(5)
Gunsmith Cats: The race
By meanbow
Here it is! The 5th instalment of my 'gunsmith cats' stories. As always, I don't own any of the characters, they are owned by kenichi sonoda, apart from my own, which are mine.
I hope you have all enjoyed the ones so far; this one is something special, and it has a hint of romance in it for good ol' rally!
It will also be rated, due to suggestive scenes and the occasional cuss
Chapter 1Knowing the score
It was a quiet afternoon in Chicago, until the peace of the day was broken by a loud woman's voice.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" screamed Arlene, chasing after their intended target for the afternoon, a Mr McKay; small time snitch turned to gang informant.
"Don't shoot him, Arlene!" went Rally's voice into her radio earpiece "he has to be bought in in one piece"
"Damn!" she replied, holstering her gun on the run, and then had to turn a corner into an alleyway after him.
"Where the hell is you, Rally?" she went into her lapel mike "I can't keep this up forever you know…"
"Just keep him going for now…" she replied to her sister's comment
Mr McKay kept on running up the alleyway, looking back at his pursuer in surprise.
'How can a girl keep on running like this?' he thought to himself.
Then, he hit it, hard.
WHUMP!
He ran straight into the front driver's side wing of Rally's cobra, which she had placed where she guessed he would emerge from the alleyway.
He went flying over the bonnet of the car, tumbling over into a heap on the floor, gasping for breath.
"So glad we ran into you today, Mr McKay" went Rally dryly as she got out of the car.
"UHHHHHHH" he went, struggling to get up from his winding.
Arlene arrived at the scene, a little bit out of breath.
"Next time… you run them down on foot… and I'll drive" she went between breaths, looking at Rally.
May got out of the car and looked at their suspect.
"Yup, that's him all right" she went, pulling his bounty poster out from her pocket and examining it and him.
"Mr McKay, I believe it would be in your best interest to come with us…if you don't mind" went Rally, dangling a pair of 'cuffs from her left hand's index finger.
"Damn…bounty hunters…you're all…the same…arrogant…bunch of…pricks!" he struggled to say between breaths.
"LISTEN PAL…" went Arlene, who had walked around the other side of the car and picked him up off the ground by his coat and had him pinned against the wall "WHEN I SAY DON'T MOVE…I MEAN DON'T MOVE, NOT RUN LIKE HELL" she had fire in her eyes as she said those words.
Mr McKay gulped, and whimpered the words "help…" to the other two girls behind her.
"OHH, you done it now pal…" went Rally, knowing what was about to happen "I can't control her when she gets upset like that, and it's you that upset her"
"Yeah…" goes May, also knowing what was going on "talk to us, we can be reasoned with"
"NOW…you goanna tell us what we need to know about this big shipment going through town in a few weeks, or do I let my sister beat it out of you?" went Rally, smiling at him as she said that.
Arlene stared directly at him, still holding him against the wall. She curled her bottom lip upwards at him.
"O.K. I'll talk… Just…get her off me, PLEEEEEAAAAAASSSE!" he begged
" 'Lene, let him go now" she went, walking up and placing her right hand on Arlene's left shoulder.
Arlene let go of his coat, and he fell back to the ground.
He stood up gingerly and looked at the two girls behind, trying his best to ignore the one standing directly in front of him.
Rally gently pushed Arlene aside, and looked at him.
"So talk then" she went.
"The shipment…it's going to be coming through Chicago in a few weeks…under the disguise of a legal road race. There's going to be racers from all over the country, and a few plants as well. Their cars are going to have false floors and moonshine tanks hidden in them. The plants are working for various crime bosses and cartels shipping their products into the state. That's all I know…I swear it"
"Do you believe him, Rally?" asks May
He stood there being stared at by Arlene, who was unflinching in her looks at him
"I do…" went Arlene "because I can see he's too scared to lie to us"
"I think he's telling the truth too" Rally replied.
"He better had be…because I made some friends 'inside', and if I find out you've been lying to us…"Arlene went, raising her right hand in a fist
He gulped again, and nodded his head slowly.
Rally went and put the 'cuffs on him, and led him to the Cobra's passenger side.
She put him in the seat, and went "May, you and Arlene follow me to the station in the Honda if you want, otherwise I'll handle this guy"
"Fair enough. See you back at the house" Arlene replied, and then went "Come on, May"
Rally closed the door to the cobra on Mr McKay, and walked around to the driver's side and got in herself.
"Seeya later then" she went, as she started the cobra up and reversed the car out of the alley.
May and Arlene stood there watching her drive the car out, and then turn and pull off quickly.
"Where did you park it then?" asks May, hoping she won't have far to walk.
