14Engines; it shall roar,
Tyres; it shall wear out,
The chase; from the streets, to the highway,
A high speed pursuit through Tokyo.
… … …
16th May 2006; 2.30pm
Investigators have uncovered the suspect, though had not been successful at capturing him. Raito Musume, 38 years old, is responsible of the murders that had taken place in the prefecture. It is said that the suspect has a penchant of killing his victim by stabbing with metal rods, as examined by other bodies as well. The public population has been advised not to use secluded routes when going out, and remain in crowded areas as much as they can. Claire Everon and Raquel Schmidt has been appointed to assist with the matter, together with a new The Academy's officer-in-training, now stationed at Shinjuku Police Station.
… … …
2nd Chapter
The Hot Pursuit
"It's been three days ever since we last heard of this Raito. Maybe the media really had him on high alert, and could have sought using disguises if he were to head out," the blonde remarked, tossing the newspaper she had been reading for some time onto her desk before crossing her arms. "This is getting cumbersome. Our patrol runs have been extended by an hour as well, yet no sign of the suspect."
Claire's partner, Raquel, however remained calm. That nature of hers was enough to fuel the Swiss with a witty comment.
"You seemed unfazed by the situation, like an ice cream stuck in the Arctic Circle."
"Like I said," the silver haired lass replied, busy with her paperwork, not taking a look at Claire. "Time will get us there. Keep worrying and you'll more or less end up with wrinkles under the eyes, and being called an 'old tart' instead of your current mistaken position as a feminine man."
"If breasts were removable, I swear I'll steal yours. I don't care if it hurts by back or get suffocated by them; I just want to have busts, not tiny road humps!" blue eyes glared at her partner before aiming a finger at her. "Unlike you, at least you have a decent 'rack'; proportional at least."
"It's just a normal size 'B'. But that's not my main concern when it comes to my body; it's the scar that gets me. It's been years since I got it and it still can't heal properly. Even doctors are stumped by their find," Raquel countered without a change in tone before compiling her paperwork into a temporary hard back folder. "Now then, instead of yapping away about human anatomy, how about we best do some firearm practices? You seriously need to keep check on your poor accuracy."
Claire stood up, annoyed by the fact that Raquel brought up about the blonde's mediocre shooting skills. She knew the wavy haired woman had one of the best firearm talents hence the reason she loved using the old Mauser, even though she had the ability to even withstand the heavy recoil from an old FG42 rifle, even possibly an MG42. The tall woman stole a glance at the cool-headed Raquel. She really wanted to take the hike and simply get on with the boring patrol runs; Claire was better off at driving and close combat than shooting. But even so, the thought of Chief looming over her for not doing her firearm practices always get the better of the Swiss. A heavy sigh left her mouth, knowing that she would once again unveil herself in the rifle range as one of the least performing officers in shooting. However, a familiar presence in a form of Chief Craken himself came into view with a few pieces of paper in his hands.
"Just in time for me to give you the heads up," the former American assumed before moving on straight to the main topic. "The suspect, Raito, as been spotted again, this time within the Chuo ward. I want you to get this over and done with quickly; he's been running around for too long. The victim list by him is now tapping twelve, after digging deeper into the case."
"You seemed to be rather uptight these days as well, Chief," Raquel commented, grasping the papers her superior had handed over.
"It is obvious; for a suspect to have double digits in the number of murders, who would? And also, do note the C1 Inner Loop of the Tokyo Expressway. Expect a pursuit, if he spots both of you. I'll contact your back up assistance to be on stand by at Chuo."
Chief Craken's deeper tone was an obvious sign to both Raquel and Claire that he was serious about the matter and needed to put an end to it, fast. Delaying it further on might affect the reputation of both the Police Force, and The Academy.
"We best get on ahead while we still can," Claire's voice broke the silence before her right hand rummaged through her trousers' pockets to retrieve her car keys. "Let's go, Raquel."
