AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi, I'm back again! Here's another chappie.

Thanks to those who had left recent reviews … Especially, Katie the Katydid, Hiiragizawa, Ao'jiro and luvinSyaoran and The Angels' Princess… Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Psst Psst … whispers I know there's many of you silent lurkers who are reading this fic. The page hits have told me so… Nonetheless, I truly hope you guys enjoyed it so far.  Even without any written reviews, the numbers have also given me some encouragement, and so I dedicate this next chapter to all of you.

25th July 2006 update: I've re-edited some parts of this chapter and uploaded it again. Sorry, I feel that this chapter isn't that satisfactory.

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Chapter 6: Speed, gimme what I need.

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"Running from the nightmare
In the middle of the road
Hell's no place for sleeping
In a world beyond control
Caught in the headlights
Coming after you"

- Speed, Billy Idol

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"Cops! Run!"

"Kuso! Police! It's the police!" Some folks screamed out loud enough for everyone to hear.

Once that offensive word had registered on their minds, the street suddenly exploded into a flurry of activity as everyone scrambled to flee. They could see the approaching authorities heading towards Kidori Street fast, with the red-blue patrol lights flickering from a distance. And the sirens were definitely getting louder.

If it wasn't for the seriousness of getting caught, the sudden chaos would be a funny sight to behold. It was like a bumper-car carnival. Trendy cars were zig-zagging, moving towards and against each other in tandem, as the drivers attempted to avoid hitting each other. Those on foot were also darting in different directions.

"Damn you!" Tony swore out loud when someone stepped on his feet. He shoved at the faceless offender angrily, and then continued elbowing his way towards his streetbike. Upon reaching his getaway vehicle, he took a backward glance and started the engine.

Those spectators who had parked their vehicles a safe distance away were now cursing as they ran towards their parking spots. A few of them who had calculated and predicted that they would not have enough time to flee, simply abandoned their cars to hitch a ride from friends.

He spotted two Reed boys pulling at an uncharacteristically-dazed Eriol Hiiragizawa, who was somewhat the only person moving against the crowd. Crazy brutes. Are they so intent on facing the law enforcers? Tony then frowned, realising that he shouldn't really care anyway, and quickly sped off without putting on any helmet.

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The crowd was getting chaotic.

"Kuso! Come on!" Chiharu ran and glanced back to ensure her girlfriends were still with her. Benji had darted off in another direction and Hori was nowhere to be found. "Tomoyo? Sakura?"

Tomoyo closed in from behind her. "Hai." She, too, forced her way past the moving throng and grabbed Sakura by the hand.

"Kyoko!"

"Here!" came a breathless reply from her left as the blonde came into view. "Someone pushed me!" She spat out in irritation.

As soon as she was convinced they were together, Chiharu continued to lead them towards Tomoyo's GTO which was sitting at its quiet spot. She bit back a curse. Why the hell did Tomoyo park it so far away?

Tomoyo glanced back when she felt Sakura stumble for a second time, and instantly loosened her grip when she realised that she had been dragging her cousin too harshly. "Daijoubu, Sakura?" She called out.

"Hai, I'm fine!" Came her upbeat reply, followed by a reassuring pat on Tomoyo's back.

Satisfied with the response, Tomoyo resumed her full attention to the front when she felt Sakura grab hold of her shoulder. "Okay! Chiharu, let's move along those shophouses instead of the open areas. Less conspicuous." There were very few lamp posts lighting that lane, hence allowing anyone to easily blend in the shadows.

"Agreed!" "Hai!" "Ok!" The others seconded.

Kyoko let her legs carry her as fast as they could while her thoughts wandered on the turnabout of the event. What had started as an exciting race between five guys had ended with a chase between the cops and everyone else. Definitely an adrenaline rush for the spectators, right from the start to the end.

She suddenly laughed out loud at the irony of it all, igniting a scowl from Chiharu.

"What's so damn funny about this?"

"I knew we should have taken my Interceptor."

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Sakura had always known that she was an above-average sprinter, better than many girls in school. However, in this case, she decided to retract that opinion. How the hell did Tomoyo and Kyoko manage to run so fast in this crowd? Chiharu was an exception, though, since she was once in the school track-and-run team.

All the screaming and pushing were finally adding its weight. Sakura could feel herself getting suffocated and all the excitement was making her dizzy.

