Just a dance. Ha. Clearly, she didn't have the same effect on him that he had on her, or he wouldn't be making light of the situation.
Still, the music was good, and she wasn't uncomfortable dancing with him. So, while he swayed to the beat, she added a bit of a rock-step for herself so that her hips swung in time to the music as well. She was smiling by the time he twirled her out under his arm, though that smile quickly dissolved into bewilderment as he dipped her low enough that her long hair brushed the floor. Her fingers tightened slightly on his shoulder, more out of nerves than a true worry that she would fall. He pulled her up ever so slowly, drawing her in even closer than before. Was he...flirting with her? Was that what all this was? And getting her to sing for him before? Well, that was a new possibility...but honestly, she wasn't sure if she was right, let alone what to do if she was.
Marie raised an eyebrow. "You know, when I said I liked music that made me want to dance, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," she told him, just a hint of amusement in her tone. That blush from earlier still lingered unhelpfully on her cheeks, but she was nothing if not resilient. She could adapt to this situation, and handle it with relative grace. Or at least that was what she was telling herself...
Post by Johnny Cordello on Jun 22, 2021 0:05:27 GMT
Marie shouldn't feel bad. He was a trained agent- he wasn't allowed to think or feel anything about anyone, not real feelings, anyway. Regardless, something was happening in the way of him daring to rethink what Danica wanted and what she was doing. And he never did that. He never questioned anything, but it was enough for even Johnny to break protocol and his own rules upon realizing that something was not right.
Not that he expected ACIS to clue him in on every little detail, but they were hiding something they shouldn't be right now...and it involved Gamble, Houston, and now possibly Marie who had been nothing but an innocent bystander this entire time. He wanted to try and keep it that way.
The confusion and concern momentarily disappeared at the sight of her smile, and it garnered a half, crooked grin of his own. It just so happened to widen a little bit more from the look on her face, and the blush that still kissed her cheeks. Johnny couldn't help but find amusement in her bewilderment, like this wasn't somehow a natural occurrence for her- you know, the subtle flirting and what not. She was an attractive woman, rest assured, and seemed the kind and delightful sort, so maybe he found it impossible to think she wasn't used to this. Or maybe he was just used to it, he didn't really know.
His hand casually drew hers against his chest between them as they swayed back and forth, holding her that small (yet noticeable) amount closer. "And what if I just wanted to dance with you?" he asked without skipping a beat; green eyes blatantly studying her face. There was a light shrug of one of his shoulders as if this had been so obvious a thing. "But...what did you have in mind?"
Marie dropped her gaze briefly as she laughed slightly and shook her head. The expression seemed to say that he was fooling himself if he really thought he just wanted to dance with her of all people. She didn't miss the way he was drawing her closer, either, sending little sparks skating across her skin with each movement. His question brought a bit of a wider smile to her face, in spite of her nerves. She'd imagined dancing around her kitchen scream-singing along to Journey, or Shake a Tail Feather, not a serious dance with someone.
"I was thinking something a bit more rock-and-roll, maybe a h--" Marie's words cut off as a loud bang resonated through the small house, seeming to rattle the windows in their frames. She flinched closer to Johnny without thinking, erasing what little distance was left between them even as she turned to look over her shoulder at the pounding still repeating at her front door. She looked back to Johnny as a muffled male voice shouted, "Federal agents! Open up!"
Post by Johnny Cordello on Jun 22, 2021 2:02:55 GMT
Well, if he had known what she really wanted, he wouldn't have stopped her. He'd gladly watch her belt out any rock tunes. The dancing would be a bonus. However, the agent had a slightly hidden agenda, although his reasons had changed a bit.
Johnny, flat out, didn't want to see her hurt. He didn't want to see Roan in that doorway, knowing all too well what the man could do. He was a Cleaner, but he also excelled at getting people to talk...and it wasn't by mere conversation, gently flirty jabs, or slow dancing, either. The man was a monster, and Marie was an innocent.
