Chapter 488: Escape Failure?

"You better have the boat ready, Tommy!" Keith shouted as they ran through the darkness.

"It is!" Tommy shouted back without turning around. "Just run instead of crying!"

He was trying to sound annoyed, but the fear was obvious in his voice.

Tommy had to keep his attention on the path ahead while forcing the handcart forward as fast as possible. The route from the houses to the shoreline was a complete mess, filled with overgrown grass, broken pavement, loose rocks, fallen branches, and uneven ground that made every step dangerous.

He had tried to clear the fastest path when he could.

Not enough to make it easy.

Just enough to know where the worst obstacles were.

But his original plan had never included being chased by armed men.

It had been supposed to be simple.

Get Emily out quietly.

Free Mei and Keith.

Reach the shore.

Meet Ryan.

Leave Brigantine before anyone noticed.

Now the entire town was awake.

More gunshots rang out from behind them.

The bullets struck the ground, hit trees, or shattered against broken walls near the path. Tommy knew the guards were not trying to hit them yet. Not really. They were firing to make them panic, to force them to stop, to remind them that they could be killed if they kept running.

But Tommy, Mei, and Keith had no intention of stopping.

Not after getting this far.

Tommy looked down at the handcart as it shook violently beneath his grip.

The wheels jumped over loose stones and rough patches of ground. Every bump sent a painful twist through his stomach. Emily was hidden inside beneath the bottles, the wooden plank, and the cloth he had prepared.

She was unconscious.

Thank God.

If she had been awake, the violent movement would have triggered her. If her Symbiote reacted, if she woke confused and scared, the cart could become impossible to control.

Tommy hated treating her roughly.

But he had no choice.

"I’m sorry," he muttered under his breath.

Then he pushed harder.

"They’re catching up!" Keith shouted.

Tommy did not look back.

He did not need to.

The shouts were closer now. The flashlight beams behind them had multiplied, moving through the darkness like a swarm. Every few seconds, another light appeared between the trees or along the side streets.

"We won’t have much time once we reach the shore," Mei said, her voice strained as she ran beside them. "Even if the boat is there, starting it and leaving will take time."

"It doesn’t matter," Keith replied between breaths. "We have to get there first."

Tommy nodded.

At this point, Ryan’s boat was not even the only reason they needed to reach the water.

If they were caught now, none of them could expect mercy.

Keith had attacked Liam.

Tommy had freed Emily.

Mei was escaping again.

They had stolen keys, drugged guards, taken a boat, and attempted to break prisoners out of Brigantine.

The people chasing them would not treat this like a simple mistake.

Something much worse waited for them if they were dragged back.

"Tommy!" Keith shouted suddenly.

Tommy looked over.

"They’re coming from the side!"

His heart dropped.

Men were cutting through the grass and damaged buildings on both sides of the path, trying to take a shortcut and trap them before they reached the shore.

They understood as expected how they were planning to escape.

Tommy cursed.

"Shit!"

He let go of one handle of the cart long enough to pull the pistol from his waist.

Then he threw it toward Keith.

"Don’t waste it!"

Keith caught the gun awkwardly but managed to keep his balance.

"Got it!"

He looked behind them, his face pale beneath the moonlight.

"Hell no," he said. "I’m not staying one more second in this shitty place."

The shoreline still felt far away.

Tommy had estimated the distance before. Around three miles from the prisoner area to the meeting point, depending on which path they took.

They had already crossed more than half of it.

But it felt like they had barely moved.

The uneven ground made every step harder. Roots and rocks caught beneath their feet. Tall grass tangled around their legs. Several times, the handcart nearly tipped over as Tommy forced it through narrow gaps between broken structures and abandoned debris.

Once, the wheel struck a deep crack in the ground.

The cart jerked violently to the side.

Tommy almost lost it.

He pulled hard, forcing the wheel free before it could turn over.

His arms burned.

His lungs hurt.

But adrenaline kept him moving.

The same was true for Mei and Keith.

None of them had enough breath left to run properly. Their bodies were exhausted. Their legs felt heavy. Their chests burned.

But fear was stronger than exhaustion.

Fear kept them moving.

Mei was struggling the most.

Tommy could see it.

She was still running, but her breathing had become ragged, and her face had gone pale. Her steps became less steady as the ground grew rougher.

Then her foot caught against a rock hidden in the grass.

Mei stumbled forward.

Keith reacted immediately.

He grabbed her arm before she could fall.

"Hold on, Mei!" He shouted. "We’re nearly there!"

Mei nodded, though she looked like she could barely breathe.

Then a new sound rose behind them.

A low rumble.

At first, Tommy thought it was thunder.

But the sky was clear.

Then the sound grew louder.

Engines.

Tommy’s face went pale.

"No way."

Keith turned his head.

His eyes widened.

Motorbikes.

Three.

Then four.

Their headlights cut through the darkness as they raced through the open streets behind the prisoners. The riders had saved fuel for emergencies, which meant they were not used often.

But this was apparently important enough.

Obviously, motorbikes moved much faster than men running on foot.

Too fast.

"They’re catching up!" Keith shouted.

Mei looked over her shoulder.

The sight seemed to drain whatever strength she had left.

The men trying to cut them off from the sides were bad enough. They could still outrun them if they stayed ahead. But bikes would reach them in seconds.

Tommy pushed the cart harder.

