Snippet #2694327

The heart that beat brimmed of more life and vibrancy than he could take. How suffocating. Ren gripped the steering wheel, glared daggers out the windshield. The roads were light on traffic and for the most part they'd reach the private owned airstrip on time. They'd of course arrive earlier than necessary and he had a reason for that.

"Ren, where are we going?" Zero watched the roads, also looking out for tails. "You really trust these guys?"

"Without a doubt." Ren stared up at the red light. If it was midnight, if he'd been alone...

"Must be pretty popular." Zero said.

The light turned green after a moment. Ren stepped on the gas and sped forward. If the two weren't strapped in, their problem. "It's got nothing to do with popularity. Just business."

He could feel Zero's eyes staring through him.

"Business, with who?"

"A guy who owes me." Now wasn't the time for mistrust, what else did they have but this? Everything riding on short notice and he had to not only ghost himself outta town but these two. One couldn't even hold her own and another who wasn't stable enough to rely on.

"Ren," Zero met his gaze in the review mirror, "are these... Dad's friends?"

Friends. What the fuck does that even mean? Because the word didn't exist in Ren's world. There was no such thing. He glared at the reflective glass. Sometimes he wondered whatever happened to the Zero he'd left behind. The kid riding in the back wasn't him.

"We'll be there in under thirteen minutes." Ren cut his eyes away and focused on the road. Traffic lightened. The roads however slick with a shower of rain coming through. "When I stop, just keep going. Grab the case and go. Don't look back, don't hesitate. Just move."

Zero's aura spiked and snapped. There's no questioning his instint. He already knew. What they were gonna do—what Ren was attempting could go wrong in any moment.

"What's in the case?" Zero asked quietly.

"Good question." Ren checked for tails, found none and continued onward.