Just as the red sports car was whizzing through the road beside the woods,a man dressed like a gang leader, wearing a squeezed shirt and a torn trouser from down up, stood at the middle of the road. Coincidentally, the man who was supposedly tall,held a gun in his right hand and he had an evil smirk on his face.
Edwin,who kept his attention on the road, quickly saw the man standing at the middle of the road. Not wanting to hit the man and cause an accident, Edwin hit the brakes with such force, making the tires to screech noisily. The car skidded to a halt, just a few meters away from the man. The black van also trailing the red sports car also came to an abrupt stop, the driver of the black van, seeing that the car he was trailing had stopped driving, must surely be confused.
Drake and Josh, sitting at the back seat of the car,both hit their heads on the headboard of the car. Drake raised his head as a dull pain overwhelmed him, he could feel a bruise forming on his head. Josh also had the same reaction, after thrown with such force as a result of the car coming to an abrupt stop. The chess board and it's materials were scattered all around them.
"Fuck! What the hell!!"
Drake cursed, rubbing the bruise on his head. He sat down back on the car seat, ready to give Edwin a good boss scolding.
"Damn, Edwin. You wanna burst my brains?!!"
Josh sat back down on the car seat, opposite Drake. Edwin quickly apologized while casting them a quick glance. Then warning them of the unknown man standing in the middle of the road.
"I'm sorry, Young Masters but there seemed to be some kind of a problem".
"What's the fucking problem that made you do this?"
Josh asked, cursing in between the question. He still was rubbing his forehead.
"Young Masters, I'm afraid but there's a man standing ahead in the middle of the road, holding a gun. He looks like some kind of gang leader and I don't like the evil expression on his face".
"What? That can't be possible".
Drake retorted as he stood up, while bending in order to see what his personal guard was talking about. Josh also did the same,a lot confused at what Edwin said.
It was then they saw the man standing in the middle of the road, having an evil smirk on his face and an Ak-47, which he held on his shoulders. Both the bloods of Drake and Josh ran cold upon seeing the man. But Drake quickly hardened his features.
"What are we gonna do, Edwin?"
Josh asked, the fear evident in his voice.
"We could take him down, since he's just only one man".
Edwin answered, certainty in his voice.
"But what if he's not just only one man? What if it's a whole gang of kidnappers?"
Drake asked, his voice firm with utmost determination.
"We could take them all down,we still have six men at the van behind us".
"But they may not be enough.... Have you notified the others at the van the current situation and why we stopped?"
"No".
Edwin replied.
"Do so immediately and tell them to be prepared, in case it's some kind of an ambush, while we study the man's movements and if he makes a move to attack us".
Edwin nodded and said; "You are so wise Young Master Drake. I'll do that right away".
With that, Edwin took in cue to inform those at the van through the ear pods he had in his ears.
Drake then turned to Josh, "Stay calm Josh, everything is going to be fine".
Josh nodded but he didn't seem to be calm as he kept watching the strange man,a few meters away, just to ease his unease.
However, Drake had a feeling within his gut that this wasn't going to end well. He just had a prickling feeling, that feeling one get when trouble is near. Without deciding twice, he started to transform himself to his vampire form. But he did it slowly so that those in the car wouldn't notice.
As he was slowly transforming himself to vampire form, his finger nails started to grow longer, elongating into vicious claws. Little fangs started to come in between his teeth and vampiric taste for blood, seemed to kick in. Nevertheless, his red eyes weren't glowing, which only showed that he hadn't fully transformed.
"Young Master Drake, I've already informed the others at the van. They are on guard".
Edwin said, taking a peak at Drake.
Drake immediately hid his clawed hands and nodded.
"Let's stay alert and watch the man's every move".
Drake said and both he, Edwin and Josh turned to look at the man standing in the middle of the road.
Suddenly, the man picked up his phone from his torn trouser pocket and he put the phone on his ear. He said a few words and after that turned off the phone and placed it back inside the pocket.
What happened next caught Drake off guard, since he didn't expect it.
*****
Suddenly, a truck rolled out from another road and pulled up violently or dangerously behind the black van. Drake, using his vampire hearing was able to hear the loud screeching noise of the truck tires. He turned to look behind him as he immediately figured out the meaning of everything.
"Oh fuck!! It's an ambush!!" Drake screamed to Edwin's and Josh's hearing. The two felt their blood run cold upon hearing Drake's words. "Edwin,quick,notify the men at the van to be prepared".
