"Where the heck are they?!" Paige shouted through everyone's earpieces, trying to hide her panic. "They should have come out on the other side by now!"

"Paige..." Payton said in a hollow voice.

"Michelle! Brook! Dammit, why are they not saying anything on these stupid earpieces?! Answer me, now!" Paige continued to scream.

"No... they can't have... they can't..." Soriano rasped under his breath, his voice tight.

"It has to work, it has to work!" Jett kept repeating fervently. "They can't have been blown up—"

"SHUT UP, JETT!" Paige screeched, wild terror clutching her. "Don't you dare talk like that!"

"Don't take it out on him, he's just as worried as the rest of us!" Reece shouted at her through his earpiece.

"Well so is she, stop shouting at her!" Payton shouted back.

"Brook, Michelle, if you can hear me, answer me!" Soriano said loudly through his earpiece. There was no answer.

"Chief, we should go check up on them," Leslie said, worry etched on her face. "That blast must've taken out their earpieces—" Just then a car shot out of the flames but it was indistinguishable through the fiery smoke as it zipped through the finish line.

"Was that them? Or—" Soriano clenched his fists around his steering wheel as he stopped in his sentence.

"I'm going after Zhang tonight myself." He revved his car with a roar and bolted towards the finish line just as the flames from the blast died down to little bonfires on the road.

"Wait, what?!" Holden choked, clutching the seatbelt for dear life as Soriano took a hairpin bend at full speed.

"Chief! What about Brook and Michelle?!" Paige screamed. Before Soriano could answer, the echoes of police sirens blared behind them.

"Clear out of here, kids. This is between me and that villain," Soriano barked the order in a firm, deadened voice. "No one else is getting hurt tonight." He tore off his earpiece just as a string of frantic protests broke out from the others. But he had already turned it off so he wouldn't hear them.

"But chief—" Leslie began, but he stopped her, braking alongside the road.

"This is where you and the kid get off, Les. Hitch a ride with the others and go back to the base. I won't return until that damn coward is dead." Soriano sounded so grim in his determination that it worried Leslie and she began to protest.

"Morgan, I'm not getting out of this car—"

"I will not lose anyone else to that scum!" Soriano shouted, rage and pain burning in his eyes. He turned to Holden.

"I'm trusting you, kid. Take Leslie to the others and go home. Now." Soriano's tone carried enough threat that Holden didn't need telling twice. He quickly scrambled out of the car, almost stumbling in his haste, and grabbed Leslie's hand.

"Come on!" he said urgently. Leslie began to fight, resisting Holden's hand and glaring at Soriano.

"Like hell I'm leaving—"

"Kid?" Soriano glanced at Holden once more. He tugged her out of the car and Soriano, not even waiting for the door to close, sped off into the dark.

"No!" Leslie cried trying to run after him, but Holden held her back.

"It's no use. Nothing's gonna change his mind," he said point-blank. She turned to him with tears in her eyes before turning on her earpiece.

"I want us to go after the chief, we're not gonna lose him again—" she began but was cut off by Jett.

"Leslie! My tracker's showing Brook's Ford is on the move! They're driving!" He said excitedly. Leslie's expression turned to amazement.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"No mistake! And they're on the route heading toward the secret spot we agreed on!"

"They're alive?!" Paige asked wildly. "Where? Where? I want their coordinates right now!"

"I'm sending their live tracking to everyone," Jett said. "Leslie, tell the chief! I think they're okay!" Relief washed through Leslie and for a moment she felt faint. She stumbled and Holden caught her arm.

"Hey, hey, I got ya," he said surprisingly gently. Leslie's relief suddenly turned to dismay and she looked at him in alarm. She spoke aloud for everyone to hear through her earpiece.

"Brook and Michelle might be okay—and we have no way of contacting the chief to tell him!"

"What? I thought he was with you!" Payton said sharply.

"Not anymore..." Leslie's reply sent a chilling dread through everyone.

Back in the Ford, Brook, and Michelle were coming to their senses which had been temporarily knocked out when the blast went off. A high-pitched static had run through their earpieces and rendered them broken. However, Brook's priority right now was not the earpieces but Michelle.

"Michelle, you okay?" he asked, his voice trying to hide the tremor from his shock.

