Seraphina
The sound of gunshots roared through the air. The car was bulletproof, so the bullets couldn't pierce through the thick covering, but I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before the people who hijacked our car made a deadlier attack.
"He's in on it," I heard Kael's voice amidst the loud shots.
"What the fuck are you on about?"
"The driver, he's in on it. That explains why the car's not moving."
"Fuck!" One thing was sure, today might be my last day on earth.
My life began flashing before my eyes, and tears started pouring as I held onto Kael's frame.
I hadn't lived life yet. I still had a long way to go, and just when I thought the heavens had finally remembered me, this had to happen.
Kael pulled out his phone and started speaking to whoever was on the other end.
"Hurry up, we do not have much time," he muttered into the phone.
"Hang on to me, Princess. Whatever happens, do not leave my side. When I say duck, you listen. When I say run, you run. No questions, got it?"
I nodded my head. That was the most I could do in the heat of the moment.
The sounds of gunshots suddenly stopped, and for a moment, I could have sworn I saw someone familiar through the tinted glass of our car.
But he disappeared before I caught a full glimpse of his form.
"I'm going to open the door on the count of three. Once the door opens, you see the car at the far corner down the street? I want you to run with all your strength.
Once you get to it, use the code Acja to activate the Artificial Intelligence Network and enter the car immediately. I would have done that, but I need to cover you, not the other way around."
I nodded again. All I could think of was the code. If I forgot it in my state of panic, we were both fucked.
Kael pulled off his bulletproof vest and hung it around my frame.
"What are you doing?"
"For someone with a smart mouth, you ask the silliest questions at the worst times. I'll count to three and once I open the door, make for it. Do not look left or right, head straight for the car. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, but what happens to you?"
"In case you forgot, Cariño, I'm your bodyguard. It's my job to protect you."
Cariño. I could have sworn I'd heard that phrase before, but before I could figure out where, Kael started counting down.
"Three, two, one." Kael flung open the door, and my pulse quickened as I got down and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I felt Kael behind me, and it took everything in me not to turn around.
I made for the car and was only a few feet away. Gunshots rippled through the air, and from the corner of my eyes, I saw one of the men slump dead in a pool of blood.
I almost threw up my breakfast, but I had to keep my eyes on the car. Just a few more steps. The words rang in my ears.
After what felt like an eternity of running, I finally got to the car. The sensor screened my face, and a tab opened with the sign Input Code.
Code, code, what the fuck was it? How could I have forgotten the code? Shit! Shit!
"What the fuck are you waiting for?" I heard Kael's voice screaming at me. I took deep breaths and tried to remember what it was, all the while the sound of gunshots filled the air.
Acja! Yes, that was it. I quickly pressed the keyboard tabs and typed in the code.
"Access granted."
The car door opened, and I got in. I turned to look for Kael. He was still a few feet away from the car.
"Emergency lock activated, put on your seatbelt." The artificial voice blasted through the car, and the doors started closing.
"Hurry up, Kael!" He was almost close, but he kept firing at the enemy. I tried to rush out and grab him, but I was immediately bound to the chair. The car's seatbelt suddenly wrapped tightly around my body, and I couldn't move.
Kael had gotten close enough to the car, and just when I thought it was hopeless, his frame appeared.
Within seconds, he made it into the car, but not before I heard the sound of a gunshot, and it wasn't from Kael's gun.
He got in just in time, and the car zoomed off with the speed of light. The enemy's men shot at our vehicle, but as the bullets hit, they bounced back with equal, if not double, force.
It wasn't just bulletproof. It had external ammunition. I couldn't help but wonder how they were able to build such an advanced automobile system.
The bullets returned to the enemy's men with doubled speed and precision, hitting them one by one.
The movement of the car was obviously powered by AI, but at times, it would reduce its speed and then suddenly accelerate again. Our enemies' convoy pursued us with eager anticipation. They fired shots as they tried to keep up.
I didn't know what was happening or where we were going, but I couldn't help noticing that the weapons on the big screen which I concluded was the heart of the power system—kept changing.
With each new one, different weapons appeared on the car's defense system.
Then the screen swiped, and a new weapon appeared on the interface. Underneath it: Gunpowder.
There was no way. If it launched that attack, half the city would go up in flames. Plus, there were other cars, so it wouldn't just be one explosion—it would be a chain reaction.
"Alexa, switch to AK47," I heard Kael say, and for the first time since we sped off, I realized he hadn't spoken a single word. His face looked like he was in pain.
"Kael, are you okay?" Worry filled my tone, but he didn't seem to hear me. The sound of that last gunshot before he entered the car echoed somewhere in a strange part of my consciousness.
My eyes immediately searched for any trace of a bullet wound, and just when I was about to conclude my inspection, I saw it. Blood had stained one part of his shirt, and his hand was gripping tightly to his shoulder as if trying to stop the bleeding.
Before I could get the words out, he slumped over the car seat.
"Kael!"