Chapter Two
Aiden was left in total darkness. He didn't know whether or not Iraq had nightvision, but he wasn't going to wait around to find out. Even if Iraq did, it would take him a moment to switch over to it. A moment was all Aiden needed. Never before being so thankful that he had chosen to infiltrate the building at night, Aiden wasted no time in sprinting clear of the square, scooping up his phone along the way. Small drops of blood marked Aiden's trail, falling from his blood-soaked arm hanging limp at his side. Only one shot followed Aiden on his escape. It hit the corner bricks of one of the secondary buildings of the complex just as Aiden ran behind it.
Iraq's furious voice followed Aiden down the street. He seemed to be commanding his gang. Whether it was through the loudspeaker or he had simply left the speaker on while he talked through the radio, Aiden didn't know.
"Get that mother fucker! Fifty grand to whoever brings his ass to me in a body bag. A hundred alive. Just bring him back or don't fucking come back at all!"
Aiden ran toward his car just around the south side of the building. His midnight black Scafati GT lay waiting for him where he had left it earlier. It was flashy and maybe a bit obvious, but Aiden always planned ahead. He figured he might need to make a quick getaway and he was thankful now that he had the speed and handling of the Scafati at his disposal. Aiden climbed inside, placing his rifle in the seat next to him. The engine roared to life soon after. A second later and not a moment too soon, the Scafati was racing down the street, three Viceroy vehicles in pursuit.
Aiden was an excellent driver; one of the best in the business. But his arm was starting to take a toll and he found it difficult to pull off high-speed evasive maneuvers with a wave of pain shooting through his whole arm every time he turned the wheel. It was worth bearing though. If Aiden were caught by Iraq and his gang, a gunshot wound would be the least of his worries.
Even still, he was easily avoiding the two Polars and one Sonarus that were following him toward Brandon Docks. Traffic wasn't heavy, but it was enough to slow Aiden down. That and the constant turns he was making hindered him enough that Aiden couldn't use his speed to his advantage. One of the SUVs had fallen behind while the other two cars were right on Aiden's bumper. But as Aiden came up on an intersection, he spotted an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Coming from the left was a semi, far enough out that he hadn't yet slowed down for the red light. Aiden sped through the green light and quickly hacked the lights behind him. Seeing the green light, the semi came charging through the intersection, ploughing straight into the Viceroy's SUV. The car was lifted a few feet off of the ground, plastered to the grill of the semi. When the truck came to a halt, the SUV rolled off, tumbling several times before coming to a rest upside down. The SUV had been crushed nearly in half. The semi had obviously fared better, though it had likely been totaled. Aiden hoped he hadn't gotten anyone killed. He always knew that his undertaking was going to have some collateral damage, but it didn't hurt any less whenever someone innocent got injured because of him.
Aiden didn't have long to study the repercussions. He flew around the next corner, the remaining Viceroys close on his tail. He was leading them toward the bridge. Going through The Loop would hopefully give him enough time to ditch the last two cars. And once he did, it was a straight shot to the Bunker.
Over the bridge, Aiden could finally use his car to the fullest, opening up the throttle and gaining some ground on his pursuers. Aiden pulled several car lengths ahead.
Unfortunately, his lead came to naught when he botched a drifted left turn. His arm gave an involuntary shudder causing Aiden to pull too far to the left. Partially spinning out, Aiden had to come to almost a complete stop to avoid crashing into the cars waiting in the oncoming lane. Aiden recovered quickly, but the damage was done. The muscle car slid around the turn with ease, obliterating the distance between them. He was clearly the better of the two drivers still following Aiden.
Aiden hacked a couple lights, trying to lose the cars behind him, but they had avoided the ensuing carnage. The smaller car was now on Aiden's flank, tapping his back end in an attempt to throw him out of control. Aiden breezed through the hits. It wasn't the first time he had engaged in bumper to bumper combat. But he was worried that his arm would eventually give out. Each hit sent a shockwave through his shoulder that made him grit his teeth. He had to change tactics.
Heading into the city proper, Aiden planned to lose them in the back streets. The back alleys did give Aiden a reprieve from the constant collisions as they were only wide enough to fit one car across. As it stood, the Sonarus was right behind Aiden, but the SUV remained a few yards back. He didn't have the acceleration or handling to go through such tight turns.
Having driven the streets of Chicago basically his whole life, Aiden knew every twist and turn like the back of his hand. He was leading them into a trap. Swerving suddenly, Aiden veered into a small alley. If it had gone the way Aiden hoped, both cars would have been stopped, but the driver right behind his Scafati was too good. He followed Aiden without any trouble. The driver of the Polar didn't fare so well through the sudden turn and fell back another few yards. Aiden shrugged off the unfortunate turn of events. He would take whatever he could get.
As Aiden exited the far side of the alley, he hacked the blockers hidden in the concrete. He did it as close to his own car as he could, hoping that it might at least disable the car directly trailing him, but he wasn't so lucky. The blockers merely tapped the man's back bumper, sending him slightly off course, but certainly not out of the running.
