"Now what!" Willow thought, unknowingly saying it out loud.
"We will find out a way," Lothaire who sat beside her on the front seat of the truck replied calmly as he leaned back and relaxed.
"Yes, like that's going to happen"
"Relax, Tinkerbell. No need to stress. You will wrinkle that pretty face"
"You-"
"Could you please watch where you drive, woman?" Lothaire said loudly, getting her attention.
Willow steered the vehicle in the nick of time just before it was about to collide with a tree.
"Sorry," Willow muttered.
"It's becoming a habit for you, doesn't it? You do it and then say sorry"
"Don't grumble vampire, I said sorry"
They both kept quiet as Willow drove along. Tension rose in the ensuing silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Do you think the guy we met yesterday knows anything about the king?"
"No. Even if he does, he won't reveal. He would know by then Elite Parker's death. It's hard to miss the dots. He won't be any help to you"
"Fuck!! Now we are officially on the wanted list"
"Was it any different than before?" Lothaire titled his head and questioned her.
Willow met his eyes briefly and replied, "no."
Lothaire nodded as if satisfied with her response.
"But now what? Where to go? We confirmed our suspect and now, how to find him?"
"What did I tell you about stress Tinkerbell?"
"Oh, come on! It's not like he will follow us raining bullets," Willow rolled her eyes.
Not two seconds later, a set of bullets hit the back of the truck.
"Fuck!"
"Shit!"
Lothaire glared at her.
"What? I don't have any magic tongue that makes anything I said true," Willow protested, lifting her arms.
Lothaire's glare intensified as if he was saying with his eyes, "can't you wait for some time before wishing for action?"
Willow huffed as if she clearly heard his internal monologue.
Another round of bullets broke their silent communication.
"Ahh... hell. Here, you take the steering," Willow didn't wait to see Lothaire's bewildered expression.
She took the guns tucked in the dashboard, crept forward, her torso completely out of the window, and started shooting the vehicle that was following them.
"Bang!! Bang!!! Bang!!!"
"What the hell do you think you are doing woman! Get inside now," Lothaire shouted as the bullets pelted the side of the truck.
Willow unloaded the bullets one after another, shooting with precision, never leaving a mark as the bullets hit the windshield, breaking the glass.
"Willow, get inside now," Lothaire's shouts are lost in the sounds of bullets meeting their mark.
Willow dropped the empty gun inside the truck and continued shooting with the other one.
Finally, the car swirled as the bullet hit the driver.
"Yes!!" Willow screamed, only to swear in the next minute as her gaze noted the cars that were following the first one.
"Shit!! Shit!!! Shit!!!"
Willow dropped inside the vehicle, clutching the steering once again.
Ignoring the death glare Lothaire is aiming her way, she informs him, "there are 4 more cars following us. We need ammunition. It's in the back"
A muscle ticked in Lothaire's jaw. If he clenched it any harder, it would break, thought Willow.
Lothaire pointed to the curve on the road.
"I will go back when you take a turn. We will have a few seconds before the bullets hit the vehicle once again," Lothaire stared serenely.
"Are you sure?"
"Ask me that again Tinkerbell and I will show you with my mouth," Lothaire snapped, not in the mood to placate her after her recent stunt.
"Whatever," Willow glowered and took the turn.
Lothaire got out of the vehicle with lightning speed, clutched the side of the truck, broke the lock, and entered the body of the truck just as the bullets started pelting once again.
With a smirk, he grabbed the meanest-looking weapon, aimed at the first vehicle following them, and shot it.
"Boom!!!" The car blasted, fire leaping from it.
The other 3 vehicles didn't abandon their pursuit.
Willow wheeled the truck left and right, taking sudden cuts making it difficult for their pursuers to aim.
Lothaire shot another missile, however, it missed the vehicle completely and hit a tree on the side.
"Boom!!!"
"Dammit Tinkerbell, your driving needs to improve," Lothaire glowered, as he tried to aim once more.
The vampire from the closest car took aim and shot the bullet missing Lothaire by five centimeters.
"Shit!!"
Lothaire changed the weapon, this time choosing a machine gun, and pelted the car with bullets.
The vampire who nearly shot him found himself with a silver bullet in his body. His mouth opened in shock as he tumbled to the side of the car.
Lothaire continued his assault as Willow skidded, swirled the truck left and right.
Another bullet hit the driver of the closest car, successfully clearing the occupants in it as it skidded to the side.
The third car crashed into the second one. The fire quickly erupted, blasting both of them.
The driver of the last car carefully maneuvered the vehicle not getting close to the fire.
Lothaire tried to aim but due to the constant movement, it became hard to shoot at their final pursuer.
Willow checked through the broken side mirror for the cars.
"Bastard," she swore as she turned the vehicle once again, tires screeching in protest, rubber burning. The smoke from the blast coated the air, thick, black, dark clouds rising from the ground as if to meet the sky.
After two blocks of running wild, Lothaire was able to pin the last car, blasting it with the weapon in his hand.
Willow droves some more just to be sure that no more crazy vampires were following them.
Once she was satisfied that everything was clear, she drove to her place, parking the truck in the dark alley beside her place. The dark will conceal it for now.
Willow thought about the chase. "How did they know where to find them?" She spoke out loud the single thought that is bothering her since they sighted the cars.
Surely, they didn't leave any clues at Elite Parker's place. And guessing from the people following them, they don't look like the guards of the dead Elite.
Meaning, they are the king's men following them on his orders.
"But how the fuck did he find out about them!!" Willow swore once again.
She is sure she never left an eye-witness behind. Then how? Where did she slip?
Willow mentally played all the things that happened since her stepping foot on this kingdom.
The only thing varying is the vampire hanging with her. He is the only unknown factor.
Could he betray her?
"No," Willow shook her head before that thought could finish taking root in her mind.
Call it a gut feeling but she trusts Lothaire. More than her teammates, which is twisted since she knew them for 7 years.
If not him then who?
Perhaps the vampire that gave the intel on Elite Parker? Maybe he thought of benefitting more by double-crossing them?
But how can he learn where they were, at the right time, right moment?
Willow groaned into her hands. Perhaps she is thinking too hard. She knew she was missing something... something vital, that is dancing before her eyes. But she is not able to see it.
"Bones, you in there?" Willow called as she landed on her foot unceremoniously.
She walked to the back of the truck; her mind disturbed with the thoughts swirling.
"Bones? Come out you fool," Willow shouted her hands on her hips, irritated that he isn't moving his ass fast enough.
"Bones?" Willow took a step forward when she heard no reply.
That's strange. It's not like him to not rebuke her within 5 seconds. What's happening?
"I swear vampire if this is one of your tricks then I'm going to pull your fangs with my bare hands," Willow warned, her heart racing inside her chest.
With shaky hands that are unlike her, she opened the door of the truck. And there laid Lothaire, with a weapon in his hand, his eyes closed.
Blood flowing from the wounds he took. His chest is covered in blood.
Willow crumbled beside him.
"Bones!!! Bones!!! Dammit, you idiot! Why didn't you call me! Dammit!"
Willow tried to grab his arms tentatively, her shivering hands making it difficult to get a firm grip on him.
"Dammit! I swear vampire if you die on me, I will find a way to resurrect you just to stab you in the heart. I'm not kidding either. Do you hear me? I'm going to kill you, you dumb vampire," Willow whispered, her voice shaking, her eyes welling up.
Tears trickled down her cheeks as she looked at the vampire whose stubbornness has slowly made a home inside her heart.
"Bones... please... please don't die on me"