Chapter 32: Crash and Burn, Part 1

. . .

A prickle on my neck, a twist in my gut…

Someone was watching us.

I stood from the van's floor, balancing carefully as the van bounced over bumps in the cracked asphalt. The boys watched curiously as I peered between Dawn and Ace's front seats to gaze out the windshield.

Our car was leading a caravan of approximately fifteen of the Pal's vehicles winding up a cliffside road. We'd traveled south until we reached the ocean. The soft, well-populated shores we'd initially met had been replaced by steep, granite hillsides which cut sharply into wave-ridden seas on our left and rose up to sheer heights on our right.

Discomfort continued to prickle at my neck as I turned to Dawn. "Do you see any unfamiliar cars in our caravan?"

Her eyes flicked to the side mirror. "No. They're all from our gang."

I squinted, peering up the road's winding slope. It was hard to make out against the glare of the setting sun, but I could distantly discern the silhouette of cars approaching from the east, sleek like a trail of ants racing toward food. As I watched the tail end of the approaching caravan clear the hill, the last two cars slowed before swerving sharply, blocking both lanes.

Dawn honked her horn. "What the hell!? Those idiots are going to cause an accident! She started to slow down…

The chill of realization hit me like a bucket of icewater. "This is a trap."

Dawn's eyes widened. "You mean… Damn. It's Them."

"Noodle?" I could feel 2D's warmth at my back, his concerned voice lilting softly over my shoulder. "What's going on?"

My heart hammered as my thoughts raced through the Suppliers' most likely strategies – my mind procured an image of the road blocked at both ends, and our caravan trapped between the blocks like fireflies in a jar. "They're going to drive around us and cut off our escape! Dawn, you need to turn around now!"

"No…" She scowled with determination. "They're coming too quickly for everyone to make a turn that sharp. I need to block the road so that the others have time to turn around."

I gripped the back of 2D's shirt, bracing my feet against the floor. "Everybody hold on!"

Dawn cut the wheel and braked. The truck jolted. I nearly fell and heard 2D yelp as the van skidded sideways over the road. I could hear our followers' brakes screeching. Our truck slid elegantly to a stop – we were just long enough that the Suppliers wouldn't be able to drive around us without hitting the wall-like granite slope or diving into the sea.

Oddly enough, the SUV leading the Suppliers didn't slow down. I watched, confused, as it grew close enough for me to begin making out the grim determination on the driver's face –

I gasped when 2D yanked me back by my shirt.

"EVERYONE OUT!" He screamed. "THEY'RE GOING TO RAM US OFF THE ROAD!"

2D flung open the back doors. I leaped out behind him, stumbling on the edge of the road just a step away from the cliff. I caught sight of Dawn and Ace on the opposite side of the van, pressing their backs flat against the stony rise. Russel and Murdoc joined me and 'D on the cliff as we dove to the ground, covering our heads –

CRASH!

It was deafening. The BOOM of impact. The SCREECH of twisting, grinding metal. The CHINGs of clinking, shattering glass. I could feel the sound of carnage shaking the ground beneath my belly, vibrating through me. For a moment, I was deaf to everything but the screaming of my own ringing ears.

My brain seemed to lag as I blankly stared at our totaled van and the Suppliers' SUV flying over the edge of the cliff. Behind us, a few members of our caravan had angled their cars to form a blockade, forcing the rest of the Supplier's cars to stop unless they wanted to crash too.

As they stopped their cars, the Suppliers reached for their pistols…

"GUYS!" My voice was warped and muffled through my still-ringing ears. I grabbed 2D's shoulder and gave him a harsh shake, watching his dazed eyes flutter, jarring him from the shock of the narrowly-avoided collision. Reassured by his stirring, I glanced at Russel and Murdoc's similarly dazed faces. "The Suppliers are about to start shooting; we need to MOVE!" I called urgently.

They shakily staggered to their feet. 2D's clammy hand latched onto mine, and I grabbed it greedily, feeling instantly better at the sensory of his warm, beating pulse. Together, we ran back to our caravan, diving behind the vehicle-blockade moments before gunfire split the air.

