Strictly Professional
Act I: The Beginning of the End
Chapter 2: The Physics Test
"Don't move," the man hissed, but Jinora's limbs felt paralyzed. Behind her she could hear more explosions―more bombs going off or other weapons?―screaming and some gunfire, but she didn't dare turn around.
"Easy, no need to be so serious," Kai said quietly. "So, you with the Red Lotus?"
"I ask the questions here," the man snarled. "Now take out your phones." Jinora did so immediately, her hands trembling, although Kai took his sweet time. The man stomped on them, their screens cracked and ruined. There was no way they'd work, even if she could reach down and grab it before getting shot in the head. "Now get in the car."
Jinora took a few small shaky steps forward, but Kai didn't move. The man pressed the gun more firmly into his back and Jinora watched, wide-eyed. What was Kai doing?
"See, you're wrong about that," Kai said, and then he smacked the man in the face with his elbow before he whirled around. The man reeled backwards and Kai managed to wrestle both of his guns from his grasp. "I give the orders."
Jinora's jaw dropped and she hastily closed it. Kai handed her one of the guns. "Know how to use one?" he asked, as he kept the other against the man's head.
She fumbled with the gun. "Y-yeah," she managed out, and was about to say that she had never handled one outside of the practice firing range, but her throat was too dry to work properly. She was staring in horror at the chaos around her; great plumes of smoke were billowing up from the burning warehouses. The gunfire and screaming had ended now.
Kai stared at the man who had attacked them and promptly smashed his head against the butt of the gun. The man crumpled to the floor. Kai then followed her gaze and then bit his lip, his eyes troubled before he shut them tightly. He took a deep breath, reopening them slowly. "Get in the car."
"Shouldn't we try to―" Look for survivors? It was too terrible to say out loud.
"No," said Kai harshly. "We don't know what we're walking in to. Obviously, this was well planned. They think we're gonna be captured, so we've got a head start before they realize we're not, whoever they are. Red Lotus, probably. Besides, when they come out they're gonna have whatever remains of Varrick's weapons. So let's get out of here and contact the Agency."
It was an actually well-reasoned plan, although Jinora was reluctant to admit it. "Okay."
"First bombing?" Kai guessed, as he stepped over the man's unconscious body and taking his keys from the man's pocket before they climbed into the car. He threw his duffle bag into the back seat and Jinora did the same with her purse.
"Yeah." She got into the passenger seat, putting her gun into a storage space in the door. "Your last mission had to do with a bombing right?" She noticed his hands were shaking as he placed the key into the ignition.
"Yeah," said Kai, throwing the burning warehouses one last look. He stepped onto the gas pedal and shoved the gears into reverse, before they sped away from the Enterprises at a speed well above the limit. Dust caught up around the turning wheels as they sped down the long, empty dirt roads.
"How much of a head start do you think we have?" asked Jinora. "It'll take us over almost six hours to get back into the city by car."
"Probably half an hour," said Kai. His fingers were tapping out some kind of pattern on the steering wheel. "More or less. It won't take them too long, but they'll want to capture survivors and the weapons are their first priority."
"You seem awfully calm," Jinora said, her voice wavering. His blunt, laid back attitude was almost infuriating. Why wasn't he freaking out like she was? Or maybe it was better that he was keeping his head clear. But all she could think about was Varrick, eccentric, well-meaning Varrick, and all his workers, being blown to bits, and here was Kai, making her feel completely emotionally inadequate.
"You get used to shit like this after a while," he shrugged.
"It's a good thing Varrick's tour took so long," Jinora said thoughtfully. Her throat was still painfully dry. "Otherwise we wouldn't have been there when the bombing happened."
"Yeah, lucky us," said Kai dryly.
"D'you think that he...?" she trailed off, her voice soft and timid, even to herself.
"Survived? I doubt it. But people aren't just odds and numbers," said Kai quietly. "Still got your gun?"
She cleared her throat, trying to sound more confident. More in control. Not like a shaking, scared little girl. "Yeah."
"You're not bleeding or anything?"