"Around the corner, about half a block" Arlene replied as she started to walk back the way she came in. "YOU COMING OR WHAT?" she calls back to May
The little CRX was cruising back to the house shared by Rally and Arlene, since May had moved out and was living with Ken now
They had to go past Ken and May's new house on the way
"So, what's it like then?" asked Arlene
"What's what like?" replied May
"Living with your fiancé now, that's what."
"Great!" went May with a smile on her face "Me and ken were meant to be, we love each other soo much. What about you and Rally? Are you two getting on O.K?"
"Yeah, we don't argue like we did when we both found out the truth…" Arlene goes "but we still have our differences. She doesn't approve of my lifestyle choice for one thing"
"You mean…you and…?"
"Yeah…But we do work well as a team though"
"I noticed…" went May "I love your good girl, bad girl routine"
"It's good, isn't it? But I'm always the bad girl. I think she has me stereotyped" went Arlene, smirking.
The CRX pulled up outside a small house in the park west district, where Ken and May had bought their first house together.
Ken was standing outside, working on the house.
"Hey Baby!" called Ken as he seen her approaching in Arlene's car.
May got out and ran to her fiancé, and grabbed him tightly.
"Hello gorgeous" she replied, burying her face in his paint-covered shirt.
"Hello Arlene, how are you doing?" ken went, looking at her sitting in the car.
"Fine Ken, I see you're busy, so I'll get lost. See you later on maybe?"
"Yeah, me and May should call round later" he replied
Arlene waved as she slammed the car into gear and pulled off quickly, causing the car to wheel spin.
Chapter 2The crew reunited
Arlene headed for Rally's house, and found to her surprise that Rally was back before her, as the Cobra was parked up outside.
She pulled the Honda CRX up next to the big American muscle car, and got out. She walked slowly around the outside of the GT500, whisking her hand gently over its paintwork as she walked, then headed for the front door of the house.
She opened the door and Rally was sitting down in the living room, with the T.V on.
"Still can't leave it alone, can you?" she asked her sister as she walked in, not even turning her head towards the door.
"How did you…?" Arlene started
Rally turned around and propped herself up using the back of the sofa "Because you do it every time you walk past it." She replied, with a smirk on her face as she said it.
"Old habits die hard, sis. It may be your car, but it's still my unicorn"
Arlene started thinking back to the time she pretended to be Rally, and the feeling she got from driving the cobra 'MMM, 130 mph' she thought, and then smiled.
"So…Miss plan" she went, as she walked around and sat down on the sofa next to Rally "What's the plan then for this sting?"
Rally turned around, then turned the T.V off using the remote, and sat there thinking for a minute.
"Well…it's going under the pretence of a race, so first thing we need to do is get inside it somehow, either as workers, or journalists…"
"OR…Racers" went Arlene, interjecting herself.
"That was to be my next suggestion…yes" went Rally "once were inside, we can start to snoop around and find out who's who using Becky, then we bust 'em"
"I might be able to help us out there, if we go for the racers option. I can give Jim, Kim and Ron a call, they can be our pit crew, as they are all mechanics, and Jim has a tow truck and garage too, so that helps" Arlene went. "Shall I give 'em a call?"
"Better yet…let's go see them" Rally replied to her sister's question, then got up and went to the front door to put on a pair of shoes and get her coat.
"HEY…wait up! It's my idea!" she went as she got up from the sofa.
The two sisters drove downtown to Bateman's garage on the east side of town in Rally's Cobra, where outside the garage, James Bateman was unloading something covered in tarpaulin from the cradle of his tow truck.
The Cobra pulled up slowly and stopped, and its occupants got out.
James turned around at the sound of the engine, and looked at the car and its passengers.
"Rally Vincent and Arlene Davenport…I should have guessed" he went, and then turned back to the task at hand.
"ACTUALLY…it's Rally and Arlene Vincent, Jim" went Arlene
"What?" he went, looking puzzled at the last sentence
"Long story, James…" Rally started "Can we talk to you guys a sec?"
"Sure…step into my office" he went, signalling to the door on their left leading to a small room with a desk and pc in it.
The two girls walked in to the room, James followed them in on his crutch.
In the office, Kim Castle and Ron Manning were on a coffee break as they all walked in
"Here comes trouble…" went Ron sarcastically
"Nice to see you too, Ron" went Arlene, as she pulled a chair out and sat down on it.
"Now…what can we do for you?" James went, trying to sound official as he sat down on his office chair in front of the pc.
Rally told them of the upcoming race in a few weeks time, and that they suspected it was a front for a massive smuggling operation, and that they wanted in somehow.