"Y-yes, I think so," Michelle answered, her own voice quivering agitatedly. She hadn't been able to control herself as well as Brook and was shaking visibly. When the blast had gone off in front of them, Brook had been going too fast to slow down and had driven right through the flames. The blast had disoriented them both as the loud noise and burning heat nearly overpowered them through the car but they remained unharmed. Miraculously, the car had gone through the flames and come out on the other side intact, a little singed but still in one piece. Brook had kept driving until they crossed the finish line and slipped down an empty alleyway some distance away from the main road to hide.

"I d-don't understand," Michelle stammered, trying to regain composure. "What happened? How are we still alive?"

"I don't know but thank God we are," Brook said with utter relief, taking her trembling hands into his own and squeezing them tight. "I almost thought it was the end... that I'd never be able to see you again..." Brook choked up with emotion at this point and Michelle reached out to cup his face. The shock of going through a life-threatening situation finally hit him and he broke down in Michelle's hands.

"Hey," she said gently, though her own eyes filled up. "Brook, no matter what happens, I'll follow you anywhere. Even to heaven. Don't think for a moment I'll leave you alone. Even death couldn't separate us." Her words took a lot of courage to be spoken but she knew Brook needed to hear them right now—and she was glad to be there beside him to say it. She didn't regret her decision to join him in the car before the race for one second—given the choice, she knew she'd do it again even with the prospect of death. And she made it without a second thought for her own safety, being with Brook being her main concern. He looked up at her with desperate blue flaming eyes.

"Michelle... when we went through the fire I thought it might be the end... I don't care if anything happened to me but what if you got hurt because of me? I couldn't live with myself if that happened! What if I never got to tell you I love you again? What if I lost the chance to touch you again, to kiss you—" Michelle didn't let him finish his monologue but collided her lips with his in a heavy, hard-hitting kiss. She let him take control when she realized he was responding, pounding his lips back into hers almost suffocating her in the best possible way, the need to feel her skin, her warm breath, and very real touch overwhelming him. His hands roamed the outline of her body urgently, as though he needed to touch her to confirm that she was alive, next to him.

"You'll always have me, Brook," Michelle said when he finally slowed down in exhaustion, deep exhales flowing out of his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, Michelle," Brook said and Michelle was surprised to see the tears fall from his eyes while he held her tight, "so much that I just can't imagine a life without you anymore."

"Don't. Because no matter what happens, it's always gonna be you and me together," she said, reminding him of his words to her the night after she stole Soriano's cruiser. He smiled at her through his tears, drawing her in for one more kiss, their hands meeting in the middle.

"How are you so calm?" Brook asked with a shaky laugh when they paused between kisses. "I almost saw my life flash before my eyes!"

"Well, I'm not really but... I am with the man I love the most," Michelle said with an ardent smile, "I guess that's keeping me grounded. Well, that and... this ain't my first rodeo with you!" Brook laughed heartily at that, Michelle joining in with him, diffusing the anguish they felt a minute ago.

"I swear, if it had been one of the others, they would've lost their heads," Brook said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Except for maybe Payton..."

"Brook... the others... our earpieces!" she suddenly gasped, realizing they hadn't heard from the crew. Brook quickly became alert, tapping his earpiece.

"No sound... that blast must've taken out the earpieces..." he turned on the radio, trying to connect to the others' cars.

"Damn, I forgot. The Ford's not built with Jett's two-way radio like my Bugatti." He slammed his palm against the wheel.

"Our earpieces are fried, we have no radio, and no way of contacting the others to let them know we're okay!" he vented in frustration, resting his head on the wheel. "Unless we turn back and try to go find them, but I don't wanna risk running into the cops..." Michelle stared at him before an idea struck her and made her eyes widen. She pulled out her phone.

"Will this work?" she asked with a demure smile. Brook raised his head and grinned sheepishly when he saw the phone.

"Oops. didn't think of that," he muttered. Michelle giggled.

"Guess bad boys don't carry around cells..."

"Start calling while I get us out of here," Brook said, starting the car. "I don't like the idea of us sitting here like ducks waiting to be shot. If Zhang's still around..." his expression hardened and Michelle stared at him.

"Zhang hacked into your radio, he's the one who sent that message!" She exclaimed.

"And I'll bet my Bugatti he's the one who set off that explosion for us," Brook said, fury burning in his eyes. "We gotta get out of here before he finds out we're alive and kicking. Let the others know we'll proceed with the original plan before Zhang starts hunting them."

