Chapter 9 Zurich-Milan The San Gottardo Tunnel
Two Mini Cooper cars started to hit the gas as they entered the highway. Akiko and Lian Xi seemed to be racing against each other. Andalas was fast asleep even though Lian Xi was driving the car at high speed. Meanwhile, Cecilia had to touch Akiko's arm several times to slow down because they had exceeded the speed limit.
The black station wagon driven by one of Isamu's men also stepped on the gas after Isamu ordered them not to lose track. Isamu even suspected the two Mini Cooper cars knew that he had been followed them.
A Porsche Panamera was tailing them not far behind with Helda on the wheel. Obviously, the luxury car could overtake them easily. But Helda didn't want to be careless. She knew that Ford not far in front of her was packed with Yakuza.
They were pursuing Lian Xi. They failed to snare her in Paris De Gaulle because the Killer Hunter intervened.
Even though they were hired by the Organization, Helda and Isamu had nothing to do with each other. In fact, they were trying to beat each other in getting her first. The Executioner wanted Lian Xi alive. If she died, then the payoff was only half of what was promised.
Helda's intention was to capture Lian Xi at Paris Airport. The bomb she carried was just for a distraction to help her escape an to incapacitate Isamu and his colleagues who had their eyes on the same target.
But Killer Hunter messed things up. Asshole! The man was formidable. She heard about his reputation for a long time, but that was the first time for her to witnessed that in fact the assassin was a force to reckoned with.
Now she was chasing her target who was in the same car with the Killer Hunter. Not to mention that Isamu and his friends could also mess up her plans. Helda raised her device as she continued to drive warily.
"Get ready for the open and close procedure. Intercept in the San Gottardo tunnels! I'll take them through there."
Helda slowed down. The tunnel was a perfect plan.
Meanwhile Isamu, who was not familiar with the area, decided that they would attack before the men entered the Italian border. They would not be able to operate easily in Italian territory. There would be carabinieri on key points along the road to Milan.
Isamu checked his arsenal. AK 47, tranquilizer gun, smoke bomb, all checked.
Akiko stepped on the gas. Cecilia said they would soon enter the tunnels of San Gottardo. If she could enter first, Lian Xi would be stuck waiting for another chance to enter the tunnel, then she would taste the victory of the race. Akiko's feet continued to press on the gas, the Mini Cooper's engine roared.
Lian Xi had the same thought. Although as an MSS agent she was mostly stationed in Eastern Europe, especially Russia, she spent several years living in western Europe. She had travel all over the place by land, air, or water. She also was once assigned to carry out an espionage operation in Germany. She knew the Alps landscape like the back of her hand.
The two Mini Coopers didn't show any sign of slowing down. Andalas, who usually didn't care about such a situation, woke up and furrowed his brows. He glanced at Lian Xi's tense face focusing on the road.
As he turned to the right, Andalas's eyes met Akiko's who was smiling mockingly while passing at high speed. Andalas whined in his mind. These two women must be separated immediately. Otherwise, there would be endless drama between them.
Approaching San Gottardo, the two Mini Coopers slowed down. There was a quota of the number of vehicles inside the tunnel through open and close procedure.
Andalas straightened his body. Warning signals buzzed in his brain. Tunnels were the most dangerous places for those who were on the run. Incidentally at this time they were stuck at the entrance because they were waiting in line. Andalas pressed his shirt button.
"Akiko, did you see anything suspicious? Anyone following us?"
A surprising answer came from Akiko.
"You mean the black station wagon behind the silver Camry!"
Andalas was getting tense. That was great observation from Akiko!
"There is more. The red Porsche behind the station wagon is also trailing us."
Whoa! Lian Xi was very observant. Andalas nodded his head gratefully.
"Akiko, Lian Xi will go to your car. I'll try to distract them. Make a U-turn in front of you as soon as the tunnel is opened and take a train at the station we passed earlier. We meet at the next train station after the tunnel."
Akiko said yes. Andalas then changed seats and asked Lian Xi to slip into the other car undetected. Lian Xi waved lightly. It's a piece of cake.
It was quick and smooth just as the cars on their side was allowed to enter the tunnel.
Akiko pressed the gas. The black Mini Cooper cruised away through the queue then made a sharp U-turn and sped off at high speed down the road in the opposite direction.
While Andalas wasn't in a hurry. He paced the car following the queue to enter the tunnel. After Lian Xi left, Andalas had time to devise a camouflage to appear as if a passenger was sitting next to him. The Mini Cooper's window was quite dark. And that worked in his favor.
Andalas glanced at the rearview mirror. The station wagon screeched past him then turned on the U-turn to chased Akiko. He wasn't worried about them at all. Akiko and Lian Xi were more than able to deal with them.
Now he only needed to deal with one thing. From the rearview mirror, Andalas could see the blaring Alpine sun and a silhouette behind the wheel. see the blaring Alpine sun and a silhouette behind the wheel with no one else inside. He was a little surprised. But then remembered that assassins usually preferred to work alone.
Or even if they cooperated in a group because the target was difficult or dangerous, they most likely to split up and carried out an ambush.
After assessing the situation, Andalas stepped on the gas. The tunnel had two paths. He would see if the Porsche Panamera take the bait.
Andalas was mistaken. The Panamera made no attempt to catch up with him. It drove slowly behind a small frozen food truck.
A thought crossed Andalas' mind. It only meant one thing. Their accomplices would intercept ahead!
But Andalas couldn't do anything else. He was already inside the 17 km long tunnel. The only way was to break through. And breaking through meant having to drive at high speed. This time Andalas wasn't half-hearted. He floored it and didn't care about the speed limit or other people safety for that matter.
As expected, the Panamera didn't react at all. Andalas didn't want to think any further. He continued to drive at high speed until finally in the distance a faint bright light appeared. In a few moments he would be out of the tunnel.
Andalas pressed the brakes hard. The car's tire squeaked and echoed at the end of the tunnel. The exit had been barricaded! Using thick concrete roadblocks that were impossible to hit. Andalas thought hard. He was surrounded! He groped his jacket pocket. Ah, he gave his only gun to Lian Xi.
But his watchful eyes noticed a narrow gap on the side of the road that wasn't barricaded because it was a slightly sloping cliff. Andalas waited for the best opportunity. From the rearview mirror he saw the Panamera coming at high speed. Apparently the Panamera had been contacted by the team who set up barricades and waited for the target.
As soon as the Panamera came to a sudden stop not far behind him and the driver got out, brandishing an AK 47, Andalas pressed the gas pedal. Great! It was Helda! Apparently the assassin from the Baltic didn't give up on hunting him either. Or rather hunting Lian Xi?
The Mini Cooper flew after like a spider climbed the sloping cliff at high speed and landed on the road in front of the barricades. The small car hovered a few seconds in the air after hitting the sloping cliff as a runway.
Helda went to her team who was barricading the road and shouting to open the barricades before the Mini Cooper got too far.
And the Mini Cooper was out of sight when the barricades were removed. Behind the wheel, Helda again swore incoherently. This was her second failure for the same target. Damn it! That Killer Hunter was truly formidable!