"WHOA THERE, little ladies…" went James "remember what happened the last time we helped you? I'm sorry but the answers no"
"But you got to help us Jim. We need to be in this thing. And I promise you…nothing's going to happen to any of you this time" begged Arlene, and put on her sad dog eyes to win him over.
"I said…" James looked at Arlene and the sad expression on her face, then bit his bottom lip trying to stop himself from caving in, but failed "…O.K" he went, and then dropped his face into his crossed arms on the desk.
Rally looked at her sister, and the face she pulled, then went "wow" under her breath.
"Oh brother…" went Ron "she pulls that face and he caves in…AGAIN"
Kim took a sip of her coffee, and said, "What makes you think myself or Ron'll help you?"
"For old times' sake, Kim. Admit it, this is boring compared to the thrill of boosting a car, driving it at breakneck speeds through crowded streets, avoiding police and getting caught, and the adrenaline rush you get from it" Arlene replied
"Maybe…but it's legal and pays the bills" she retaliated
"Barely" went Ron "30% of the bounty and were in, otherwise forget it"
"RON!" went Kim, shocked that he was even considering this
Arlene looked at Rally, and went "Well?"
"We don't even know how much it is yet, or who the targets are. If we say yes to that, you are taking a chance on it being a pathetic $1000, or a massive who knows what. You know that, don't you?" Rally replied to their and her sister's comment.
"I'm willing to take that chance. Deal me in then" went Ron
Kim went "URRRGH! I don't believe you two…I suppose that means I'm outnumbered 2 to 1" she sighed, then went "FINE, I'm in"
"So… we now have out pit crew, all we need now is a race car" went Arlene "we could always use the CRX given to me by James"
James chipped in
"I have a better car than that…"
Chapter 3
Interceptor
The group go out from the office to James' tow truck out front, with the tarpaulin covered car on the tow cradle. James finished lowering the car to the ground and then unhooked the cables from the car
"So…what is it then?" asks Arlene, her curiosity getting the better of her
"Kim, Ron, the sheet please" he goes
The two mechanics grab the tarp and pull it off, revealing the body and chassis of a familiar looking beast
"It's a Cobra Mustang" went Rally, recognising the shape instantly
"Not just any Cobra Mustang…" went James "I tracked this beast down in a police impound and repair yard, in a garage rotting away. This is a Shelby Mustang GT350 Cobra police interceptor model, one of only a handful made specifically for the state highway patrol's. This baby has a fully blueprinted engine, a Paxton supercharger, Holly cfm quad carbs, up rated clutch, diff and transmission units, ford toploader 4-speed gearbox, police suspension, police steering quick rack, police specification braking system, the works. They used the 350 as a base as it doesn't plow into corners like your 500 does"
Rally's eyes lit up at the sound of all the equipment on the cobra in front of her, and a tear formed in the corner of her eye.
"It's beautiful…" she went
Arlene looked at her sister, and thought 'my god, she needs help…'
"And it runs too…listen to this" went James, walking around to the driver's side and leaning in to turn the key
The massive old Shelby modified, supercharged Ford lump struggled to turn over, spluttering a few times and blowing out black smoke from the partial exhaust, but then it roared into life, sounding louder than normal as there was only half an exhaust system
The group had to cover their ears at the noise the Mustang made, but James was loving it, he opened the car's door and got in and revved the engine a few times, making the car backfire and roar
Then, he turned the car off, and the noise died down as the engine powered down, spluttering as it did so
"Wow!" went Rally "now that is a nice Cobra, but can you get it ready in time though? I mean the race is on in a fortnight's time"
Kim and Ron started to push the massive monster into the garage; James just went: "Should do, if we get cracking. I got a standard GT350 out back that I can butcher for parts and modify them accordingly, but as long as the chassis is solid, it should just be a full body and engine rebuild. BUT…I won't know until I get it on my ramps"
Arlene looked at her sister and smiled "I'm goanna stay and help them" she went, and walked into the garage to find herself a boiler suit.
"Fine, I'll start making a few calls and try to get us put into this thing, and I'll get Becky to whip us up a few racers' permits…" went Rally "See you later then"
Arlene came back out from the locker room, stripped of her clothes and wearing just the boiler suit over her underwear, and kicked off her shoes "See you Sis…James, you got any safety shoes around here for me?"
James hobbled over to her to look through the lockers for her; Rally got back into her Cobra and started it up, then pulled off
'She's never happy unless she's fiddling with a car' Rally thought to herself as she was driving to Becky's house. still; it keeps her out of trouble these days. Dad is right; she is the total opposite to me'
Rally let that thought linger in her mind for a few moments, before coming around and realising that she was driving, and that all her concentration should be on the road, not her thoughts.
Chapter 4Forgiveness?