"On it," Michelle said and dialed Paige's number while Brook pulled out of the alley. Paige picked up almost immediately.

"Paige?"

"Michelle! Oh my God, you're alive! Please tell me Brook is okay too!" Paige answered in a hysterical voice.

"Right here, tigress," Brook said in a playful voice. Paige broke out in sobs.

"DON'T YOU GUYS EVER GIVE US A SCARE LIKE THAT AGAIN!" She screeched at them, making them wince.

"Aww, Paige," Michelle said gently, while Paige continued to wail.

"Paige, is anybody else there with you? Where are you?" Brook interrupted her. He heard her sniff before answering.

"I'll connect you guys to the radio... we've got bad news!" Paige's sudden declaration made them sit up.

"What kind of bad news?" Michelle asked nervously.

"Chief thought you guys were—well, gone for good and he cut off all contact with us and said he's going after Zhang himself! He even ditched Leslie and Holden!" Michelle and Brook fell into horrified silence for a moment.

"Where is he now?!" Brook asked urgently.

"We don't know! We'd been trailing you guys until the finish line and keeping out of sight of the feds—"

"Paige, put Jett on the line now!" Brook interrupted her. Within a second, there was a clicking sound and Jett spoke as Paige put her phone on speaker.

"Jett?" Brook called. Jett answered in excitement at once.

"Brook! You and Michelle are okay! I knew it would work! Chief said—"

"Jett, I need you to track the chief's car right now and send the coordinates to Michelle's phone!" Brook cut him off desperately.

"Oh, yeah, I should have thought of that sooner! And... done! He's circling round the area looking for Zhang, probably," Jett said. A 'ding' on Michelle's phone indicated she received the coordinates. Jett had sent them a photo of the coordinates from his tracking system in his car.

"Got it!" She said, showing Brook. Brook did a quick U-turn to take the road that Soriano was currently driving down.

"How'd you know—" Michelle began, but Brook already replied with a wry smile.

"That Jett could track the chief? Easy, he's bugged every car we own." His answer made Michelle smile.

"Lucky for us. Hey, Paige, are the others there?" She asked through the phone.

"Brook, Michelle, boy are we glad you're alive," Payton cut through the call, relief evident in his voice.

"Yeah, as much as you love taking risks, this is one you don't have to put us through again," Reece said with a shaky laugh.

"Thanks, guys, but forget about us right now! We need to get the chief to see us so he doesn't do anything stupid!" Brook told the others. "Everyone, spread out and find him! Whatever happens, we can't let Zhang reach him first—" Michelle's fingernails suddenly digging into his arm made him stop.

"What—" he began, but she pointed wordlessly in front of them, her mouth hanging open in horror. Just up ahead of the road, a string of black and brown striped cars were parked in a row, blocking the road, their headlights blaring and blinding in front.

https://youtu.be/7iMyAchUz1c

Cue mood music 🎵🔊⤴️

"The Mao You," Brook growled angrily, braking the car with a jerk. The radio crackled to life again and Zhang's enraged voice filled the car.

"Dammit, Havens, what does it take to kill you?!" Michelle covered her mouth, wide-eyed. The roar of the engines of the cars in front of them told them that they had seen Brook's Ford.

"Go, go, go!" Michelle yelled, and Brook reversed so fast he left a dark road burn of tire tracks. The Ford shot off in the opposite direction just as the army of Mao You cars gave chase to them.

"Everyone, stick to the original plan! The Mao You have taken the bait!" Brook said to the crew through Michelle's phone.

"What?! They're after you?!" Payton exclaimed. "You'd think they'd give up after trying to blow you up..."

"Yeah, well, apparently, they've prepared a plan B!" Brook grumbled. "I have a feeling Zhang's gonna come after us personally which means the chief won't be far behind. I need you and the others to distract the Mao You. We'll deal with Zhang while I make sure the chief sees us."

"We got your back!" Paige said loudly. "We'll meet up at the 'smoke and mirrors' point as planned."

"Doesn't the chief ever carry a phone?" Michelle asked impatiently while Brook narrowly squeezed through a one-way track. "That would make things so much easier!"

"Chief doesn't like to be tracked, least of all by a phone," Paige said. "Don't think he knows Jett's bugged him though..."

"Where are you guys, we're trying to find you!" Reece said.