"Just keep running!" He yelled.

At this point, nothing else mattered.

They could not stop.

They could not surrender.

They could not think about what waited behind them.

If they were going to fail, then they would fail at the end of the run—after doing everything they possibly could to reach the water.

"Nearly there!" Keith shouted.

The words sounded desperate.

But they gave Tommy enough hope to look ahead.

Beyond the trees and damaged structures, the darkness opened slightly.

He could smell the water now.

The cold, salty air reached them on the wind.

The shore was close.

Maybe only a few more minutes.

Maybe less.

Then a motorcycle roared from the side.

It cut across the path ahead of them.

Tommy had to stop the cart suddenly to keep from crashing into it.

The bike skidded across the dirt and came to a halt directly in front of them.

Romero sat on it.

He smirked as he looked at the three of them.

"No, no," he said. "End of the run, guys."

Tommy, Mei, and Keith had no choice but to stop.

More headlights appeared around them.

The motorbikes formed a loose barrier, blocking the path toward the shore. Behind them, the men on foot finally caught up, their flashlights turning the darkness into a harsh maze of moving white beams.

Tommy looked around.

His breathing was ragged.

His face had gone pale.

There were too many of them.

No way forward.

No clear path through the sides.

No time to turn around.

They were being surrounded.

Tommy’s hands clenched around the handles of the cart.

His eyes lowered toward it.

Emily was inside.

After everything.

After the planning.

After drugging guards, stealing her from the basement, hiding her in the cart, and running through Brigantine, they had almost made it.

"I’m sorry," Tommy whispered with a pained and broken voice.

"Sorry, Emily."

His jaw tightened as rage and despair twisted together inside him.

Keith glared at Romero.

"Wow," Romero said.

He looked toward Keith with a cruel smile.

"Wanted to run away and join your slut sister?"

Keith’s face changed.

He raised the gun Tommy had given him.

For a second, everyone froze.

Then Keith fired.

Bang!

Romero jerked back with a shout, one hand flying toward his shoulder.

But before Keith could fire again, another gunshot cracked through the night.

Bang!

Keith cried out.

The gun dropped from his hand.

A bullet had struck his arm.

Blood immediately ran down his sleeve as he grabbed the wound with his other hand, his face twisting in pain.

"Keith!"

Mei rushed toward him.

She caught his injured arm, trying to stop the bleeding while staring at the men surrounding them.

But then, a far worse figure emerged from the shadows, announced by the heavy echo of footsteps against the dirt.

"Fuck, the bitches nearly made it, didn’t they?"

The voice was laced with cruel amusement, a sickening cackle following close behind. It was Williams. His towering frame cut through the dim light like a specter of malice, his eyes wild, his grin stretching too wide, too eager.

"Yeah, yeah, nearly," Romero chuckled, leaning lazily against a battered motorbike, and smirking. He crossed his arms, watching the scene unfold with enjoyment.

By now, they were surrounded. A dozen of them had emerged from the shadows, former prisoners, the worst of the worst in Callighan’s group. And more were coming, their footsteps a growing drumbeat of dread.

"Guuh!"

Mei and Keith snapped their heads around just in time to see Tommy crumple to the ground, gasping, clutching his stomach. Two men had appeared from nowhere and struck him before he could even react.

"Look at that," one of them snarled, yanking off a wooden plank to reveal Emily lying unconscious inside a makeshift hiding spot. "He tried to get his woman out too."

"No, no, that’s not good at all," another voice sneered. "Tommy... huge betrayal."

"Gaghh!" Tommy groaned as Romero’s boot slammed into his side with a sickening thud.

"Leave him, you bastard!" Keith roared, spinning around and swinging his remaining fist toward Romero. But Romero was faster, he ducked easily and drove his fist into Keith’s gut, dropping him to his knees.

"Leave him!" Mei shouted. She lunged forward, but her arm was caught mid-air, yanked back with brutal force.

"You aren’t going anywhere, cutie."

Williams. His breath was hot against her ear, his grip like iron. He licked his lips, eyes crawling over her like she was already his.

"Tonight, you’re finally getting the hard fuck I promised you."

"Let go of me, you disgusting trash!" Mei spat, struggling against him with everything she had. But his strength was overwhelming.

"Yeah, that’s right. Fight back," Williams smirked, dragging her away before hurling her to the ground.

"You—let go of her!" Keith tried to rise, but Romero’s foot slammed down on his back, pinning him to the dirt. Romero crouched low, grabbing a fistful of Keith’s hair and yanking his head up.

"You stay down and watch, little Keith," he whispered.

Mei hit the ground hard, the air knocked from her lungs. She scrambled to crawl away, but Williams was already on her, flipping her over with a rough hand.

"Don’t touch me!" She screamed, punching wildly at his chest. But two more prisoners stepped in, grabbing her arms and pinning them down.

"Yeah, hold that bitch," Williams smirked, peeling off his shirt.

Mei’s face went pale. She kicked and thrashed, but it was useless.

Williams forced her legs apart and leaned in close.

"I’m going to fuck your brains out tonight," he said smirking down at her. "And then the guys around here? They’re all going to take their turns with you. You’ll get fucked until next day. And then every night after, I’ll fuck your little cunt."

Mei’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.

"N—No..."

The fear she had held at bay for so long, three months of survival, of scraping by, of refusing to break, shattered in that moment. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.