CHAPTER 17. CHASE THROUGH PRIDELAND CITY
Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa drove long into the night, everyone slept except Timon and Simba; who was driving. "Hey Timon, I never got to say sorry about before. I didn't mean to miss your barbecue; I just wanted to spend a little time with Nala. You understand right?" Simba said. "Yeah, I understand. It just hurt me because that barbecue was for you, and you chose some chick who you apparently know from a while ago who tried to kill you instead of us." Timon said, tired. "And I also don't like how you are making us go into some life threatening situation because of her." Timon continued. "It wasn't her that made me go back, it was my father." Simba corrected him. "Oh, so you're going to wage war on your homeland because some voice in you head told you to do it?" Timon said concerned. "It wasn't some voice in my head, just trust me on this." Simba requested. "Whatever you say pal, now I'm going to call it a day." Timon said and leant back on the back seat, before closing his eyes.
Next Day
Simba drove tirelessly until he reached the border, this time it was much more heavily guarded, and had a red and black communist flag flying. Make or break time. Simba thought and woke everyone up. He stopped the elegant car at the booth and rolled his window down. A soldier appeared and walked up to their car, he was very short and carried an AKM assault rifle. As he walked up to the car window he ran his finger along the paint of the Mustang, making a screeching sound that made Timon flinch; he detailed the car for Simba's birthday only days ago. "Jesus, I just had that detailed, tell him he's tall and maybe he'll pass us." Timon suggested to Simba. "Passports please." The man said aggressively. Simba smiled at him. "How ya doing buddy? We're from New York, in America. I'm sorry we don't have our passports with us, my wife forgot them at the hotel." Simba said in his best American accent, gesturing to Nala who shrugged, pretending to play his little game. The soldier smiled and said: "You're American? Of course you may come through, enjoy your time here!" The soldier said and gestured for the guards in the booth to raise the gate. How the hell did that work? Simba thought.
Nala looked around and saw a security camera pointed straight at her, she gasped and looked the other way. Shit, they've seen me. She thought.
Simba drove through and into the city; it was exactly how Nala had described. The whole place was run down, and looked exactly like how East Side used to. They passed several closed down shops, probably all closed due to Scar's shocking economy. Nala felt a sudden nauseous feeling sweep over her. "Hey Simba could you stop at the next convenience store? I feel a bit sick." She said. Simba eventually found a 7/11 that wasn't closed down or smashed into. He parked the car and everyone walked inside.
Back at Scar's Palace.
Scar sat back on his office chair, lazing about as usual, while Banzai sat next to him. The phone suddenly rang and Banzai picked it up. "Hallo...yeah it's Banzai speaking...wait you found who?...Okay what's her location?...alright I'm on it now." Banzai hung up the phone and looked at Scar. "She's back, and with three other schmucks. What do you want me to do?" Banzai asked. "Kill them, all of them. And see to it yourself." Scar commanded him. "Yeah, but I need a car." Banzai asked. Scar thought for a minute before pulling out the keys to his beloved Dodge Challenger. He pulled Banzai close and whispered to him: "Not a scratch you hear me? Not a scratch." He told him and Banzai left the room to get Ed to accompany him.
Back at the Convenience Store.
Simba, Timon and Pumbaa rushed into the store and began picking out small snacks for the rest of their trip, Nala snuck off to the toilets out the back. She lifted the seat and vomited. What is wrong with me? Oh no... I can't be...Last night...oh shit. She thought as she panted. She pulled herself together and joined the others in the store. She approached Timon who was looking for a suitable bag of Doritos. "Hey, I think we got off on the wrong foot. We okay now?" She asked him. Timon raised an eyebrow and said: "Yeah we're cool." Nala exhaled in relief and got his attention again. "Well there's something I need to tell you, can you keep a secret?" She asked. Timon turned away from the shelf and looked at her seriously. "Well that depends on what the secret is." He said. Nala rolled her eyes and continued. "Well anyway, about last night with Simba...well there's kind of a chance that I may be..." She started but Timon cut her off. "Pregnant?" He interrupted. Nala nodded sadly. "Well that's just great, so that's why you felt sick earlier." Timon sighed and brought his bags of Doritos to the counter where Simba was standing. He placed them down on the counter and pointed a finger at Simba. "Later on, you and I are going to have a discussion you won't enjoy." He told him sharply and exited the store, as he walked he turned around to glare at Nala; whose face had turned bright red.