Back at the garage, Arlene had what she needed, and was underneath the old interceptor... holding an inspection lamp, with James, who was poking and prodding it with a metal pin, checking the chassis' condition.
"Well, seems solid enough…couple of weak spots that need to be welded, new exhaust to be fitted, engine to be removed and rebuilt, check all the moving mechanicals and other related drive train parts. Otherwise, it's in pretty good shape for a car that's nearly 40 years old. Hope I look this good when I get to that age" went James
"But I thought your transmission was already busted…" replied Arlene sarcastically, pointing at his right leg
James gave her a 'shut-up-right-now' look, and she went quiet for a few seconds
"Sorry Jim, I couldn't help it" she went "you never did tell me how it happened either"
Jim sighed, then replied "You never told me your last name was Vincent, not Davenport. But you're not going to give over until I tell you, are you?"
She shook her head "nope, I have to know"
"Well, if you must know, it was on our last job together this happened, do you remember it? We just pulled off a speed boost for a car client, removing a rare 1984 Delorean from its previous owner's collection…"
Arlene went quietly "I remember that one, it was on a damp night in Washington, you and me had just grabbed the car from a warehouse that was being used by a collector to house his car collection, and the cops were on our tail. You weren't happy about the Delorean and its handling, saying it was slated when it first came out as a car and had a lousy safety record, but I was telling you to push it as they were gaining fast…"
"Yes…" went James "the cops threw a tire spike trap out across the road in front of the car, I tried to avoid it, but the car slipped on the wet road and I lost control, smashing into a brick wall and destroying the Delorean's front end, collapsing the steering column onto my leg, crushing it. You banged your head but were basically unhurt and made a run for it, leaving me to deal with the police…"
Arlene went silent, realising that his injury was all her fault "James…I am so sorry…if I could have done anything for you then, I would have…"
"What about us, Arlene?" went Kim "James was pulled from the car by a fire crew with cutting gear, and in his seriously drugged up state with all the morphine they had to give him, he told the cops where to find us and all the other cars that went missing. They busted us, ALL of us, apart from you. You disappeared. We were given 5 years each, but because we co-operated with the police and told them about you, it was reduced to 2 years each, with parole being granted after 12 months. We were banned from setting foot in the state of Washington for a period of 5 years, and so we all moved out east, to Illinois, where we set up this garage together"
"Yeah…" Ron joined in "we got cleaned up and turned our lives around, then we heard you got busted, we were glad and thought we'd never see you again, until a few months ago when you waltzed in here."
"So…let me get this straight…you didn't really want to see me again, is that it?" Arlene asked them
"Basically…yes" went Ron
"Guys…I swear now, on my new life…that I can AND HAVE changed. I'm not the same girl who hung around with you on street corners, hustling passing people for a few dollars with a card trick, or pinching from and joyriding in stolen cars, or anything like that at all now. I have a real family, not just my adopted one, or my extended family…and it's changed me. Give me a second chance at being a friend…please."
As she finished the sentence off, a tear formed on the side of her eyes "I need you guys…you're my friends."
The three former members of her crew all looked at her, then to each other.
"We need to talk…" went James, who signalled Kim and Ron to the office
The three of them went over to the office and Kim closed the door
"Do you think she's on the level?" asked James "she seems sincere enough, and I trust Ms Vincent enough to warrant being able to change…HER" he went, signalling with his thumb towards Arlene
"Even if she has changed now, I don't think I could trust her again, not after abandoning you, Jim" went Kim, who walked up and hugged him
"I think we should at least give her a chance. If she screws up, then that's it. Finito. Goodbye and good riddance" Ron went, and then finished off "everybody deserves a second chance. We had one, we should give her one. I mean, look at the last time she came here. She didn't have to give us a share of that guy's bounty, but she did, because she promised she would. $25,000 dollars each guys. That's a lot of money to just give away"
The other two nodded their heads slowly in agreement "Ron's right…" went James "give her that chance Kim. We owe her that at least"
"You're right…she's got her chance" Kim went
The three of them headed back out onto the garage floor, where Arlene was working on the Cobra already, she had pulled the wheels off and had started to check the braking system
They stood there, and Arlene looked at them
"We decided," Went James "to give you a second chance,'lene. Don't blow it"
Arlene dropped the pipe tool and ran over, pulled them together and hugged them
"Thank you…" she went, softly crying
Chapter 5
Enter the race, and a new face
Rally and Becky emerged from the temporary office in city hall being used by the race officials
"YES!" she went excitedly, as they had approved her team's entry in it
"Told you I can do it" went Becky, with a smug grin on her face
"You are amazing, Becky. How do you do it?" Rally asked
"Well…you just need to know what buttons to push…and have a damn good bluff as well" she smiled, as it was her negotiating skills that had managed to bluff Rally's entry into the race
Rally was holding the race entry permit in her hands, going over the small print carefully
"I'll have to go through the rule book with you and Arlene, to make sure you understand what you can and can't do in this thing" went Becky
