At that moment, two different parties crossed paths.
A car turned right, followed by several others in the same direction. When those vehicles passed the one carrying Alicia and Arion, the drivers unconsciously glanced at each other.
After a few seconds of eye contact, everyone wore an expression of disbelief and didn't react until they had already passed one another.
"Step on it, Alicia!"
But Jason reacted quickly. Watching the convoy turning around through the rearview mirror, he swiftly loaded his M4, leaned halfway out of the window, and fired without hesitation at their pursuers.
He aimed for the vehicles' tires and fired repeatedly. The bullets roared—many hit the gravel or sides of the road, sparking upon impact.
At that speed, with the car's body rattling from the rough terrain, rifle accuracy dropped considerably. But after a few attempts, Jason steadied his aim, and a burst of bullets shredded the front right tire of one of the cars.
The tire burst suddenly, making the vehicle uncontrollable for the driver behind it. At that point, driving skills were put to the test—but clearly, that driver wasn't very skilled.
After swerving from side to side, the vehicle flipped over and crashed into another, releasing a cloud of thick black smoke.
The cars behind sped past without stopping—except for the last one, which came to a brief halt. A person jumped out quickly and continued the chase on foot.
After taking down a car, Jason raised his pistol again, ready to keep firing.
But the enemy counterattack came quickly. Armed figures emerged from the windows of several cars, their black barrels pointing forward.
Seeing this, Jason obeyed his survival instinct and retreated inside the vehicle without hesitation.
Bang, bang, bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
"This has got to be a damn joke..."
Bullets tore into the car Alicia was driving, riddling the body with holes. The rear window shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Get off the road and find a way out!"
The car veered off the main road at high speed. Jason looked at the narrow streets and alleys and shouted decisively.
Naturally, Alicia understood the situation too. Staying on the main road meant becoming an easy target. One well-placed shot to the car could end everything. If the vehicle was disabled, they'd be in an even worse position.
Their only option was to navigate through tight alleys, using obstacles as cover from enemy fire. It meant facing the unknown—but there was no other way out.
Vroom!
Slamming her foot on the accelerator, Alicia headed straight into a dense patch of forest, searching for a wide enough space to maneuver.
Seeing this, the pursuers hesitated for a moment and slowed down. It wasn't clear how they were communicating, but they eventually decided to follow Jason's car.
The vehicle pushed through narrow and winding alleys, forcing them to reduce speed. However, thanks to the cover of the walls, the car took far fewer hits.
At that moment, Jason leaned out the rear window. His eyes lit up at the sight of some familiar crosshairs. He raised his pistol and fired.
Boom!
The bullet pierced the side mirror of the enemy vehicle, and soon, a mist of blood splattered across the windshield.
But that precise shot didn't earn him any applause—just a rain of bullets in return.
Thanks to the terrain advantage and his sharpshooting, Jason managed to blow out several tires. And when visibility and stability allowed, he even took down one or two of his attackers.
Bang, bang, bang!
What puzzled him the most was that despite everything, the pursuers didn't give up. Even though it was clear they wouldn't be caught easily, they kept coming like they didn't care if they died.
In a situation like this, any sane person would've abandoned the chase.
That abnormal behavior made Jason suspect something was off. He turned to look at the back seats of the vehicle.
At first glance, nothing seemed unusual. But upon closer inspection, he noticed one of the seats was loose. He carefully lifted it and saw what was hidden underneath.
Inside the compartment was a sizable space filled with boxes of various sizes.
Jason grabbed the nearest one. Upon opening it, he found antibiotics and injections. His curiosity piqued, he found more drugs and other items.
"This is why they won't stop..."
Staring at the neatly organized boxes, he immediately understood why those cannibals were chasing them, regardless of how many died.
The vehicle was packed with medicine, drugs, and weapons hidden under the rear seats—all clearly labeled.
These supplies could only have been acquired through theft or trades with similar gangs.
However, judging by their pristine condition, it seemed more likely they had been obtained through trade—probably at an extremely high price.
"Well, after all the hell we've been through since the hospital, I guess this counts as something good..." Struggling back to the front passenger seat, Jason looked at the cars still chasing them. He stuck his M4 out the window and fired.
This time, he wasn't aiming for tires—but the drivers of the remaining two cars. In no time, bullets riddled the windshields.
One of the vehicles, after taking several hits, crashed into a large dumpster on the roadside.
Seeing that, the last pursuing car also stopped. They didn't dare continue. A few men got out, firing from a distance.
In a flash, Alicia drove into an artificial forest and reached a relatively clear field.
Realizing they were no longer being followed, Jason exhaled and said, "It's finally over... those bastards were relentless."
Crack!
But before they could relax, they felt the ground tremble slightly and saw a cloud of dust rise in front of them.
"Don't go that way! Find another way out to the left and get us out of here." Seeing the scene ahead, Jason sensed something was wrong—but couldn't quite tell what.
Even so, he understood the worst thing they could do was keep going, so he told Alicia to turn left and leave the area.
The car swerved sharply, climbed a slope, and returned to the road. Then Jason saw what was causing the dust: a stampede of wild boars.
There were about thirty to forty of them. For survivors these days, that was an unrivaled feast.
But Jason wasn't in the mood to think about meat. Those animals, with their thick and tough hides, weren't too dangerous individually—but in groups, they were deadly. A single gunshot could trigger a massive charge.
They continued down the road, moving across the empty plain. They only stopped once they were sure they were out of danger.
Getting out, Jason walked to the back seats with a cane. He inspected the medicines, turned to Alicia, and asked, "Do you think we're lucky or unlucky?"
Then he grabbed one of the bottles and added, "We've got a ton of meds. I guess that's our reward for so many thrills in such a short time."
"I originally left my shelter looking for medicine, but now... I don't even know anymore. Sit down. I'll help you with that leg wound."
Ignoring the supplies for now, Alicia crouched and checked Jason's injury. Although she was still thinking about the meds after being separated from her brother and group, after what they'd been through today—if they made it back to the shelter—that problem would be solved.