// Santiago Manalo //
"Quick, outside, go." I shouted to the three girls. Screams of panic littered around the location. Bodyguards were cuddled in a defensive ring around their employers. "I'll look for Nic. Go! Prep the gear." They ran as fast they could.
"Nic!" I shouted out loud. I saw him near the murder scene. Medics were all around place. He was trying to help the medics but he was pushed back. His hands curled in a fist. I ran to him, then tugged his sleeve.
"We have to go." He turned to me, eyes filled with bewilderment and regret. Then the unexpected happened.
"Who is this young man?" The First Deputy Mayor asked. He looked calm for someone inside a murder scene and a shootout.
"No one, a friend." Nic plastered a fake smile in his face.
"Let's go. We are not safe here. My community has a safe house here."
"Thank you very much for the offer but I have my own means of transport." Nic said then he turned back leaving. I tagged along.
"Wait." He took my shoulder. I shook it off then looked at the first deputy mayor.
"That's why." he whispered "Yes, now I remember. That's why I recognize you, Mr. Cruz." He was grinning, the type of grin when you realize something stupidly. I slipped my hand in my bag "or should I say, Mr. Manalo."
I stopped cold. "How?"
"I must say this is a great honor. The infiltrator and his sidekicks. So, this must be Dominic Castro. I must say, you're good to think that I offered you a place within our society. And I would be the one to kill you." He pulled out his gun and pointed it at my head.
I acted fast. I threw a bomb above their heads and their eyes followed as I pulled my gun out of it's holster and shot at him and his bodyguard's legs. Nic pulled me forward then we fell down face first as we covered our ears, then a loud explosion of light and sound.
We ran upstairs, our adversaries stunned. "Nice one." said Nic. "What was that?"
"Homemade Flashbang. I didn't get to buy real ones." We rushed outside.
"Is your Limo still here?" I asked Nic.
"I don't know, maybe the girls took it." he said.
"There." I pointed to a BMW Origin M.
"We're going to steal a car?" he complained.
"We've done this before, besides the fate of the world is at stake." I said, picking the door lock and dived below the steering wheel. I threw my glock at Nic.
"Guard my six." I pulled my multi tool then started to remove plastic hatch below the steering wheel. "Lights." I said the glasses activated shedding a beam of light below. I heard shouts outside
"Santi." Nic said.
"I'm almost done. I removed the cover look for the wire. Shots were suddenly fired.
"Santi!" barked Nic. "They're shooting at me!"
"Shoot back!" I shouted. He was supposed to be the field agent. I pulled a couple of wires then rearranged them. The engines revved to life.
"In!" I shouted while opening the door to the shotgun seat. I pressed the accelerator. We ran them down. I turned right to the exit after a couple of minutes. I drove like a mad man.
"Took you long enough." said Lena, who was still fixing our stuff.
"You're not finished yet!" I shouted. I pulled a couple of hidden weapons all around the place and placed it in my suit case.
"We just got here." shot Lena
"Less talky-talk, more packy-pack!" shouted Sue.
"Guys." Marie said. Loud wails of sirens were outside
"We have you surrounded." A voice, thickly accented with French said over a megaphone.
"Shit, what now?" exclaimed Nic.
"VTG, no choice. Lena you'll use the car for the hardware transport." she nodded. "Sue, Nic, guard Lena's six after I give you the signal."
"Roger." said Nic.
"Suit up, guys." I said. I pulled out the suit from my backpack. 2 disks with a diameter of eighteen inches each attached to , strapped them on my back. From those disks, two controllers, one for each hand then 2 grappling hook like tips which are used for Spiderman-like swinging action across the buildings. Thankfully, the buildings were high enough.
"Lena, as soon as the police cars follow us, bring everything down and we'll meet at the rendezvous point." She nodded, then I did the unexpected.