"Come over then, we'll go over them" Rally replied as she opened the cobra's door to get in
"You got it girlfriend," Becky answered back, getting in the other side
Rally started her Cobra up with a roar and pulled off down the street
Unknown to her, she was being watched by a gentleman in a rare and heavily modified 1998 Maserati 3200GT
"So…I have some competition for this bust then…" the gentleman went, looking over his files lying over the passenger seat until he found the one he was looking for
"AH…Rally Vincent…the famous bounty hunter…we meet at last" he went, then smiled and started his car up and went off down the road after them
Rally and Becky had arrived back at Rally's house, where the two girls were reviewing the rules and regulations required to participate in the cross-town race
"You got a partial roll cage already fitted, and you carry a fire extinguisher on board too, so you're covered with those parts. And providing the car passes their scrutinizing, and you get the recommended safety equipment, like safety race shoes and flame retardant suit and helmet, I can't see why you shouldn't be allowed to enter" went Becky
The doorbell suddenly rings, and the girls look towards the door. Rally gets up to answer the door and goes "I'm not expecting anyone, I wonder who this is?"
She opens the front door on the chain and sees a gentleman standing there, all smartly dressed and smiling, and holding a slightly curved walking stick with an eagle head handle on top
"Good afternoon Ms Vincent. My name's John Bolton. May I come in and talk to you and your acquaintance please?"
Rally stood there and looked at him, he was 6'3 tall and physically fit, with well defined and toned muscles showing under his immaculately pressed suit. He had short brown hair with blond highlights, a bronze tanned face, yet with a soft smile, and revealing a set of deep brown eyes after removing his sunglasses that Rally couldn't help but look into
She shook her head to snap out of her trance and went "Uh…yeah…sure, come in"
She went, trying to regain some composure as she closed the door to take the chain off and opened it again to let him in
"Thank you" he replied as he walked in slowly "You have a lovely house, by the way" he went, looking around
"Err, thanks…this way please" she directed him into the living room
The gentleman walked in and Becky looked up from her book at him
'WOW!' she thought 'who is this hunky looking guy?'
Rally went "Mr Bolton, this is my friend Rebecca Farrah, Becky, this is Mr John Bolton"
Becky stood up and adjusted her skirt, pushed her glasses up, and then shook his hand
"Pleased to meet you" she went with a smile on her face
"And you, Miss Farrah" he smiled back, as he lifted her hand up after shaking it and gently kissed it
'WOWWEE! HE'S A REAL GENTLEMAN' she screamed in her thoughts, trying to hide her blushes as her face was turning red
She pulled her hand out from his and quickly sat back down, Rally sat down slowly next to her on the sofa
Mr Bolton sat down on the chair opposite the two ladies and started to talk
"I came here looking for you, Ms Vincent. I have a business proposition for you" he went
"I'm listening…" she replied, while trying not to stare at his features and his melting eyes
"It seems that both yourself and I are going after the same thing…the alleged shipment of illegal narcotics going through the state of Illinois, in particular, I am after one individual…" he started "our agendas are the same, and so are our ends. How we get there is yet to be determined"
"What are you saying Mr Bolton? And just who are you? Are you an undercover police officer? FBI? DEA? NSA? ATF?" she went and replied to his last words
"Thankfully...none of the above Ms Vincent. I'm a private investigator and a bounty hunter like you, who has been on the trail of these people for the last 18 months. I have tracked them so far to Illinois from Los Angeles. When I found out that you were also looking for these people, I summarised that the best and most logical course of action would be to ask about a temporary alliance with yourself. I am willing to share any and all information I have on the suspects, in return for your help on this matter"
Rally couldn't believe her ears
"YOU are a bounty hunter? You don't look like one" Rally went
"And what did you expect me to look like, Ms Vincent?" he replied, going into his inside jacket pocket and pulling out his badge and licence "A 6-shot gun toting, jeans and T-shirt wearing roughneck with a pick-up truck? This is the 21st century; we are not all like the stereotype images or the movies. I am one of the more civilised hunters; some of my colleagues are a bit too much like the stereotype. And if I might add, you yourself don't fit the bounty hunter image"
Both Rally and Becky leant in to examine his badge
"Wow, its gold. Issued by the state of California" Becky went "I think he's the real deal" she said as she turned to face Rally
"O.K. then, I think we should call a truce and share some info. It may be in our best interests' to help each other" Rally went, standing up and offering her hand to shake,
Mr Bolton also stood up, and shook Rally's hand
"I think that went well. I look forward to working with you Ms Vincent"
"Please…call me Rally" she went
"Very well…Rally. And please call me John" he replied, then kissed her hand as he did with Becky
Rally blushed at this, and smiled
"Until the next time we meet, I must bid you a 'due" he went, then let go of her hand and walked himself out
As soon as he left, the two girls started talking excitedly about him
"Did you see the way he was dressed? So sharp and immaculate, and well groomed. WHAT A MAN!" went Becky "and so polite and well spoken too"
Rally went "Yeah, and those eyes of his are so mesmerising. I was getting lost in them"
Becky burst into a smile
"OOOOHHHH! RALLY'S GOT A CRUSH!"
