Giving Chase

“What do we do?!” Oto cried out, his terrified death grip on the wheel trembling from the adrenaline that coursed through his veins.

“What do we do?! What do we do?! What do—”

“Shut up a minute!” Hayami shouted as she loaded her last magazine into the pistol.

Turning his head, Oto watched as she opened the glove box and pulled out two additional clips for the gun. That was when she caught his gaze and their eyes locked.

“Eyes forward,” She ordered, pointing ahead. “Keep them on the road at all times, idiot!”

“I don’t like that, Hayami!”

“And I don’t like that!”

Oto was staring at the road and the gentle bend quickly approaching. A yellow sign passed by in a blur, which gave him only seconds to catch the numbers plastered over it. He wasn’t sure, but he thought they said eighty. Glancing down at the numbers before him and the small white line, he became confused.

“Which numbers do I look at?” He cried out.

“What?” Hayami answered as she looked back between the seats, eying the approaching vehicles.

“The little number thingies. I think the sign said eighty, but there are two! The first is fifty-eighty and the second is eighty and one hundred thirty. Regardless, we’re going one hundred-one hundred sixty.”

But it was too late, Oto had reached the turn. Cranking the wheel, the tires skidded across the pavement as Hayami’s body tumbled against him. As it did, her beautiful face came into view with her windswept hair blowing before him. The intoxicating aroma of her presence tickled his senses as she braced herself against the door, careful of the shattered glass.

Oto was overwhelmed. His racing heart thudded against his chest as he looked into her fixated amber eyes. With a glance down, he admired her lips as his breath became trapped within his lungs. He remembered the kiss and, whether it was the adrenaline or something more, he wanted another.

Leaning in to kiss her, the car rocked forward as something rammed them from behind. In an instant, the moment had passed as their foreheads collided with a dull clack!

“Oww!” Oto cried out, pulling his head back to the seat. “That hurt! Is it going to bruise? I hope it doesn’t bruise.”

The back window of the car shattered inward as bullets tore through the glass.

“It won’t matter if we’re both dead, idiot!” Hayami responded, returning fire at the vehicle.

“I preferred pretty boy!”

He looked to the side, enjoying the view of her exposed midriff as she shot her gun. As much as he hated it, she made violence look sexy. Something that gave him an idea for an upcoming, and now literal, photo-shoot.

“And I prefer you shutting up!” She glanced at him, admiring her. “Eyes. Forward!”

“Sorry—ahh!”

Oto had been driving in the middle of the road, not noticing that a white luxury SUV had appeared before him. Yanking the steering wheel to the side, he swerved aggressively back into the right lane. With seconds to spare, he narrowly dodged the oncoming traffic.

“Pay attention.” Hayami barked, bracing herself against his shoulder.

“It came out of nowhere!” He spoke up.

Glancing behind, he watched as the goons’ cars were beginning to catch up again after also narrowly evading the vehicle. It appeared that nothing would deter them from catching up to Oto and Hayami.

Why do they want me so bad? He thought to himself. Are they super fans? Stalkers? And what are they going to do to keep Hayami from walking again?

Oto stared ahead once more, where he could see another turn appearing on the horizon. Unlike the last, this one appeared much sharper and even with his limited driving experience, he knew they were going too fast. Instinctively, he looked down at his feet before glancing at his hands.

“Okay, EL with the thumb.” He muttered to himself as the car began to slow.

The vehicle behind rammed into their car again, sending Hayami lurching over the seat as she fired several more rounds. Bracing herself, she faced Oto and revealed a furious glare.

“Don’t slow down!”

“But there’s a—”

The passenger window exploded into shards as bullets pierced the glass. Hayami cried out in pain, sitting back into her seat as she pointed the firearm outward. She cried out with a vicious roar, firing a trio of shots in reply.

The second vehicle had taken the opportunity to overtake the first, pulling alongside. Oto could see the goons clearly through the driver’s side windows as his saviour attacked. The first visible was the one in the back with his gun targeting Hayami. This goon scowled at them both, the wind whipping his thinning hair and ruffling his cheap shirt.

The other figure that Oto observed was only present for a second before the glass shattered as a result of Hayami’s well-placed shots. A spray of red mist painted the front window of the adjacent car as the body slouched against the wheel. In an instant, the vehicle veered off the road, jumping the ditch and kicking up dust as it rolled across the barren earth.

“Nice shot—oh my!” Oto began to panic, watching as Hayami reached behind her shoulder and withdrew a blood-soaked hand. “That’s not good! My—”

“Don’t you dare say jacket!”

“I was going to say god!”

“It’s fine. Nothing vital, but I will need you to get the bullet out.”

“Right now? But-but there’s a turn coming.”

“No, not right now—get back!”

Hayami lunged towards Oto. Placing a hand to his chest, she forced him back against the seat as she swung her gun arm out the driver’s side window. From his position, Oto could see that the vehicle that had been behind them was now on his side. The gunman in the passenger seat had begun firing wildly. Bullets whizzed by them as Hayami shot in response.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Click!

The passenger’s head whipped back before his body slouched forward. Mist painted the interior of the other vehicle as it also veered from the road and off the shoulder. Dust kicked up in response to the sudden chaos while they continued to race away.

Inspecting his mirrors, he was able to see that the pursuing black cars of the goons were no longer giving chase. But a new vehicle had appeared. The white SUV he had narrowly avoided was now keeping pace with them and steadily gaining. Focusing, Oto tried to get a better look at the mystery vehicle before finally looking over to Hayami.

“Hayami, I think—oh no!”

His saviour was clutching at her neck as blood spilled between her fingers. Rich red colour smeared the porcelain cheeks of her clenched jaw. The amber eyes stared forward, distant and panicked.

“H-Hayami! No. No. No.”

Oto released his grip on the wheel as he reached over and took her into his arms. Blood spilled over him, splashing against his hands and staining his shirt, but the thought of what it might do to his wardrobe hadn’t crossed his mind.

In this moment, all he saw was her. Dying before him. He wrapped his strong arms around her firmly, holding her tight against himself as fear of losing his saviour overtook him.

“Hayami, please don’t die. Please don’t leave—”

The car bucked wildly. They had reached the turn, and, with no control over the wheel or attempt to brake, it tore past the shoulder and into the ditch.

Oto held to Hayami firmly as the car began to tumble. Airbags deployed, knocking both of them back against their seats as they continued to flip and roll until eventually coming to a stop.

They were upside down or at least Oto was as he dangled from his seat.

“H-Hayami.” He whispered weakly, feeling the warm trickle of blood draining from his forehead.

Oto watched as it dripped from him, splashing against his jacket. Hayami’s body limply rested on the roof of the overturned vehicle as his blood mixed with hers. He couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.

“H-Hayami, please.” He continued. “Don’t—don’t die.”

Stretching his hand out, he reached for hers. Lacing their fingers, he listened to the crunching of earth as tires approached.

“H-Hayami…” His world was beginning to go dark. “I-I can’t lose you.”

A car door opened, and footsteps quickly approached.

“I-I think,” He strained as his eyes closed. “I love you.”