed now?"
As usual, Jarvis didn’t answer immediately as he thought about it.
"Ashkar."
"Ashkar?" Gene knitted his brows. "I thought the exits to Halvik were already closed?"
"They are," Jarvis remarked. "But I don’t need them."
Confusion etched itself onto Gene’s face. He had believed they were trying to leave Ravah. After all, Jarvis had told him before that the governors of the other two regions had already decided not to help New Gehran.
They had forsaken them and removed themselves from this chaos.
"Gene." Slowly, Jarvis turned his head and looked the young man in the eye. "When you are in a position above all others, many will try to drag you down. That includes not only those below you, but also those above you."
"Especially when you start to pose a threat to their power," he continued solemnly. "They will pluck you out before you fully bloom, and you cannot blame them. It’s human nature."
Slowly, he peeled his gaze away from Gene. "That’s where leverage comes into the picture. And having leverage will take you far."
"Then what kind of leverage do you have with the governor of Ashkar?"
Gene’s curiosity was piqued. He had been part of New Gehran’s governance for as long as he could remember. He worked closely with the governor and had watched Jarvis even from a young age. He looked up to Jarvis, but at the same time, he felt like he truly didn’t know him—despite years of working closely together.
Jarvis didn’t answer and simply smirked.
*****
Meanwhile, when Haji made a sharp turn, the remaining truck had already come to a halt. Positioned horizontally, almost blocking the road, the mercenaries inside were waiting with weapons ready in their hands.
The moment they saw the motorcycle, a loud shout cut through the air.
"Shoot him down!"
A round of gunfire followed, muffling the shout. All of them aimed at Haji and Scarlet, riding awkwardly on the motorcycle. But even with bullets raining down, Haji swerved smoothly, making it difficult for them to land a shot.
Much to their surprise, as Haji veered left, he kept going. The path he was taking looked like a guaranteed crash, yet they continued firing—until they realized what he was planning.
"Holy—" one of the mercenaries stopped shooting as he saw the motorcycle jump, using the wall of an establishment as a temporary route.
As the motorcycle drove along the wall, taking advantage of speed and momentum, Scarlet pressed against Haji’s front and lifted her rifle toward them.
"Shoot—"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Those hiding behind doors were hit. While not all the shots were fatal, they were enough to incapacitate them.
Once the motorcycle landed back on the road, leaving the blockade behind, Scarlet had a clearer shot. She fired again, preventing them from giving chase.
She and Haji might have needed a little time to adjust to fighting as a duo, but they were getting the hang of it.
"Damn it!" Haji shouted, wincing as his leg still ached. But that wasn’t his main concern.
The problem was...
"What?" Scarlet glanced at him while firing a few more shots, this time aiming at the truck’s tires.
Haji jerked his chin forward, prompting her to look ahead instinctively. Her eyes widened when she saw that more trucks had formed another blockade. This time, they completely sealed the path. Doing what they had done before—using the wall and momentum—was no longer an option.
Not when the buildings on either side were reduced to ruins.
Keeping his focus ahead, Haji’s eyes darted around for a possible exit. He spotted one, though it was narrow and risky. From where he stood, he could see that the dozen armed mercenaries blocking the road were fully prepared to end him.
"They’re going to get us," Scarlet whispered, eyes wide as she turned back to him.
Haji stared ahead, his jaw tightening, fully aware of what she meant.
"I’m not letting that happen," he muttered, gunning the engine as he locked onto the narrow path. "Hold tight."
She nodded and tightened her grip around him, her body nearly merging with his for stability.
But as Haji leaned forward, Scarlet clinging to him, ready to take the risk, he saw one of the mercenaries signal with his hand. At the same time, sparks ignited behind the trucks.
Haji gritted his teeth and leaned lower, making sure Scarlet’s back wouldn’t be exposed.
To his surprise, just as gunfire erupted, another truck came flying out from one of the ruined buildings, landing horizontally mere meters ahead of them.
The bullets aimed at Haji slammed into the truck’s body instead, shielding both him and Scarlet from certain death.
Haji’s breath hitched as the world seemed to slow. His brows knitted, eyes narrowing, until he recognized the man seated behind the wheel.
Billionaire.
Billionaire rested an arm against the closed window, head turned toward Haji’s direction. The corners of his mouth curled upward as the window rolled down slightly.
"Get him, Ha!" he shouted, using the truck as cover to ensure Haji could pass. But then his eyes caught sight of the woman clinging to Haji as the latter leaned forward.
His face twisted in disbelief. "Haha! How dare you make out and celebrate before you even take that guy down?!"
Billionaire continued ranting, but Haji only chuckled, keeping his eyes on the narrow path ahead.
"Thanks," he breathed out, taking the turn smoothly.
"Who’s that?" Scarlet asked, glancing up at him. Haji smirked.
"Someone," he said without elaborating. "But I think our chances are better now."
Because the moment they burst onto the next street, reinforcements arrived, engaging the mercenaries and carving out a clear path for Haji.
As chaos erupted behind them, with the mercenaries forced to fight multiple opponents instead of a single reckless rider, Haji slowed slightly when he noticed a figure standing on top of a roof.
He looked up, and Scarlet followed his gaze.
"Lola," she whispered.
Lola met them with a brief smile before shouting, "Get him, Haj! We’ll take care of the rest!"
Haji’s jaw clenched as he nodded, eyes forward once more.
"I will... gladly."