Fuckin' hell. Jeremy jammed at the buttons on his phone. "Stebbins, pick up the fucking phone!"

  "...Stebbins."

  "Are you still in Tacoma?" he shouted, running down the sidewalk.

  "Yes, sir."

  "Get to the south end, near… Lakewood and 74th. Fuck!" Jeremy nearly tripped over a flipped over bicycle someone had abandoned on the sidewalk.

  "What's going on?"

  "The motherfuckers are back."

  Jeremy hung up and kept running, following the beam of the helicopter light. Where's Lani when you need him? I need a real fuckin' driver. Got rammed off the road by a fuckin' amateur.

  He spotted another car, with a dazed-looking driver who'd gotten sideswiped by the truck. It looked intact—and tough enough to take a few more hits. He ran up to the driver. "Hey."

  "...Huh?"

  He flashed his badge. "Jeremy Ashe, FBI. I need your car. You'll be paid for it."

  "...Yeah, okay." The guy stepped away, hands in the air. "Keys are in there."

  You're not under arrest, you idiot. "Thanks." Jeremy got in, closing the door and sliding the seat back at the same time. He kicked it on and squealed back onto the road. The truck had taken the long way, but Jeremy had rolled around Tacoma enough in the last four months to know a shortcut. He'd cut them off at the other end.

  Gunning the engine, he sped down the side street, wishing he had a proper siren and lights. Jeremy hadn't threaded a line through traffic in years. He kept leaning forward, checking the helicopter light in the distance, trying to gauge when they'd exit out of the long thoroughfare. Jeremy leaned down on the pedal, speeding up to cut the truck off.

  The helicopter was still in-line with Lakewood and heading south. Jeremy could beat them there. He was on track.

  The light buckled in midair. Jeremy squinted at it. Was it… moving?

  It shattered. A stray, lucky gunshot, maybe — Jeremy couldn't tell. The light vanished. The helicopter peeled off, just barely visible from its collision lights against the dark sky.

  Nowhere to change course, unless he wants to get caught in a neighborhood. He has to come out the south side of Lakewood. Nowhere to run, motherfucker.

  Jeremy peeled out in front of the road, parking his truck directly in the middle of the lanes. He dove out immediately, just in case, but as he got to his feet, he saw that the truck was still on the way, a pair of lights hurtling down the road straight at him. The trees lined both sides of the road like a long tunnel. Behind him was the city, but in front may as well have been an empty field.

  He ran to the side of the road, drawing his pistol.

  The truck barreled at him, blaring its horn. It wasn't slowing down. Jesus Christ, is he gonna try to ram it out of the way? He doesn't have that kind of torque. He's a fuckin' psycho.

  And he's got a hostage.

  Jeremy was about to open fire on the tires when Hailey swooped out of nowhere. She lunged out of the darkness carrying Jessica and someone else he couldn't make out. They dove down near the truck, and the other figure made a slashing motion with her hand.

  The front tire exploded.

  Hailey swung out wide, but the shreds of the tire had already caught them like shrapnel from a grenade. They stumbled in midair — if that was even possible — and Hailey dipped low.

  The trio fell into the grass ditch by the road, out of sight.

  Sparks flew from the front of the truck body as it screeched across the pavement. It ground to a halt, long before it reached Jeremy's makeshift barricade.

  Three men leapt out, weapons drawn. They took aim at Hailey, who had just risen to her feet off in the roadside ditch.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Jeremy opened fire.

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  Hailey dropped to the ground as soon as she heard the angry popping sounds.

  "Fuck!" Rika pressed a hand over a bloody patch in her side. "The fuck was that?"

  "They've still got guns," Hailey shot back. "Stay down."

  Jessica was flat on the ground, eyes forward. She gestured with her hand. A bright blue fireball appeared and hurtled over the top of the ditch, in the general direction of the truck. She threw a few more, before Rika grabbed her hand.

  "Ryan's in there!" she shouted. When Jessica just stared at her blankly, Rika turned to Hailey. "Help me out here."

  Hailey took a second, then pointed at where the truck would be, if they were standing up. She mimed grabbing her own arm and dragging herself away, then held her hands up to her neck. She pointed at the truck again, emphasizing it.

  Jessica nodded. A second later, she vanished.

  "Jess!" Hailey cried, but she was gone.

  "Holy shit," gasped Rika. "You can turn invisible now?"

  "She's going after Ryan," said Hailey, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She doesn't even know who's in there. It's our best move though… She can just walk right up to them. Maybe—

  Jessica cried out in alarm.