His brow shot up in soft surprise to hear "rock-and-roll", but her words were halted by the heavy fist pounding against the door. It was instinct to draw her closer even as she was moving, pulling her behind him so that he could shield her from the door.
'Federal agents! Open up!'
Eyes narrowed slightly. What worried him for a second was whether or not that was somehow the actual FBI, but they should have no reason to come to her. He had his arm still wrapped around her as he drew his phone out with his free hand. Several text messages lit up his screen from Jacob and Nat, and he cursed under his breath. When the man called out from the other side of the door again, Johnny recognized the voice.
Son of a bitch.
Slipping that phone back into his pocket, Cordello turned to face her with a new look of urgency. She might have expected him to let the other agents in, considering he too was "FBI", but instead he was speaking quickly and currently ignoring the pounding and the music and everything else around them.
"I need you to be completely honest with me, Marie. Right now," he began, green eyes staring into blue. "Do you know anything more about your sister, anything at all?" Jake was becoming insistent, and it was actually making him nervous. How did the other two not know Johnny wasn't, you know, "busy"? There could have been many reasons why he hadn't been able to answer right away.
And that was precisely why, if Marie told him she truly didn't know anything more, he would believe her.
Marie was too stunned to even consider arguing as Johnny pushed her behind him, quickly turning protective. Why was he so startled? If they were federal agents, weren't they with him? A sick feeling flipped in her stomach as he checked his phone. He hadn't been expecting anyone else. So were these people lying? Or from another agency? Was this really bad enough that there were multiple sets of people after her? Or were these the same shooters from before?
Her mind whirled and churned, trying to make some kind of sense out of this chaos, until Johnny turned and looked her right in the eye.
I need you to be completely honest with me, Marie. Right now," he began, green eyes staring into blue. "Do you know anything more about your sister, anything at all?"
She faltered for only a moment, but the next bang on the door had her words spilling out in a jumble.
"Dad said the agent was dead but I'm not sure that's true," she confessed. "I don't know what else they've been hiding from me. I didn't even know anything was wrong until you showed up."
She didn't know, but maybe she should have. Elliot had always been a secretive person, and a bit overprepared for an emergency. But she'd never thought that he would put her in danger, or lie to her about something this important. He'd always been so good to her, even making sure she had a safety net in case someth--
In case something like this happened.
Fuck. Alright, that was a realization she'd have to think about later. For now, they just needed to survive this mess.
Survive.
I will survive!
Marie's face lit up with the recollection of where she'd stashed the little envelope from Elliot. She broke away from Johnny and rushed to the shelf, trailed her fingers along the cases until she found the one she was looking for, and yanked it out. Oh, Gloria. If you had any idea what your music was getting people through… But now wasn't the time for twisted humor. She stuck her hand in the case and swiped it across the vinyl until her fingers met the little orange envelope. As she tugged it out she could feel the weight of something shifting inside. A key, by the feel of it.
She turned to explain to Johnny, but the next bang on the door was accompanied by a splintering. They were breaking down the door. Her eyes went wide and she shoved the envelope into her jacket pocket and rushed to grab her suitcase.
"Back door," she whispered sharply, gesturing toward the kitchen.
Post by Johnny Cordello on Jun 22, 2021 20:49:55 GMT
The pounding on the door wasn't letting up, growing more agitated the longer they didn't go and answer it. He definitely looked shocked, and Johnny didn't bother to hide it at this point. This wasn't the plan...then again, neither had lying to Jake and Nat to sneak off to Marie's house been the plan either. And they weren't stupid. The other agents hadn't taken long to figure out his trick and track him down to one of the few places they knew Marie frequented.
He waited with baited breath for her to answer him. In truth, he wasn't sure what he was hoping to hear- that she was lying to him and knew far more than she was letting on, or that she honestly had no clue about any of it. Both held its repercussions, both were going to hurt in one way or another.
'Dad said the agent was dead but I'm not sure that's true.' Of course it wasn't true, because Danica would have known. She wouldn't be telling him that she needed Gamble's or Helina's location. The Warden was grasping desperately, and part of her plan involved Marie.
