Song Heping sharply turned the wheel, the old Toyota Camry roared like a beast. He saw clearly that Nura was pinned on the scorching asphalt, with a black tactical boot from an Egypt Ministry of Interior special forces officer pressing down on her neck.
The brake pads began to scream from fifty meters out.
When the speed dropped to fifty miles per hour, Song Heping sharply turned the steering wheel while pulling the handbrake, the front wheels locked up, and the car's tail swung like a Komodo dragon's whipping tail, hitting the surprised special forces officer hard.
The officer flew out like a cannonball, smashing into the windshield of a police pickup truck a few meters away.
Bang—
In the moment of metal collision, the whole world seemed to tremble.
The crowd around screamed.
This time there was no need for the special forces to intimidate them, they scattered and fled like birds startled by gunfire.
The windshield shattered like a spider web, glass shards flying in the glaring sunlight.
With the resistance of hitting the officer and the handbrake, the vehicle came to a stop.
Taking advantage of the fact that none of the present special forces reacted, Song Heping kicked open the car door while simultaneously drawing his gun.
The Glock 17's slide scraped against his pants seam as it chambered a round, the throat of the first special forces officer drawing his gun at seven meters away was aligned with the muzzle.
Bang!
The moment the 9mm bullet blew open his skull, Song Heping had already turned to ten o'clock.
The second officer's automatic rifle had just been raised to his waist, the bullet precisely penetrated his sunglasses into his eye socket.
The third bullet pierced the side plate of a bulletproof vest, drilling into the liver of the fourth special forces officer.
Song Heping slid along the still-smoking hood, two stray bullets tearing through the scorching air near his ear.
The fifth officer was setting up a PKM machine gun in the back of a pickup, he got pinned to the roll cage by three rapid shots—using the Mozambique Drill, two to the chest and one to the head.
"Nura! Hand!"
Nura's bloodied right hand rose just as Song Heping threw out a combat knife.
The spinning blade precisely cut through the plastic zip tie, at the same time he sidestepped an incoming baton and pressed the gun muzzle under the sixth officer's chin, pulling the trigger.
The smell of blood mixed with gunpowder filled his nostrils.
When the seventh officer lunged from the side, Song Heping's peripheral vision caught sight of the shock bomb hanging on his tactical vest.
Lying back to avoid the grapple, he tore off the pin with his left hand, kneeing the officer in the abdomen and kicking him towards the last two officers.
In the blasting white light, Song Heping closed his eyes and fired from memory.
The gunfire rang out in neat bursts, when his vision returned, fine beads of blood were seeping from the eighth officer's forehead.
Hot shell casings formed a semi-circle at Nura's feet, the closest one only two centimeters from her bare ankle.
"Are you hurt?"
Song Heping knelt on one knee to check Nura's injuries, his right hand always maintaining a shooting angle.
Nura's left shoulder was bleeding from a gunshot wound, but her mind was clear.
"I'm fine..."
Before she finished speaking, the northwest suddenly erupted with a chorus of sirens.
The fierce gunfight had alerted nearby patrol officers and soldiers, all units were converging on this location.
"Hold tight."
He picked up some equipment from the fallen officers, then hugged Nura around the waist and rushed to a police car, stuffing her inside before jumping into the driver's seat, starting the car, and fleeing down the road.
The old Toyota Camry's engine roared, tires screeched against the pavement, the car maneuvering like a wild horse through the narrow streets.
Song Heping gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes sharp, focusing on the road ahead, searching for an escape route.
Nura sat in the passenger seat, her left hand gripping the door handle tightly, her face pale but eyes resolute.
The sirens behind them grew closer, the shouts and gunfire from the special forces blending into a chaotic cacophony.
Song Heping calculated silently, knowing that time was of the essence and that he needed to shake off their pursuers quickly.
He floored the gas pedal, the car accelerating forward, an acute turn ahead. Without slowing down, relying on his superb driving skills, he took the turn steadily and continued speeding ahead.
The police cars followed closely but couldn't match Song Heping's speed.
Song Heping felt a silent relief, knowing that his years of special driving training and calm judgment had saved them.
However, the danger was not over, the road ahead was still complex and ever-changing. He had to remain constantly vigilant to ensure their safety.
But in a city like Cairo, avoiding pursuit from special forces and the military seemed almost impossible.
As Song Heping, drenched in sweat, maneuvered the vehicle for escape, the distant sirens seemed inescapable.
No matter where he drove, intercepting police and military cars were always ahead.
If it weren't in a city, they would've opened fire long ago.
But continuing to flee like this wasn't a solution, being unfamiliar with the roads could lead them to a dead end, where they'd be cornered and captured.
"I know where to drive to be safe."