Chapter 108.

Chapter 108.
108\. Ethan.

"Ethan! Duck and roll!" Nathan screamed.

I rolled to my left in an instant as he ran through the men who surrounded me. Bodies flew left and right, some landing far from the road. Nathan's car crashed into a truck, and he jumped out with weapons and threw me a sword, which I caught in the air.

The enemy unleashed a hail of bullets, but Nathan seemed unfazed, his movements calculated and deliberate. With a slow, deliberate motion, he revealed a grenade launcher from beneath his cover, his eyes locked onto the enemy position. The enemy, realising their predicament, began to retreat in haste, their screams of panic echoing through the air as they desperately tried to escape the impending blast.

Nathan's eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity as he took aim, his finger tightening around the trigger. "Eat this, suckers!" he snarled, a triumphant glint in his eye. The grenade launcher fired with a deafening roar, and the projectile hurtled toward the enemy, levelling the path before us with a massive explosion. The force of the blast sent vehicles blocking the path flying to the side, clearing a path through the debris.

As the dust settled, Nathan turned to me, his expression grim and concerned. His eyes slowly fell to my ribs, and his gaze locked onto the blood-soaked area. "That's a lot of blood," he muttered, his voice laced with worry. "Can you still fight?" He crouched beside me, his finger gently probing the injured area.

The moment his finger made contact with my ribs, pain exploded through my body. My ribs screamed bloody murder, sending spasms of agony coursing through my frame. I let out a pained scream, my body arching away from the touch. "Argh! Stop that! It's broken!" My voice was hoarse with pain.

Nathan's face blurred above me, his features etched with concern as he carefully withdrew his hand. "Well, there goes your ribs. You won't be able to swing your sword properly."

I winced and looked up at his face. He looked like he was in a mess, like me. I saw blood smeared on his forehead. "Where's back up? Is this all that came?" I looked at the cleared path before us.

Nathan sighed and shook his head. "I'm all we have."

"What?" The disbelief in my voice travelled far.

"I'm telling you. My men and I got ambushed on the way here, I ran my way through to come to your aid." He wiped his nose. "Come on, let's get you up. It's only a matter of time before they catch up."

"Who? You mean the guys that chased you?"

"Yes, they are coming! Now stop asking me questions and gimme your arms," Nathan hissed, his displeasure evident in his tone.

"Wait, get Father first. He's seriously hurt." I pointed at Chekov approaching us with Father on his back.

"Fuck." Nathan cursed under his breath. "What happened?"

"Van rolled over, it was a damn bomb that hit us—hurgh!" I groaned and sluggishly got on my feet.

Nathan rushed back to the armoured car he had brought and opened the door. A lot of smoke emanated from it, and I could see how it was riddled with bullet holes.

"Can this still run?" I asked.

"Definitely, it has to run."

"My lord, it seems like our enemy is on the way." Chekov pointed at the distance. We could see the multitude of headlights approaching us far down the road.

Father groaned silently as Nathan strapped him to the seat. Our remaining men took positions in the armoured vehicle—one handling the guns while the other provided support. Chekov, Nathan and I were at the front with Nathan at the wheel.

"What's the plan?" I asked. "This road brings us further away from the fort and it ends up being blocked because of a mountain slide."

"I will force my way through them. This is a fucking armoured car for fuck's sake!"

"Wait what—whoa!"

Nathan spun the car around and drove straight to the headlights, with a mad stare in his eyes. His eyes flickered at the mirror, keeping an eye out for Father, and I understood.

"Hell," I muttered and grabbed a gun. If it got worse, I would have to jump out of the car and clear the road.

The sounds of the approaching vehicle grew louder, its engines roaring as it closed in on us. The guns mounted on it were pointed directly at us, their barrels glinting menacingly in the light. I felt a sense of dread wash over me as the bullets began to fly, striking the vehicle's armour plating with a deafening clang. The tempered glass held firm, the bullets bouncing off its surface with a staccato rhythm that sent shivers down my spine.

I felt the tension build as we hurtled toward the enemy vehicle, the impact seeming inevitable. It seemed like we were on a collision course, destined to crash head-first into the hail of bullets.

But just as all hope seemed lost, Nathan suddenly wrenched the steering wheel to the right, sending our vehicle careening off-road. The tires screeched in protest as we bounced over rough terrain, the vehicle's suspension groaning under the stress.

Despite the chaos, Nathan maintained a straight course, his focus unwavering as he navigated the treacherous terrain. The vehicle bucked and swayed, threatening to lose control, but Nathan's grip on the wheel was unyielding. He seemed to anticipate every bump and jolt, adjusting our trajectory with smooth, precise movements. I held on for dear life, my heart pounding in my chest as we narrowly avoided disaster.

"Get them, fire!"

An explosion sounded right behind us, as the enemy turned to get back on our tail. Nathan spun left, and we were back on the road with our pursuers right behind us.

"RPG, drive to your left!" Chekov glanced at the mirror.

"Shit!" Nathan swerved at it whooshed past us, exploding and sending shrapnel at the window. "That's an insane near miss!"

Rockets whistled past our vehicle, exploding in front but the vehicle held strong. Our men shot back at them, but the enemy never diminished. They were determined to catch us, just like we were determined to come out of this alive.

"What the hell! What is that?" Nathan cursed and pointed at the road before us. I squinted my eyes and followed his finger.

A single headlight, approaching us. A scooter? A motorcycle? It stopped right in the middle of the road, as if the person were insane. As I used my powers to amplify my vision, I gasped when I recognised the figure.

"Rachael?" I shifted in disbelief.

Nathan shook his head. "Oh shit, she's doing it!"

"What is she doing?"

"She's using her powers! Lord Nathan, get us off the road, now!" Chekov yelled.

Nathan swerved off the road, and time seemed to slow down at that moment. Rachael was glowing, her clothes blowing in the breeze, her hands held up in front of her.

"EVERYBODY, STOP!"

Bright light engulfed us, and Nathan crashed the vehicle into a tree, while powerful energy flowed right past us, sending the pursuers flying in the air.