"Ahh!" She stumbled again and accidentally released Tomoyo's shoulder, but then quickly grabbed hold of her friend's shirt to gain some balance.

"Hey stop pulling my shirt!" The figure barked before her and pushed her hand away. The stranger's voice and shape definitely did not belong to her cousin.

Uh-oh.

Tomoyo?

Sakura looked up and realised that she had been following someone else. No doubt, they had gotten separated in the crowd.

Oh crap.

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It seemed like an eternity but the girls finally managed to reach the parking lot without getting caught.

"Finally!" Chiharu leaned against the car, panting for her breath. It was a rather tiresome run up the slope. "Phew! That was close."

Tomoyo immediately fished out her keys and concentrated on unlocking her car door. Her deathly silence only meant one thing – she was getting furious.

Chiharu sighed and scanned around them, hoping to spot their friends. Somehow along the way, they had lost Sakura and Kyoko who had slowed down a little and had been watching their backs.

It had taken her great efforts to steer Tomoyo, who was adamant about searching for Sakura instead. They had spent precious minutes arguing – and unmoving - on the wayward street before Tomoyo finally relented. Since Sakura and Kyoko were no longer in plain sight, it would be a fruitless attempt to even start looking for them.

And it didn't help that none of them were answering their cellphones.

Tomoyo frowned and looked around with concern. Where the hell are they?

"No time, Tomoyo-chan! We've got to go." Chiharu opened her passenger door and jumped in. "Hayaku!"

"No, Sakura –"

"Isn't here and she's definitely not there," Chiharu pointed to the recently-evacuated racing area. Since their parking lot was situated on a gradual slope, they could see Kidori Street clearly from an elevated position. And there was no one else there, except for the patrolling cops. "No use going back."

It was an undisputed point, one which did not sit well with Tomoyo. And during a rare moment of extreme agitation, she finally slipped from her usual calm demeanor. "Shimatta!" She sat in and angrily slammed her door shut.

"Daijoubu, Tomoyo-chan. I'm sure Hori, Benji or one of the boys had picked her up." Chiharu added carefully, hoping to appease her. "You know none of our boys would leave Kinomoto Sakura without any protection in Central Tomoeda."

"I bloody well hope so." Tomoyo slammed on the pedal and drove to the Central Park before they got spotted. She could only hope that Kyoko and Sakura remembered their emergency plan.

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She glanced around her and recognized none of the faces. Oh no! Where are they? She fought back a fear and forced herself to concentrate on getting away. The proper thing to do would be to find a safe harbour before she can make plans to get to the Central Park. Do not panic, Sakura...

Sakura bit her lip and watched as people moved in different directions. The road less travelled would be the best choice, wouldn't it? Or was there safety in numbers? She couldn't afford to get caught for attending an illegal race. Touya and her father would be furious!

She then quickly chose the quieter way out so that the cops would not easily notice her movements. They could easily spot and give chase to a bigger group. And god knows those peope would ditch her the moment they realised she would slow them down.

Fortunately, there was a dark, narrow crevice in between two buildings and she desperately moved towards it. Sakura managed to blend in the darkness just as several policemen jogged past. She gasped and retreated further into the shadows, all the while keeping her eyes on the pavement.

Suddenly, her back came into contact with a hard figure. It was not a stone-cold wall. In fact, it was warm and had a heartbeat.

"What the… Aahhh!" Sakura screamed in fright.

"Shhhh!" Came the reply as a hand cupped against her mouth. "Urusai. I won't hurt you. So shut the hell up, unless you want us to get caught." The harsh voice whispered against her ears.

Syaoran cursed under his breath and prayed the silly girl would not attract any more attention. He felt her struggle against him and realised his left arm was still around her waist. He slowly released his hold on her, except for his right hand which was still hovering near her mouth. If she decided to scream again, he would need to shut her up again.

They both held their breaths another policeman walked along the pavement to investigate the loud scream. When he was satisfied there was no one there, he left.

Syaoran's eyes glittered in the dimness as he turned his attention towards the girl. "Were you following me?" He whispered harshly. God, she'd better not be one of those desperate girls stalking him wherever he was in school.

"Nani! I don't even know you!"

Syaoran cupped his palm against her mouth even harder. "Shh!" He hissed again. "Urusai!"

"Mmmphh…mpph" Sakura quit slapping his arm and pointed to her nose while she heaved repeatedly from shortage of breath.

