Chapter 38: The Original high!

Chapter 38: The Original high

Outside the inn, Adrian and Tessa sprinted through the narrow village streets, shadows clinging to them like a second skin. The cold night air burned in their lungs, but they didn't stop. Behind them, the echo of soldiers' boots grew louder, their shouts filling the night.

"There they are!"

The chase was on.

Adrian grabbed Tessa's hand, his grip firm as he pulled her through the winding alleys. His mind raced, calculating their next move. His blue eyes flickered with that familiar, god-like calm, but beneath it was a burning need to protect her at all costs.

There were shouts everywhere, panicking filled the air, soldiers and agents alike were rushing about, brandishing their weapons and ready to unleash chaos.

Bullets tore through the air, whizzing past Adrian and Tessa who kept their eyes ahead. One bullet grazed Adrian's shoulder, tearing through the fabric of his cloak. If it had been normal bullets it would have been merely a tickle, but these are salt baked bullets, they hurt like hell.

He gritted his teeth, his breath hitching at the sharp sting, but he didn't falter. They couldn't afford to slow down—not now.

But inside, Adrian felt the adrenaline course through him, like an old addiction. It hit him in waves—the thrill of the chase. He couldn't deny the surge of excitement, even now, running for his life.

"I've got the need for speed on a hot night," he thought to himself, pushing harder, moving faster. His feet seemed to barely touch the ground as he propelled them forward, his body aching but his mind alert. "Pushing 150 just to get a rise."

Tessa saw the blood trickling from his wound, her eyes wide with panic. "Adrian, you're hurt!"

"It's nothing," he hissed, though his steps were becoming heavier, his body growing sluggish. His vision blurred for a moment, but he pushed through the pain. There's no comfort in comfort, he thought. I need the edge...

The edge kept drifting, just out of reach, like it always had been. It was all in his head, but the thrill was real—the rush that came with it. Adrian knew it. He had lived it for as long as he could remember. But now, that edge wasn't just for himself—it was for her. For Tessa.

As they neared the edge of the village, a dam appeared in the distance. Below it, the water roared with dangerous intensity. It was their only chance for escape. But Tessa's heart pounded, and her breath quickened as she realized what Adrian was thinking.

"You can't be serious!" she shouted above the gunfire.

"We don't have a choice!" Adrian's voice came out strained, his energy fading fast.:

"The dam roared with a wild, untamed fury. Each stone that tumbled into its depths was instantly consumed by the torrent, vanishing in the violent surge. The sheer force of the rushing water made it clear—no human could hope to survive its wrath."

Adrian's mind raced ahead, faster than his body. Just let me feel the rush, like the first night... he thought, his heart pounding in sync with the thundering of their footsteps. He wanted to breathe it out, but he couldn't stop moving, couldn't slow down. I'm going out of my mind, he told himself, half laughing at the chaos.

The soldiers were closing in, and Adrian knew they had to take a drastic risk if they were going to make it out alive. "Hold on to me," he whispered, barely audible over the roaring water ahead.

Bullets flew past them. One grazed Adrian's leg, causing him to stumble. Tessa caught him, panic flooding her chest as she saw the blood pouring from his wounds. But through it all, Adrian's voice was steady as he murmured the next line:

"Gotta feel the rush like the first time..."

And then, without hesitation, he leapt, pulling her into the dam with him, the words of the song still lingering in the air as they plunged into the icy water below.

They crashed into the river, the force of the water slamming into their bodies like a wall. For a moment, it felt like everything stopped—the rush of the cold, the shock of the impact, the overwhelming sensation of being swallowed by the current. But even as the water dragged him under, Adrian could feel it—the rush.

"I'm chasing the original high..."

The current carried them farther downstream, the roaring of the dam filling the night. Adrian's grip loosened, his strength fading as the blood loss took its toll. His vision blurred, the world around him turning dark. But still, somewhere in his mind, the song played on.

"Chasing the original high..."

He could feel it slipping away, that rush—that spark of life. It was like chasing something he could never quite catch, something that was always just out of reach. But he'd been chasing it for so long, he didn't know how to stop. And now, with Tessa in his arms, he had to keep going. He had to protect her.

"Chasing the original high..."

Somehow, they made it to the shore, the rough rocks scraping their bodies as they were tossed onto the riverbank. Tessa coughed and sputtered, dragging herself out of the water. Her hands shook as she turned to Adrian, who lay unconscious beside her, his body still bleeding from the bullet wounds.

"Adrian," she whispered, her voice breaking. She knelt beside him, pressing her hands against his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "Adrian, please, wake up."

But he didn't stir.

The sound of distant helicopters approaching filled the air, and Tessa's heart sank. They weren't safe yet.

But Adrian couldn't run anymore. Not like this. I have to protect him, she thought desperately. I have to keep him safe.

Her eyes darted around, searching for a place to hide, somewhere—anywhere—they could take refuge before the soldiers found them. The night was closing in fast, and the trees around them seemed like their only option.

She grabbed Adrian's arm, pulling him as best she could toward the cover of the trees. Every step was agony, but she couldn't stop now. Not when they were so close to being caught.

The helicopters loomed closer, the bright searchlights cutting through the darkness. But Tessa didn't stop. She wouldn't stop—not until they were safe.

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Back at the Control Room

Andrew Marshall stood in front of the monitors, watching the grainy footage of the chase with narrowed eyes. His arms were folded across his chest, and for the first time, his usual smug expression had faltered.

"They're proving more difficult than expected," he muttered under his breath. His brow furrowed deeply as he saw the moment Adrian and Tessa disappeared into the raging waters. His sharp, calculating mind raced, trying to figure out how they could have slipped through his grasp.

"Sir, we've lost visual on them," one of the agents reported, shifting nervously under Marshall's intense gaze.

Marshall's lips curled into a grimace, his teeth grinding together. "This was supposed to be easy," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. He had anticipated many things, but this—the constant evasion, the bold moves—they had caught him off guard.

No one had ever slipped past him like this. No one had ever made him doubt his own control over the situation.

"They jumped into the dam," another agent said, his tone unsure.

Marshall's eyes darkened. "They jumped?" He replayed the footage in his mind. That was no reckless move—it was calculated. Even in the face of overwhelming odds, these two had proven they weren't just running for their lives. They were making every move count, no matter the cost.

"They won't survive the currents," an officer nearby remarked.

Marshall's frown deepened. "Don't underestimate them. Send a team to search downstream. I want them alive."

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To be continued...

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