Furious Pursuit

Between Two Souls, Chapter 17

Rose slammed her foot on the gas, speeding through the dense protected forest. The sound of helicopters pursuing them grew louder, echoing through the trees. It wasn't just the choppers—several roaring engines emerged from the depths of the forest, revealing themselves. They were mercenaries, hired by Dr. Dylan to eliminate Patient Zero and the traitors.

"This is going to be tough. Good thing this truck is bulletproof. Danny, I hope your skills are worth what I'm paying you! Take them down!"

Danny cocked his machine gun, readying himself to fire at the helicopter overhead. He was a hired gun, equipped with a lightweight EXO-Armour.

Rose cocked her one-handed firearm, just in case any of the enemies tried to target the driver. Zero, too, readied his weapon. Bright searchlights from multiple directions illuminated their truck, but Zero was quick to react—he fired at every single one, both on the ground and in the air, with razor-sharp precision.

BBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTT!!!!!

With the blinding lights out of the way, Danny unleashed a barrage of bullets at the pursuing helicopter. The gunfire tore through the chopper's windshield, striking the pilot. Spiraling out of control, the helicopter crashed into the forest below.

The vehicles behind them opened fire, bullets ricocheting off the truck's reinforced exterior. Danny shifted his aim to the pursuing cars, unleashing another round of suppressive fire. Several shots pierced through windshields, instantly taking out the drivers. Others had their tires blown out, forcing them off the road.

However, the remaining enemy vehicles up ahead suddenly swerved to the side, making way for one particular car in the center. From its roof, a soldier took aim—

BAAMMM!!!

A high-caliber cannon bullet hurtled towards Danny.

CLAANKKKK!!!

"ARGHH! DAMN IT!"

Danny roared in pain as the impact struck his left shoulder. Though the round didn't penetrate, his EXO-Armour dented big under the force, and the sheer kinetic energy sent him staggering. Zero spotted the attacker and wasted no time—he climbed halfway out of the truck's window, took aim, and fired. His bullets found their mark, taking out the soldier operating the cannon.

Danny, still recovering, gritted his teeth and continued to fire at the enemy vehicles. But the mercenaries kept coming. This time, they flanked the truck from both sides.

With a sudden jolt, one of the enemy cars rammed into them, attempting to force them off the road.

BAMM!!

RATATATATATT!!!

Rose didn't hesitate—she aimed at the driver of the vehicle closest to her and fired. Her bullets struck true, and the enemy driver slumped over the wheel. The car veered sharply off the road, crashing into the forest and smashing into a tree.

It became clear—their enemies' plan was to eliminate the driver through the open window. Rose had to think fast and find another way.

Some of the enemy vehicles slowly fell back, putting distance between them. That was when Rose heard something over the enemy's radio…

"STOP WASTING TIME! FIRE EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"

The order sent a chill down her spine. She immediately looked for an opening to make a sharp turn.

Zero, having heard the command as well, turned his head and spotted seven enemy vehicles behind them. Each had a different mounted cannon, all aimed at their truck. Without hesitation, he climbed out of the window and fired. Two vehicles swerved off the road under his relentless assault, but—

BAMMM!! BAMMM!!

The enemy opened fire their 20 mm cannons. Several large caliber rounds slammed into their truck. Fortunately, the reinforced body held up, though the metal was severely dented. It was only a matter of time before the next rounds would tear through. Rose gritted her teeth and made a split-second decision.

She glanced at the dirt road they were speeding down, searching for an opening in the thick forest…

"I really hope you guys don't fall—HOLD ON!"

She yanked the wheel hard to the left, veering off the road and plunging into the narrow gaps between the trees. Their pursuers attempted to follow. Some managed to keep up, but others smashed headfirst into tree trunks.

Unfortunately, the ones that crashed weren't the ones with the mounted cannons. And those who remained had no intention of holding back.

BAMMM!! BAMMM!!

Explosions echoed as enemy shells ripped through the trees. The dense forest, however, acted as a natural barrier, shielding them from a direct hit. Zero and Danny continued firing, taking down enemies one by one.

Then, out of nowhere, an enemy vehicle managed to catch up from a distance.

A cannon shell struck the side of their truck, sending it skidding toward a massive tree. Rose gritted her teeth, gripping the wheel tightly, and barely managed to regain control.

"Damn it, they're catching up!"

Without missing a beat, Zero aimed to the left and unleashed a hail of bullets at the pursuing vehicle. The driver was hit, and the car spun out of control, slamming into a massive boulder.

Rose took advantage of the moment and weaved through the trees once more, desperately trying to outrun them. As she swerved back onto the main road, something caught her eye—a road sign.

"Uhh… I think that sign was trying to warn us about something."

She barely had time to read it, but just ahead, she caught a glimpse of a waterfall—meaning there had to be a river nearby.

BAAMMN! BANGG!

"ARGH!" Rose let out a sharp cry as another cannon rounds struck their truck.

Zero and Danny fought back with everything they had, gunning down enemy after enemy. Some of the pursuers exploded into fiery wrecks as bullets shredded their engines. One by one, they were being taken down.

But then, Zero realized something—he was running dangerously low on ammo.

Before he could even process that thought, the distant roar of approaching rotor blades filled the air once more, they call a helicopter for reinforecement…

"That's... An Attack Chopper?"

Rose glanced at the side mirror, her heart pounding as she slammed her foot on the gas. She knew their truck was no match for a helicopter in terms of speed. But after spotting the waterfall earlier, she realized what the road sign had been trying to warn them about—a dead-end leading to a cliff, with a river flowing far below.

