Race…..Straight To My Heart

Chapter 1

1:30 AM. Having left Philadelphia less then two hours ago, Allie was making great time. She just saw a sign for Dover Air Force Base. She was on her way to Virginia, heading home. Well, what she used to call home, before Kenny ruined all that. She would not allow herself to thing about that, or him. She was going to see Mike, her oldest and dearest friend, and his wife Myra. Myra and her were college roommates. They had grown into the best of friends and Allie couldn't be happier that Mike had fallen madly in love with Myra. She was very good for him, he took himself way too seriously.

Pleased with the time she was making she sighed then checked her mirrors to make sure she wasn't being followed. Nope. Not another car on the road, hadn't been one for at least the last twenty minutes. She was safe. No one was following her. It had been over three years since the 'incident' with Kenny. And Mike had taught her to be careful, and trained her well in self defense, what she needed to do was work on not panicking, because once she panicked, she froze. And even the best fighter in the world couldn't fight if they stood there frozen by fear. Stupid fear. But the worst part was she'd probably never be able to trust a man again.

"Ugh, stop it!" Allie willed her self to listen, it didn't do her any good when she started to dwell on things she couldn't control or change. She couldn't help it. She missed her parents. Her friends. She missed the way it was.

Her life was different now. Now she took no chances. Her and Mike spoke on the 'bat phone' every 72 hours with out fail. "You can't fake someone's voice. I need to make sure it's you and that your ok." She heard Mikes voice in her head. The 'bat phone' was the latest and greatest satellite phone, straight from FBI headquarters in Quantico. Mike sent her a new one every few months. One of the perks from him being one of their top guys. She'd just hoped he wasn't tracking her, because she wanted to surprise them by just showing up in the middle of the night. Absently she rubbed the phone that sat on her lap.

Mike had relocated her to Philly three years ago after Kenny was securely in jail, for attempted murder- hers. He changed her last name from Wilkinson to Reid. He also got her a new Social Security number and even got her set up in a cute condo right in the center of downtown. After a few months she felt comfortable enough to get a job. She taught self defense classes to women, at the local YMCA. She was getting her life back. And it felt good. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep relaxing breath, when she opened her eyes and saw the car heading right for her passenger side door, she gripped the steering wheel and cursed.

It was late, but Zane Carter was restless. Thursday, it was Thursday. He just gotten into town today, but all he had done was pace. Pace and yell at his manager. "Damn it!" He swore, he wasn't into it. The pain of his mom's death still stung him too much. He didn't feel like being at the track and having everyone look at him with pity. He knew what they thought. He dad died in a wreck on the track, when he was a kid. All he had was him mom. She was always by his side. Even supported him when he wanted to become a driver. "Shit!" He curse again and grabbed his keys.

Zane speed out of Dover Speedway, a drive would clear his head. Not expecting anyone to be on the road at this late hour, or too distracted to even notice, it was too late to avoid the impact with the oncoming car. Christ! He never noticed it. He did happen to notice to fear on the face of the girl driving the car his car was currently pushing across the center lane. His brakes finally told hold, stopping his car, but the momentum of the crash sent her car skidding across the highway. He watched in horror as her car flipped over and skidded to a wobble stop.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Zane yelled as he got out of his car and started running towards the other car. Pulling his phone out as he ran, he called his manager.

Randy heard his phone ring, he knew it was Zane, the poor boys brain was fried. Maybe he'd pushed his too soon after his mothers death to start racing again. No. It was his job as his manager, he was doing the right thing, he'd answer the phone and let Zane yell at him some more, then he could focus on racing.

"Hello?" Randy said as he braced himself for a fury of words.

"Randy?!" Zane's panicked voice echoed through the phone.

"Zane? What's wrong?"

"I crashed into someone, she's trapped in the car, get Tim, bring help, hell I don't know. Do. Something." Zane was frantic.

"Calm down, Zane. Where are you?" Randy asked.

"Right outside the track, I was going out for a drive, I didn't see her I swear."