"I HAVE NOT!" Rally snapped back, but her cheeks started to blush a scarlet colour
"You got it bad, girl" went Becky "your voice says one thing, your face says another"
Rally couldn't help herself. She was thinking about John Bolton right now, and she didn't want to admit Becky was right
All of a sudden, the phone rings and breaks the moment
'Whew, saved by the bell' Rally thought to herself as she went over to the phone and answered it
"Hello…" she went, and was greeted by Arlene's voice on the other end of the phone
"Hey Irene. I got some bad news on the interceptor front. James and me went through that car with a fine tooth comb, and he reckons he can do it, but there's not enough time to finish the car off properly, so we are going with plan B, my CRX"
Rally nods her head and replies "Uh-huh, plan B. O.K Sis. See you later then. Bye"
Then hung up the phone
Chapter 6Preparation
Becky and Rally headed back towards Bateman's garage an hour after receiving Arlene's phone call. Rally was driving the CRX over for an inspection; Becky was going over the rules again in the car.
"This car should pass no problem at all…" went Becky, looking around "racing seats, 4 point harnesses, roll cage, a fire extinguisher…but what these three small bottles under my seat are for?"
Rally smirked, and then went "I'll show you, as it's difficult to explain. You have seen the film the fast and the furious?"
"Yeah, but it's more a bloke film. I watched it mainly because Paul Walker was in it" she replied with a smile on her face
"Maybe so…but those 'little bottles' under your seat contain NOS, giving this car a massive advantage over others, just like in that film. Don't tell my sister Arlene, but I do kinda like this thing of hers"
Becky looked over at rally with surprise, her glasses slipping down her nose as she did
Rally pushed her foot down hard and the little car shot off from its steady pace to an unbelievably frightening pace
"RALLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYY!" screamed Becky from the passenger seat
The CRX pulled up outside the garage, Rally had a broad smile on her face, and Becky had a terrified look on hers
Becky turned to Rally and punched her arm "STOP DOING THINGS LIKE THAT!"
Rally just laughed
"HEY…I hope you're not wrecking my car, sis." Goes a voice from the doorway approaching the car
"Hey 'lene. Here's your car, as promised" went Rally, getting out of the car
"You're mad…both of you!" went Becky, climbing out of the passenger side "I'm goanna look into getting you speed freaks committed!"
"What's her problem?" Arlene asked her sister
"I put my foot down and scared her…" Rally replies
"…And that last comment came from someone who owns a BMW 2002 turbo…" Arlene added sarcastically
Arlene and Irene started laughing at the last comment; Becky just mouthed an obscenity and stormed off towards the office
James limped over and inspected the car visually "Done anything to it I need to know about?" he asked
"Not really, it's the same under the bonnet as you built it" Arlene replied
He looked inside the car, and then commented "What…no furry dice?"
Arlene glared at him
"No, no furry dice. I'm not that sad"
James just started chuckling
He stopped after a few seconds, and then signalled to Kim and Ron to help him
Kim came out and opened the driver's door to get in, then started it up
The little car's massively over tuned engine started burbling away, and then she slipped it into gear and moved it inside the garage
She placed it onto the ramp, and Ron positioned the supports under the chassis
Kim switched it off and got out, but left the handbrake off so it could be pushed around
Ron raised the ramp and the car ascended skywards, James limped back into the garage and looked at the underside with his inspection lamp
Rally and Arlene followed him in, but stood away from the car on the ramp
"Still looks as good as when I finished it…" he went, inspecting the renewed floor pan and galvanised chassis that was put on the car, then swung the lamp over the custom made stainless steel exhaust system to check for holes or damage
Arlene smiled "Of course it is. I look after my car"
"For the duration of this race, it's the team's car…" called Becky, walking from the office with the rule books "we need a minimum of 2 drivers though"
"I'm one…" went Rally "and Arlene's the other"
Arlene looked over at her sister with surprise
"You WANT me to drive with you?" she asked
"'Course I do, you're a good driver, and my sister too"
The two girls hugged
"So…what name do I put down on the entry form?" asked Becky
"Team Vincent" went Rally, smiling
The car descended from the heights of the roof on the ramp, passing the inspection by James with ease
"This thing was designed as a street racer from the start, so it'll pass any race inspection" he went
"Good…" Rally started "it has to, to qualify for the race"
"I just hope this guy John comes through for us with his info he promised…" goes Becky
"John?" asks Arlene "Who's John?"