This had escalated too quickly.
When something seemed to dawn on her and she rushed to the bookcase, Johnny moved over towards the window, carefully drawing back the curtain a little to spot only Jacob outside. Their car was there...but Natalie wasn't in it.
Oh, as if this couldn't get any worse.
The splintering door made him move again, drawing back over to Marie's side as she mentioned the back door. They certainly needed an exit, but Nat by might covering that one. He was hesitant, yet they had little options here. It was likely they were to take them alive...
Only, that bitch seemed to have a vendetta against him.
Taking her by the hand, he drifted in front of her again as they walked to the kitchen; retrieving the Glock stashed at his waistband, making sure the safety was off. This wasn't pretend anymore, so he wasn't as brazen as he might have appeared the first go around.
As they neared the backdoor, he heard the front one bust open. "What the fuck, Johnny?!" Jacob called from the other room, clearly flustered. Well, they weren't trying to play undercover for very long, knowing something was up. Which was honestly a good thing, because Jake sucked at role-play according to his current partner.
Johnny was just realizing in that moment that Nat had been trying to make him jealous with that comment. Ha! Poor Jake.
Nope, not the time to laugh.
"You know you can't stay hidden for that long, John..." Right, that fucking tracker. He was going to have to deal with that but his gear was in the duffel in the back of the car. Quietly unlocking that backdoor, he carefully opened it to look out. The coast was clear, but the question was- was Nat waiting behind a scope? Because, then, she could be anywhere.
With Jacob trudging through the house and getting closer, Johnny stepped out with a tight grasp on Marie's hand. And he ran around the side of the house, banking on the fact that Danica would want him alive.
Marie's eyes widened at the stranger calling out Johnny's name so easily. Did they know each other? Why would his fellow agents be breaking in instead of just waiting for him to let them in? And why was Johnny drawing his gun on them?
She held Johnny's hand tightly as she crept along behind him, more grateful every minute that she'd had a chance to change her shoes. Maybe this time she'd be a bit less dead weight… But she should have gotten her gun out of the safe, too. Well, no changing the past.
Johnny opened the back door and checked it, and Marie took a moment to glance behind, hearing the telltale creak of the wood floor in the living room. He wasn't far behind…
Johnny ran forward and tugged her with him, pulling her attention away from their pursuer. She was definitely having an easier time keeping up this time, but that didn't make it any less terrifying when a bullet sang past her head and shattered one of the siding pieces ahead of them, close to the front of the house. Marie ducked further into a crouch on instinct, despite the fact that it wasn't going to do her any good.
She didn't let her panic stop her, if anything it sped her forward as she tried to stay close to Johnny without tripping on his feet. The car was so close, barely a foot past the end of the wall and--
The windshield shattered as a woman's laughter rang out."Oh sorry, was that your ride?"Another shot. The hood was punctured and steam--or was that smoke?!--rose from it. Ping! Ping! Ping! More holes in the hood. More smoke. Definitely smoke. "You can't run forever, Johnny-Boy. Boss lady said you had to be alive...but there's a lot of wiggle room between dead and alive, baby." The woman's voice was practically a purr, sending a shiver down Marie's spine as she pushed Johnny across the narrow strip of lawn and into the neighbor's massive hydrangea bushes. At least that would give them some cover, and maybe they could ta--
Wait, was she considering car theft right now? The man's voice swore inside the house, driving any last doubts from her mind. Yeah, she was definitely planning to steal Mrs. Webber's SUV.
Post by Johnny Cordello on Jul 7, 2021 20:55:52 GMT
Oh, if Marie had the time to ask all of those questions, he wasn't even sure where he would begin. If he'd even tell her the truth just yet. There was just too much going on, and currently absolutely no time.
Definitely no time. Just seconds away from the car, those shots rang out and he was forced to pause them as Natalie taunted. He knew better, but he also didn't have much of a choice. From the sound of her voice, she was close, but she was still having to project her words in order to be heard. That proved she was behind a scope, because those shots were too precise, and that bitch was a good shot.
