The allied group had been trekking deep inside the forest for quite a while when suddenly, the roar of jeep engines echoed behind them.
"What's that sound?!" Nick stopped abruptly, eyes scanning the trees as the group slowed, alert.
"It sounds like we're being followed—by hybrids!" Lama said grimly.
Jenny clutched her sleeping baby closer. "And with the baby asleep like this, another chase could be a disaster."
"No time to lose," Elizabeth urged. "Jenny, carefully secure the baby back in the bag. Our lives depend on it. We can't afford to be caught now. Let's run—move!"
The jeeps thundered closer and closer.
A bright idea sparked in Nick's mind. "Guys, let's steal those jeeps or whatever is chasing us!"
"It's dangerous," William warned, "but it might be our best shot. Let's split up—each of us times the rides and then takes one. We've got this—trust yourselves!"
"Alright! You heard Nick—split up!" William shouted.
The group scattered in different directions, running hard.
Combat erupted instantly. Each ally faced their riders head-on. Thanks to their skill and quick thinking, they managed to neutralize several enemies and steal their jeeps.
But now the problem: each drove off alone, veering deeper into the forest to shake pursuers.
The villains were too many, especially for Jenny, who was stressed and struggling to focus while her newborn cried loudly in the backseat.
"Almost there, baby. Just hold on," Jenny whispered anxiously.
Bullets flew this time—real shots aimed at Nick's team.
With quick zigzag maneuvers, the allies dodged and returned fire, barely escaping the deadly hail.
Jenny tossed two grenades that exploded perfectly, wiping out her pursuers. She pulled over, panting. "I told you, baby. We'll be okay."
She looked around. "I need to find the nearest hill—our best chance is to regroup there. I just hope the others do the same."
John, chased relentlessly, made a risky decision: he slammed on the brakes, causing chaos behind him. The hybrids crashed, giving him the upper hand to neutralize them all.
"Mission accomplished," John muttered. "Time to find that hill and meet the others."
William wasn't so lucky. He took a bullet and had to jump out of his jeep, stumbling to his feet.
Still, he fought smart—ambushing and disabling enemies from behind trees. After downing the last of his chasers, he painfully pulled the bullet from his back with a dagger.
"That was too close," he groaned. "Hill, here I come."
Elizabeth spotted Jasmine nearby during her chase.
"Jasmine! I'm right behind you!" Elizabeth shouted.
"Got it. You cover my back, I'll cover yours!" Jasmine replied.
Elizabeth carefully picked off Jasmine's pursuers from behind, while Jasmine watched her mirrors for Elizabeth's attackers.
They met up, breathless but victorious.
"That was a good job, Jasmine," Elizabeth praised, patting her shoulder. "Let's find that hill and hopefully meet the others there."
"Yeah, I just hope everyone's okay," Jasmine replied, and they set off together.
Lama drove fast up a steep road he spotted, ducking behind his jeep as he unleashed a hail of fire on his distracted pursuers.
"Got lucky they didn't blow me up," he said, catching his breath. "Now, hill time."
William caught sight of Mikal from a distance.
"Is that Mikal? I've got to help him!" William veered toward him, catching up and eliminating half of Mikal's attackers before Mikal even noticed.
"William! Just in time!" Mikal grinned, turning to join William in attacking from the front.
Together, they wiped out their enemies and high-fived.
"How'd you find me?" Mikal asked.
"Heading to the hill when I saw you," William shrugged. "Luck."
"Thanks, buddy! Let's meet the others."
Nick was hit in the leg and slammed out of his jeep with a yell.
Pain searing, he limped and groaned, surrounded by enemies.
He dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender.
Just then, a burst of gunfire erupted. Lama and William appeared, neutralizing Nick's attackers in seconds.
"Nick! Are you okay?" William asked, kneeling to help remove the bullet from Nick's leg, wrapping it tightly.
"I'll try to drive," Nick said, grateful. "How did you find me?"
"We were heading to the hill when we spotted a group surrounding someone. We took care of them and found you," William explained.
"That was a lucky break," Nick admitted.
The three men headed for the hill together.
From a distance, the hill came into view, and with it, the rest of their allies waiting.
"Looks like the others are there!" William called out excitedly.
"This must be the only hill nearby," Lama said. "Perfect place to regroup."
"Slow down, Nick," William cautioned. "You can't push the jeep too hard with that leg."
"We're your pacemakers," Lama joked.
After a tense drive, the group reunited, relief flooding the air.
Nick limped from his jeep, greeted by Jenny.
"What happened?" she asked anxiously.
"I got hit in the foot," Nick explained. "William helped me bandage it. I almost got arrested."
"We'll recover at the base soon," Jenny promised. "Once we get the airlift."
Elizabeth gathered everyone to look at the puzzle pages.
Pulling them from her bag, she began reading aloud.
"These pages introduce the four elemental gems—black for earth, orange for fire, green for air, and blue for water. Legend says that they appeared at the dawn of time, discovered by two neighboring chiefs—the Liputians and the Crispins—while fishing. They shared the gems, but greed soon corrupted them."
"The Liputian chief took the orange and black gems; the Crispin chief took the blue and green. Both tried to wield the gems' magic. Their friendship turned to rivalry, and eventually, the Liputians captured the other two gems and enslaved the Crispins."
"Years later, during George and Andrew's reign in the Liputian empire, a secret plan unfolded. Nick and Deli—a Crispin woman and Andrew's wife—plotted to steal the four gems during an entertainment event involving bullfighting. Nick, a slave entertainer, had won the crowd's favor, which helped them pull off the heist."
"After escaping, a magical tsetse fly attack knocked out the islanders. The gems were the only defense. Too late, the brothers realized the theft. Nick and Deli fled with their allies, launching fiery attacks from their ship."
"The Crispins took vengeance, enslaving and colonizing the island. Over generations, power struggles divided the Crispins into four clans, each holding a piece of the gems. Nomadic and secretive, these clans kept the history alive through the magical puzzle books—self-updating guides to unify the clans and restore balance."
"The chosen heirs of the Liputian and Crispin empires must unite the four puzzle books and wear halves of a special necklace. Only then can the 'kiss of power' unlock the true magic for good."
As Elizabeth turned the page, a glowing map appeared magically.
Suddenly, military choppers appeared overhead.
The group waved frantically.
The choppers landed, and after tense negotiations, they secured permission for an airlift to Melon military camp.