"We're on the Bruce Woodbury Beltway, can't stop with the tails behind us!" Brook said rapidly, speeding up to a hundred and ninety again. "Jett, how far away are we from the chief?"

"He's two hundred and forty feet from you on your seven o'clock, I think he's spotted Zhang!" Jett said, giving them his tracking feed.

"He's behind us?" Michelle asked in disbelief. "How are we gonna get to him now? There's no way we can slow down!"

"Unless we go for a deadlock," Brook said in a foreboding voice.

"Deadlock? What's that?" Michelle asked nervously, seeing the serious look on Brook's face. He didn't answer but sped up until he reached an intersection, spun the car around, and came to a screeching stop in the middle of the road.

"Brook, what are you doing?!" Michelle gasped, shocked that he had parked right in the middle of the road.

"Giving Zhang a target and Soriano a chance to see us," he replied calmly.

"But—"

"Do you trust me, Michelle?" Brook asked, turning to her with earnest eyes. Immediately a calmness passed over her as she met his gaze and she took his hand.

"With my life." They turned to face the road which Zhang was currently driving down straight toward them, headlights blazing.

"Come on, come on, come on," Brook mumbled, his hand gripping the steering wheel tight.

"Brook, the chief's almost on you!" Jett's voice echoed through the phone. Zhang's car approached at a high speed and was a hundred feet away from colliding with Brook's car.

"Brook..." Michelle whispered, and a dark smile tugged one side of his lips.

"Say goodbye to that Camaro, Zhang." At the last moment, Brook hit the reverse pedal and backed his car away in a cloud of smoke, just as Zhang's car came inches from the Ford. But instead of crashing into the Ford, Zhang's car which was speeding too fast couldn't stop and kept hurtling towards the safety railing behind, colliding into it with a resounding crash, demolishing a good part of the front of the car. Just as it came to a stop, the sound of another car engine roared in the distance and Soriano's Mazda appeared, drawing nearer. Behind him followed the army of Mao You cars as well as a row of cruisers following in their wake.

"Now's our chance!" Brook said, revving his engine. Within a millisecond, Soriano passed by them, confusion passing his face when he saw Zhang's knocked-up car and shock when he saw Brook's car.

"He's seen us. Time to go," Brook said, hitting the accelerator and speeding away from the crash scene. He began to drive parallel with Soriano, making sure he was in their sights.

"Guys, we're playing bumper cars with the Mao You, how're you doin' with the chief?" Paige asked Brook through the phone.

"He's seen us but we don't have any way of contacting him—"

"Son, no one is more glad to see you're alive than I am." The chief's raspy voice cut Brook off through the call.

"Chief! How did you connect to us?" Michelle asked in surprise.

"He's talking live through our radio, through the phone call!" Jett said excitedly.

"Glad you're okay too, kiddo," Soriano said to Michelle with thick, raspy emotion in his voice.

"Yeah chief, and it looks like we put Zhang out of commission for a while. So can you retire from your revenge plan and stick to the original?" Brook asked. Soriano gave a little chuckle.

"I think I better retire altogether and let you take charge, son. Everyone, you heard Brook."

"Just don't pull another deadlock, baby," Michelle said playfully to Brook. "And chief, you have to stop trying to play the hero trying to save everyone all the time."

"Don't you know him by now?" Payton asked ironically. "He's hardwired that way."

"Hey, I'm the one who trained you kids to be undefeated," Soriano said in a lively voice. "Come on, crew, let's end this."

Yesss, they survived! Duhhh, I can't kill off my main characters! 😂 Hope you didn't freak out too much at the end of the last chapter.

Love is stronger than death... And Michelle proved it here. Her bond with Brook stood the trial by fire and came out undefeated. Of course Soriano has an undying affection for the kids he's raised so in a way that's love too. Take a moment to process that depth 😌. Now, on with the story.

Think Zhang's really finished? And how will the crew ditch an army of Mao You and cop hotshots? 🤔

And just so you know, WE HIT 100K WORDS, BABY! WHOO! And yet we ain't finished 🥳😃 I'm thinking of taking it up to 110k so stick around!

Man, this chapter went through sooo many revisions... had to make sure it was 'plot-perfect'. Get it? 😉

You know it's weird the sequel has more words and less chapters than Rebel Heart...😶 Something went bonkers somewhere... Anyways, see ya real soon!!!