"Y'know, this jealousy shit doesn't look good on you!" he belted out just as Marie was dragging him into the flower bushes. Right, Cordello, piss that woman off more. Give her a reason to blow your brains out. Fuckin' idiot. Johnny cursed under his breath, letting Marie lead the way as he tried to locate both the other agents. Jacob was just stepping out of the house but he couldn't spot Nat just yet.
"We're gonna need a ride. And fast," he told her. He was very keen on stealing someone's car, but as they burst through the bushes and he saw that horrid SUV, he actually stopped for a second in his tracks to grumble. Just for a second, because he knew they were being hunted.
Man, he really missed his car...
A quick survey of the area, there was enough coverage between them and Natalie. She'd have to approach closer on foot. Jake, on the other hand, was still a potential problem. No doubt Nat had told him which direction they ran off to.
"So, uh...think your neighbor would mind if we borrowed that?" he asked, meaning for it to be a joke but his tone was a little too flat as he checked the pistol to see how many bullets he had left. "Can you hotwire a vehicle?" Maybe a strange question, but she was related to Pyro. He was capable, but he had a feeling they were going to have company in a moment.
"We're gonna need a ride. And fast," No Duh! Didn't take a super-secret agent to guess that one.
Marie nearly scowled at him, but there was no time for that. She was busy planning how to get to that car without getting shot at. There wasn't anything she could do about the three feet between the bushes and the SUV, she was just going to have to do her best.
"So, uh...think your neighbor would mind if we borrowed that?" This time Marie did give him a dirty look, but the sight of his gun cut off her irritation. Okay, so he could joke and work. That was a relief.
"Can you hotwire a vehicle?"
Well, she knew how to do a lot of things--get into her car when she was locked out; load, clean, and fire a pistol; build a fire; clean a deer; catch a fish...but hotwiring a car was not one of them. Good thing she didn't need to.
"Mrs. Webber keeps the spare key under the cup-holder lining. She told me herself." Marie's voice attempted cheerfulness and fell short. She was tense.
She glanced over at her house one more time, and when she didn't see any immediate danger, she made a run for the SUV. Please be unlocked, please be unlocked… The door opened, despite her fumbling fingers. The interior smelled like baby powder and cheerios, but there wasn't any time to think about that. She stayed crouched low as she ripped the rubber liner out of the cupholder and found the spare key. She could have kissed it she was so happy. She didn't.
She fumbled it into the ignition on the third try, and the engine roared to life.
Post by Johnny Cordello on Jul 14, 2021 4:16:57 GMT
It was a perfectly logical question, okay? The stupid rental was busted, and they needed to get out fast...and right now, that horrible SUV was the only thing immediately available.
God damn, did he miss his car. So much. Maybe if he kept whining about it, it would miraculously appear.
Johnny's attention flickered up to her just in time to see that glare. He almost asked her what was wrong but refrained.
'Mrs. Webber keeps the spare key under the cup-holder lining. She told me herself.'
His brow flickered up in mild surprise. "Great for us, dumb on her part," he commented. He double-checked that the coast was clear before she rushed towards the van...just seconds before Jacob found them. Fortunately, he only had Johnny to contend with.
He managed to take Jake by surprise as he rushed through the bushes- an elbow to the face, then a nice knee into the gut before Johnny was able to twist and yank his arm in such a way to bring the other agent down to a knee and wrangle the gun from his grasp. He said nothing when he slammed the butt of it against the back of Jake's head...after contemplating about shooting him. Normally he would, but it might've been Marie's voice that halted him.
Regarding her quickly, noting she got the SUV started, he already pilfered what he could from Jacob and was jogging over.
"Nah, I got it. Get in." No offense, but they needed to get out of there quickly and there was a very strong chance they would be pursued. They needed to drive fast and aggressively. He gestured for her to get in and was quick to follow; buckling in, holstering his gun and temporarily sticking Jake's pistol into one of the cup holders awkwardly. "Hey, that's convenient."