Dawn and Ace joined us behind the blockade. A few of the Pals leaped out of their vehicles, toting firearms, and began returning the Suppliers' fire. The trucks shuddered as round after round pelted their metal bodies with rapid clangs and pings. I shook my head, trying to force my ears to distinguish between the thuds of gunfire and the loud beat of my pulse. My whole head felt like an abused drum.

Taptaptap… Dawn's nails clicked furiously against her cell. "I've sent a message telling everyone to turn around and find a detour," she relayed. "The last car will swing around and pick us up. But first, we have to hold this lot off and give the others a head start."

I nodded. With the movement, my head finally started to clear. I felt like I ought to be scared, but fresh adrenaline was coursing through my blood and the ringing in my ears was almost musical. Despite the life-threatening reality of our situation, the only emotion I could discern was the thrill of my fighting instincts kicking in.

I'm a super-soldier, and this is war.

A surreal sense of control possessed me as I cast my eyes over the battleground. Gunners on each side crouched behind their vehicle-blockades. Every now and then, the muzzle of a gun would peep over a car to fire a few rounds, but no one dared to advance into the middle ground – to leave the safety of one's blockade would be suicide.

I gazed at the Pals and my bandmates – my army. The Pals wielded their guns with finesse, instantly warning off any Supplier that dared glimpse over the hood of their car. My band was less useful, unarmed and unused to such fights. Ace, being not entirely unfamiliar with the occasional showdown, had bounced back from the shock of being engaged in battle and was asking Dawn if there was anything he could do to help. Murdoc looked shaken, but was recovering. 2D looked well enough – he'd dropped my hand and crouched over Russel, who was huddled against the side of a car, shaking, whimpering...

My heart stuttered. "RUSSEL!"

I kneeled next to him and 2D, feeling my heart pound frantically against my ribs. I searched his curled figure desperately for gun wounds. "Russel, are you okay?"

A comforting, long-fingered hand rubbed my shoulder. "He's not injured," 2D murmured softly. "I think he's having a panic attack. The sound of the guns is reminding him of something that happened a long time ago…"

Of course. The shooting that had happened before Russ had joined Gorillaz… The reason I'd first met his friend Del as a ghost, rather than a living, breathing person… It was years ago, but this close proximity to a gunfight was bringing it back.

"Del…" Russel moaned, his head falling into his hands. A sheen of sweat glazed his skin.

"Shhh… It's okay, Russ." I placed a hand on his shoulder, running it back and forth over his shirt. "Stay with me."

"Take deep breaths." 2D imitated my comforting tone, moving his hand from me to gently take Russel's other shoulder. "We're right here with you."

Russel's breaths were fast and ragged, but I could tell that he was making an effort to gain control.

"Er…" Murdoc stood awkwardly a short distance away, weight shifting uncomfortably as his gaze roved over Russel. "How's he doing?"

2D didn't look up, refusing to show any sign that he'd heard Murdoc aside from a momentary tightening of his hand on Russel's shoulder.

I sighed, sparing a moment's thought to how broken 2D and Murdoc's friendship – if it could ever have even been called that - was. "Russel will be fine if he can calm down from this panic attack," I murmured. "I hope he doesn't pass out… We're going to need to move quickly when we make our getaway, and having to carry him would complicate that."

"A panic attack…" Murdoc's expression cleared with understanding. "He should be fine. He used to get these in the band's early days, when you hadn't joined us yet and 2D was... erm…" He cleared his throat. "Well, neither of you two would remember."

I perked up with interest. "Do you know anything that could help him recover?"

2D huffed bitterly, his eyes narrowing. "Like Muds would ever try to help one of us…"

Murdoc smirked. "Actually, I found that he responds pretty sharply to urgent distractions."

I stared at the bassist with confusion. Murdoc simply smiled, squatting down at face-level with Russel before taking a deep inhale… "LARDS! IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE STUDIO IN TEN MINUTES, I'LL THROW ALL YOUR TAXIDERMIES INTO THE HELLHOLE!"

"STAY AWAY FROM MY TAXIDERMY!"

Snapping to life as if he'd been slapped, Russel roared before flinging a fist at Murdoc's face. Fortunately, Murdoc seemed to have been expecting this and dodged the swipe with smug ease. "See? Works every time."

