Jeremiah did not hesitate. He slammed the car into reverse, and it lurched backward.
Hush's bandage-wrapped hands clamped onto the edge of the hood. His eyes fixed on the windshield as he hammered his fist into the spiderweb cracks again and again.
Jeremiah glanced at Ririko in the back seat. He could not let Hush stay on the car, could not let him threaten her safety.
He turned to Philip and said, "Take the wheel."
Then he hit the sunroof switch, stepped onto the seat, and vaulted out, landing firmly on the roof to face Hush.
The two fought at close quarters on the roof. Jeremiah moved like a slippery snake, while Hush's modified body packed more strength, every blow vicious enough to drive his opponent through the roof.
Philip leaned forward from the back seat into the driver's seat, gripped the wheel, and stepped on the gas.
Up on the roof, Jeremiah and Hush kept fighting.
Several times, one of them was forced to the edge, only to grab the roof-mounted weapon assembly in time, swing back up, and keep fighting.
Ririko had no attention to spare for the roof. She slapped the seat back. "Catch up to that prison transport!"
Philip said playfully, "There's a bomb in that van, you know."
Ririko's voice was ice-cold. "Good. Blow that impostor straight to hell!"
Philip shrugged and pressed harder on the gas.
By the time they caught up to the prison transport, it was gradually slowing down.
Philip looked at the slowing van with a trace of concern. "Is it running out of gas?"
Ririko checked the time on her phone. "It's fine. He'll be here soon."
Philip asked, "Who?"
Ririko said, "An alien."
Philip was just about to say, "Are you serious?" when a red-and-blue figure streaked across the