… … …
16th May 2006; 4.30pm
Location: Somewhere in Chuo – Tokyo Prefecture
"There's one thing I've been really meaning to ask," the Swiss broke the silence in the white coupe, stopping before a red traffic light.
"I think I know what it would be," grey eyes peered through the passenger side window. "Where should we begin?"
"Spot on. But I assume it's just another typical patrol run, but at a specific ward, right?"
"I don't even have to respond to your question; it's obvious right from the start."
A heavy sigh left Claire's mouth as the traffic light turned green. Applying half throttle, she allowed the BMW to jump ahead from the other civilian automobiles hence she could lane-change to the extreme right; she had the intention to turn into another street in the upcoming junction after a tight left bend. Turning the indicator on, she applied lightly on the brakes, easing her BMW to a stop upon reaching the said junction. Raquel on the other hand was busy gazing at the surroundings of Chuo. Just like any other ward on Tokyo, everything seemed in perfect order; no problems spotted, with the exception of some senior high school students teasing each other physically to the point one of them received a quick backhand to his scalp. She could sigh at the moment, wishing that there would not be a need for them to be in search of the suspect, but the NPA's current position was at its all time low, hence there was no choice.
"I really hope the NPA could deal with their manpower shortage quickly. The Academy's been really beyond active these days," thought the silver haired woman before the coupe turned to the desired street, that is, until Claire's voice caught her attention.
"Consider us lucky today."
Grey eyes turned to the direction where her Swiss counterpart had pointed to with her index finger. Raquel knew who it was; the suspect. That undoubtedly similar mullet hairstyle and moustache she had made out back in the warehouse incident, the wavy haired albino felt that they had to get him quickly- Claire floored the throttle of the BMW, literally had Raquel glued to her seat.
"What are you doing?" sputtered the passenger before noticing the felon taking flight towards what it seemed a black sports saloon; possibly a Mitsubishi.
"What do you think it is?" Claire reacted before turning on the police beacon. "He's going to get away if I don't chase him. It was a case of bad timing that he noticed our presence. Alert Chief on this. I have a feeling that he needs to know the current situation."
Claire began chase of the fleeing suspect, finally recognizing the getaway car as a black Mitsubishi Lancer, an early 90's model. Raquel grasped her cellphone to call Chief on their status. The driver of the white BMW swerved to the right-most lane to evade a truck before the black sedan was within sight, but at a distance of about fifty metres. Claire then assumed the suspect had modified the car, considering the gap it had managed to attain at such a short amount of time. The blonde floored the throttle the moment traffic became sparse. The suspect's sedan took a harsh left hander at the T-junction before Claire followed suit. Slamming onto the brakes, she shifted the gear stick down to 2nd before turning the wheel hard. That maneuver had her BMW changing direction just before entering the turn, allowing a higher exit speed.
Blue eyes glared at the road ahead. It was an incline, then a moderate right bend. The Lancer was still ahead, but the distance separating them was shorter; Claire was catching up. She stole a glance at her partner, who was on the phone, in contact with Chief.
"Come on, pick up the phone," thought Raquel before the line came through. "Chief? This is Raquel. We have spotted the suspect, and we've began the chase. Right now, we're heading towards the Y-junction before hitting the Shutokou. I repeat, the Y-junction before the Shutokou."
"Thanks for the Intel. I'll alert your back up. Try to stop him at all costs. If it fails, follow your back up. Seems that 'she' has the info of the suspect's home; a possible place he might be heading to," Chief Craken responded after taking a while to digest the information given.
"All right, we'll contact you once we complete the assignment," the wavy haired woman replied before ending the call, turning her attention to Claire soon after. "Make sure the suspect, Raito, hits the Shutokou. The traffic on the other fork seems as bad as always."
"He would obviously be heading there. What kind of felon would even think of that decision?" blue eyes took a short glance at grey ones.
"If I were the suspect, I would, with a motorbike instead of a car,"
"All right, put aside the 'what-ifs' for now. We got a suspect to catch," Claire cut in before gearing up to 3rd, using the most potential out of her coupe.
