License to Love

Chapter 31 The Hardwired and the Undefeated

"Where the heck are they?!" Paige shouted through everyone's earpieces, trying to hide her panic. "They should have come out on the other side by now!"

"Paige..." Payton said in a hollow voice.

"Michelle! Brook! Dammit, why are they not saying anything on these stupid earpieces?! Answer me, now!" Paige continued to scream.

"No... they can't have... they can't..." Soriano rasped under his breath, his voice tight.

"It has to work, it has to work!" Jett kept repeating fervently. "They can't have been blown up—"

"SHUT UP, JETT!" Paige screeched, wild terror clutching her. "Don't you dare talk like that!"

"Don't take it out on him, he's just as worried as the rest of us!" Reece shouted at her through his earpiece.

"Well so is she, stop shouting at her!" Payton shouted back.

"Brook, Michelle, if you can hear me, answer me!" Soriano said loudly through his earpiece. There was no answer.

"Chief, we should go check up on them," Leslie said, worry etched on her face. "That blast must've taken out their earpieces—" Just then a car shot out of the flames but it was indistinguishable through the fiery smoke as it zipped through the finish line.

"Was that them? Or—" Soriano clenched his fists around his steering wheel as he stopped in his sentence.

"I'm going after Zhang tonight myself." He revved his car with a roar and bolted towards the finish line just as the flames from the blast died down to little bonfires on the road.

"Wait, what?!" Holden choked, clutching the seatbelt for dear life as Soriano took a hairpin bend at full speed.

"Chief! What about Brook and Michelle?!" Paige screamed. Before Soriano could answer, the echoes of police sirens blared behind them.

"Clear out of here, kids. This is between me and that villain," Soriano barked the order in a firm, deadened voice. "No one else is getting hurt tonight." He tore off his earpiece just as a string of frantic protests broke out from the others. But he had already turned it off so he wouldn't hear them.

"But chief—" Leslie began, but he stopped her, braking alongside the road.

"This is where you and the kid get off, Les. Hitch a ride with the others and go back to the base. I won't return until that damn coward is dead." Soriano sounded so grim in his determination that it worried Leslie and she began to protest.

"Morgan, I'm not getting out of this car—"

"I will not lose anyone else to that scum!" Soriano shouted, rage and pain burning in his eyes. He turned to Holden.

"I'm trusting you, kid. Take Leslie to the others and go home. Now." Soriano's tone carried enough threat that Holden didn't need telling twice. He quickly scrambled out of the car, almost stumbling in his haste, and grabbed Leslie's hand.

"Come on!" he said urgently. Leslie began to fight, resisting Holden's hand and glaring at Soriano.

"Like hell I'm leaving—"

"Kid?" Soriano glanced at Holden once more. He tugged her out of the car and Soriano, not even waiting for the door to close, sped off into the dark.

"No!" Leslie cried trying to run after him, but Holden held her back.

"It's no use. Nothing's gonna change his mind," he said point-blank. She turned to him with tears in her eyes before turning on her earpiece.

"I want us to go after the chief, we're not gonna lose him again—" she began but was cut off by Jett.