Fire Wall (Book 1: The Fall)

3 | Kill Fear

I grab the handles above my head and squeeze them tightly. The car's engine roars with the machine gun blasts behind us. L rolls the car to dodge another wave of laser blasts and I roll on top of him, screaming loudly. I don't know how he still holds onto the wheel and sees with my feet sliding across the dashboard but he continues, unfazed, maneuvering around the wave of fire.

"Who are you?" I cry.

Another car slams us from behind, throwing me forward. Instead of flying out of the windshield, an arm wraps around my gut midflight.

My jaw drops as I land against L. How is he responding so quickly to everything around him?

A third car pulls up beside us. 

"We've got more company!" I yell.

I recognize the black army vehicle as a cop car. Judging by the driver wearing the beaver mask, it's most definitely not a cop. Yet they still got the cop lights on for show. Just how many cops have these guys jumped? I swallow hard realizing these must be the terrorists, Phantom, that my mom warned me about-a threat worse than Haven itself. 

Their car door slides open and a cartoon rat-masked man holds up what I'm sure is a Polaris, a class 4 plasma gun that only a few elite officials have access to.

Why did I take that agent's scanner? They're out to kill us because they think I'm with the government. 

L advises me rather calmly.

"I would get down if I were you."

I crawl into the feet area of the car and he dips the car so we're under our attacker's vehicle. He removes a laser gun from his holster and I watch in awe and horror as he shoots at their gas tank with repeated precision. He drives out from under them and their car explodes with perfect timing. My hair is thrown back from the warm blast of air.

"RAM!" I exclaim.

I hear a low chuckle but I could have imagined it. There's no way L would be laughing in this situation. Climbing back into my seat, I  shriek seeing a cartoon rat staring back at me through the sunroof.

"L! The rat's on the car!"

He must have jumped out of the car before it blew up.

I frown finding L preoccupied with shooting at another car. I'm not sure if he heard me. I have to do something. But I don't have a weapon! Oh, wait...

I open my backpack and my eyes widen seeing the stash of guns. I forgot Mom supplied me. Which one do I choose? 

I grab the black pistol with a long, narrow barrel. It seems like it would do a lot of damage.

The handle is cold in my clammy hands. Terror freezes me as I watch the rat on the roof aim his gun at L.

I move on pure adrenaline and take quick aim at our attacker. The recoil from the shot sends my arms flying backward and the glass shatters above me. The rat snaps his body to dodge the bullet, then reaches for me at the same speed as the gunshot. His big hand clamps on my neck, silencing me before I can scream. I choke and twist in his iron hold.

L throws his elbow into the rat's arm, breaking his chokehold. As I gasp for air, L nails the guy in the face with his fist. I wince as his body slams against the car. He rolls off the windshield and I scream watching him free-fall in the air through a sea of neon lights.

I hyperventilate as the car trembles under the gunfire. It's going to break. I'm going to break. I can't do this. I still feel the hand on my throat. 

Everything slows down around me as I fight to breathe and the holograms of the city buzz across my vision, blending with the skyscraper neon panels. The high speeds we travel and quick turns made merge the rays of light into a chaotic pixel cloud. My arms and legs tingle with the forces pushing against me with each sharp roll. The screaming gunshots fade to a distant hum.