… … …
16th May 2006; 4.45pm
Location: The Shutokou, 'Inner C1 ShinKanjou Loop' Rest Area
Within the sparely populated parking lot where drivers would take a breather from their long journeys stood a Nissan Cedric Patrol Cruiser, with its engine left running. Inside was a 1.6 metre tall female sporting a black medium bob hairstyle, in which the front ends at the collarbone, while the back just above the nape. Here eyes were of glazed deep crimson, often mistaken for black while her attire differed from what the usual police officers would wear. Very often, she would always be seen in a long sleeved white shirt, a brown skirt that ends just above her knees, and black kitten heel shoes.
She had been instructed by Chief from The Academy to be on standby for a probable police chase, or lead the duo to the suspect's apartment should it fail through. No matter, that did not stop the North Korean from reading a novel to keep herself occupied while waiting, until her cellphone vibrated on the dashboard. Not uttering a word, she grasped the device, and replied, though her voice was a little soft to begin with.
"Hyun-Su here,"
"Get ready; they've just hit Inner C1 ShinKanjou. What's the status of traffic?" Chief Craken's voice came through, getting straight to the point.
"Sparse."
"Right, get to it. If you see a black sedan being chased by a white BMW, it's them. I'm counting on you."
Hyun-Su did not utter another word before ending the call. There was no need for her to speak on. Book-marking the novel before keeping it in the gloves compartment, the petite brunette released the handbrakes before setting the Nissan into gear, exiting the rest area. The idea of assisting two members from The Academy seemed absurd to her; it is a typical car chase, and that was all. But there was another possibility; for Chief Craken to require assistance from a police station could be a sign that it might be just more than a car chase, considering that she has the info of the suspect. For some unknown reason, the moment her patrol cruiser hit the highway, the North Korean had been very much stealing glances at the rear view mirror. She already knew to expect two cars ripping down the same road as she is, but a sense of urgency had Hyun-Su on her toes.
"Two pairs of headlights, coming up fast," thought the brunette, applying more pressure onto the accelerator before gearing up quickly into 3rd. "It's them."
Without a second thought, the North Korean floored the throttle and activated the police beacon the moment the two vehicles blasted past her at high speed. She bit her lip as a response; she could have sped up earlier on hence she would not need to lag behind at such a distance. Hitting 4th gear the moment the patrol cruiser was out of revs at 170kmh, the brunette went full tilt on the accelerator, knowing that she had to catch up as soon as she could.
… … …
"Wasn't that our back up?" Raquel's voice rang into Claire's ears, annoying her in the process.
"Not now!" the blonde's words were cut off when she swerved harshly into the outside lane, evading a white Toyota Chaser. "I can't seem to catch up with that bugger!"
Frustration kicked in for the Swiss as she moved the gear knob to 4th prematurely, at least allowing having more grip on the two-lane highway on this particular section. A quick left hander was next. The suspect's Mitsubishi cleared the bend with a swift steer, though tyres were squealing; a possible sign that it may wear out at anytime. Claire followed suit on the inside lane. She steered the wheel, hard. Minimal tyre squeal was heard before the Swiss gasped.
"Damn!" sputtered the blonde before tapping on the brakes before getting her coupe back to the same lane, missing the road divider by mere inches.
Gearing down to 3rd, Claire applied half throttle for the sharp incline before a swift right bend decline ahead. Blue eyes were still intent on spotting the black sedan that had disappeared from her view. Steering slightly to the left the moment her BMW reached the crest of the incline, she then went full throttle on the next section, even though knowing that another road divider was up next after the quick downhill bend. The Swiss then geared up into 4th, just barely after speeding past the said obstruction. The suspect's car was within view, barely that is. Claire's hasty stint moments ago had cost her to tail Raito. But no matter, all is left was a quick straightaway to an incline. The blonde had to make a mad dash in order to catch up with the felon; else the chase was for nothing.