"Rah, no-one important…" starts Rally, blushing
Arlene notices the change in colour of her sister's face
"Riiiiiiiiight" she replies sarcastically "I take it you met someone then?"
"He's a…a bounty hunter too, from California. He's here tracking someone in this race too and suggested we team up to catch them," Rally answered in a low voice
"…And he's also a good looking guy who you happen to fancy, right?" Arlene raised an eyebrow as she said that
"He's not too bad looking…" Rally went quietly
"I KNEW IT! He IS good looking"
"So what if he is? He's a business partner…" went Rally
"…For now, at least…" mumbled Arlene, who was fiddling with the alloy wheels
Rally opened her mouth to retaliate, but words failed her and she was silent
Becky looked over at the two girls, smiled and shook her head "Anyways, he'd better be on the level with his info or I'll have to start digging…"
"Did someone put my reliability into question?" goes a man's voice from the doorway
Everyone turned towards the stranger standing in the garage door
"JOHN!" went Rally "How long have you been standing there?"
The man smiled "Long enough…" he went, and then winked at Rally
Rally blushed wildly and turned away from him, Arlene stared at the stranger
The man named John walked into the garage, and looked back at Arlene
"You never told me you had a twin sister, Ms Rally. The resemblance is amazing. And you are…?"
"Arlene Vincent…and these are our friends who are helping us to get in this race.
That is James Bateman, Kim Castle and Ron Manning" she went, introducing the others
"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I'm John Bolton" he replied
"Is that yours out there?" went James, looking past him towards the motorcar sitting outside the garage doors
"Why yes it is. It's a…"
James butted in "a 1998 Maserati 3200 GT, with a 3.2 litre twin turbo DOHC 32v V8 engine, producing 365bhp 6250rpm. It has a zero to 60 times of 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 174mph"
John looked surprised at the information spouted off by this mechanic
"You know of this car?" he asked
"Yeah, I know of it. There are only a handful of those cars in the states. They are like hens teeth. But that's not original standard, is it?"
John was in even more of a shock now, as no one had ever spotted the car was not original before
"It's a custom build…" he went "fully modified from the ground up, with modifications to improve handling and performance, and a full leather and wood trimmed interior"
A cough came from Becky
"Boys…when you've quite finished please…I need that information"
The two men turned to face Becky, and John smiled
"Sorry Rebecca, I'll get it for you now" he went, then headed back to the car
"What was that all about?" asked Rally "and what's a Maserati?"
"Sorry, Rally. Boys' talk. And THAT'S a Maserati…" went James, signalling towards the car outside
Rally looked towards the car and smiled
Arlene smirked, then started working on her CRX again
John came back with a manila folder under his arm, which he gave to Becky, who promptly opened it and started flicking through the information
"O.K. then, we are looking out for a few people, and John also has photos of the cars they'll be using…HOW DID YOU GET THESE?" Becky went with shock in her voice
He smiled, and replied, "Because I can"
Becky looked shocked at the information in front of her; even she couldn't believe the level of detail available
John looked over at Rally and her sister Arlene, and began to think to himself
'I can tell Rally likes me with the way she blushes'
He walked up to Rally and said, "how about if I buy us some dinner later on? We can talk and discuss how we are going to accomplish our goal then in a more relaxed environment"
She looked at him and his soft brown eyes, and smiled broadly "I'd like that, yes. But I can't go out dressed like this"
He eyed her outfit up; a pair of ankle boots, a pair of tight leather trousers, a white t-shirt top with her gun holster and CZ-75, covered by her 'gunsmith cats' reinforced leather jacket.
"If you insist…but I don't mind how you go to dinner. That is perfectly acceptable for an informal meal"
She flicked her hair back off her face with her right hand "I want to get changed first. I wouldn't look right with you dressed like that. Can you give me a lift home then so I can dress up?"
