His priority was to track their destination first.


    After another half hour, Rafael and his team noticed the van behaving oddly; it began to slow down, leading them to suspect it might stop or take a turn at the uing fork.


    They remained calm, keeping their distance. Suddenly, the back window of the van rolled down slowly.


    Before they could react, the bodyguard in the passenger seat was shot in the upper stomach, near the heart.


    Fortunately, the bullet had veered slightly, but the surprise jolted everyone.


    The wounded bodyguard immediately pressed his right hand against his stomach in a desperate attempt to stem the bleeding, but he felt his consciousness fading.


    He struggled to reach for his gun but found himself growing increasingly weak.


    Grunt-


    "Duck!"


    The other bodyguard ducked below the steering wheel, urgently gesturing for Rafael to do the same.


    As he did, he carefully adjusted his partner’s seat, lowering it with the panel beside him to minimize their visibility.


    The bodyguard drew his gun from inside his suit, but he couldn’t find an opportunity to return fire as the other party unleashed a hail of bullets on their vehicle.


    All he could do was maneuver as best as he could to avoid getting hit, wary of the possibility that the gunner might target their tires or the hood of the car.


    A bullet could easily prate the vehicle’s body, especially depending on the type of ammunition being used. He couldn’t afford to stop, but closing the distance was equally risky; returning fire was his only option.


    Rafael didn’t remain idle. As soon as he realized what was happening—his bodyguard in the passenger seat had been hit and was now slumped over—he swiftly reached for his gun.


    Each of his bodyguards was permitted to carry two weapons and two backup magazines while apanying him, ensuring they were always battle-ready for situations like this or potential terrorist attacks.


    Their training and preparation were crucial for defending both themselves and their employer.


    As soon as Rafael grabbed the guns, he quickly checked his bodyguard for signs of life. His expression turned grim and angry as he examined the wounded man.


    Bloodied hands trembling, he reached for the guard’s neck and felt a faint pulse.


    A wave of relief washed over him, but it was tempered by the grim realization that they were losing him; the bodyguard was losing too much blood, and they had no way of knowing if any vital organs had been damaged.


    Without hesitation, Rafael pulled the handkerchief from his breast pocket, crumpling it before pressing it firmly against the wound, nearly trying to force it into the gaping hole to staunch the bleeding.


    He then retrieved a utility dagger from thepartment to cut the seatbelt, using it to secure his bodyguard in a stable position.


    Adding a few moreyers of fabric to the wound, he tied it all together with the seatbelt, using its dual purpose to keep the man firmly in ce while applying pressure to slow the bleeding.


    The bodyguard let out a weak grunt, the pain from the wound intensifying as Rafael pressed down hard.


    But Rafael had no choice; theycked the proper medical equipment, and in their current situation, he simply couldn’t provide the necessary pressure to stem the bleeding effectively.


    With limited resources at hand, improvisation was their only option.


    After attending to his wounded bodyguard while the other struggled to return fire, Rafael quickly informed his assistant of the unfolding situation.


    Meanwhile, Sasha, who was monitoring events via the road’s CCTV, realized that Rafael was being lured into a secluded area devoid of surveince.


    Faced with this challenge, he decided to hack into the nearest satellite and magnify its view, allowing him to keep an eye on the car chase.


    This proved to be a crucial decision; as soon as he spotted something rming, he alerted Rafael’s assistant.


    The bodyguards, hearing the urgency in his voice, pressed down on the gas, determined to reach Rafael as quickly as possible.


    After Rafael briefed his assistant on the unfolding situation, he joined in the return fire.


    His bodyguard was expertly maneuvering the car, swerving to avoid as many bullets as possible.


    Despite their efforts, the vehicle sustained significant damage; the windows were shattered, allowing them to simply stick their arms out and shoot.


    Fortunately, the van they were pursuing wasn’t armored, and their return fire managed to shatter its windows as well.


    They were careful not to shoot excessively at the van, fearing they might identally hit Minerva.


    Their primary goal was to shatter the windows for better visibility inside. Only when they confirmed that there was no sign of her—no girl’s head sticking out—did they increase their return fire.


    They spected that Minerva might be sleeping in the back or hiding elsewhere in the vehicle.


    Rafael noticed the rearview mirror had fallen off and quickly reached for it.


    As his bodyguard swerved along the road, Rafael used the mirror to peer through the gaps and locate the gunner.


    With a steady aim, he extended his hand out of the window and fired at the gunner, determined to take him down.


    Bang!


    With a single shot, using the mirror as his sight, Rafael struck the gunner squarely between the eyes. The gunner’s weapon ttered to the road as his lifeless body slumped against the van’s window.


    The driver of the van appeared to panic, causing the vehicle to swerve before finallying to aplete stop.


    Momentster, another man emerged from the van, brandishing a pistol and positioning himself in the middle of the road as if preparing to shoot.


    "Idiot. He must watch too many action movies," the bodyguard muttered before charging at the man.


    The bodyguard didn’t hesitate when he saw the other man emerge from the van, brandishing his pistol and preparing to shoot.