So, I just realized that I left you guys on a gigantic cliffhanger last chapter

hAha

sorreh XD luv ya

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Lillie's POV

I found it strange that Riki wasn't reacting for a long time. I glance up behind my bangs, the police cars were literally only a couple of feet away. At this rate, even I gotta think maybe, just maybe, he doesn't have a plan this time.

He squeezed my wrist again. And this time, I could tell it was out of distress, not reassurance.

But it takes me a minute to get out of handcuffs, and if we break out in combat here, the rest of the force are seconds away. The van is nowhere in sight yet, how do we formulate an effective plan in 10 seconds?!

Okay, okay, don't panic. I know what I must do. That brief break was enough for me to get going again.

Riki's POV

Just then, I felt her tapping on my wrist. It's not just random tapping, but there were longer taps and shorter taps.

Could this be... morse code?

I didn't think there was still many people who use it.

'Fight... these... four... off.' I read silently. I glance around at the four relaxed police officers chatting amongst themselves as we walked. They should be no problem to take out, but I can't say the same about the other five officers waiting at by the police cars with loaded guns ready in their hands.

We were only about fifty steps away from the cars when she tapped again: 'Trust me.'

I sighed out loud. I suppose that is how it is.

"What's up, dude? We finally caught--" The officer closest to me patted me on the shoulder. I made sure to pull my police cap down one more time before I punched him in the temple, knocking him out cold.

"Wha--" Others didn't have time to react as I quickly took the rest out. When I turned back to her, Lillie was still busy getting her right wrist out of the cuff. I glanced up and saw the other five sprinting towards us while holding up their guns.

There's not enough time, I can't--

KA-POW!!!

The van drove in all of a sudden and Kenshi jumped right out of it, with his identity concealed, he knocked one of them out. The others were distracted for a brief moment and that was enough for Lillie to free her right wrist. With the handcuffs still dangling from her left wrist, she landed a left uppercut square in another's face.

Two more came towards me with teasers, I snapped out of my daze and kicked one of them in the gut and bending the arm of another for them to electrocute himself.

Lillie smashed the remaining one's head into the ground, knocking him out but not taking his life.

The van zoomed over, leaving the people chasing behind it in dust. Takuto held the door open for the three of us literally jumped in since we couldn't afford to stop the vehicle for all of us to climb in normally. Kenshi was the closest so he hopped in first while he held a hand out for Lillie.

A gunshot was heard.

My pupils shrank at Lillie's pained expression.

Not again...! I pulled her into my arms to shield her from any other shots and leapt into the van. Takuto quickly slid the door closed behind us.

"Dammit!" Hiro cursed out loud as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Where's the wound?" Takuto almost panicked and his hands shook.

"I think my arm was grazed." She responded quietly. I gently brought her arms up and found a spot that was the size of a thumb bleeding.

"It's not that bad." I said, also to try to convince myself, "Hand me the First Aid kit."

I quickly disinfected her injury and wrapped bandages around it. Thank God she wasn't directly hit with a bullet like last time.

"Y'know, I don't remember ever being shot before. But somehow, it feels like I know this feeling." She murmured with an ironic smile of nostalgia on her face.

"No time to joke. We're gonna get outta here." I said seriously before tucking the kit away. Kenshi climbed forward to the shotgun seat.

"Bad news. We gotta go faster, cars are chasing us and attempting to surround us." Takuto said before any of us could breathe even half a sigh in relief, "Also, I suspect that someone tipped them off what our van looks like. To be more specific, her name is Rabenda."

I clicked my tongue. She's after Lillie, I'm sure of that. I'm not gonna let that happen! I held Lillie closer to me while I get the handcuff completely off of her left wrist. She was panting a little in exhaustion and there were some bruises on her legs and her knuckles were red. I softly rubbed her hands to lessen the burn.

"I'll hold the nearest cars that are tailing us off." I said and loaded a gun. I sat on the window ledge and fired a few shots behind us on their tires. Screeching sounds were heard before we no longer see the two cars behind us.

I blew the top of the gun and came back inside, then rolled up the window. I held Lillie against me again when she attempted to move.

"So, how'd you guys arrive just on time?" She asked when she calmed her ragged breaths. We all deadpanned at her light attitude in a tense situation like this.

