They ran, boots hammering the pavement. The sedan's engine roared. Headlights flared. Tires shrieked as the car sped forward.
Too fast. Too close.
Ryoji yanked Aiko sideways, diving behind a stack of crates. The car tore past, slamming into the alley wall with a sickening crunch. Metal screamed. The driver stumbled out, dazed but reaching for his weapon.
Ryoji was faster. A brutal strike—elbow to the temple. The man crumpled. Ryoji grabbed his gun, checked the magazine. Full.
Aiko's breath was ragged. "What now?"
Then—the distant roar of motorcycles.
More were coming.
Ryoji exhaled sharply. "We take a ride."
They sprinted toward the main street. Traffic was heavy, the city alive with neon and motion. Ryoji's eyes locked onto a target—a delivery bike idling at a stoplight.
No time for subtlety. He sprinted, yanked the driver off in one fluid motion, and swung onto the seat. Aiko barely had time to react before he reached out.
"Get on."
She hesitated.
"Aiko!"
She jumped on, arms tightening around his waist.
The light turned green.
Ryoji twisted the throttle. The bike roared forward.
Behind them, headlights flared—Agency motorcycles weaving through traffic, engines howling.
The chase was on.
Ryoji swerved between cars, weaving through the chaotic Tokyo streets at breakneck speed. Aiko clung tight, her heart slamming against her ribs. The wind tore at them, neon lights blurring past.
A gunshot cracked the air. A bullet shattered the side mirror.
Aiko flinched. "They're gaining!"
Ryoji's jaw clenched. His grip tightened on the handlebars.
Then—
An overpass ahead. Construction scaffolding. A split-second window.
"Hold on."
Aiko barely had time to react before Ryoji jerked the bike, angling it toward a low ramp. The wheels hit metal. The bike launched into the air—
And then they were flying.
The air tore past them.
Aiko's stomach lurched. The city lights blurred below as they plummeted.
Then—impact.
The bike slammed onto the roof of a moving truck. The frame shuddered, shocks screaming, but Ryoji held firm. Aiko's fingers dug into his jacket. The world was a blur of speed and steel.
Behind them—Agency motorcycles leaped after them, landing hard. Engines snarled. Headlights flared.
They weren't alone.
A black SUV screeched alongside the truck. Windows rolled down. Rifles emerged.
Then came the gunfire.
Sparks erupted around them. Bullets chewed through the truck's metal shell. Ryoji swerved—too late. A rear tire exploded. The bike fishtailed.
Aiko screamed.
Ryoji fought for control. The truck neared an intersection. Too fast. Too many cars. No time.
One way out.
He yanked the handlebars—and drove straight off the truck's edge.
The bike dropped, free-falling toward the highway below. A split-second window—between two lanes, between speeding cars.
The ground rushed up—
They landed.
The impact jolted through their bodies. Tires screeched. The bike wobbled—then steadied.
They were still alive.
Aiko's pulse pounded in her throat. "We're insane."
Ryoji didn't answer.
Because the SUV was still coming.
And ahead—the road curved.
Straight into the river.
Escape into the Abyss
The road curved—straight into the river.
Aiko's eyes widened. "We can't—"
Ryoji didn't slow down.
Behind them, the SUV closed in. More headlights in the distance. The net was tightening.
No more road.
Ryoji made his decision.
At the last second, he yanked the handlebars—and ditched the bike.
Aiko barely had time to scream before they hit the guardrail. Then—air.
The river swallowed them whole.
Cold. Darkness. Silence.
Aiko fought the panic, her lungs burning. Strong hands gripped her wrist. Ryoji. He pulled her deeper, away from the surface. Away from the lights. Away from the bullets now tearing into the water.
They waited.
Seconds felt like an eternity. The river's current dragged them beneath a bridge, shielding them from sight. The gunfire stopped.
A moment later—engines revved. Tires screeched. The SUV and motorcycles sped off.
They were gone.
Ryoji and Aiko broke the surface under the cover of shadows. Gasping, freezing, alive.
Aiko shivered, her voice hoarse. "Where now?"
Ryoji's eyes cut through the darkness. "Underground."
And they disappeared into the night.
To be continued in Chapter 7....