Throwing the vehicle into reverse, he charged it back out of the driveway and onto the street. He heard shots go off, likely near the tires as Nat spotted them leaving. Glancing in the rearview, he caught sight of her, and she was speaking into an earpiece.
Get in? How? "Fucking figures, couldn't be easy," she swore under her breath as she shoved her bag into the backseat and clambered awkwardly in after it. She landed heavily in the backseat on one knee with the opposite foot caught between the passenger seat and the console. "Fucking hell," she swore again as she yanked her foot free and stumbled backward, landing with her hand in a container of lukewarm applesauce. "Eww…"
She wiped her hand on the booster seat that was already covered in cheerios and other mystery stains just in time to be thrown against the door as Johnny reversed sharply into the street. She didn't bother swearing this time, she just sighed heavily.
She eyed the gun in the cupholder, then Johnny, then the gun again. He was busy driving and watching the enemy. He couldn't be watching her just as carefully as them--he didn't think she was a threat. She was probably going to get in trouble for this, but hey, she was already getting shot at.
She braced herself with one hand on the console as she leaned over it and snagged the other agent's gun out of the cupholder. She used her weight to carry her back into the backseat and sit down in the middle before he'd be able to grab her. If Johnny looked at her in the rearview mirror, he'd find her already competently checking how much ammo she had in it, clicking the clip back into place, then twisting on the bench seat to look back out through the rear window for pursuers.
Marie didn't like to hurt people, in fact, she'd almost always avoid it if she could, but she liked being shot at a hell of a lot less. She was ready to fight back.
Post by Johnny Cordello on Jul 16, 2021 3:09:37 GMT
Johnny had absolutely no idea where to go, knowing full well that they would be able to locate him by that lovely implant from Danica. Yeah, that was going to be a problem, and it wasn't as though it was easily removable, either.
Gunning it down the street and steering with one hand, he was fishing out his cell with the other; eyes flicking back and forth from the screen to the road as he leafed through the various apps. Tapping one open, he was murmuring under his breath before darkening the screen and shoving it back into his pocket. It wasn't exactly a faraday bag, so to speak, but it would temporarily jam the tracker's signal from the agency, so long as he kept the phone close enough. He wasn't sure how long it would work for, but he just needed it to in order for them to get out of sight.
It might be time to give an old friend a call.
He was also going to have to explain things to Marie, most likely.
Checking the sideview mirror, a couple of black sedans were speeding down the street in clear pursuit, and he sighed as well. "We've got company," he murmured, just seconds before she was snatching the pistol from the cupholder and throwing herself in the backseat. "What the- what the hell are you doing?!" He actually jumped a little in surprise, the radio suddenly turning on as she kicked the knob on the console.
"We've Only Just Begun" by the Carpenters started to play through the speakers, and he grumbled as he now glanced in the rearview to, once again, look mildly surprised as Marie appeared to know her way around a gun. His brow shot up in contemplative gesture, having to dismiss thoughts that immediately shouldn't be there before the music started to grate on his nerves.
His free hand blindly reached for the radio. Now, he probably should have attempted to turn it off since they were likely about to be in the middle of another gunfight, but no, he was attempting to change the station instead. There was no logic behind it, especially when the next station was something very country and it made him want to gag.
"Jesus, no. No, no, no." Attention flickering between radio and road constantly, he didn't let down on the speed because the sedans were getting closer, but he wasn't about to go into a fight to this bullshit. Another station, and he cursed loudly this time.
Fuck Justin Bieber.
Yeah, babe, yeah, babe, yeah, babe Any night, any day Say the word, on my way Yeah, babe, yeah-
"Holy fuck, how did this kid get famous? Like, seriously, what the hell is this bull-" His rant was cut off when one of the cars was pulling up alongside them, its passenger side window beginning to roll down. Nope, not dealing with that just yet, and he didn't want Marie to have to fire that gun unless she absolutely had to.
The next street, he was taking a right; the SUV struggling to take the turn smoothly and wobbled when he tried to straighten back out. "Y'know, for modern technology, I figured these things wouldn't feel like a fuckin' bus. It handles like shit." Granted, it was better than a damn minivan.