Drake hadn't even finished the last words when another truck pulled up just beside the man standing in the middle of the road. Seven men jumped out of the truck in front of the red sports car while another seven men jumped out of the truck behind the black van.
"Shit!! It is really an ambush. Young Masters get down".
Edwin hadn't even finished his sayings when the seven men, plus the strange man, making them all eight, were already striding towards them. They all had guns in their hands as they strode towards the red sports car.
Edwin on instincts,took out his gun as he cracked it, ready to put up defence. Josh who was suddenly taken by fear, squatted down behind the car seat with his hands on his head, and started muttering things best known to him. Drake, not really unfazed by the threat striding towards them, frowned with the twist of his pink lips.
"What's the situation, Edwin?"
Drake asked, after glancing at Josh who buried his head in fear.
"Young Master, we're clearly outnumbered and there's no way to escape these thugs. We only have two options, surrender to them or fight back till we die".
"Then that's what we will do. We'll fight back. I don't wanna get kidnapped by these low lives".
Drake said, his frown deepening.
But before Edwin could say more, the strange man who had once been standing alone in the middle of the road, called out. He seemed to be the leader of the gang.
"Hey, you folks!!" The man with the torn jeans trouser called out in a monotone loud voice. "We come in peace and in war. We won't hurt anyone, unless you deliver the Governor's son, peacefully and without tricks. And we promise not to hurt any of you but if you play tricks,we would have to kill and also get the Governor's son by force. I know you don't want that,so better deliver him nice and carmly. You can see you're surrounded and outnumbered,so no games and we would leave as we came".
Hearing the man's words, Drake let out an otherworldly guttural growl. The growl rumbled deep in his chest but miraculously, Edwin didn't hear it. He seemed focused on the situation of them being ambushed and asked to deliver the one person they are supposed to protect,on silver platter.
"What are we gonna do, Young Master? It seems you're the target". Edwin said the obvious. "Maybe one of your father's rivals orchestrated this".
"Oh, please Drake. Deliver yourself peacefully. I don't wanna die now".
Josh lamented from where he squatted, hiding his face.
"Shut up Josh, and listen Edwin, notify the other guards behind us that we're not giving into their demands. We're fighting back".
Drake said with an unnaturally cold voice.
"Okay, Young Master".
After a few moments, Edwin stepped out of the car. He looked at the thugs that dared to ambush and corner them, he looked at them with contempt. He quickly raised his middle finger at them,in order to send a message to them that they weren't giving into their demands.
The leader of the gang smiled eeriely, quickly catching the message. With the flick of his hand, he ordered the seven men with him to start firing at the red sports car.
Edwin quickly sensed what was coming and quickly screamed in a loud voice.
"Young Masters get down!!!"
Drake and Josh took it as cue to get down and Edwin did that also by hiding behind the opened car door. Bullets started whizzing through the air at lightning speed, aiming straight for the red sports car.
The seven men along with their leader started shooting at the stylish red sports car, erupting a gunfire in an instant. The same went for the seven men behind the black van,who also started shooting at the van. The gunfire continued for minutes as glasses were shattered,holes boring into the car, the red sports car turning into utter destruction in an instant.
Drake and Josh covered their ears because of the loud noise of the guns and fear of stray bullets hitting them. Glass shattered around them as they kept quiet praying for the gunfire to end. The van was in no good condition as, holes and broken glass were on it.
"Cease fire".
The leader of the gang shouted loudly in a monotone voice.
As if on cue, the thugs at opposite sides, lowered their guns and ceased fire. The whole road immediately went quiet as smoke filled the air as a result of the gunfire. The whole road went still, only the coughing of Drake and Josh could be heard. The smoke must have gotten to them.
"Young Master, are you okay?"
Edwin asked as he squatted behind the opened car door. After all, he wasn't hit by the bullets from the gunfire.
"We are fine, don't worry about us. Just fucking shoot".
Drake said between coughs. Edwin nodded.
"Espinas, John. The two of you come help me hold the thugs at my side while the rest face the rest behind us".
Edwin said to the ear pod in his ear.
The black van doors open as the six guards in it stepped out cautiously and hurriedly went to the front of the van, trying to use the van as protection. Two among the six, hurriedly went behind the red sports car, ready to offer help to Edwin. While doing this, their back were bent down to avoid being hit.
"Team!! When I say shoot, you shoot. Now shoot!!"
Another episode of gunfire took place as the bodyguards protecting the Governor's son fired back at the group of thugs.