Chapter 14: Highway Firefight
The hum of the ambulance engine was the only sound in the night as Conrad and Loraine sped down the highway. The city lights blurred past them, but their minds were far from the quiet. In the back of the vehicle, Loraine sat next to a medical cooler containing a human liver—their mission tonight was to transport the organ to a nearby hospital for a critical transplant. Time was of the essence, and everything was riding on their safe and timely arrival.
Loraine glanced nervously at the cooler.
"This liver could save a life, Conrad. We can’t afford to mess this up."
Conrad, gripping the steering wheel tightly, kept his eyes on the road. "Don’t worry, we’ll get there in time. I’m keeping this baby under control."
The adrenaline had been pumping through both of them since they received the call. This was no ordinary transport. Not only was the organ valuable, but they were now aware of the dangers that lurked beneath the surface—dangerous mercenaries connected to the illegal organ syndicate they had uncovered. The thought gnawed at the back of Conrad’s mind, and his instincts told him to stay alert.
As they drove, a sudden movement caught Loraine’s attention in the side mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw several black SUVs trailing them. At first, she thought they were just regular cars, but their speed and coordination quickly told a different story.
"Conrad..." she said, her voice tense.
"We’ve got company."
Conrad flicked a quick glance in the rearview mirror. "Shit." His hands tightened on the wheel.
"They’re following us."
"Are they...?" Loraine’s heart raced.
"Do you think they’re after the liver?"
"I don’t think they’re here to say hi."
Suddenly, one of the SUVs pulled up alongside them, and the window rolled down. Loraine’s breath caught in her throat as she saw a man leaning out with a gun. He pointed it directly at their tires.
"They’re armed!" Loraine shouted, panic rising in her voice.
Conrad swore under his breath, and without hesitation, he slammed on the accelerator, pushing the ambulance faster.
"Hang on!"
The ambulance roared forward, but the SUVs kept pace. The lead vehicle swerved toward them, attempting to ram the ambulance off the road. Conrad veered sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding the impact, but the sudden movement made the ambulance lurch. Loraine grabbed the cooler, holding it tightly to prevent it from being thrown across the back.
"We can’t let them get the organ!" Loraine yelled.
"What are we going to do?"
Conrad’s face was set in determination.
"We’re not stopping. I’ll lose them."
He swerved again, narrowly dodging another attempt by the mercenaries to sideswipe them. But the SUVs weren’t giving up. One of them accelerated and pulled ahead, then abruptly cut in front of the ambulance, trying to block their path.
"They’re trying to box us in!" Loraine shouted.
Conrad’s knuckles were white as he gripped the wheel. "Not today." He veered sharply to the left, speeding into the other lane, narrowly missing a car in the process. The SUVs followed, their aggressive tactics ramping up.
One of the mercenaries fired a shot, hitting the back of the ambulance. The sound of the bullet made Loraine flinch, and she instinctively ducked, holding the cooler tightly against her chest. "They’re shooting at us!"
Conrad didn’t waste any time. "Get something to defend yourself with!"
Loraine’s eyes darted around the cramped space of the ambulance. There were no weapons, but then her gaze landed on the fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. She grabbed it and hurried to the side door, pulling it open slightly to peer outside.
The wind roared past her as she unlatched the fire extinguisher. One of the SUVs was right next to them, the passenger leaning out of the window with a gun aimed directly at the ambulance.
With a surge of adrenaline, Loraine pointed the extinguisher out of the door and released a thick cloud of white foam directly into the mercenary’s face. He yelped in surprise, his vision obscured as the foam coated the windshield. The SUV swerved wildly, and Conrad took the opportunity to swerve sharply to the right, forcing the SUV to crash into the highway barrier with a screech of metal and shattered glass.
"Nice one!" Conrad shouted over the roar of the engine, his voice filled with adrenaline.
But there was no time to celebrate. Two more SUVs were still on their tail, and they weren’t backing down. One of the vehicles pulled up behind them, ramming the back of the ambulance, making it lurch forward.
"They’re going to take us out if we don’t do something fast!" Loraine shouted, gripping the door handle to steady herself.
Conrad’s jaw clenched as he weaved between cars, pushing the ambulance to its limits. "We need to get off the highway. They can’t follow us in this traffic forever."
Up ahead, Conrad spotted an exit ramp. Without hesitation, he veered toward it, the ambulance barreling down the narrow road as the SUVs followed in hot pursuit. They were now on a winding back road, surrounded by trees and sharp turns.
"They’re still behind us!" Loraine warned, glancing back through the rear window.
Conrad gritted his teeth. "I know. But this road is narrow. I’m going to make it hard for them to keep up."
He accelerated, the ambulance tearing around sharp corners as the tires screeched in protest. The first SUV struggled to keep pace, but the second one, more aggressive, managed to pull up beside them again. The passenger aimed his gun at the ambulance’s tires.
"Conrad, watch out!" Loraine screamed, but before the mercenary could fire, she pointed the fire extinguisher at him again and sprayed a thick cloud of foam directly into his face.
The mercenary shouted in frustration, blinded by the foam. The SUV swerved violently, losing control as it skidded off the road and crashed into a ditch.
"Two down, one to go," Conrad muttered, his focus laser-sharp.
The last SUV was still on their tail, and the driver seemed determined not to let them get away. He rammed the back of the ambulance again, harder this time, sending them careening forward.
"We’re not going to make it to the hospital if they keep this up," Loraine said, her voice filled with worry.
Conrad’s mind raced, searching for a solution. Then he saw it—a narrow construction road just ahead, leading into a densely wooded area. It was risky, but it was their best shot at losing the last SUV.
"Hold on!" Conrad shouted.
Without warning, he veered sharply onto the construction road, the ambulance bouncing over uneven terrain. The last SUV hesitated for a moment, then followed them into the woods, but the narrow path made it difficult for the large vehicle to keep up.
Conrad weaved through the trees, the ambulance barely squeezing through the tight spaces. The SUV behind them scraped against branches and rocks, struggling to maintain speed. Loraine kept her grip tight on the cooler, praying it would survive the bumpy ride.
Then, with a final burst of speed, Conrad swerved sharply around a large boulder, cutting off the SUV’s path. The mercenaries couldn’t react in time. The SUV slammed into the boulder, coming to a screeching halt with a loud crash.
"We did it!" Loraine shouted, her voice filled with relief.
Conrad slowed the ambulance down, breathing heavily as the danger finally passed. "Yeah... we did."
They drove in silence for a moment, both of them catching their breath. Loraine glanced back at the medical cooler, still safely in her lap.
"Let’s get this liver to the hospital before anything else happens," she said, her voice steady again.
Conrad nodded, his grip on the steering wheel loosening as the adrenaline slowly faded. "Yeah. Let’s get it done."
As they sped toward the hospital, they both knew this wouldn’t be the last time they faced danger. But for now, they had won the fight. And they had saved a life.