Chapter 2: Trouble

They were cruising down the highway, the top of the convertible down and the night wind rustling through their hair, when Athrun's phone rang. He reached for his earpiece in his glove compartment and fitted it into his ear, all the while staring straight ahead at the road. "Zala." He said curtly.

"I'm so sorry to call at this hour, Sir. We've got an emergency at the Clyne Corporation. We've already made a call to the police but if you could just make an appearance-"

"Three minutes." Athrun interrupted before hanging up.

"What's wrong?" His companion asked. He tossed a glance in her direction. There was an anxious, worried glance on Lacus' face. No way to hide it from her. "We've got trouble down at the corporation," He replied quickly. He jammed down hard on his brakes and there was a screech as the convertible came to a sudden, jolting halt. Several cars skidded to a stop behind them, horns blared and a livid driver yelled at them and made a rude hand gesture.

Athrun seemed unfazed. "Sit tight," He instructed Lacus as he spun the wheel furiously. The black automobile made a wild swerve and K-turned before plunging into the traffic flowing in the opposite direction, tearing down the road at an alarming seventy miles per hour.

Shots rang out.

He ran as fast as he could, his thighs burning. Behind him, he heard yelling as guards rushed towards them from all directions. Beside him, his companions were keeping pace, their breathing harsh and ragged through his earpiece.

He wasn't sure how or when it had all started going wrong. They had gone through the air vent according to plan, made it stealthily through the dark corridors and arrived at the target. But before they could even hack into the system and unlock the doors, the overhead lights had come on ablaze. He had still been blinded by the overwhelming light when he heard the shout "freeze". Then, instincts had kicked in and he had ran. Trap! The thought sped through his mind with each plodding step.

As they rounded the corner, he skidded to a halt and pushed his back against the wall. He spun around and gave a triple tap with his pistol, aiming high. The bullets hit the lights with an explosion of sparks. Wires, cables, glass and concrete rained down on the fast approaching pursuers. Quickly, he hastened after his companions would had ran on ahead.

"Where is Dexter's location?" He shot the question as he drew up alongside them. His lungs were burning and he was panting hard.

"Dex, where are you?" His female companion pressed her fingers down hard on her earpiece. Static exploded on the other end, interrupting the message that came through. "Dex, where are you?" She repeated anxiously, "We need you at Sector 101 in two minutes. Dex, do you copy? Dex, where are you?" It was useless. White noise disrupted the communication badly and the broken voice that came through said, "…can't… gunmen…can't get close…abort…Sector 103…go…"

"Sector 103!" She yelled back.

"Roger that!" Her teammates cried. Through their earpieces came a different voice. "Sector 103. I'll see you there."

They rounded another bend and tore down the stairs. Behind them, they could hear pounding footsteps. Damn! They had gotten through quick! "Locate the fastest route to Sector 103 now," He instructed his male companion, "We'll cover you."

His male companion pulled from his bag an electronic device even as they kept running. Coordinates and numbers raced across the screen. "This way!" He snapped, suddenly putting on a burst of speed as he made a sudden right turn and sped down the corridor. His teammates were hot on his heels. They flew down two flights of stairs and made several turns, narrowly avoiding a group of guards that poured into the corridor they were running through.

Then there it was. The exit.

He raced towards it, two imposing glass doors set between glass walls. His female companion sent two bullets through a glass panel and the glass shattered with a deafening crash. They leapt through the jagged edges of the glass panel unscathed and landed on an empty sidewalk.

"Where is-"

A black sedan skidded to a stop inches before them, wheels screeching wildly. The door of the front passenger seat was flung open. "Get in." He ordered. He backed towards the front passenger seat, firing repeatedly at the exit. His companions clambered in hastily at the back. Black shadows thundered towards them. He aimed at the revolving glass doors and fired 3 bullets in rapid procession. Glass shattered with a deafening explosion.

Then he turned and threw himself into the passenger seat. "Go, go, go!" He cried. The driver stepped hard on the accelerator and the car lurched forward, screaming down the street. The guards piled out onto the street, firing their pistols at the escaping vehicle but the black tinted windows were bullet-proof. They watched the automobile make a rapid turn left and disappear around the corner.

The chief duty officer turned to his subordinates. "Give Mr. Clyne a call," He instructed, pointing at a young guard, "And get Detective Athrun Zala down here immediately." The young man ran off and the guards scattered, returning into the building. He remained standing in the middle of the empty dark street, gazing at the road shoulder where the black sedan had vanished.