"Come on!" she remarked, literally ignoring Raquel, who had been holding on for dear life. "Why can't my BMW go any faster?"
The Swiss stole a glance at the speedometer; 200kmh it read, and that was tipping the end of 4th gear. She hesitated for that moment, considering a truck cab was on one lane, where it might switch lanes at any point of time. A faint 'tsk' left her mouth before she came up with a decision; she shifted the gear knob into 5th. Acceleration kicked in as speeds continue to rise. The black sedan was now clearer in view. 240kmh was the speed Claire's coupe had tapped at the moment before overtaking the truck cab, just before it could switch lanes. The loud blare from its horn from the huge vehicle rang into the blonde's ears, but she could not care less. The suspect's capture was her top priority, possibly above her life.
The incline section was next; a dangerous place to speed, considering that beyond it is a three-way junction. The suspect's sedan disappeared after clearing the crest of the incline. The Swiss hit 6th gear just before reaching that section. 260kmh was on the speedometer. All Claire wanted to know was what route the felon had taken, and that was it. The peak was near, and the blonde was ready to steal a quick glance on the road ahead-.
"Stop!" Raquel's voice overwhelmed Claire's attention. "Bus ahead!"
Those two words were already enough for the driver to react frantically. Brake lights lit up just before clearing the incline. However, at a speed of 250kmh at that point of time, it was enough to send the BMW airborne for a few moments while the said bus came into view.
"Holy sh- Hold on!" the blonde responded before she had the brake pedal floored while steering the coupe to the right, just before her coupe hit the tarmac.
That reaction literally sent the white car into a wild slide before spinning out, literally missing the vehicle ahead of them with just a scrape on the right fender. The BMW came into a full stop seconds later, with the duo gasping for air. Tyres screeching reverberated throughout that particular section of the Shutokou before it faded off by another overwhelming rumble from a patrol cruiser they had spotted few minutes ago. Claire, who was still shaken by what she had did to avoid a massive collision, stumbled out of her coupe, supporting herself by holding onto the door of the BMW. But even so, she was still frustrated, considering that she had failed to spot which route the suspect had taken.
"Raquel, what do you reckon; which route that Raito might have taken?" the Swiss asked before another figure coming from the Nissan patrol car interrupted.
"The name is Hyun-Su. I was instructed to lead you to the suspect's apartment should the chase fail through," the brunette replied, before adding in a specific info. "By Chief Craken."
"Even though I'm still all shaken up by that blonde's berserk driving stint, I still think we might have a chance to get the suspect as with your idea… err…" Raquel's voice was heard before hesitating, knowing that she had not captured the brunette's name.
"Hyun-Su," the petite woman implied, though her voice came a little softer than usual.
"Right, Hyun-Su."
"I rather not be picky at this point of time," Claire barged in, a little uneasy about the brunette. "So lead us to where that goon is. I'm counting on you, even if this is on short notice."
The North Korean did not utter a word soon after. Instead, she got back into her Nissan Cedric patrol cruiser before taking the lead, literally having Claire to catch up in the BMW. But that did not prevent the Swiss from remarking.
"That Hyun-Su is too quiet for her own good. What is she trying to be; The Stig?"
"Huh?" Raquel responded, pondering at that thought.
"Oh you wouldn't know if you don't watch that British car show."
… … …
The suspect; he might have escaped again,
Pressure; building the duo's blood to a boil,
Shaken; momentarily, yet necessary,
Weapons; the pull of a trigger, the swipe of a strike.
… … …
16th May 2006; 5.00pm
Current Status Of Assignment – Temporary Report By Hyun-Su
The car chase by the two officers from The Academy had failed through, due to lack of attention of the road ahead where a bus was in their way. However, it is confirmed that the suspect had fled in a modified black sedan, of Mitsubishi make, more powerful than the one the officer driving the white BMW had.
Currently, the two officers are a little shaken by their near-death experience when they evaded at bus at a possible speed of above 200kmh. But no matter, they still insist on subduing the suspect, Raito Musume.