Chapter 76: Overturned
Xavier floored the gas pedal. The armored car's engine roared, shattering the silence of the highway, which was only lit by sparse streetlights. Agatha gripped the handle above the door. Her body jolted to the right as Xavier jerked the wheel to avoid a pothole in the suburban streets. Behind them, three pairs of headlights from black SUVs closed in fast. They were less than fifty meters away.
"Xavier, they are getting closer," Agatha said. Her voice was flat, but there was a faint tremor underneath.
"I know. Open the glove box in front of you. There is a Glock and two spare magazines," Xavier replied. His eyes were glued to the rearview mirror.
Agatha moved quickly. She pressed the button on the glove box and found the weapons Xavier mentioned. She checked the magazine, making sure it was fully loaded, then racked the slide of the pistol until it let out a sharp click.
"Can you do this?" Xavier asked without looking away.
"Did you forget who I am? I am not the kind of woman who just sits in the passenger seat," Agatha replied. She lowered the window slightly. A gust of wind rushed in, whipping her hair around.
"Do not stick your whole body out. This car is bulletproof, but your head is not," Xavier said.
"Just focus on driving, Xavier. Let me take care of the guests behind us," Agatha countered.
Agatha twisted her body. She saw the first car right behind them in the left lane. A man emerged from the sunroof, clutching an automatic rifle. A second later, a hail of gunfire slammed into Xavier's car. It sounded like a handful of gravel being thrown at a tin wall with full force.
Agatha took a deep breath. She aimed her gun through the gap in the window. She waited for the car to stabilize on a straight stretch. Her index finger pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang!
Her shots hit the windshield of the SUV, but it looked like their car was armored too.
"Damn it, they are using armored vehicles too!" Agatha cried out.
"Aim for the tires! Do not waste bullets on the glass!" Xavier yelled.
Xavier swerved left, trying to give Agatha a better angle. Agatha aimed again. This time she targeted the front right tire of the lead car. She fired three shots in rapid succession.
One bullet managed to shred the rubber. The SUV swerved violently. The screech of tires on the asphalt was deafening. The car spun out, crashing into the guardrail before stopping with smoke billowing from the engine.
"One down," Agatha muttered. She quickly swapped the magazine.
"Two more behind us. They are not going to stop just because one car is wrecked," Xavier said.
"Why are they chasing us like lunatics? What do they actually want?" Agatha asked.
"They do not want us, Agatha. They want you," Xavier answered.
"Me? I do not know anything! My mother put me in an orphanage without a single piece of paper. She died taking all her secrets with her. I am a nobody to them!" Agatha shouted. Her voice rose with a mix of emotion and adrenaline.
"That is what you think. But to Luigi, you are the biggest threat to his throne in Volskey," Xavier said.
"How can an orphan be a threat?" Agatha asked again.
"We will talk about that later. Now, hold on tight!" Xavier ordered.
Xavier saw a large truck ahead of them. He did not slow down. Instead, he kept pushing the car to overtake from a very narrow gap on the right. Their car brushed against the truck, creating sparks and the ear-splitting sound of metal grinding on metal.
"Xavier, you are crazy! We are going to get crushed!" Agatha screamed.
"Better crushed than shot!" Xavier barked back.
Their car made it past the truck. Xavier immediately cut to the left, forcing the pursuing car to brake hard to avoid slamming into the back of the truck. That maneuver gave them about a hundred meters of breathing room.
"There is a forest entrance up ahead. We are going off the main highway," Xavier said.
"Are you sure? It is dark and the road is uneven."
"It is the only way. If we stay on the highway, they will call in air support or block the road ahead," Xavier replied.
Xavier turned the car onto a gravel path. The jolts inside the cabin became much harsher. Their headlights swept through the dense trees on both sides. Agatha stayed alert, looking back. The dust kicking up from their speed temporarily blocked her view, but the headlights of the pursuing car reappeared through the haze.
"They are still there, Xavier."
"I see them."
Suddenly, a heavy impact hit them from behind. Their car was shoved forward. One of the SUVs managed to catch up and rammed their rear bumper.
"They are trying a PIT maneuver!" Agatha shouted.
"I will not let them."
Xavier slammed the brakes for a second, then floored it again. The unprepared pursuer had to swerve to avoid a collision, losing their balance on the slippery gravel road.
"Shoot the tires now, Agatha!" Xavier ordered.
Agatha wasted no time. She fired the rest of the bullets in her magazine at the unstable car. Her shots hit the gas tank or a fuel line. A small explosion occurred under the pursuing car. Flames began to spread, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a large tree by the roadside.
"Two down. Only one left."
"The last one is the most dangerous. That is their lead team," Xavier said.