"No..." Jinora glanced at him. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," he confirmed, looking almost surprised by the question. "Are you gonna be able to switch seats with me to drive in case of an emergency?" She noticed that he didn't have his seatbelt on and was about to scold him when she swallowed it. Now wasn't the time. Besides, a seat belt would just make getting into the driver's seat more complicated.
"I'll find a way," she said. She tried not to think of the possible emergency that would need it, like a car crash, or a bullet to the head. Even if she didn't like him, she didn't want him to die. Besides, then she would be all alone, and that was even more terrifying.
"Good."
There was a brief silence before Jinora broke it. "Should we go back to the hotel? Or the airport?"
"I'm sure they have people positioned there, especially at the hotel. The airport's an obvious one too. That man knew there was gonna be two of us, they probably saw us fly in, or at least come in. As soon as possible we should ditch this car and get a new one." He put on the breaks once a few more cars joined their road, and then lane, on the very outer rim of the city.
Jinora reached for and fiddled with the knob that controlled the radio. "Maybe they're reporting something about it," she said when Kai gave her a questioning glance.
"Doubt it. It happened too recently." Jinora didn't stop turning the knob. It was a good distraction, because all she could seem to think about was Varrick and everyone else, trapped in rubble. The fire. The screaming. A lump formed in her throat. "But fine," Kai muttered. "Go ahead and waste your time."
Jinora threw him a sharp look, removing her hand from the dial and crossing her arms over her chest. "Ugh, you are so..."
"Amazing? Awe-inspiring?"
"Neither. You're an asshole."
He rolled his eyes. "You're no picnic yourself, sweetheart. Besides, if it wasn't for me, you'd be tied up and gagged in the back of this truck being handed on a silver platter to the Red Lotus."
Jinora didn't want to admit to the truth in his words. "At least I can take orders."
Kai snorted. "Yeah, from the enemy."
"Oh just shut up," she rubbed the spot above her left eyebrow, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm too tired for this."
"Oh, you're too tired?" Kai spared her a quick glance. "Sweetheart, you don't know the meaning of the word tired."
"Don't call me sweetheart," she scowled. But Kai did look tired. The sky had darkened drastically, although that was just what early October was like. The street lamps and car lights cast shadows over his face, and caused the bags under his eyes to be even more prominent. "How much sleep did you get last night?" She was sure, with her just short of seven hours, she had gotten more.
They took a turn to the left, back towards the city, even if it was still six hours away. Hardly anyone who worked in the city lived this far out from it, so the streets were gradually emptying of vehicles.
"Dunno," said Kai indifferently, shrugging. "Two hours. Probably less. Believe it or not that's a good night's rest for me."
He made a right turn, then right again, as the car drove down another few streets. They were clearly in the poorer area of the town, as they drove past a store with bars on over windows that were broken anyway, and then a strip club blaring music loud enough they could still hear the pounding of the drums.
Kai frowned at her. "Why're you asking?"
"Next stop, for gas or whatever, I get to drive."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it almost sounded like you were worried about me or something," he said quietly.
"Worried about you falling asleep and crashing into something? Yes," Jinora answered shortly.
Kai almost smiled. "You're a real piece of work, sweetheart, you know that?"
"Just shut up and drive," she said sourly. "And don't call me sweetheart."
They were slowly cruising through the dark, deserted streets, and paused at a red light when Jinora noticed a car behind them in the rearview mirror. It was a black, 4-seater, identical to their own. "Uh...I think we've got company."
Kai glanced behind them. "Shit―get down―"
"What―"
Jinora looked over her shoulder and then ducked, forcing her head towards her knees. A bullet wedged itself into the back window of their car, cracking the glass. The light turned green. Kai slammed on the breaks and they careened in a sharp left turn, narrowly missing another car that had to swerve to avoid them. The owner of said vehicle angrily honked their horn, but Jinora didn't pay them any attention as the black car was still following them.
Breathing heavily, she cautiously raised her head.
"Well they've caught up with us," Kai seethed. "Ready to use that gun of yours?" He did a quick U-turn, hoping to throw off their stalkers, but they simply did the same, causing two other cars to crash into each other, doing a little spin. Kai swore again. "Gyatso, the gun?"