An idea formed in her head. It was reckless, dangerous—but it was their only chance.

"Danny, get ready to pull the emergency ejection lever on your armor. I really hope you guys can swim!"

The enemy helicopter unleashed a barrage of rockets. Rose swerved in a zig-zag motion, narrowly dodging the explosions. The dead-end was fast approaching.

Danny, gripping onto the truck bed, braced himself as Rose floored the gas pedal.

BAMMMNNN!!!!

VOOOOOSSSHHHHH!!!!!

A rocket struck the cliffside on the other end, sending debris flying—but it didn't matter. The truck had already smashed through the road barrier, launching into the open air. It plummeted towards the river below.

At the last second, Rose and Zero threw open their doors and leaped out. Danny yanked the emergency release on his EXO-Armor, breaking free from its weight just before hitting the water.

The truck crashed into the river with a massive splash, quickly sinking to the depths.

Above, the enemy helicopter circled, its searchlights sweeping across the water, hunting for any sign of survivors. Rose, Zero, and Danny remained submerged, holding their breath, clinging to rocks and debris to avoid being carried away by the current.

Soon after, the mercenaries who had been chasing them arrived at the cliffside, peering down into the canyon.

They watched as the truck disappeared beneath the river's surface, but that wasn't enough for them. They spent several minutes scanning the waters, searching for bodies.

"Boss, looks like they're dead. Let's just report them as missing to the contractor."

"No. I won't be satisfied until I see their corpses. Keep searching!"

"Boss, look! There's a bloodstain and floating clothes over there!"

All flashlights instantly turned toward the spot. Even the helicopter adjusted its searchlights, illuminating the red-streaked water and tattered pieces of clothing drifting downstream.

The sight was convincing enough. Even though the leader remained skeptical, he took photos as proof that the targets were "eliminated."

One by one, the mercenaries pulled back, abandoning the location. The helicopter lifted off and disappeared into the night.

Then—ripples surfaced in the water.

Suddenly, three figures emerged, gasping for air.

"Cough—ugh—ugh!" Rose sputtered, choking on water as she resurfaced.

They swam toward the riverbank, shivering from the freezing cold. For now, they had to endure it—starting a fire would only risk exposing their position.

All they could do was wait.

"It's been ten minutes. Let's start a fire already. Huffftttt, I'm freezing." Rose shivered as she spoke.

They gathered dry wood into a pile surrounded by stones. Sparks ignited, and soon the flames crackled to life, casting a warm glow in the middle of the dense forest. Danny and Rose sat close to the fire, warming themselves, while Zero pulled his EXO-Armor out of the river, dragging it toward the fire.

"So… what now?" Danny asked.

"First, we need to find a way out of here," Rose replied. "To the east, there's the Cikidang highway. Once we reach it, you can go your own way, or we can pay someone to take us further. I'll be taking Zero to Bandung first before heading to Jogja."

"I think I'll be parting ways with you two when we get there."

Zero, unfazed, continued dragging his heavy EXO-Armor toward the fire. As he listened to Rose's plan, he started forming his own.

"Why should I go with you? I can take care of myself." Zero says menacingly

"Oh, come on. I went through all that trouble to save you, and this is how you repay me?"

Zero exhaled sharply, releasing a faint red mist from his skull-like mask. He was still bitter about Rose lying to him about his past.

"I'm sorry, I had to do what they told me," Rose admitted. "Being turned into a living weapon isn't something anyone would choose. I know you've suffered your whole life. Don't you remember?"

Rose's words struck something deep within Zero. He closed his eyes, and like a lightning bolt splitting the darkness, fragments of his lost memories returned. He saw himself submerged in a liquid-filled chamber, surrounded by three others. The injections, the pain, the endless insults… they all came rushing back.

REVENGE. REVENGE. REVENGE.

A whisper echoed in his mind, fueling his rage to find the man who turn him into a monster. That reason was enough for him to follow Rose—for now.

"By the way, what's your real name? It's not 'Patient Zero,' is it?" Rose asked.

"Zero… That's what people call me. I don't know my real name."

"People? So, you're famous around here?"

Zero suddenly stared at Rose.

"Haha, I was joking! Don't look at me like that."

Feeling warm enough, Rose stood up from the fire. That woman, with a claw scar running across her left cheek, walked over to her own EXO-Armor, still soaked from the river. Running a hand through her shoulder-length dark blue hair, she started checking for any damage while continuing to talk with Zero.

Then, out of nowhere, Zero muttered….

"The Wanderer Merc Group."

"Huh?" Rose turned back to look at him.

"The people chasing us earlier are a group of mercenaries who constantly move from place to place, looking for clients. That's why they call themselves 'The Wanderer.' They're relatively cheap to hire and are often used as temporary forces."

"You're starting to remember things. That's good—you're recalling pieces of your past." Rose smiled slightly while working on her EXO-Armor.

"I don't think they were the main force after us. They were only deployed because they happened to be nearby. And yes, my memories aren't fully back yet. This is just a small part. I….. still don't know how recover it all."

"Your past probably isn't very pleasant. And In that case, we need to get out of here quickly and prepare for the real forces coming after us. Sooner or later, they'll realize we're still alive. First things first, let's fix this EXO-Armor." Rose continued tweaking the armor's damaged parts.

Meanwhile, Zero approached Danny, who was still warming himself by the fire.

"Hey, can you help me build a raft? This river flows toward the Cikidang highway. Its strong current will carry us there much faster than walking."

"Yeah, sure. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can enjoy my paycheck."

Danny stood up and followed Zero into the woods, chopping down trees to gather suitable logs.

…TO BE CONTINUED…