Simba paid for the snacks and returned to the car. He got in and started the engine. Nala looked through the window of the car and saw a red and black Dodge Challenger parked up on the sidewalk that wasn't there before. Weird She thought as they pulled out of the parking lot and started down the main road. None of them noticed the Challenger start its motor and begin to follow them.
Simba drove down the main road casually, unaware of the two hit men behind him in the Challenger. He drove down several roads and they followed, Nala eventually noticed them. "Simba, we're being followed by that red Challenger, don't look at them." She said quietly. Simba looked in his rear view mirror and saw them. Banzai and Ed sat nervously in the car, they knew exactly how dangerous Nala was, and needed to wait until they drove down a deserted street or alley before they shot. Banzai looked at his targets, Nala sat in the passenger seat, with some big guy driving and two punks in the back seat. Nice car though. Banzai thought and admired the GT500. He watched the car turn down a tight street. "Okay Ed, here's our chance, load up the shotty." Ed complied and put the shells into the shotgun. Banzai steered the car down the same street, but the Mustang was nowhere to be seen. Strange. He went down the tight street and it lead him to the main road, Banzai looked left and right, but there was still no Shelby Mustang in his sight. Shit we've lost them. He thought and started down the main road. He sighed as he drove. Scar's not going to be happy. Ed suddenly pointed at their rear view mirror, alarmed. Banzai shot a glance at the mirror and to his horror he saw the distinctive blue Shelby Mustang appear over the rise in the road, starting to follow them. He picked up his radio and tried to contact some back up, but the radio was being jammed. Great, now they're on our ass. Well done Nala you clever girl. He noticed some traffic lights ahead of them and slowed to a stop, next to a few other cars.
Simba pulled up behind Banzai and Ed and buckled in his seatbelt. "What are you doing?" Timon asked, worried. "We got to stop them before they get back to their camp and raise the alarm. Nala?" He said and Nala nodded. She drew her pistol and removed the silencer. In front of them Banzai revved the engine of the Challenger, and Simba revved the Mustang's in response. "Everyone strap in, shit's about to get real." Simba announced. Everyone fastened their seat belts and got ready for the chase.
The light suddenly turned green, and with a screech of tires Banzai gunned the car away. Simba slammed his foot down on the accelerator and followed, he frantically changed gears as he chased the Challenger. Timon and Pumbaa screamed like little girls in the back seat, but the roar of the car's engine drowned their voices out. Simba gripped the steering wheel as he threw the car into a corner, just skimming the concrete barrier that separated the road from a cliff. Simba handled the high-speed chase skillfully, unlike Banzai and Ed who were constantly hitting things; eventually they came to a series of hills and slopes, much resembling the streets of San Francisco. The Challenger flew over the hill and crashed down on the next slope. "EVERYBODY HOLD ON!" Simba yelled over the roar of the car's massive engine. He gunned the car up the first hill and went airborne as the Mustang went over it. The G force of the incredible speed kept his back flat against the seat, and the impact of when the car crashed back down to the ground after each jump sent shockwaves up his spine. Eventually the painful series of jumps and hills finished and they turned onto a flat road once again. Simba struggled to keep up with the Challenger, it was a far newer and faster car than his, but he drove his vehicle with much more skill.
Simba used the empty, straight road to his advantage and pulled up alongside his attackers. "Nala now!" He yelled out and Nala rolled down her window and aimed the gun. She struggled to aim at the high speed, but she still managed to line up the shot and fire. The bullet struck the glass, but only scratched it. "IT'S BULLET PROOF GLASS I CAN'T KILL 'EM" She yelled over the engine and Timon's screaming. "SHOOT THE TIRES!" Simba shouted back. The Mustang's speedometer now read 118 miles per hour, and the corner in front of them loomed. Nala aimed and fired, the Challenger's back tire exploded and the wheel scraped up against the road, sending sparks everywhere. Now! Simba thought and rammed into the side of the out of control car, forcing it into a violent roll on the side of the road. Simba slowed the car and inspected the damage, the Challenger was completely wrecked, and it started to catch fire. No way they survived that. He thought. Timon and Pumbaa's screaming started to cease. He breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Nice driving 007." Nala complimented him. "When we get to this camp of yours I'm going to kill you." Timon panted. Simba chuckled and continued towards his original destination: The PRF camp.
As Simba drove away, a wounded Banzai and Ed slinked out of their wrecked car. Banzai picked up his walkie talkie (which was no longer being jammed) and said: "Mission failed...pursued by a '68 Shelby Mustang, blue. License plates: H-O-R-S-P-O-W-E-R" Banzai panted into the radio before collapsing on the dirt.