  Hailey's heart stopped. Without thinking, she bolted over the edge of the ditch into the open.

  A huge burly beast of a man — someone who looked like he was barely contained by his own skin — was holding… nothing. Except that nothing was struggling against his grip, and he had a pistol up against her head.

  Hailey raised her hands, about to snatch the pistol away, but his other man had a gun on her as well. She froze. She didn't dare move an inch.

  Another gunshot from far down the street, plinking off the truck cab as the men crouched behind it.

  "Do it, bitch. I dare you," the man grunted, spitting blood out of his mouth.

  Jessica reappeared, her face pinched up. She couldn't breathe. Her hands beat at the man's arm, but she couldn't break free. She never learned how to make herself stronger… none of us knew how back then.

  "You can't get out of this," Hailey said slowly. "Your car's toast."

  The guy shrugged. His face twisted into a wicked smile. "So's your girl, if you don't back off."

  Jessica's arms were getting weaker. Hailey felt real pain in her chest, though she hadn't been injured at all. "Let her go," she pleaded, holding her hands up. She took a step away.

  "Fuck you," he said. His finger began to squeeze the trigger.

  Hailey screamed. She hurled herself forward, ripping the pistol out of his hand with her mind. The bullet fired, and a splatter of blood flew out wide.

  Hailey's fist, laced with magic, blew through the man's face. His nose shattered, and his skull probably went along with it.

  The man slammed into the body of the truck. The back of his head flattened against the metal. He slid down the side. She had no idea if he'd survived.

  The other two men raised their guns. Hailey whipped around.

  A crackle of blue electricity flickered through the air. It struck the first man, then jumped to the second. Both fell to the ground, twitching like mad. The bolt of electricity jumped a third time to the truck, before dissipating with a pop.

  Rika lowered her hand, still clutching her bloody hip with the other.

  Hailey fell to the ground. Jessica's face was a mess of blood. Hailey cradled her head in her lap, wiping away the blood from her forehead, trying to see the wound. Jessica twisted around feebly, murmuring something. The graze wasn't deep, but she was really shook up.

  Hailey gasped in relief. She seemed okay, just grazed. She was already starting to mumble something, the usual sing-song tone that meant she was fine and Hailey didn't need to worry. Not that Hailey couldn't worry after something like that. For a brief, terrible moment, she'd actually thought Jessica might be—

  Another gunshot, and another. A final, much louder shot in rapid succession.

  Jessica cried out.

  One of the men on the pavement jerked. His head exploded. Rika dove to the ground, and threw her hand out wide. The other pistol in the last man's grip slid across the pavement a dozen feet, while he continued to twitch on the ground.

  Jessica was clutching her leg, where a bloody hole leaked fluid at an alarming rate. One bullet had flown right through her left shin and another through her thigh, missing Hailey by an inch. The man had barely managed to aim and pull the trigger despite being tazed by Rika into submission... and Jessica had been shot.

  "Jeremy!" Hailey shouted, her voice ragged. She threw magic into it heedless, raising it to deafening volumes. "Call an ambulance!"

  She barely heard an acknowledgment, still clutching Jessica in her arms. Rika crawled over next to her, pointing out where to hold the wound and apply pressure. Her hands were slick with blood, but Hailey managed it. The flow stopped. Jessica looked like she was getting better already, though she kept writhing and trying to get away from Hailey's grip.

  "Oh sweet God in heaven…" Jeremy gasped as he finally came around to the back of the truck. He stared down at Hailey, tear-streaked and desperately holding Jessica's leg in place while she moaned in pain. "It's on the way, Jess. Hang in there."

  "Jess?" Hailey whispered.

  Jessica looked around, eyes fluttering. She saw Hailey and smiled.

  "Ryan," Rika groaned, pulling herself up the side of the truck. She opened the cab door, digging through the backseat. "Holy shit. Ryan, wake up."

  Sirens preceded the ambulance, swerving around Jeremy's truck at the end of the street. It pulled up next to them, within just a few feet.

  The EMTs bolted out, and grabbed Jessica up out of Hailey's arms. She clawed after them, but Jeremy held her back. They worked quickly to stabilize her wound as best they could, before they loaded her into the back. Hailey took an awkward step toward the ambulance — and the rending, earsplitting cry of metal tearing apart stopped her in her tracks.

  Hailey whirled around. Rika was lugging an unconscious Ryan away from the suddenly bisected truck. Jeremy had his pistol drawn and was backing away from a huge, faceless golem.