Speeding back up, he was back to messing with the radio because, yes, it was very important to change it before he lost his shit. That little fucker had absolutely no talent and didn't deserve to be on the radio. Of course, as he was busy messing with that once again, both sedans were hot on their heels, one managing to flank again and slamming into them just as he changed the station.
Mmmbop, ba duba doo-op! blared from the speakers as he was pushed into a swerve, trying to compensate as he yelled out in anger. Not at the agents, mind you. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WOMAN'S RADIO?!" There wouldn't be time to change it, so they were stuck with Hanson for a little while longer.
"I'm gonna get us on the highway," he called to her in the backseat. It was too dangerous to be battling this out here. Evasive driving was a little tricky right now.
"Making myself useful, finally," Marie replied dryly.
Marie smiled a little to herself as she recognized "We've only just begun." Next was something about a tractor, and Johnny's reaction actually made her laugh quietly to herself. Then Justin Bieber. This was so not a time to be laughing, but she couldn't help it. It was funny.
She saw the upcoming sedan rolling down its window and did the same with hers, punching the button so it started to scroll down as she slid off the seat to crouch on the floor instead, putting herself below the window frame. She managed to stay upright around the corner, peeking up to see that the sedan had been forced away from them, but the other one was getting close.
She didn't answer Johnny's complaint about the steering--she figured he was just blowing off steam by complaining, and she wasn't going to argue. If it was up to her, she'd just drive something boring and small. She didn't need anything flashy.
Oh good grief, "Mm Bop?" Even she hated that one. She didn't have time to complain, though, as the sedan slammed into them and knocked her head against the car door. Ouch. That was going to leave a goose egg.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WOMAN'S RADIO?!"
Clearly, something was wrong, but she wasn't sure it was the radio.
"I'm gonna get us on the highway," Johnny called over his shoulder. Good plan. They'd already sent a few other cars skidding onto the sidewalks, and she wouldn't be surprised if the police had been called.
"Try 99.5," she suggested, knowing that was the local classic rock. "And you can get on the highway if you take a left on the next street. You want the left entrance to go south."
Listening to herself, she sounded perfectly calm. She felt it, too. She'd pushed her panic away for the time being; it wasn't serving her. Sure, later she could lose her shit, but for now, she was going to do whatever she could to make sure they got out of this alive.
The sedan with the open window was pulling up on her side again, but instead of trying to aim a gun at them, she looked around the back seat for a distraction. A discarded sippy cup was stuck in the door. She picked it up and shook it to see what was inside--it sloshed more like cottage cheese than juice. Perfect.
She loosened the cap and did her best not to gag at the smell as she lobbed it into the other car. She thought she heard someone swear as the car swerved away, but she couldn't be sure. As they took their left onto the main road, though, she saw two black SUVs headed their way--a sharp contrast to the modest tan of their own standard vehicle. They just looked like evil government cars.
"Um, I think we're making some new friends already…"
Post by Johnny Cordello on Jul 17, 2021 0:01:58 GMT
He really should be freaking out right about now. Hell, maybe he was, but bitching about the music on the radio kept him a little more level-headed and not dwelling on the fact that an entire agency was likely out to kill him.
It really wasn't a good feeling, and it was like this crazy adrenaline high. He was actually scared, but at the same time...was that feeling relief? It was weird, and Johnny wasn't entirely okay with the change. He didn't know what he was doing.
At least Marie seemed kind of amused by it? Or maybe she was losing her mind, too.
In reality, the vehicle wasn't that bad, but anything that wasn't his car was always going to be a piece of crap. End of story. He would fight it until his last breath. Regardless, this was still less than ideal, and she hadn't heard the end of his rant.
'Try 99.5'.'
It took him a second to realize what she was talking about, and when he did, he was smirking as she directed him towards the highway. He didn't care which direction they took, so long as they lost their less-than-pleasant tails. But, with the commotion this had caused, the cops had certainly been called, and this clusterfuck was growing a bit more fucky by the second.
