An Eye For An Eye (Fast & Furious | Hobbs/OFC)

Chapter 40

"You don't want my...What kind of idiot are you?"

Try as Luke might, he couldn't help but crack. The kind of body-shaking, unexpected laugh that had a smile spreading over his face, forcing him to clap his hand over his mouth as he began to wheeze. A laugh apparently so infectious even Elizabeth started to smile before a car struck the door she'd been sitting beside only moments ago.

The impact sent their SUV spinning, sliding across the road as it went, headed toward the curb. Luke threw his left arm across Elizabeth's chest, forcing her back against the seat and keeping her there while he jammed his own body into the corner. They were almost at the edge of the city now, with more space to maneuver and—clearly—more space to fight. The SUV slowed as it mounted the sidewalk until Jakob wrestled back control, reversed, and got them pointing in the right direction.

Fingers crossed Cipher was monitoring from above, otherwise they were going to have their asses handed to them. One car, three people? Those weren't the kinds of numbers that won road fights, Jakob thought as he gunned it for the highway.

"Beth," Luke said, grip tight as he held her, "you good?"

"Yeah." She didn't try to move or sit up. Maybe it was the shock, or the sight of the metal door bulging inwards, cutting into the space where Elizabeth's left leg would've been if she were still sitting there. "How long until..."

"We've got the intel," Jakob said, using the car's main radio. "Now we need a lift. Hattie's on our ass. Reisner's here too. Anywhere you can land?"

No reply came. In its place was heavy static. Hattie had jammed that signal too, it seemed. Either she was just that good, Jakob figured, there was a mole on the plane, or Cipher had foreseen this and allowed it to happen. Whichever the answer, it wouldn't help thinking about it now. The only thing they needed to focus on right then was survival.

"There's two XM7s under your seat. Use them. Either we survive this or we'll all be locked up by the end of the day. That means we can't afford for you to hesitate, Princess."

She met Jakob's gaze via the rearview mirror and nodded. "I know."

Luke let go of Beth and reached down with his right hand, pulling out a duffel bag from beneath the seat. He unzipped it to reveal three guns and a cache of loaded magazines. "This," he tapped the stock, "goes against your shoulder. Let it dig in. Keep the safety off until we're in the clear. And whatever you do—"

"Don't worry," Elizabeth said, "your arse is too nice to shoot."

He handed her one of the rifles, aligning it properly with her shoulder as Elizabeth lifted it. "Get your earplugs in. Drop your window when I do. Aim at their tyres. Whatever's in your crosshairs is what you should hit."

"I don't think the window will..." Elizabeth fell silent as Jakob pressed a button on the steering wheel, triggering the window to lower. It jammed at three quarters down, but there was still enough space to maneuver. "Thanks, Pretty Boy."

"Thank me when we're safe."

Once Shaw was sorted and in position, Luke got organized himself as the SUV reached the highway. It would only be a matter of time until the shit hit the fan, and Luke was more ready for it than he'd ever been. Elizabeth too, it seemed. She'd strapped herself back in, planted her feet solid on the floor, and had the stock pressed into her shoulder.