Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 583 - 591: Taxi

Chapter 583: Chapter 591: Taxi

Anton and Hans walked very quickly because they had arrived in Nice on the same plane as Jethro, seated in economy class, while Jethro was in first class.

So Anton and Hans had to run all the way to get out of the airport ahead of Jethro.

In a place beyond Jethro’s sight, Anton suddenly broke into a run, and to avoid any misunderstanding, he shouted loudly while running, "Sorry, excuse me, sorry, excuse me."

Hans followed behind Anton, and after they ran out of the terminal, Hans glanced at his watch and said, "They’ll be out in at most five minutes."

Anton nodded and asked, "What did they say?"

"Jethro will leave alone. They didn’t say much else; it seems Jethro is more anxious than we thought,"

Hans put on an earpiece, eavesdropping on every word Jethro said. Although Jethro didn’t have a bug on him, Yang Yi had brought one, so as long as Yang Yi was still around Jethro, Hans could hear all the conversations that were connected.

Anton looked around and said, "We need a car."

"A taxi."

"That’ll work."

The two quickly made their way to the taxi stand.

In many places in France, you can’t just hail a taxi; you need to get one at a taxi stand, and since Nice is a tourist city and they were at the airport, there was, of course, a designated taxi pickup area waiting to take passengers.

But Anton and Hans didn’t line up at the stand to wait for a taxi; they went straight to the end of the queue of taxis.

As they walked, they kept a distance of about ten meters between them.

When they reached the front of the last taxi in the line, Hans, who was ahead, suddenly pretended to listen intently and then focused his gaze on the taxi.

Immediately after, Hans tapped on the car window twice, then pointed to the car’s left rear wheel and loudly said, "Friend, your tire is leaking air."

After saying this, Hans pointed again to the rear tire, then he didn’t stop, continuing forward.

The taxi driver hadn’t even had time to roll down the window before Hans had walked off, and confused, the driver turned his head to look at Hans and then opened the car door.

The driver got out, went to check the left rear tire, and finding no leak, he kicked the tire. As he was about to yell at Hans’s retreating figure, Anton, who had walked up to the taxi, suddenly struck a heavy blow under the driver’s neck, then caught the collapsing driver with one hand and pulled the car door open with the other.

Anton laid the fallen driver inside the car, and Hans, already turning back, grabbed the driver’s legs, shoving them inside before taking his seat in the back and pulling the door shut, while Anton took the driver’s seat.

Anton and Hans hadn’t discussed what to do, but their coordination was seamless.

The entire process took less than a second; no one noticed that a taxi had changed drivers, and by the time new taxis lined up at the end of the line, Anton was already driving the car forward.

Adjusting the seat, fastening the seat belt, and then the rearview mirror, Anton said gravely, "It seems you haven’t let go all these years."

Hans smiled and said, "It’s just become a habit."

As they spoke, Hans was adjusting the taxi driver’s position, propping him up, then settling him down so he looked like he was sound asleep, leaning on the back seat.

The two fell silent, and suddenly Hans said in a low voice, "They’re coming."

Anton glanced at the passengers queuing for taxis and, at the same time, he spotted Yang Yi walking towards the taxi stand, and of course, Jethro as well.

"Jethro is going to take a taxi by himself."

After considering the location of his taxi, then looking at Jethro’s position, Anton suddenly said, "I can get Jethro in this car."

Hans looked at the taxi driver next to him and said, "Then the driver is going to be the problem."

Anton took a glance in the rearview mirror, sighed, and said, "Can you take care of the two cars behind us?"

Hans frowned, peered outside, and upon noticing a tour group of about a dozen people walking towards them, he nodded and said, "I can handle it. With those people as cover, I can get him out without raising suspicion. Besides, you need to distract the ones behind."

Anton spoke in a low voice, "Okay, get ready."

Anton suddenly stopped the car, then opened his door and got out. He gestured to the taxi driver in the car behind him and then walked over to the window of that car.

The driver in the rear car lowered his window, and Anton, visibly annoyed, said, "Buddy, are you driving Berna Soir’s car or what?"

The driver, bewildered by Anton’s questioning, replied in surprise, "No, this is my own taxi."

"Nonsense! I can certainly recognize Berna’s car. Why are you driving his car?"

While Anton was talking nonsense with the man, Hans opened the door; he got out first and then, as a group of tourists passed by him, he grabbed the limp taxi driver, yanked him from the seat, draped the driver’s right arm over his shoulder, and with a swing of his leg, closed the taxi door.

Hans dragged the taxi driver past Anton’s back. If anyone had glanced at him, they would have seen that the feet of the taxi driver he was supporting were off the ground, but no one saw; they were all looking at the furious Anton.

Hans walked away, and at that moment, Anton pointed at the hood of the car and shouted angrily, "I know I’m not mistaken, it’s just... Oh, God."

Anton suddenly appeared very sheepish and then said to the very upset and confused driver behind him, "I’m really sorry, I got it wrong, I’m very, very sorry. It’s my fault, I should’ve checked the license plate first. Your numbers are only off by one digit, God, I really apologize."

With a helpless wave of his arm, the driver in the car behind shouted loudly, "Then move on! Follow the car in front of you!"

After apologizing again, Anton quickly got back into his car, by which time only three car spaces in front of him had become available.

Anton drove to catch up.

The order of the taxis was fixed. Anton checked the passengers waiting at the taxi stand and realized Jethro would get into one of the cars behind him.

Anton rolled down his window, hoping Yang Yi would see him.

And indeed, Yang Yi did see Anton.

Yang Yi, who was habitually observing his surroundings, glanced at Anton’s car, then at the passengers at the stand.

It was easy to tell who was together. He excluded solo travelers and after a brief calculation, Yang Yi stopped in his tracks and said something to Jethro.

Anton felt relieved.

After the two behind overtook him, Yang Yi nodded his head and, after slightly delaying Jethro’s steps, he continued forward with Jethro, joining the back of the line.