"Willy, any ideas on a quick escape route?" Marcus asked, his voice steady despite the pressure.
Willy had already opened his PDA with a map of their surroundings on the screen, his tactical mind processing the layout. "There's a side street about fifty meters ahead on the left. It's narrow but might give us a chance to break through."
Marcus nodded. "Alright. On my signal, Sophia, take that left. We'll force our way through if we have to."
The soldiers were now just a few meters away, their hands resting on their weapons, eyes locked on the SUV.
"Get ready," Marcus said, his voice a calm command. "Three... two... one..."
"Now!" Marcus shouted.
Sophia hit the gas, swerving left towards the side street. The SUV barreled forward, the sudden movement catching the soldiers off guard. They scrambled to react, drawing their weapons as the SUV careened through the narrow gap.
"Hold on!" Sophia yelled, gripping the wheel tightly as they navigated the tight turns, the SUV bouncing over the rough terrain.
Gunfire erupted behind them, bullets pinging off the metal frame of the SUV. Charlotte and Willy returned fire through the rear windows, their shots precise, hitting the two soldiers who were firing at them square in their left collar bones.
"Keep going!" Marcus urged, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "Willy, where next?"
The SUV burst through the side street and into a wider road. The soldiers were momentarily left behind, but Marcus knew it wouldn't be long before they regrouped.
"Head for the old service road by the river," Willy directed, his mind already calculating their next move. "It's less monitored. We can lose them there." Sophia nodded, steering the SUV towards their new destination.
As the SUV barreled down the side street, the soldiers' shouts and gunfire faded into the background. Sophia skillfully navigated the narrow alley, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. The team had no time to lose.
"Head for Olanitori Street," Willy shouted, his voice steady but urgent. "It'll take us to the Lalupon Expressway."
Sophia nodded, her eyes focused ahead. "Got it."
The SUV burst out of the alley and onto Olanitori Street, the tires screeching as they took a sharp turn. The street was just beginning to wake up, with early morning vendors setting up their stalls and a few pedestrians making their way to work. Horns blared as the SUV swerved around them, causing a few to jump back in alarm.
"Almost there," Willy said from the back seat, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of pursuit. "Keep going straight."
They sped down Olanitori Street, the narrow road lined with old buildings and small shops. The early morning light cast long shadows, adding to the chaotic atmosphere. Just as they reached the intersection leading to the Lalupon Expressway, a large 70-seater city bus appeared from the right, its horn blaring as it barreled towards them.
"Look out!" Charlotte shouted.
Sophia yanked the wheel hard to the left, narrowly avoiding a collision with the massive vehicle. The SUV skidded, tires screeching, and they momentarily lost control. The bus driver swerved to avoid them, his eyes wide with panic as the massive vehicle roared past, inches away from the SUV.
"Hold on!" Marcus yelled, grabbing the dashboard as the SUV fishtailed.
Sophia fought the steering wheel, managing to regain control just in time to avoid plowing into a row of parked cars. The SUV straightened out when she floored the gas, merging onto the Lalupon Expressway with a burst of speed.
"Everyone alright?" Marcus asked, glancing around at his team.
"Yeah," Willy replied, his voice tight with adrenaline. "Just barely."
"Let's not do that again," Charlotte muttered, her hand still gripping her weapon.
The expressway was busier, with early morning traffic beginning to build. Cars and trucks honked angrily as Sophia weaved through the lanes, pushing the SUV to its limits. They needed to put as much distance between themselves and the border checkpoint as possible.
Marcus kept an eye on the rearview mirror, watching for any signs of pursuit. So far, they seemed to have shaken off the soldiers, but he knew it wouldn't be long before they were back on their tail.
The SUV hurtled down the old service road, the team barely catching their breath from their narrow escape on the Lalupon Expressway. Just as Marcus began to think they might have evaded their pursuers, Charlotte's sharp eyes caught movement in the rearview mirror.
"Soldiers," she said, her voice tense. "They've found us."
Marcus glanced back, spotting the military vehicles gaining on them. "We need to lose them in the city. Willy?"
"Gimme a minute," Willy said. After a short pause, he said, "Head towards Sabo Market. It's the second turn on the right."
Sophia nodded, gripping the wheel tighter. She pushed the SUV harder, its engine roaring in protest as they sped towards the bustling market district. The narrow streets of the city began to close in around them, the early morning light casting long shadows as vendors and shoppers started their day.
They tore into the crowded Sabo Market, the SUV weaving between stalls and pedestrians. Horns blared and people shouted as the vehicle careened through the chaos. The soldiers followed closely, their military trucks barely able to navigate the tight turns and dense foot traffic.
"Willy, we need eyes on the sky," Marcus said, his voice urgent. "What's our best route?"
Willy was hunched over his tablet which had been tapped into the satellite feed. "Got it. There's a road block at Elvis junction at the end of this market road. There's most likely going to be a spike strip set up there. Take the next left onto Jeje Street, it'll connect us to Gbemisoke Highway."
Sophia swerved left. Marcus could see the spike strip the soldiers had set up. They barreled onto Jeje Street, the narrow alley barely wide enough for the SUV. The soldiers struggled to keep up, their larger vehicles scraping against the walls and scattering market stalls in their wake.
"Gbemisoke Highway, straight ahead!" Willy called out, his eyes glued to the satellite feed. "Watch out, more soldiers setting up a roadblock."
Sophia didn't hesitate. She floored the gas, aiming for a gap between the blocking vehicles. The SUV burst onto the highway, narrowly squeezing through the gap and leaving the soldiers scrambling to follow.
The chase intensified as they hit the open road. Police vehicles joined the pursuit, their sirens blaring and lights flashing.
"Cop roadblock ahead. Spike strip. We'd escape them on the Olodo Overhead Bridge. Now!" Sophia then swerved left, the policemen at the blockade rushing into their cars rushing to the foot of the bridge to block it. The SUV skidded as they veered onto the ramp leading to the Olodo Overhead Bridge.
"You'd like to speed up if you don't mind," Willy instructed, his voice calm despite the chaos.
They raced down the bridge and connected again with Gbemisoke Highway seconds ahead of the police cars, the SUV swerving through the morning traffic. The soldiers and police were relentless, their vehicles a constant presence in the rearview mirror. The team's focus was razor-sharp, every second critical.
The ominous thud of rotor blades filled the air as a military helicopter joined the chase, its spotlight sweeping over the bridge.
"Helicopter!" Charlotte shouted, her eyes darting upwards.
Marcus cursed under his breath. "Willy?"
Willy scanned the feed, looking for any advantage. "Shit, I don't know. I don't see any tunnels on my feed. Good news is if we maintain this route we're on, we'd cross into Modibo in 30 minutes."
Marcus scoffed. "We'd either be in cuffs or dead by then. There's no way they don't have a roadblock just before the border."
"Good news is I'm not seeing or hearing anything to suggest that on the scanners or the satellite. Everyone's behind us."
"And they're catching up," Sophia chimed in.