"Xavier, instruct everyone to intercept all pursuers and eliminate any shooters first!"
Lance ordered Xavier.
Xavier nodded and contacted his subordinates.
Seeing this, Gunner also issued orders to his men.
In an instant, several Hummers appeared on the not-so-crowded road, blocking the police cars and causing the pursuing officers to lose their target.
"Damn it, what are you doing? Move your junk cars out of here, or I'll wreck them!"
One of the officers pointed his gun at the Hummer, ready to shoot if it didn't move.
Unexpectedly, the Hummer not only didn't leave but also blocked the police cars completely. Other Hummers surrounded the police cars as well.
At this moment, the officers realized something was wrong. "Quick, request backup! These people are helping them escape!"
But it was too late.
Xavier's driving skills were excellent. Despite some damage to the car, he sped away without any issues. After overtaking several cars and running red lights, they finally reached the highway out of the city in less than ten minutes.
However, their luck seemed to end there as Abla's military sent helicopters after them.
"Listen up, stop the car now and enjoy VIP treatment. If we have to act, it won't be so pleasant."
Hearing this, Gunner and Lance's faces turned even grimmer.
They hadn't expected Abla to deploy both police and military forces to capture them!
Lance noticed Xavier's glance and said firmly, "Ignore them. Keep driving!"
This attitude angered the soldiers above, who started shooting at both sides of the road.
Even with Xavier's superb driving skills, he couldn't withstand such an attack. The car's windows shattered, and bullets pierced through, entering the vehicle.
Lance shielded Deanna by lying on the seat. Gunner and Lionel followed suit, protecting their heads under the seats. Only Xavier, who had to drive, couldn't dodge. Several bullets grazed his head, and broken glass caused multiple cuts on his body. Despite the danger, he remained calm.
Seeing that the car's systems were failing and warning lights were flashing, he spoke decisively, "Mr. Mercer, the car is done for. We need to get out. There's a river ahead; I'll drive off the bridge and we'll escape using the water. I've already contacted Randall to pick us up on the river."
"Do it."
Lance agreed without hesitation, knowing it was their best option.
Soon, the black car crashed through the barrier and plunged into the river with a loud splash.
Almost immediately upon hitting the water, Lance broke open the door and swam out with Deanna. Lionel did the same with Gunner and didn't forget about Xavier.
On the riverbank, Abla soldiers watched the turbulent water with furrowed brows. One soldier reported via radio, "Sir, we've lost track of the targets. Requesting instructions."
"No matter what it takes, bring those three researchers back."
A commanding voice responded through the radio.
The soldier relayed orders to his men, "Contact the police on land and send more helicopters. We must capture those people."
Meanwhile, Lance and his group swam to a hidden spot near the bridge. They were all in a sorry state, especially Xavier, who looked pale.
Lance asked with concern, "Can you hold on?"
"I'm fine," Xavier replied while surveying their surroundings. "This place seems like a dead end; those soldiers shouldn't find us here."
"If they can't find us, our people might not either. We need to find a way out," Gunner added.
Lance held Deanna tightly with a serious expression. "Let's wait until dark. Then we'll have our people bring diving gear to get us out."
"That's a plan," Lionel agreed. "But we need to wake Deanna first; it will be hard to dive with her unconscious."
Gunner nodded in agreement. "We do need to wake her up. Luckily, I have my acupuncture needles with me. Lionel, use a lighter to sterilize them. Lance, help Deanna sit up."
He also reminded Xavier to clean his wounds.
Half an hour later, Deanna slowly woke up in Lance's arms. She looked at him in surprise and asked, "Lance, did you fall into the water?"