One Hundred and eighty eight

CHAPTER 188

After hearing the news from Noel, Nicholas left the hospital immediately. He hadn't even had time to check the information he had gotten from Peter and let Peter catch up from behind. Nicholas drove his car at high speed, not caring about the traffic lights showing red, and how crowded the vehicles were on Christmas Eve. Nicholas would overtake other vehicles, trying to get to Uncle Chuck's shop as quickly as possible.

He didn't even care about the horns from other cars after successfully overtaking a few of them.

"What happened?!"

Nicholas' voice instantly filled the room, all eyes now looking at Nicholas who walked over with a panicked expression. His face was covered in sweat, he was trying very hard to get to Uncle Chuck's shop quickly.

Nicholas moistened his dry lips, then looked at Noel. "Noel, where's Alicia?" His eyes widened, he was really frantic about losing Alicia. Nicholas then realized that Ethan was still on the floor, Ethan was awake, but he looked dizzy. Nicholas lowered his voice. "What happened?"

"Alicia and I went back to the kitchen to check on Uncle Chuck's ice cream," Ethan said hesitantly, he tried to remember even though his head still felt dizzy. "Alicia turned on the light, but she looked at me with a surprised expression. I thought there was something and after that, I don't remember anything. I woke up and saw that everyone was here."

"How can we find Alicia?"  Nicholas held his head, he pointed at Elden. "Are there any clues?"

Elden was surprised that Nicholas suddenly threw the question at him. He wasn't prepared, so Elden immediately looked at Frank. Clearing his throat, Elden explained, "Frank saw someone."

Frank immediately nodded. "It was a man. And oh, I remember the type and license plate."

Nicholas looked on enthusiastically. After getting enough information from Frank, Nicholas immediately made a decision. "Noel, come with me now!"

Without being given an official signal, the two of them immediately sped off after the car driven by Ace. Nicholas drove the car while looking for a car that matched the characteristics mentioned by Frank.

"Nick, that's the car!"

Nicholas' eyes narrowed, he overtook two cars in front of him to get a clear view of the car on the right side. The car type and license plate were the same. And Nicholas immediately stepped on the gas pedal under his feet.

After catching up, Nicholas tried to look inside the car. Alicia was there, asleep and leaning against the seat. The window was closed, making it difficult for Nicholas to call out to Alicia.

"Nick, be careful! There will be a T-junction ahead!"

But Nicholas ignored him, he continued to chase the car in order to save ALicia. When Ace's car overtook, Nicholas could see Ace's face wearing a baseball cap. Ace and Nicholas exchanged glances, but Ace stepped on the gas so that his car was now in front.

"Shit. It's Ace! Call for backup, tell them to chase. We'll get Ace this time," Nicholas ordered Noel.

"Okay."

Noel grabbed his cell phone and called his colleagues in the field, while telling them the type of car, license plate and their position, the chase was on.

Meanwhile, in Ace's car. Ace was starting to get desperate. His identity known, he began to panic. Ace saw Nicholas' car trailing behind him through the rearview mirror. "Nicholas is really persistent. How did he find me!"

As Nicholas and Noel continued their high-speed chase, the tension inside Ace's car increased. Ace's mind was racing, thinking of ways to escape the relentless pursuit. The streets were a blur, and the echoing sirens added to the chaos.

Alicia twitched in the backseat, her eyes slowly opening to the unfamiliar surroundings. Confused and disoriented, she tried to make sense of the situation. That realization came when she saw Ace's anxious expression. "What happened?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

Ace, without taking his eyes off the road, muttered, "We're being followed by that asshole detective."

Nicholas, determined to save Alicia, turned down the winding streets, never losing sight of Ace's car. Noel, in the passenger seat, kept updating their location to the backup on the phone, making sure they got help.

Up ahead, a T-junction loomed, just as Noel had warned. Ace, desperate to break away from Nicholas, made a bold decision. He made a sudden turn, leaving Nicholas momentarily confused. However, Nicholas quickly recovered, skillfully navigating the intersection and closing the gap.

The chase intensified, winding through the labyrinthine streets of the city. As Ace attempted evasive maneuvers, Nicholas remained relentless. The chase reached its climax as both cars accelerated over the bridge, with the city lights reflecting off the river below.

"Noel, we have to end this," Nicholas said, his eyes never leaving Ace's car.

Noel, understanding the urgency, called again to the backup team. "Close the bridge exit! We can't let him escape!"

As Ace's options dwindled, he accelerated his car, hoping to outrun Nicholas before the bridge closed. The backup unit quickly moved into position, strategically cutting off the escape route.

Realizing the trap was getting closer, Ace's desperation grew. Nicholas, now flanked by law enforcement, closed the distance. The bridge exit was closed, leaving Ace no choice but to surrender.

In a tense standoff, Ace reluctantly stopped the car. Nicholas, relieved and determined, approaches the car cautiously. As he opens the door, Alicia rushes to embrace him, her ordeal finally over.

But when Nicholas managed to get to Alicia, Ace instead desperately stepped on the gas and fled for the second time.

"Shit! Follow him!" Nicholas ordered. Nicholas looked at all the teams and pointed in the direction Ace had gone while shouting, "Don't let him escape again! Don't let him get away!"

And the field team returned to their respective cars for the next chase.

Nicholas sighed and hugged Alicia. Snow soaked their freely exposed bodies outdoors.

And in relief, Nicholas whispered, "This is a very bad Christmas. You agree, don't you?"