Chapter 207: Desperate Escape
[Chapter 207: Desperate Escape]
Under the lights, Ryan was directing the "traffic," holding a crying child in his arms. A spotlight hovered right above Ryan's head, illuminating his expression and demeanor clearly. "The lighting setup is just perfect," the cameraman zoomed in, capturing a close-up of Ryan and the little girl he was holding.
Before long, the girl's parents arrived. Ryan scolded them a bit and then instructed them to take their daughter away. He then started sprinting toward other spectators, an expression of urgency written all over his face. And all of this was captured on more than one camera.
...
At the same time, Tiesto was still performing on the main stage. When he saw the flames erupting in the distance, he felt a chill down his spine, and the next moment, he heard a voice in his earpiece calling to halt the performance. He quickly retreated backstage where many DJs who had just performed were gathering.
"What happened?" someone asked.
"Didn't you see? There's a fire in the park."
"What should we do?"
"It's chaotic outside. Let's just stay here for now. If it gets worse, we might have to jump into the ocean." The bay park was right by the sea, after all.
...
On the other side, a group of imposing figures moved through the burning woods. Fortunately, the flames had not reached the roads yet, but the acrid smell was still uncomfortable.
"What's that smell? Is someone barbecuing?" one of them asked.
"Oh no, my wings are melting!"
"Stop with the nonsense. We're almost at the exit. You want to keep that as a souvenir?"
"Berwick, look over there..."
"I told you, focus on the task at hand..." Berwick was getting impatient when he noticed a junction box by the roadside. A scuffle was happening next to the distribution box, as two people were fighting over a camcorder. It seems one person was trying to document the unfolding chaos, unfortunately, he ran into a black guy who wanted to buy it for free.
"Should we intervene?" a teammate suggested.
Berwick remembered Ryan's instructions and shook his head. "That's enough."
The small team paid no mind to the brawl as they quickly moved past. The robber was gaining the upper hand, slamming the other guy's head against the distribution box just when, in a panic, someone inexplicably opened the box's door.
Several black guys worked together to push the man towards the circuit board full of wires... During the scuffle, they touched something and all their bodies suddenly became stiff. The man "stood straight," then smoke began to come out of his body and sparks burst out from the distribution box.
When several people started to catch fire, the power of the entire park was cut off. Without lighting, more people began to get restless...
...
Berwick and his team reached the exit, where a dilapidated Jeep was waiting as planned. Without hesitation, they jumped in, though traffic was congested around them.
"Ram the car through, and head on the opposite side of the road!" Berwick commanded.
As the Jeep turned around, they encountered a couple of patrol cars speeding toward them, their red and blue lights flashing and sirens blaring.
In a split second, the Jeep squeezed through the tight space between the oncoming traffic. All of the MPD's attention was focused on the park, not caring about the small stuff outside.
On their way out, Berwick noticed several police cars along with fire trucks and ambulances speeding by.
...
The first MPD units arrived, jumping out, but just as they were about to rush in, they suddenly heard gunshots from inside the park.
The MPD officers quickly regrouped, taking cover behind their cars while peering into the darkened park, which had become pitch black after the power outage, with only flames illuminating the chaos.
"We need to clear the area and wait for backup before we go in!" one MPD captain ordered, and proceeded to call for reinforcements over the radio.
With tens of thousands of people inside the park, it far exceeded the MPD's control, and they would have to call in the National Guard.
More and more vehicles converged, blocking the roads completely, yet not a single MPD officer dared step foot inside the park. Ambulances, too, were largely ineffective, with firefighters trying to put out one fire after another, only for flames to ignite in other areas. Four media helicopters hovered above, seemingly engaged in a contest to get the best shots of the incident.
At that moment, the MPD captain received a call. "What? The senator's daughter is inside?"
...
Simultaneously, in a nightclub in Miami.
"Has backup arrived?" the FBI agent asked, glancing around.
"Only two vehicles still haven't come in," a female agent replied, nodding.
"We can't delay any longer. Get your vests on; that guy's rushing in!" The male agent took a deep breath.
The two agents were originally just there to scout the location, snap some photos, and prepare for future action. But before long, they saw Russell's goons flooding out, and soon they received news that chaos had erupted at Bay Park.
Plans changed quickly; they had to spring into action that very night, trying to secure anyone they could. If they could capture the main suspect alive, the MPD would inevitably cooperate.
"Everyone, let's go!" the female agent said into her portable mic just as she saw Russell and a few of his men heading out in a hurry.