Kenshi: "I decided to tail Riki after he ran out, so I knew the situation when I ran back to get the van."

Hiro: "Driving's a lot of fun! I should do it more often."

Takuto: "We're a team. You can count on us, Riki. We know you're the best at everything you do, but everyone needs to cut some slack once in a while."

Everyone chuckled at that, including me. I was really moved but I would die first before saying that out loud. "Thanks, guys." I said sincerely instead.

"Ehehehe, the all high and mighty Rikkun has been brought down!" Lillie announced with a smug look in her eyes. I scoffed with amusement.

The lightened mood didn't last long. When the sound of sirens reached our ears, we all stopped smiling and got dead serious. That's right, we can't let down our guard yet, there are still more.

"Well, that was a nice Christmas carol before the blizzard." Lillie commented, then sat up, "I'm ready now."

"No, you're not." All four of us said at the same time, surprising her.

Takuto: "Your arm is bleeding, for crying out loud!"

Hiro: "You just sit your cute little butt there and let us handle the rest, okay?"

Kenshi: "Yeah, what they said! M-Minus the... um... butt part.... Not that you don't hav--"

"What we mean is," I quickly interrupted before it got awkward, "You've done great, Kuin, rest easy. We got this."

"Just 'great'?" She raised an eyebrow and taunted.

I smiled, "Amazing. Outstanding. Out-of-this-world. Fantastic. All the words in the dictionary can't express it enough."

A small tint rose in her cheeks, showing that she didn't expect me to say all that. She hid her face in my jacket but I could imagine her pout. The van jostled, making her press against me more.

Hiro: "I'm gonna take the bumpy road to try to shake our tails, hold on."

Takuto brought his gadget onto his lap to protect it and Kenshi held onto the handle grip. I did so as well and made sure my grip was firm on Lillie, who was sitting on my lap.

We zoomed across and turned corner after corner until none of us knew where we were. Hiro returned to 60 km/hr so we could all take a breather.

Riki: "Takuto, location?"

Takuto: "Ummm in some place."

"No shit, blondie." Lillie remarked. I covered her mouth with my hand.

Takuto: "Shut up, woman. We're still an hour and a half away from base. Continue south."

"Do I look like a compass, Takkun?" Hiro whined, "Which way is south? Are we going south right now?"

"Yeah, we are." Kenshi responded with a laugh while Takuto fumed.

"Ow!" I yelled.

"What? What happened?" Hiro asked and glanced in the rearview mirror.

"Kuin bit me." I muttered while shaking my hand in the air.

"That's what you get for trying to silence me." She huffed and flipped her hair.

I was the laughing stock for a brief moment before I held up my index finger to tell them to be quiet. I don't hear any sirens anymore, we must be clear for now.

"Alright, team, we're an hour and a half away from escaping almost unscathed." I announced.

I could see small smiles present on everyone's faces even though we didn't gain anything tonight. At least now we can confidently say we tried and found out it was legitimately a trap with a counterfeit painting to lure us in.

"Uh-oh, incoming trouble." Hiro says with furrowed eyebrows. Kenshi leaned forwards, then turned around to say, "it seems that police helicopters are surveying the area."

"Yes," Takuto confirmed.

Lillie's POV

Challenge after challenge was thrown at us on our way back home.

Riki: "Can you read their movement patterns?"

Takuto: "Give me a minute."

Riki: "Guide us from their surveillance and we'll be out of this zone in no time."

It's always reassuring when it comes to Riki. Even earlier, he kept calm and bought Kenshi time to get the van. If we broke into a fight earlier, we might not have won. I glanced at Riki's side profile as he told everyone his plan that he came up with on the spot.

Heehee... look at Captain Riki go.

"You're grinning like an idiot, Kuin." Riki remarked.

Okay, I hate you again now.

I shifted in his lap, but that only triggered the pain in my arm. I winced a bit despite myself. He immediately showed concern and made sure I was in a comfortable position.

"It's four in the morning, you should sleep." He patted my head, then put it against his shoulder. I have been feeling sleepy. It should be fine to just doze off a bit....

I snuggled into his warm chest and felt its ups and downs as I slowly drifted into a nap.

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January 5, 2017

😁