"Santi!" shouted Sue through the intercom but I didn't mind the comment. I was free falling high from the tenth floor. I was dropping rapidly. I pushed the button where my thumb was. A single cord of ultra strong material shot out from my right hand.
"Air." I commanded. A burst of air from a tube at my back. The air swung me upwards like a pendulum. As soon as I reached the highest peak, I squeezed the trigger-like mechanism on my index figure. "Close" I ordered my glasses. The cord retracted, the grappling hook at it's end closed, releasing me from the grip of the building. I instantly shot the cord on my left arm.
"Music, Mission Impossible theme." I told my glasses.
"Request acknowledged."
"Guys, what's up?" I said while swinging to another building.
"You got their attention alright." Sue said. "They're already trailing us." A sudden shout in the intercom caused me to flinch in pain.
"What the hell!" Lena shouted through the intercom.
"Sorry." said Nic.
"Show me the location of Sue, Nic, Lena, Marie. Grid view."
"Request acknowledged."
While Sue said angrily, "We're right behind you!"
"I know. I just have to make sure" I said while narrowly missing a lamp post. 4 dots appeared written on the top were their names.
"Left." I shouted. I fired the grappling hook in my right hand. "Air." I ordered.
"Request acknowledged."
I used the momentum caused by the air to turn left. "Guys, on my mark, we'll split up. Marie, take the opposite side of me."
"Roger." She said.
"Close." I ordered.
I noticed a crossroad up ahead.
"Cross road 2 km ahead, ready"
"Set." I pressed my left hand grappling hook. "Air." I flew but I spun around to force a U turn.
"Now." Sue and Nic split up. Sue turned left while Nic turned right. Marie was at the opposite building. I pulled out my slingshot.
"You're still using that." She asked pointedly while pulling two smoke grenades.
"Of course." I placed a flash bang on the slingshot and pulled at it tightly.
"Sue, Nic what's your status?" I asked as I heard the sirens getting closer.
"We're converging now then meeting Lena in a few minutes." Nic said while Marie was shouting
"Santi! Within range!"
"Target display." I ordered quickly.
I released the flash bang on my hand. As soon as it hit asphalt, it exploded in front of the front row police cars. It caused the cars to suddenly break and turn blocking the way for the other cars. I fired another one now, for safety reasons, near the middle of the motorcade. Another bang, policemen are cautiously stepping out of their cars and are holding their guns in firing positions.
"We have to go." I said. Marie nodded then started throwing the smoke grenades. They spun in the air creating a thick fog, covering our escape. The French police are already starting to fire blindly at us. The two of us swung to the next building.
"Help!" said Lena. "I'm running into heavy fire." I heard tires screeching in the background.
"Where's Sue and Nic?" I asked swinging as fast as I could. The display changed 3 dots were near together. But i can't see it 3-dimensional.
"We're right behind you." said Nic. "We see the hostile, oh shit!" he suddenly said.
"What happened?" I quickly said while swinging as fast as I could. Scenarios started to run in my head.
"It's them, The first deputy's squad, the Illuminati." Nic said breathlessly. "And they're raining fire on us."
"Sit tight. We'll be there." I said.
"Fuck." Lena suddenly said.
"What?" Marie said.
"They blasted the rear windows. I need help desperately!" she shouted.
"We're coming. One more left turn." I quickly turned left, then we entered the highway suddenly. "Where?" I asked.
"There!" Marie pointed while hanging from the side of a building. She fired her grappling hook. Then took off while I closely followed behind her.
"Sue!" shouted Nic. Sue suddenly retracted her grappling hook, falling slowly on a top of a bus with a loud thud.
"Sue!" Nic shouted again. He started to swing following her.
"Nic, no! Stay in the air." I ordered him.
"Too late." shouted Marie, beside me. "They've caught us already."
"Fan out now." We changed direction. I landed on the sidewalk, in a three-point landing pose, running as fast as I could. Cellphone cameras were filming what was happening. I pulled out my signal jammer and I activated it.