The SUV didn't stand a chance. He had his foot to the floor seeking to catch up with his cohort and never saw the trap right in front of him. Hitting the blockers at full speed, the car flipped end over end and came crashing back to the pavement with the screech of twisting metal. Two deep dents on the front indicated where it had struck the cylinders. The car was soon engulfed in flames, discharging black smoke into the night air. Passersby on either side of the street ran in terror, their screams sounding above even the roar of the flames.
That left only one.
But try as he might, Aiden couldn't shake the last Viceroy. Whether it was just the different car or a superior set of skills that the man possessed, Aiden didn't know. It was clear, however, that he was no low level street thug. He mirrored Aiden around every corner; through every change of pace.
Aiden felt himself fading. Just the relatively undemanding task of driving was leaving him panting for air. His arm and shoulder were in complete agony and Aiden's hands had gone clammy and cold. He had to end the chase soon or it wouldn't matter whether he was captured or not.
But he was running out of options. Aiden was driving along the south side of The Loop, heading directly for the Bunker. He was hoping to have lost all three cars by that point, but fate seemed to be laughing at him that night, putting an end to all of his best laid plans. His vision started to blur in and out of focus, leaving Aiden shaking his head, refusing to accept his deteriorating condition. Nevertheless, Aiden was a practical man. He knew that by the time he made another lap around The Loop, he would be unconscious. He had to do something. Something desperate.
There were only two more opportunities along Aiden's current route to lose his tail—a steam pipe and the traffic light right before the bridge to the Bunker. Aiden didn't want to use the light. If it didn't work, he would be trapped in a dead end, or end up leading the Viceroys right to his hideout. Not to mention Clara and T-Bone. That left one alternative. The problem was how closely the Sonarus was following Aiden. If Aiden wanted to take him out using the steam pipe, he would have to blow the thing right underneath his own car as well. As far as Aiden was concerned, he didn't have a choice. He would have to risk it.
The pipe bore down on Aiden like they were playing a game of chicken. A game that would have no winner. It appeared so innocent and unassuming. It seemed incapable of producing the massive explosion Aiden knew it could. When the pipe was directly below his chassis, Aiden steeled himself and pressed the button on his phone to activate it. He couldn't have timed it more perfectly.
The muscle car was thrown into the air by the full force of the explosion. The steam shot out of the ground in a gushing geyser that propelled the Viceroy upward, destroying his car instantly. Coming to a stop on the edge of the river, the car sat idle. No flicker of movement came from within. The man had likely died instantly due to the force of the impact.
Aiden didn't have time to take in the destruction he had wrought. The eruption had hit the hind end of his Scafati and lifted it several feet into the air, sending Aiden's car careening out of control. Aiden tried desperately to rein in the lurching vehicle, but to no avail. His car spun out, hurtling the driver's side into the concrete column of the overpass.
The last thing Aiden remembered was the world reeling around him. Then he smashed his head into the door of the car and everything went black.
Aiden's world came slowly back into focus. A fine mist was drifting through the shattered window, continuously splashing Aiden in the face with its cold touch. A thin layer of blood coated the upper door. Most of it had been washed away. Through a fog, Aiden could hear the rumble of the steam spewing behind him along with the screams and questioning remarks of onlookers. Then the piercing wail of sirens. The sirens above all else snapped him back to reality. The police would be no better to Aiden than the Viceroys.
Still in a daze, Aiden sluggishly moved his arms as if to test that they yet worked. Finding that they did, he put them to use starting the engine. The Scafati had stalled at some point while Aiden was unconscious. It took a few tries, but Aiden was finally able to get the engine to turn over, the familiar sound a comforting presence in the bleak scene.
Not bothering with a backward glance, Aiden made his way down the street. Bruised and battered like Aiden himself, the car limped back to the Bunker. It threatened to die a few times along the way, but it eventually pulled up in front of the secret elevator. Looking back, Aiden was amazed he actually made it across the narrow bridge to the island. There was a gap on either side of the entrance that he could have easily driven off of in his depleted state. But old habits die hard and Aiden made the crossing without incident.
Once parked in front of the Bunker, Aiden pulled out his phone. He fumbled with it, his fingers feeling thick and clumsy. His double vision didn't help with the proceedings either. Barely able to keep his eyes open at that point, Aiden managed to call Clara, opening his door at the same time.
"Aiden!" Clara sounded scared.
"Clara…help." Aiden only managed to utter the two words before he stumbled over the edge of the car, sending him sprawling into the light emitted from the car. His grip was practically nonexistent and he dropped his phone as he caught himself on his injured shoulder. Aiden let loose a pained moan, too exhausted to generate anything louder. The phone lay forgotten beyond the light illuminating the ground beneath Aiden. It gave off a faint glow in the gloom, Clara's voice relaying a few more words before the call ended and the screen dimmed.
Aiden fought to stand, pulling himself up by the door of the car. He wearily worked his way around the door, using it to steady himself. When he reached the hood, his blood-smeared hand slipped down the canting slope, leaving a red trail down the side of the car as Aiden fell once again, this time onto his side. Aiden lacked the strength to raise himself after that. His breathing slowed, coming in thinner and thinner gasps. His eyelids grew heavy, the piercingly green eyes beneath dulling. The last thing he heard was the car engine cut off for the last time. Aiden followed suit soon after.