"Oh, right." Jinora reached for the storage slot in the door and pulled out the gun. Her fingers trembled as she hooked her index finger over the trigger. She carefully rolled down the window and dared to poke her head outside. She immediately withdrew as a bullet whizzed by and smashed the right mirror of their car. At least the driver was the shooter, and from his angle he couldn't get a great shot at her side of the car. She couldn't see anyone else in the car.
Kai made a hard turn right. "Know any short cuts?"
They were in a deserted part of the outer rim of the city now, so Jinora found a tiny piece of comfort in knowing she didn't have to worry about accidentally shooting someone. If she would even get the chance to take a shot, as bullet after bullet whizzed by her and Kai's windows, lodging into the back window of their car. Only a few more hits and their back windshield would break and then where would they be? Sitting ducks, ripe for the picking.
"Make a turn here," Jinora jabbed her finger towards the right, and then stuck her head out of the car. She took a shaky shot and the bullet that flew from her gun smashed into the side of the windshield closest to the driver.
Kai made a sharp turn towards the right, and then, seeing the sudden back-up further down the road, swerved into an alleyway. Jinora's stomach lurched along with the vehicle as Kai whipped the car around; they had come into a narrow, dead-end alleyway. There was a high, brick wall blocking them in. But now at least, they were properly facing the only available exit.
The headlights of the other car blinded her as it roared into the alleyway. Luckily, the distance between the buildings was large enough that Jinora could see a tiny sliver of hope.
"The driver's right handed," she said simply.
"So?" said Kai irritably.
"So he'll turn to the right on instinct," Jinora continued. "You ever play chicken?" She never had, but classmates in high school had, with cars, skateboards, anything really. They'd run towards each other and try not to turn away to avoid a collision; whoever did turn away was the chicken, or loser, of the game. It was dangerous and crazy and stupid...and their only hope.
Kai gaped at her. "You cannot be serious."
"Just turn when I say."
"And what if they turn the wrong way? Or don't turn at all?" he snapped.
"They'll turn...we're dead either way," she reasoned.
Kai gently eased his foot onto the gas pedal. "Fine. But we die, I'm going to kill you."
"Easy there, it's amazing I haven't strangled you yet," she replied. The car slowly sped up―she was thankful it was such a long alleyway―as the other black car began to do the same. "Now turn only when I say―"
"You don't exactly have the best reflexes," Kai snarked.
"But I know physics better than you do," she shot back. "So turn on my count." Both cars were picking up speed, only 20 feet away, then 15.
"He's not turning," mumbled Kai.
"He'll turn." Jinora forced herself to sound confident.
10 feet, 5. Still nothing. Any second they were going to crash, and she could see the driver's face draining of colour, and then watched it harden. He seemed determined to keep going, to not jerk away. Jinora swallowed hard.
"He's not turning," Kai said, his voice going a little high pitched with panic. He was clutching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were turning white.
"He's going to turn," Jinora said through gritted teeth. Then she saw the other car might the slightest movement towards the left, saw their opening. "Turn, now!"
Swearing under his breath, Kai pitched the car towards the left, at the same time the other car swerved towards the right. Kai spun the wheel back towards the right so they didn't slam into the wall of the alleyway; their left hand-mirror hit the wall and snapped off, the paint being scraped off as the car shuddered along the wall, and the side of the other black car. It made a shrieking noise, like nails on a chalkboard. Finally, they slid past and out back into the open road.
"Holy shit," Kai breathed, his eyes wide. "We're alive." Their car made another U-turn and sped through the yellow light, cars honking angrily behind them.
"Told you so," said Jinora, trying to sound smug, even if her voice wavered. She had started to lose faith in her own plan, but luckily, it had worked. Luckily, Kai had trusted her.
They made a few more turns and Jinora didn't see the black car at all; clearly, they had either lost it or it had been too damaged to try to follow them.
"So, what now?" asked Kai.
"Payphone," Jinora spotted one next to a gas-station and a little convenience store. Across the street was a pizza place; her stomach grumbled loudly. "And food."
"Sounds good to me."