Syaoran instantly released her, but not before noticing the rapid rising and falling movements of her bosom. Damn. Look away.

Oblivious to his discomfort, Sakura inhaled sharply then moved closer to whisper very softly. "Gomen ne, I really couldn't breathe."

He didn't reply and simply ignored her. Or at the very least, tried to ignore her close proximity... And how her body was brushed up against his arm. Double damn.

They stayed that way quietly for another ten more minutes before Syaoran slowly popped his head out into the open. He looked from left to right and back left again. No sign of anyone, most importantly patrolling officers. He started to leave, then hesitated and then quickly grabbed hold of Sakura's hand in the dark.

"Get ready to make a dash. Follow me."

He then ran across the nearest two-lane road, towards a green Chevrolet corvette with Sakura close at his heels.

She halted abruptly, pointing at the expensive vehicle. "This is your car?" She had an impression that he had parked a good distance away from the hiding spot.

"You think?" He wasted no time in unlocking the car and signalled for her to enter, as he did the same. He immediately started the engine and pulled away.

Syaoran then exhaled the breath he's been holding and kept glancing at his rearview mirror. Fortunately, there were no cops on their tail. He sped off without any moment's hesitation and wondered what the hell he was going to do with this girl.

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Central Park was eerily quiet, except for the rustling of trees caused by the night breeze. They had been waiting for twelve minutes and there was still no sign of Kyoko or Sakura.

"Kyoko just called. She hitched a ride with Benji. He's sending her straight back to the Academy." Chiharu said with a frown across her face. "Sakura is not with them."

"Did anyone catch sight of where she went?"

"Not really. Although, Ken did mention that he thought he saw someone who looks just like her running towards another direction with someone else."

"Which someone else?"

"No one knows." Chiharu shrugged dejectedly.

Tomoyo quickly disconnected her phone conversation with a fellow triad member and started to dial Ken's number. She would need more information and if all of them had to return to Kidori Street and spend the rest of the night looking for Sakura, then so be it.

Her phone rang before she could complete the dial. It was an unlisted number and she could feel her irritation rising as she was obliged to answer the call. The last thing she needed was a delay in getting to Sakura. "Moshi –"

"Tomoyo-chan!"

"Sakura? Yokatta! Where are you?"

"Tomoyo-chan, I'm here in the middle of… " Tomoyo could hear her momentarily speaking with another person whom has a deep voice. Specifically, a male. "Ano… I'm here at 6th Chouga Street."

Chouga Street? Tomoyo frowned. Where in heavens was that?

"Um… my… friend will be dropping me off at Chuushin Walk. So, you can pick me up from there."

"Ok good. I'll be there in a flash. Don't go anywhere else."

"Hai hai. I better hang up now. Ja ne!"

Tomoyo leaned her forehead against the steering wheel and heaved a sigh of relief. "Yokatta."

"Is that Sakura?"

"Hai. She'll be meeting us at Chuushin Walk. It's only a few blocks away from Central Park."

"Well, then. Let's go pick Sakura up." Chiharu smiled her relief. If they had truly lost Sakura, things would get pretty ugly.

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They reached Chuushin Walk within minutes.

Li slowed his car to a halt and waited in silence for the girl's friend to arrive. Thank god he didn't have to send her all the way to her doorstep. It wasn't in his nature to extend such courtesy to a stranger. Especially one who had stained his shirt with cola. He hadn't realised it much earlier, recognizing her only when she turned to borrow his phone.

Sakura returned his cell phone and gripped at her now-useless one. She had dropped and accidentally stepped on it during her escape. Damn. And to think she really liked that phone. "Ano… Domo arigatou... for the lift and phonecall."

She beamed at the stranger, with dimples, pearly teeth and all. It was such a captivating smile that Syaoran forced himself to look away.

"Uhmm," He grunted uneasily, unsure how to react at such politeness.

And as the intense silence prolonged, Sakura deduced that he really wanted her gone as soon as possible. So she got out of the car, paused and bent her head to look at him directly through the open window. "Ano… Gomenasai, for troubling you..." She said softly.

And with that, she bowed her head and ran towards an approaching purple GTO without any backward glance.

Syaoran immediately shifted his gear and made his way home, dismissing both the awkward moment and nameless green-eyed girl from his mind for good. Kamisama, girls can really be such a nuisance at times.

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