Convergence - The Last Science #2.2 - Heroes and Villains

B2: Chapter 29 - The Battle of Lakewood - II

  Fuckin' hell. Jeremy jammed at the buttons on his phone. "Stebbins, pick up the fucking phone!"

  "...Stebbins."

  "Are you still in Tacoma?" he shouted, running down the sidewalk.

  "Yes, sir."

  "Get to the south end, near... Lakewood and 74th. Fuck!" Jeremy nearly tripped over a flipped over bicycle someone had abandoned on the sidewalk.

  "What's going on?"

  "The motherfuckers are back."

  Jeremy hung up and kept running, following the beam of the helicopter light. Where's Lani when you need him? I need a real fuckin' driver. Got rammed off the road by a fuckin' amateur.

  He spotted another car, with a dazed-looking driver who'd gotten sideswiped by the truck. It looked intact—and tough enough to take a few more hits. He ran up to the driver. "Hey."

  "...Huh?"

  He flashed his badge. "Jeremy Ashe, FBI. I need your car. You'll be paid for it."

  "...Yeah, okay." The guy stepped away, hands in the air. "Keys are in there."

  You're not under arrest, you idiot. "Thanks." Jeremy got in, closing the door and sliding the seat back at the same time. He kicked it on and squealed back onto the road. The truck had taken the long way, but Jeremy had rolled around Tacoma enough in the last four months to know a shortcut. He'd cut them off at the other end.

  Gunning the engine, he sped down the side street, wishing he had a proper siren and lights. Jeremy hadn't threaded a line through traffic in years. He kept leaning forward, checking the helicopter light in the distance, trying to gauge when they'd exit out of the long thoroughfare. Jeremy leaned down on the pedal, speeding up to cut the truck off.

  The helicopter was still in-line with Lakewood and heading south. Jeremy could beat them there. He was on track.

  The light buckled in midair. Jeremy squinted at it. Was it... moving?

  It shattered. A stray, lucky gunshot, maybe—Jeremy couldn't tell. The light vanished. The helicopter peeled off, just barely visible from its collision lights against the dark sky.

  Nowhere to change course, unless he wants to get caught in a neighborhood. He has to come out the south side of Lakewood. Nowhere to run, motherfucker.

  Jeremy peeled out in front of the road, parking his truck directly in the middle of the lanes. He dove out immediately, just in case, but as he got to his feet, he saw that the truck was still on the way, a pair of lights hurtling down the road straight at him. The trees lined both sides of the road like a long tunnel. Behind him was the city, but in front may as well have been an empty field.

  He ran to the side of the road, drawing his pistol.

  The truck barreled at him, blaring its horn. It wasn't slowing down. Jesus Christ, is he gonna try to ram it out of the way? He doesn't have that kind of torque. He's a fuckin' psycho.

  And he's got a hostage.

  Jeremy was about to open fire on the tires when Hailey swooped out of nowhere. She lunged out of the darkness carrying Jessica and someone else he couldn't make out. They dove down near the truck, and the other figure made a slashing motion with her hand.

  The front tire exploded.

  Hailey swung out wide, but the shreds of the tire had already caught them like shrapnel from a grenade. They stumbled in midair—if that was even possible—and Hailey dipped low.

  The trio fell into the grass ditch by the road, out of sight.

  Sparks flew from the front of the truck body as it screeched across the pavement. It ground to a halt, long before it reached Jeremy's makeshift barricade.

  Three men leapt out, weapons drawn. They took aim at Hailey, who had just risen to her feet off in the roadside ditch.

  Jeremy opened fire.