A Gentle Cruise - Part 2

<A Gentle Cruise - Part 2>

<Snip>
A movement caught his peripheral vision, and he looked through Artie’s window to see what had become of the pursuers, and yelled again, this time in fear.
Everyone else was screaming, and bleating, too, even Jaxx in a robotic monotone.

“W’AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!!!!!!”
</snip>

The Escalade was bombing towards them, showing no signs of stopping. Then, it began to waver, as if the driver realised smashing almost sidelong into the other car at such velocity was likely not going work out for anyone. It tried desperately to swerve but the street was too narrow. The attempt caused its wheel to catch some of the street debris, and the speeding vehicle flew unceremoniously into the air, scraping against the wall, clipping the dodge, and shooting out the end of the street, tumbling over and over until it landed, battered, fat-cat-like on its tyres, in the otherwise deserted parking lot the street flowed into.

Inside the Charger, nary a mouth was closed.

“I thought that only happened in movies.” Croaked someone who’d finally managed to close their gob.

In the street, the little dog yawned, got to its feet, and padded happily into its owner’s open front door.
Evelina swallowed and nodded in the direction of the parking lot. “D’you think they’re-?”
“Dead-Eve-Babe? I do-not-know.”

As if they’d heard the hushed comment, the crunched Cadillac’s engine started, and it began to slowly crawl towards them, an injured, angry, dangerous predator.

“Holy smeg." Sighed Alex. "That thing’s like The Terminator.”
“REVERSE!” Howled Boyd.
There was a desperate crunching as Alex obediently smacked the otherwise automatic car into reverse and, with an arm behind Artie’s seat again, began speeding them down the narrow street, backwards. If he’d stopped to consider it, he’d have noticed his heart was hammering harder than an excitable carpenter in mating season.

The Terminator Escalade gradually picked up speed.
There was an unwelcome clunking sound. “Oh heavens, what was that?” Artie yelped.
“Is there something wrong with the car, Alex?” Asked Evelina, keeping a close eye on the vicious vehicle in front, or behind, depending on your perspective.
Alex, trying to concentrate, frowned. “Nuh. Don’t think so.” He replied, between gritted teeth.
“Ohhh Noooo. Oh no. My brainsicles can’t take thisss…” Boyd wailed.
“WHAT IS IT NOW, BOY?” Spat an on-the-verge-of-flapping, himself, Artemis.
“I think there’s someone in the tru-unk.” Weathers almost sobbed. He was suffering an extremely bad trip, combined with the extremely bad reality it wasn’t doing his poor mind much good.
The banging came again.
“What the HELL, Artemis?” Alex managed, trying desperately to keep his focus and course.

A dark figure attempted to lean from the chunky Cadillac’s black window, but the street was mercifully too narrow and it darted back inside. Artemis ignored Alex’s question and informed everyone:
“You know, the moment we’re out of this street, they’re going to open fire again.”
Alex grunted.
“Lanky Locks, once we're in the wider space, how fast do you think you can turn us and get us out of here?”
“Fast enough.” I hope.
“Boy…”
Boyd didn’t reply, just gibbered against the window. Artemis unbuckled his seatbelt, leant over and gave him a slap. “BOY!”
“It’s BOYD!” Said Boyd, more like his normal self. Satisfied, Artemis returned butt to seat and buckled back up. When he spoke the next sentence, there was a little sparkle to his tone.

“What do you say we put those grenades to good use?”

There was a wail of distant but approaching sirens. At this, the banging in the trunk started up again, becoming more insistent.
An especially violent whack caused Artemis to turn again, knocking the radio on as he did so.

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<TAG
How’d we get away?
Who the smeg’s in the trunk/boot?
Were they hit during the shooting?
What music began playing? (Our chase music.)
Who are our pursuers?
Do the cops get on our tail?
Will we get to the Kabuki place and find our next clue to Jacky?
Does all this link in with the others’ mission and the future tech?>

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