"Sue." I said.
Then Lena said "What happened to her?!"
"She retracted her VTG then fell on a truck." Nic said, his voice filled with concern.
"I'm fine." she said. Everyone cheered and sighed.
"We're not out of the woods yet. Sue, keep your head down and avoid getting shot. I'm running as fast as I could. Merge on Lena's tail. Engage only when engaged."
"Roger."
I pulled out my pistols on my side and continue sprinting to their location.
I heard gunshots farther away from my location. I looked for a way to take me there without using the VTGs, then I noticed a motorcycle with it's rider about to park. I sprinted towards him then pushed him off.
"Sorry!" I shouted as I drove off. I snaked through traffic, then a guy in a suit started firing at me. I shot his shoulder then accelerated.
"Sue, where in god's name are you?"
"I see you, Santi. You're on my six. The truck up ahead of you is where I am."
"Nic, Marie, status." I said while I avoided bullets.
"On your 5 o'clock, Santi." said Marie.
"I'm on your 8." shouted Nic. "Receiving heavy fire."
"Lena, hold on tight! Guys, shoot the wheels. We can't have them following us."
"Roger that." Sue said, then I heard sudden explosions from tire wheels. Loud screeches from the brake of the wheels. Driving as close as I could at the front of the black cars. But they were blocked by a couple of ordinary cars. I knew that Lena already escaped but i just had to make sure. Then they spotted me.
"Tue-le." The first deputy shouted. I don't even know what it means. But his men started to pull their guns out of their holsters. I quickly turned around. I rode as fast as I could away.
"Guys, converge on emergency rendezvous point." I said through the intercom.
I turned right on the next street then waited for Sue, who looked very tired and had some bruises on her right arm.
"Hop on. We need to meet the others at Les Grisettes" She nodded then I revved the clutch and we drove to the other side of Montpellier.
"Jesus Christ, Sue." said Marie with concern. "Are you okay?"
Nic was a different matter. He jumped in surprise when he saw Sue, then he quickly ran to her . He checked her whole body for injuries. I know it sounds so weird. Then he suddenly hugs her. Which caused everyone to gasp in shock. Lena was jumping up and down in a concealed manner.
"Don't you ever do that again." He said after pulling away from her. His voice was full of concern and worry.
"Yeah, yeah, break it up, you two." Lena said, but she was concealing her excitement from the two of them. "Nice moves, Sue." she then said while smiling.
"Hi Santi." I said sarcastically. "How are you?" Then I made a puppet with my hand and pretended to talk to it. "I'm fine, thanks!"
"Oh hey, Santi." said Marie. I just shook my head and smiled. It was always this way with us.
"You have to change clothes, all of you." I ordered.
"We'll have to use the mask." said Marie.
"I don't think so." I said. "We may have a few days before they report this incident worldwide as an important threat to securities."
She nodded. "There." I pointed to a small restaurant near our place. "You could change there."
"What about you?" asked Lena.
"I'm fine. Just go and change." Sighing, they went inside. I loosened my tie which Lena made me wear. She knows that I hate ties. Then I ruffled my clothes more and threw the coat in my back pack. They lasted a few minutes longer inside though, Nic was the first one to go outside. He was twirling a flash drive in his hands.
"Wha..." Then the other 3 came out of the restaurant. Sue was wearing a long- sleeved blouse, and tight jeans. Lena on the other hand was wearing all black, tank top, leggings and a jacket. Marie wore a plain shirt with white leggings and a skater skirt.
"You look like you just had sex." was Lena's first comment to me.
My phone rang because of a notification. An asset just sent an email, encrypted of course. I skimmed through the email quickly.
"Who is it?" asked Marie.
"It's Kim, he wants to talk to us." Then we heard police sirens in the distance.
"We have to find a place where we can stay the night."
"I know a place." said Nic.
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D@M3 PR1MU5