456: [Bonus chapter] Axel's courage

[Bonus chapter] Axel's courage

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Axel waved in front of his face, coughing at the pollution Moose created before driving away. He had his eyes squinting, but could barely see anything through the thickness of dust around them. 

"Tiger, let's switch." Just then, Axel heard Heaven's voice, which Tiger followed.

"Just when I thought I'd raise the idea." Tiger chuckled, unfazed by the thick fog as if he was used to such pollution going into his lungs. 

"Axel," Heaven called, snapping Axel's attention back. "We'll use that other car."

Heaven then squeezed Dominic's hand, staring at him reassuringly. "They can't know where you are."

"I know." Dominic let out a shallow breath, following his wife's guidance toward the other car. Meanwhile, Axel took careful steps, as he could barely see through it all. 

"Damn it!" Axel flinched when he felt hands on his shoulders, dragging him away from his vantage point. "Do you have poor eyesight or just slow? You're a good driver, but sometimes, I wonder if it's just camera tricks."

Tiger snapped his tongue in irritation, stopping when he was near the vehicle he drove initially. He placed his hands on his hips, staring at Axel while Dominic and Heaven already got in the back seat. 

"Second young master, I'm saying this because I find this family adorable. And that Princess risked her life in saving the little master." Tiger raised a finger, pointing at the cowardly second young master. "You better fucking drive as if tonight is the last time you will ever get to drive. It'll be fucking hell over there and you... should pluck out every bit of courage you have in this lifetime."

He cocked his head to the side, brows arched. "Otherwise, you'll die and take your brother with you and that pregnant sister over there. Don't let them die yet, or I'll go insane wondering who the fuck is Heaven Liu."

"Ya got me?" Tiger squeezed Axel's shoulder as he lowered his head, nodding at the latter with a wicked smile. 

"I — I know that."

"Good boy." Tiger mildly slapped Axel's cheek three times before he straightened his back and walked away from him. "Hey, Gray, you take the wheel."

Tiger stretched his neck to the side, his hand on his nape. "I can't deal with those properly if I'm driving."

"Got it!" Gray, the youthful-looking lad, jogged in a carefree manner to the driver's seat. "I think there's an extra gun in the compartment. Mr. Zhang's only redeemable quality is that he keeps an extra weapon in the boss's car!"

"Nice!"

Meanwhile, Axel stood in the same spot, frozen. This time, his vision adjusted to the thinning fog around them. He could see Gray and Tiger head to their previous vehicle, conversing casually as if they wouldn't step into a dangerous place. 

Knock knock

Axel flinched when he heard a knock from the car near him. Turning his head, he saw Dominic knocking on the window from the inside again. 

"Right..." he sighed, feeling his heart thud that echoed in his ears. "Right."

When Axel got in the driver's seat, he instinctively buckled up his seat with trembling hands. He cleared his throat, trying to keep a strong front just like the rest while starting up the car. 

SCREEECH!

He glanced at the windshield, only to see Gray revving up the car to create more fog out of the dirt. "How can I see if they keep doing this?" he mumbled to himself, starting up the car. His hand, however, convulsed, and he missed out on successfully starting up the engine. 

"They're doing that so whoever is watching wouldn't know which car your brother is," explained Heaven, seeing how Axel was losing control over his own motor. "It's okay, Axel. I know you can do it."

Axel looked back, only to see Heaven and Dominic already fastened their seatbelt. 

"We will be fine," Dominic nodded at him reassuringly. "I'm sorry that I had to drag you two here."

"Don't." Heaven reached for his hand, shaking her head. "They took Basti, so I'd be here whether or not you want me to. Moreover, even if they didn't drag our son here, I'd still make the same decision if they went straight to you."

The couple held each other's gaze, with Heaven nodded at him reassuringly. Dominic, on the other hand, pressed his lips into a thin line. Right now, he still hasn't gathered his thoughts and his feelings about taking his wife and brother into a dangerous place. However, he knew, deep in his heart, whether he asked someone to hold Heaven down so she could stay behind, she would do anything to infiltrate that building alone. 

"Axel." Heaven peeled her gaze from Dominic to the front passenger seat. "Your brother and I trust you. No matter what, follow Tiger's car and don't stray away."

Axel stared at her and gulped. He took a jagged breath, telling himself to listen to his sister. He knew Heaven and what she was capable of doing. Therefore, he should listen to her. After a few seconds of scolding himself inwardly, Axel started the engine and revved it up, keeping his focus on the faint red light from the vehicle ahead. 

'I can't fail,' he told himself, stepping on the pedal while giving his hundred perfect focus to the red light. 'Basti is trapped inside with all those bastards in it. I can't cower or Basti will pay heavily.'

Axel's expression slowly turned sharp as his determination flickered across his eyes. At this second, he centered his thoughts on saving his nephew, and somehow, it gave him the courage he never thought he had in him. 

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Meanwhile, inside the building…

"Damn it!" a man peeking through the window from the third floor cursed through his gritted teeth. "I can't see through the fog!" 

"This is bad…" said another one, watching the motorcycle drive around the area they had been observing. "We don't know which vehicle the target is in."

"Does it matter?" the other man remarked, peeking at the broken window. "We'll just take down all of them."

VROOM!!

Just then, the big bike that was driving around suddenly leaped out of the thick smoke. Those who had been watching their guests narrowed their eyes, seeing one humongous man on the back and the rider. 

"Give me that," said a man, snatching the binocular to see the riding in tandem better. As soon as he saw the motorcycle through the glasses, his pupils dilated as Bear raised a small rifle in their direction. "Duck!"

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

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