Were he not in the middle of trying to keep them alive and avoid crashing into something, he might have wondered why Marie sounded so calm. Every other time, she panicked. That was the normal reaction to this kind of situation, but let's face it, neither of them were being very normal right now. It was humorous, yet he wasn't really laughing. Johnny was frustrated. He was becoming more and more pissed off by the second.
What was all of this about? Marie didn't know anything more than she already told him- he believed her, and he prayed that wasn't a mistake. ACIS had to realize this, but they were desperate now, grasping at straws that weren't even there. He needed a moment to think, but that was impossible at this current time.
Johnny kept looking in the rearview to see what she was up to, catching sight of the car pulling up to them again. Just as he was ready to roll down the window to pop off a few bullets, Marie was a few seconds ahead of him- chucking something out at the driver, causing the sedan to swerve out of sight again. This time, he actually laughed out loud.
Blindly trying to change the radio again and prepare to make that left turn, he grumbled in annoyance as his fingers brushed against the touchscreen of the console. "This damn technology. Why is everything tech now? I don't want a touch screen, I want buttons and knobs!" Finally, he managed to change the station to the one Marie suggested, and he only had one second to appreciate the tune (which didn't fit the situation at all, but it was better than freaking Hanson.)
What started out as friendship has grown stronger I only wish I had the strength to let it show
I tell myself that I can't hold out forever I said there is no reason for my fear
Good ol' REO Speedwagon.
In the middle of this, he was straightening out onto the main road when he saw those SUVs she was talking about. "I hope you're not opposed to you usin' that gun, sweetheart..." he said kind of darkly. They needed to keep moving, but the more of them there were, the faster they could become surrounded, and ACIS wasn't playing around. The SUVs were immediately gaining speed, and Johnny was already yanking on the wheel to turn theirs around the other way, forcing it as fast as it could possibly go. It turned into a four lane street, finally giving him the ability to weave in and out of the traffic. Their pursuers were gaining on them, and the other sedan was about to try and cut them off from a side street on the right.
"Son-of-a-bitch, hang on! Get ready on the left!" He called out as he was rolling his own window down. Finding an opening, he turned and forced the vehicle over the grassy median, spinning them onto the other lanes of traffic. The agency SUVs tried to compensate, but instead, his arm was aimed out that window where he blindly shot off a few rounds as they passed by, heading the opposite direction.
Marie laughed quietly at Johnny's struggle with the radio, trying not to annoy him. He needed to focus, after all.
"I hope you're not opposed to you usin' that gun, sweetheart..."
She swallowed her laughter and shook her head. "I avoid guns when I can, but Uncle Elliot made sure I knew how to handle one. I know what I need to do."
She still didn't like being put in this situation in the first place, but for now, the top priority was to just stay alive. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha, stayin' alive…
She took a deep breath to steady herself and raised her head and gun over the window, just as Johnny swung them into a wild turn. She gritted her teeth against the pull of gravity and the wind in her face, focusing on the SUVs as they tried to react to the sudden reversal. Johnny's shots went wild, hitting the doors of the first vehicle and cracking one of their rear windows, but Marie took closer aim. The first shot missed, hitting just above the wheel well of the first SUV. "Fuck," she hissed through her teeth, but she didn't stop. Her second shot hit its target. With a pop and then the screech of metal on concrete, the enemy vehicle lost its front-right tire. The dark SUV swerved sharply into the next lane, cutting off a minivan that laid on its horn as the SUV blew past and slammed through the metal fencing into a ditch.
Much to her dismay, however, it was quickly replaced by the remaining sedan, with the muzzle of a larger gun sticking out the window.
Marie gasped and threw herself to the floor as what looked like buckshot blew through her window, tore holes in the seats around her, and pinged off the door like deadly hail. That might not have killed her, but it would have definitely maimed her in several very ugly ways. These people weren't fucking around.
Her breathing came in heavy, panicked pants, but she didn't let herself drown in that feeling. Not yet, she kept telling herself. Not yet.