Russel stared at Murdoc, his expression shifting from anger to surprise as he gaped at his surroundings as if he hadn't seen them before. He cursed. "I can't believe I just had a panic attack in the middle of a gunfight…" He blanched. "I'm holding you all up! You should be in one of those cars getting outta here!" Russel gestured a trembling hand toward the vehicles at the end of our caravan, which were carefully turning on the narrow road to go back the way they'd come.

"We couldn't leave you behind, Russ!" 2D squeaked earnestly. "We're in this together!"

"Besides," I threw in, "Dawn said we'd be leaving in the last car. However… We might want to go ahead and put you in another car." I looked over Russel's sweat-slick face, frowning with concern. "You're not in the best shape to be fighting."

Russel scowled, shaking his head as if to fling his weariness away. "I'm not letting you fight the Suppliers without me! Like 'D said, we're in this together!" Russel began to stand, but paled, falling back to the ground, panting, shivering faintly. "I just… need a minute… to catch my breath…"

I looked at him doubtfully, but conceded. "Alright." I stood. "I'm going to ask Dawn if there's anything we can do to help."

"I'll come with you." 2D rose to his feet. Warmth sparked where his fingers entwined with mine.

I turned to Murdoc. "Can you stay here with Russ until he feels better?"

Russel cringed with embarrassment. "I don't need to be watched –"

"You're sick as a dog, Russ," Murdoc shot back. "Yeah, I'll stay here with him."

I gave an appreciative nod before approaching Dawn, 2D striding close by my side.

Dawn was overseeing the line of Pals peeping over their cars like soldiers peering out of a trench. The pinging of bullets had become less frequent as either side glared at each other over the divide, chattering with hushed voices as they wondered who would make the next move. "Dawn," I asked. "Is there anything we can do to help hold the Suppliers off?"

She tapped her nails against her hip thoughtfully. "We're at a pretty firm stalemate up here. I sent Ace to go make sure the rest of our caravan got my message… Oh!" Her voice took on the firm tone of a commander. "Tell two of our cars to block the road just beyond the next exit, so that we can make sure the Suppliers don't circle around and trap us!"

I nodded and tugged 2D's hand. "Let's go."

We ran back along the line of vehicles. The road was narrow enough that only the vehicles at the end of the line could maneuver enough to make a decent 3-point-turn, so it would take a few minutes to get everyone spun around. 2D's hand squeezed mine as we neared the far end of the caravan and he panted, "I'll get that black truck if you get the silver van, okay?"

"Good plan," I agreed, unlinking my hand from his.

I was out of breath by the time I reached the silver van, but it didn't take long to relay Dawn's message. Soon, I was returning 2D's accomplished smile and squeezing his hand as we ran back up to tell Dawn we'd completed our task. I slowed about halfway toward the blockade when I saw Ace chatting with one of the drivers.

Ace was reassuring the man at the wheel of a white van. "No, Dawn's all set covering the blockade, she just wants you guys to find another route to the pill manufacturing facility, pronto!"

"Ace!" I paused next to Ace, 2D stalling with me. "Do you need help with anything?"

"No, I'm set!" He grinned. "Tell Dawn that everybody's got her message!"

"Right!" I nodded. Then, I was once again running with 2D up the cliffside.

I caught a flash of movement against the ridge…

2D yelped when a hand reached over the cliff and caught his ankle.

My heart skipped a beat as his hand was torn from mine. "2D!"

He fell onto his stomach, letting out a sharp "oof!" as his chest collided with the unforgiving granite. Then, the mysterious hand began to pull his leg off the cliff. 2D scrabbled for a grip on the ragged stone, eyes wild. "NOODLE, HELP!"

I grabbed his arms and pulled, grunting with effort. Whoever was tugging 2D was strong! As another hand appeared over the cliff to grasp higher up the singer's calf, a face appeared above the rise, grim, determined, and familiar… It was the driver who'd rammed our van off the cliff! He must've bailed out of his own car in time to roll to the edge of the cliff and grab the ledge! But as I watched him grip 2D's ankle so hard that 'D cried out in pain, I realized that we'd met before.

He was the man at the airport. The same man who'd nearly taken me down when we were catching a plane to the Americas, who'd bruised both my wrists and my confidence, was now trying to drag my boyfriend over a cliff!

How dare he!

With a shout, I redoubled my efforts, feeling every muscle in my body burn as I heaved 2D like a tug-of-war rope, dragging the Supplier back onto even turf.

