Toru switched the automatic transmission to manual. The massive engine roared, the tachometer soared, and the tires of the Porsche 911 screeched against the ground as the car shot forward like lightning.
"He's driving like a lunatic!"
"Who dares to race through the Metropolitan?!"
Curses rang out from the streets. Toru weaved through traffic, darting left and right. Cars braked hard to avoid collisions, and people rolled down their windows to yell and swear.
Anyone who saw a sports car speeding like that would think it was some street racer showing off.
But Toru paid them no mind. His focus was absolute. Traffic lights meant nothing. His only goal was to shake off the vehicles tailing him.
Brakes slammed. Gears shifted. The 911 drifted beautifully, narrowly grazing past a large vehicle, then took a hard left at an intersection in an attempt to lose the black SUVs behind them.
No matter how hard Toru pushed the limits of his driving, the two Chevrolet SUVs stayed close, sticking to their tail without pause.
"The one driving that thing is no rookie," Toru muttered, glancing in the rear-view mirror.
His driving skill was only at B-level. Among ordinary folks, that was already godlike, but for trained professionals, it was just average.
Vermouth nodded slightly. Her mind wandered to Vodka, the driver who always chauffeured Gin.
She wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Her left hand gripped the handle above her head tightly, ready to jump out at a moment's notice if needed.
Toru kept cutting through streets and alleys. He couldn't afford a gunfight in a public area. Not because he was afraid, but because of his current status.
He was, after all, a federal agent on duty in the United States. This was American soil, not some battlefield where he could change identities and cause chaos whenever he pleased.
If a firefight broke out here and civilians were caught in the crossfire, the fallout would be massive. His superiors might even toss him under the bus to calm things down.
Those people were never on his side.
So, he needed to lure these attackers somewhere quieter.
Toru knew the roads around the Metropolitan like the back of his hand. The scenery blurred past as they sped through. Soon, they neared a remote park.
Police sirens blared from all directions. Two helicopters hovered overhead. It felt like a full-blown GTA incident had just erupted in the city. The response time was surprisingly quick.
However, when facing professional assassins like these, standard police units were clearly outmatched. SWAT's response was better, but slower.
Screeech—
Toru slammed on the brakes again. The tires screeched as clouds of white smoke rose from the pavement.
Two more black Chevrolet SUVs had appeared ahead, blocking the narrow road completely.
They were surrounded, front and back.
Twelve men stepped out from the four SUVs, all armed with M4 assault rifles. Every barrel was aimed directly at the Porsche 911.
Vermouth's chest tightened. She reached out and took Toru's hand, speaking calmly.
"Boy, are we out of options?"
Twelve M4s, all loaded with 5.56mm rounds, at this range, would shred both of them into pieces in seconds.
In this moment of life and death, Vermouth showed no fear. Her right hand had already found the door handle, ready to spring out at any second.
Toru held CIA credentials. If he revealed them, it might buy a pause. The enemy might hesitate.
As for her, it didn't matter.
She was the one who had dragged him into this. Vermouth didn't want the angel she had finally found to fall here because of her.
Toru had no idea what was running through her mind.
He just smiled confidently.
"On the contrary. They're the ones with no way out."
...
Not far away, a Ford sedan was speeding toward Toru's location.
In the driver's seat sat an Asian man in a knitted hat, eyes fixed ahead.
Beside him, in the passenger seat, a short-haired blonde woman asked, "Shuichi, what's the rush all of a sudden?"
Shuichi Akai gripped the wheel tightly, weaving through traffic as he answered calmly.
"Just got an urgent message from HQ. Says there are terrorists in the area and wants me on site. But they didn't say who the target is. Everything's vague."
(To be continued.)
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