"FBI! Drop your weapons; you're surrounded!" the male agent shouted, but just as he spoke, he ducked for cover.
The female partner was quick to react, pulling her gun and firing a few shots.
Russell and his men took out their submachine guns and opened fire on the two agents, creating absolute chaos within the nightclub. The backup reinforcements had just reached the entrance, and the firefight erupted between the two parties. While Russell had only three to four loyal henchmen, they were quickly overpowered by the heavily armed agents.
...
Watching his men get shot up left Russell furious. He grabbed a nightclub patron lying on the floor and held a gun to their neck.
"Back off! I'll shoot! Get back!" Russell shouted, pushing himself backward while holding the hostage in front of him.
"You can't escape; drop your weapon!" the agent yelled back.
Russell fired a volley in their direction, shoved the hostage, and bolted toward the rear exit.
...
The agents immediately fired back. Remarkably, no shots found Russell, but the hostage met a different fate.
"Chase him! We can't let MPD grab him!" the agent yelled to his team.
"Target's heading to the back door! Prepare to block him off; we need him alive!" the agent shouted into his radio.
...
At the nightclub's rear exit, a group of agents waited at the back door, ready for Russell to burst out.
Everyone's focus was on that exit, neglecting the fact that Russell, as the owner, had already prepared an escape plan.
Suddenly, a crashing sound echoed through the space as a massive Mercedes G-Wagon burst through a wall. It turned out that this wall was hollow during construction, serving as a secret backdoor.
Russell was behind the wheel, flooring the gas. The G-Wagon barreled down the narrow alley, plowing through two vehicles blocking the path.
With its elevated chassis, the vehicle crushed the cars beneath it, soaring through the air for a moment before landing hard. The strong suspension absorbed the impact, shaking Russell around like he was on a rollercoaster, but he regained control, slamming on the brakes and sharply turning the steering wheel.
The vehicle began to drift on the road, tires squealing and smoking as they left intense marks on the pavement.
Russell pressed the accelerator and took off.
...
"Get in the car quickly! Control Russell's family!" the agent yelled as he jumped into a chase vehicle. At this point, they couldn't conceal their intentions, turning on the lights atop the car and joining the growing pursuit behind the G-Wagon.
Russell quickly dialed his family, but it was FBI agents who answered the phone instead.
"Damn it!" Russell shouted, confused as to why the FBI was on the other end. Everything felt strange: Alex's return, the chaos at the music festival, the FBI's raid... It all seemed too coincidental, unfolding too rapidly.
In half an hour, he felt like he had plunged from heaven to hell.
It was as if someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes!
Ahead, more MPD vehicles came barreling toward him.
"Bring it on! I'm not afraid!" Russell shouted, engulfed in fury as he accelerated.
What looked like a dramatic car chase from a Hollywood blockbuster was unfolding, yet the MPD didn't dare to stop him. They quickly pulled to the side as the G-Wagon sped past, only to turn around, joining the pursuit.
At the next intersection, Russell noticed spikes laid out on the southern road, with numerous police cars completely blocking the lane.
He swerved the wheel hard, redirecting the vehicle northbound.
After a few minutes, Russell saw countless MPD cars lining the road, with darkness looming on the other side.
Bay Park!
Realizing this was his sole chance to escape, he smashed the G-Wagon through the railing, creating a gap and driving straight into the park. Following closely behind were the cars in pursuit.
Entering the park meant Russell was now on familiar turf, and in a frantic moment, he floored the gas, blasting through a thicket. Amidst the firelight, he spotted a tent area, teeming with partying revelers.
In that moment, Russell lost all sense of reason in desperation.
The vehicle picked up speed...
BANG! A pink flamingo mascot was sent flying by the impact.
As the G-Wagon rampaged through the tent area for hundreds of feet, it finally lost control and crashed into a tree.
Dazed, Russell shook his head, hearing the piercing shouts intensifying outside. Knowing he was completely defeated, he began to fumble around for something on him, eventually finding a crumpled-up cigarette, lighting it up for a drag.
He stepped out of the vehicle, and amidst a chorus of angry shouts, he started to reach for his waistband.
In the next moment, dozens of rounds fired in his direction.
Even after he fell, the gunshots continued, echoing like a series of firecrackers in the air.
All agents present opened fire.
Everything was for administrative leave.
The barrage lasted nearly thirty seconds, leaving a pile of bullets lodged in Russell's body as if weighing him down.
*****
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