The man growled angrily as he realized I was stronger. I could see his fingertips digging furiously into the skin of 2D's calf as he fought to reinforce his grip. 2D kicked wildly with his free leg. The Supplier was having a hard time avoiding 'D's flailing foot. When 2D's heel struck his nose, he howled, grip loosening just enough for me to yank 2D free.

I fell backwards, grunting as 2D squashed me. At the cliff's edge, the man was pulling himself up, rising to his feet as blood streamed down his nose and fury glittered in his eyes. He charged forward.

I shoved 2D to the side and rose to meet the Supplier. He'd pulled back a fist and flung it toward my face. I dodged, then grabbed his outstretched arm and threw him to the ground.

The tussle hadn't gone unnoticed. Pals from the two nearest cars leaped out and hedged toward us, forming a half-circle with the edge of the cliff. I stared down the enraged Supplier. "You're outnumbered. I'd recommend giving up."

He snarled at me with pure malice. "I could say the same to you," he hissed. "What do you expect to find when you reach our facility? An unguarded pile of pills?" A sadistic grin crept over his face. "You're the one who's outnumbered. Our best fighters are already waiting there for you, ready to shoot your pretty little face off. They flew in from all over the world days ago, when we noticed your precious allies' scouts sniffing around for information."

A sharp bolt of frustration ran through me. They're expecting us? This wasn't good… The Suppliers outnumbered us by a landslide, even with the Pals on our side.

I could hear soft murmurs of uncertainty stirring among the Pals. They had been willing to fight with us when we had a winning plan, but knowing now that we were outnumbered, would they still be willing?

Did we need to back down? To flee and regroup another day?

If we threw in the towel, we'd put the Suppliers in control. They knew our plan now, that we meant to target their only pill manufacturing facility. If we didn't strike today, they'd have time to set up other facilities, making our campaign infinitely harder.

I thought back… I remembered Murdoc telling me about giving up to the Suppliers on Plastic Beach, about how he'd felt that they'd forced his hand. I remembered how much the event had hurt 2D.

I couldn't let 2D watch another plan to free him from the Suppliers fail. I wouldn't let him watch another friend give up on him. Today wouldn't be like Plastic Beach.

I saw 2D standing over the spot where I'd pushed him earlier and met his eyes. I needed to show him that even if the Pals backed down, I'd be on his side through today's mission.

2D smiled.

His smile seemed almost oddly large… strangely joyful, nearly as excited as he'd been the morning he woke after his withdrawal. I could almost feel the confidence radiating from him in waves as he turned his grin to the Supplier. "You're bluffing."

"What?" The Supplier gave 2D a condescending sneer.

2D's eyes flickered between the Supplier's, and his smile grew. The Pals gazed at 2D peculiarly as he began to laugh. "You're bluffing!" he repeated, his eyes almost seeming to glow as joy flowed from his voice. "You're making this up! And you're scared! You lot weren't prepared for this to happen at all!" He turned back to me, and I felt instantly lighter, as if his eyes were inviting me to feel the joy of his revelation. "Noodle, if the Suppliers are making stuff like this up to scare us off, that means they actually think we could win today!"

The Supplier's face turned purple. "You imbecile! You really think you could beat us? You really think you could catch us off guard? Anyone who listens to you is a fool, and I'll die in peace knowing that I'll be laughing in you fools' faces later today when we meet in Hell!"

Hope sparked in my chest. 2D was right – I hadn't been able to tell before, but now that 2D's accusation had broken the Supplier's composure, it was obvious! The Pals seemed to be picking up on the truth as well. I could see grins flickering through the half-circle around me.

"Well…" Dawn strolled up to join us, slyly imitating 2D's grin. "I think we'll take 2D's word for now." She faced her compatriots. "Kyle, Roger, knock the Supplier out. The rest of you, get back to your cars, including you lot, Gorillaz – you can ride with Keith over there. I'll stay back here with Sophie and Dave to hold off the enemy. I reckon they'll turn around soon enough – they'll need everyone they can get to guard their facility. Drive fast – let's see if we can beat them there."

. . .

Coming Up Next: To the Facility! Did 2D call the Supplier's bluff correctly? Will the Gorillaz make it through this battle in one piece?