Shuki wasn't surprised at all. He wasn't surprised that he had gotten away so easily. He wasn't surprised his mission was a success and Providence's secret weapon was in the back of his truck. And he was especially not surprised Providence's men were so stupid to not follow Shuki's truck. The only thing that did surprise him was that absolutely no one had followed him. Hadn't it been mysterious, a Providence truck heading the opposite way of their target? At least Six should have noticed; nothing got past him. For a moment, Shuki felt like he was cheating somehow. Maybe Six was playing with him, or maybe he was following him in secret so he could find out where he was hiding. Either way, it scared Shuki. If they found him, he would be in a whole lot of trouble. And it wouldn't be so hard to find him either since Shuki was driving a big Providence truck. He was taking a huge risk not switching cars, but that could be a big risk, too. So far, only one thing was made clear: Shuki hadn't won the race yet.
A soft light started shining out of the horizon and Shuki knew Rex wouldn't be asleep for much longer. He had to drive faster if he wanted his trip inside his warehouse to be easier. Who knew how many tricks the kid had hidden up his sleeve? The device on his wrist only disabled his nanites, not his ability to punch and kick. But if he went over the speed limit or passed lights and drove like crazy, someone would know something was up. He had to keep a low profile, or the game would be over. Shuki turned the wheel at a corner and pounding boomed through the wall.
Shuki had hoped that Rex would think he wasn't being kidnapped, but still found the idea ridiculous. Rex was in a Providence truck, sure, but then surely he would be awake and he definitely wouldn't have ropes tied around his hands and feet. But Shuki still tried to assure himself that there was absolutely no chance he could get out of the truck with Shuki's device around his wrist. But there were still other things worrying him; what if someone found him? What if Rex could somehow communicate with Providence? What if someone was waiting for Shuki to arrive at the warehouse? He tried to get these thoughts out of his head, but the anticipation in him was too overwhelming. But as soon as he was to arrive at Tokyo, he would have all the EVOS there on his side. And, still, Shuki didn't have to worry; Providence had no chance without their secret weapon.
Rex continued to pound on the wall and Shuki was getting tired of it. He wanted to yell at him, but that would do no good for the situation. Rex kept banging for two stoplights until he seemed to realize it was doing nothing for him but racket. After the pounding had finally stopped, Shuki thought he would explode with frustration. Even though they were almost to the warehouse, Shuki was getting very impatient and angry. But it would all be worth it, he kept telling himself. The money will cover everything.
Shuki was so excited to receive his award, the large warehouse looming into his view was surprising to see. He hadn't realized how long it had been. He was relieved to see the garage ahead.
But a large bang to the side of the truck broke the silence.
Surprise and fear ran down his spine as the truck tipped over onto the cobble road. He had been so close! How could this happen? Shuki looked out the window, holding the edge of his door for support as the car wobbled and saw a huge and strange ship. It couldn't be Providence, he knew. It was a light brown color, made of steel, and hade four metal legs protruding from the lower part of its body. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. He tried to get a better look at what it was doing, but the truck finally tipped over into its side, leaving Shuki on the other side of the truck in the passenger seat barely conscious. He had completely forgotten about Rex until then, and quickly tried to get out of the car to see if he was okay. But the car door was bent and could not be opened. His only hope was the smashed window. He crawled tightly through the small hole, small shards of glass poking his side. He had to get Rex before it hit again. As soon as he was out, he stood up groggily and saw the machine in front of him along with a Providence ship firing at it. Was the brown ship on his side? But there was no time for questions; they could fire again any second.
Shuki ran to the back of the truck as fast as his shaken body could handle and he pushed the doors open. He found Rex lying in the corner of the truck with his eyes closed, a large gash running along his head. In a surge of panic, Shuki crawled in and grabbed Rex's arm and dragged him out. He had heard that his nanites protected him and kept him alive when he got hurt, but the gadget around his wrist wouldn't permit the activity. He tried to run with Rex draped over his shoulder, but the ships started firing at him. Behind him, he heard the truck he had been in minutes ago explode. The shockwaves from the blow knocked him off his feet and he dropped Rex. He then realized why his payment was so high.
He knew it was all over. Their guns were too powerful, their number too great. He wanted to just give them the kid, but his death would be much worse if he did that; his boss would not be happy. So instead of surrendering, he struggled to his feet and scrambled around the wreckage, looking for Rex. Smoke hung heavily in the air, making it hard to see. But his hand brushed against Rex's arm after crawling around awhile in the dust and he once again draped him over his shoulders and got to his feet. Gunshots rang in his ears and he tried to run away. Actually, he was getting away; the gunshots were getting more and more distant with each step and the smoke started to thin out. Maybe he would get his reward after all.
It took about twenty minutes of running for the sounds of Providence to be silenced in the air. He thought for sure they would have caught him. But everywhere he looked, there wasn't a single soul in sight. Shuki decided it was safe for the time and he sat down at the foot of a tree, resting Rex on the grass in front of him. He looked around him and saw trees and bushes in every direction. He was in a forest! He hadn't realized the group of trees when he was driving in. But it was a good sign; the trees meant more protection.
Shuki dropped his head to look down at Rex lying in front of him. The gash on his head had an outline of blood across it and Rex looked deathly pale. He knew that if he didn't take off the bracelet on Rex's wrist, he wouldn't last much longer. There hadn't been any seatbelts in the back of the truck which left Rex unconstrained against the rocking truck. But if he took of the machine, there would be no telling when he would wake. But it was obvious: he had to take it off of him. Shuki reached toward Rex's wrist reluctantly, his finger aiming at the small numeric keypad. His finger hit "6", but before he could press the next number, the ground shook, knocking Shuki's finger off Rex's wrist. His wide eyes searched the forest around him, looking for the quake's source. It shook again. Shuki stood up shakily, his head snapping at every corner. The ground continued to shake, making Shuki start to panic. He thought he would go mad of fear until the shaking stopped.
It was silent.