The last car stopped trying to ram them. They kept a safe distance but continued to fire at the tires of Xavier's car. Agatha tried to aim again, but the extremely bumpy road made it hard for her to steady her hands.
"Xavier, the car is too shaky! I cannot aim!" Agatha yelled.
"Move to the back seat! There is a more stable firing port there!" Xavier commanded.
Agatha quickly crawled to the back seat amidst the heavy jolting. She opened a small port in the rear door and aimed the muzzle of her pistol. She saw the pursuing car starting to pull up beside them on the left.
"They are right beside you, Agatha!" Xavier shouted.
Agatha saw the window of the pursuing car roll down. A man with a face covering pointed a rifle at her. Agatha was faster. She fired a shot directly at the man's face. The window of the pursuing car cracked, but the bullet did not penetrate.
"Damn it, their glass is thicker!" Agatha grumbled.
"Agatha, get down!" Xavier screamed.
Xavier saw an old wooden bridge ahead. It looked fragile and not strong enough to hold the weight of two cars at high speed. Xavier made a split-second decision. He did not hit the brakes; instead, he pressed the gas pedal until it touched the floor.
"Xavier, the bridge!" Agatha cried out.
"Hold on!" Xavier yelled.
Xavier's car sped over the wooden bridge. The sound of snapping wood was deafening under their wheels. The car made it across, but the bridge began to partially collapse. The pursuing car behind tried to brake, but its speed was too high. Its front wheels plummeted into the hole of the collapsing bridge.
The black SUV slid off the bridge and fell into the dry riverbed below. However, Xavier's luck had run out too. Their front left tire blew out as it caught a sharp shard of bridge wood.
"Xavier, the tire!" Agatha screamed.
Xavier fought hard to control the wheel, but the car began to skid sideways at high speed. They hit a large embankment by the roadside. The car launched into the air, flipped once, and hit the ground upside down.
The sound of metal slamming into the earth was sickening. Glass shattered into pieces. Dust and dirt filled the cabin. Everything went dark for Agatha for a moment. She felt her body hanging upside down, held in place by the seatbelt pressing against her chest.
Silence.
Only the sound of the engine hissing and the drip of fluid from a leaking tank could be heard. The smell of gasoline began to fill Agatha's nose. She tried to open her eyes, which felt incredibly heavy. A warm liquid flowed down her forehead, seeping into her left eye.
"Xavier..." Agatha called out softly. Her voice was raspy.
No answer. She turned her head to the side. Xavier looked unconscious, his head slumped toward the door. Blood flowed from a wound on his temple, soaking the car seat that was now above them.
Agatha tried to move her hand. Stinging pain radiated through her entire body. She felt for her seatbelt buckle, but the locking mechanism was jammed from the impact. She was trapped.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps on the gravel. The steps were steady and slow, as if making sure of something. Agatha held her breath. She tried to reach for her pistol, which had fallen to the car's ceiling, which was now the floor, but her hand could not reach it.
The footsteps stopped right in front of the wrecked window. A pair of clean black boots stood there. Agatha closed her eyes, pretending to be unconscious.
"Check if she is still breathing," a man's voice said coldly.
"Sir, this woman is still alive. But the Valois man seems unconscious," another voice replied.
"Take the woman. Let the man burn with his car. We do not have much time before the Valois rescue team gets here," the first voice ordered.
Agatha felt someone wrenching the mangled car door. The sound of metal being forced open was heart-wrenching in her ears. She felt a rough hand reach inside, trying to force her seatbelt off.
"Let her go!" a raspy shout came from beside Agatha.
Xavier. He was still alive. Agatha saw Xavier try to move his hand to reach for the attacker, but a heavy blow from a gun butt landed on Xavier's head, making him slump back into unconsciousness.
"Do not touch him!" Agatha screamed, this time opening her eyes and glaring sharply at the man holding her.
The man smiled faintly. His face was covered by a mask, but his eyes radiated an immense coldness.
"Who are you?" Agatha asked.
"I am the person who is going to take you home to where you belong," the man replied.
He pulled Agatha out of the overturned car by force. Agatha's body was dragged across the rocky ground, leaving a thin trail of blood. She looked toward her car, which was starting to emit small flames from the engine.
"Xavier! Xavier!" Agatha screamed in despair.
The man ignored Agatha's cries. He continued to drag her toward a helicopter whose sound was beginning to be heard in the distance, landing in an empty field not far away.
"Why are you doing this?" Agatha asked while struggling.
The man stopped for a moment, looking toward the flames that were starting to grow from Xavier's car. "Because the black rose needs blood to bloom."
Agatha saw a small explosion in her car. Flames soared high into the night sky. She cried hysterically as she watched the car being completely engulfed in flames, while Xavier was still inside.