Randy understood. "Four minutes." He said into the phone then hung up on Zane and started making phone calls. He needed to get both Zane's car and the other persons car the hell out of there before the press, or the police got involved. He called Zane's spotter, Paul. Paul and his twin brother Pete worked on Zane's racing team, they took turns spotting Zane on the track and Drove his coach to the next race. They were good boys, Randy trusted them. His second phone call was to the teams Doctor, Tim Peterson. He was on his way to pick up Tim as he made the phone call, silently praying whom ever Zane hit was alive and well.

Zane held is breath as he reached the car. It rested upside down and all the glass from the windshield had shattered, into a million pieces. As he crouched down, he heard whimpering. He let out the breath he'd been holding. Thank God, he thought, she's alive.

He found me, I'm dead. Was all Allie could think. But her brain was working overtime. No. Couldn't be him, he's in jail. Her whole body was trembling, she could taste the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She needed to get out of the car, she needed her bat phone. A hand reaching in through the place where the windshield should be jarred her from her thought and she begged. "Get me out of here!"

"Okay, it's gonna be okay. Are you hurt?" Zane asked as he pushed her hanging upside down hair out of her face, so he could see her eyes.

"Get me out of here. Now!" The pretty green eyed girl yelled at him. He couldn't help but smile. If she was yelling that had to be a good sign that she was okay, despite the dripping of blood that trailed down her face.

"Okay hold still, I'm coming in." Zane assured her.

"In. No! I want to get OUT!" Allie's body started to tremble harder, great she either had the stupidest EMT in the world rescuing her, or Kenny had ordered him to kill her and make it look like an accident. He was actually sliding his big body into the car with her. Focus, she told her brain, at least it's possible it's not Kenny. Nope it was just a random stupid accident, but she needed to stay conscious, just in case it wasn't. Taking a deep breath she reassured herself. Kenny was in jail, she was safe- well sort of.

Laying beneath her now, he looked up into her green eyes, they were full of fear. Damn him, this was as his fault. "I'm sorry" He blurted out.

"Just get me out of here." She whispered as tears started to fall down her face.

"Your upside down." He looked around for the best way to get her free. "I'm gonna undo the seatbelt, and lower you onto me and then we'll slide out. Okay?"

She just nodded.

As Zane looked at her, he knew it was worse than it appeared. Her whole body trembled. And he couldn't tell if the blood on her legs was from another cut or from the blood dripping off her head.

"Shit. Ready. Hold onto my shoulders." He took her trembling hand and placed them on his shoulders. Then in one swift movement he unclipped the seatbelt and she tumbled onto him.

"I got ya." He assured her while he rubbed her arms.

"My foots stuck." She whispered into his chest. He felt her hot breath through his shirt. And oddly he was aroused by it. Then he cursed himself silently for even having the beginning of such thoughts.

"Okay, I'll fix that." He reached down. The position was awkward to say the least. Her body was awkwardly bent and her face was twisted into the crook of his neck. Her tiny hand knotted in his shirt. He had his other arm protectively around her.

Damn. Her foot was diffidently stuck. He'd gotten her shoe off, but the gas pedal was bent and her foot was trapped between it and the brake.

"Need any help?" Pete asked with a smirk as he leaned into the car.

"Finally." Zane mumbled. "Her foots stuck, I can get it with just one hand."

"Just pull her out dude, we spent enough time out here." Pete said with urgency in his voice.

Pete was worried about the cops showing up and Zane knew that, he was thinking about what was best for Zane, and the team. And being involved in an accident, in the press with police reports- was not good. But Zane's only concern at the moment was this girl, the one he hurt, who was still clinging to him like her life depended on him. Zane removed the pads from the gas pedal and the brake and wedged the brake to the side as much as her could. Then he pulled on her leg.

Zane's heart almost leap through his chest when she let out a blood curdling scream, then went utterly still. He trembling body becoming limp on top of him. He thought he'd killed her.