"Of course I can. Your chariot awaits ma'am" he replied, beckoning her towards the Maserati
Rally called to the girls "Arlene, will you take Becky home later on please? Myself and John have a few things to discuss…"
"Sure thing sis, have a good time…" Arlene replied
John opened the passenger door on the Maserati and held it for Rally to get in, who sunk into the leather-upholstered seat upon entry with a sigh
He closed the door and went round to the driver's side, and got in himself
"I take it you like it then?" he went, closing the door. Rally nodded. "You'll love this then…" he replied, and started up the Italian sports car with a flick of the key
The Maserati started with a muffled roar, the only indicator the engine was on was the rev counter gently ticking at 800rpm
John slipped the car into 1st gear and gently pulled off from the garage, heading towards Rally's house in the suburbs of Chicago
Chapter 7Love is in the air?
It took around 20 minutes for the Maserati to cover the distance between the garage and the house, and all the way home Rally had a small smile on her face
The Maserati pulled up next to Rally's cobra on the driveway of her house, and the occupants got out and walked towards the front door
"Do you want me to wait outside for you while you change? I don't mind if you require some privacy Rally" John said, holding her hand softly
Rally blushed a little bit "Don't be silly. Come in. wait in the lounge if you like, I'm going to be at least 30 minutes. I need to wash my hair first"
Rally opened the front door, and the two went in
Rally headed for the stairs, John went into the living room he had been in earlier and sat down on the sofa
Once upstairs, Rally hurriedly got undressed and showered, then ran to her room and started to pull her entire wardrobe out in a panic, trying to find something to wear
"No… No… No… Maybe… No… Possibly… No… YES!" she went, finding a sleeveless one-piece black oriental style knee length silk dress with gold pattern bought by May and Ken as a present to Rally a few Christmases ago
"Well, May did say to wear it for a special occasion…I think this classes as one" she said to herself, holding it against herself in front of her full length mirror
She slipped the dress on over fresh underwear, fastened the right hand side gold buttons and stood in front of the mirror admiring the dress, then fixed her hair into a more appropriate style
"Perfect…" she went, putting on a pair of small black heels and grabbing the small clutch bag that came with the dress from the cupboard, but slipped a .38 into the bag…just in case
Downstairs, john was looking at the awards, the pictures and trophies over the room, and the collection of vintage firearms adorning the wall above the fireplace
"I'm ready" called Rally from the top of the stairs
John went out into the hallway, and his eyes went wide with surprise
"Wow…you look dynamite, if you don't mind me saying so ,Ms rally" he went, looking at her come down the stairs
Rally smiled and went "thanks…shall we go?"
John opened the front door of the house as Rally grabbed a coat from the coat stand by the door, then the two went out to the car as the house door closed behind them
Again, John opened the door for rally, and helped her in, then closed the door and walked around to the driver's side and got in himself
"What's your recommendation here in Chicago, my lady?" he asked
"How about going to the Drake hotel restaurant and dining room on the magnificent mile?" she replied, "If you can afford it that is"
John laughed at the comment made by Rally "If I can afford it…I think I can stretch to that," he replied
The Maserati started up with a muffled roar, and the car was slipped smoothly into gear and moved off
The car moved smoothly and swiftly through the streets of Chicago, hardly making a noise despite the mighty power plant beating beneath the bonnet
Rally again looked around the interior of the car in awe
'How could a bounty hunter afford such a car?' she thought, thinking about the man driving her to dinner
John noticed Rally looking his car over and asked "I bet you're wondering how I got such a car, right?"
She turned her head towards him and looked at him
"I was wondering that much…is there a story behind it?" she asked inquiringly
"There is a story behind it. It was a gift from a rich celebrity for helping them to secure their release from jail and prove their innocence a few years back. My detective skills have paid dividends for me on many occasions. Although I must admit, I hardly ever drive this car…it's too conspicuous for my taste. It draws attention to whoever's driving it, but it beats the hell outta my clapped out 1976 Cadillac Coupe De Ville convertible!"
Rally laughed at the last statement made, and then John joined in
"You're a funny guy John" she commented, and smiled at him
"And you have a dazzling smile, Rally"
Rally smiled at him again, and then turned to face the front again
"What's your real name, Rally?" he asked her after a few moments
"Irene…" she replied softly "I use the name Rally for my bounty hunting. You'd be surprised how many people are shocked at the fact that I'm a female bounty hunter, and would never cooperate with a woman. So I created the name of Rally and have gotten one hell of a reputation of being one of the best bounty hunters in the state, but it still shocks many criminals when I come busting through their door"
"I see…" he goes, but then adds "so I assume you are in a similar situation to myself then, always working, no time for romance, passion or love"
"I'm always working, yeah. But I'm not looking for anyone…" she replies
"…In case they get hurt by your job, is that it?" John finishes off her sentence
She nods her head slowly
"Same thing here…"
Rally looks up and says "We're here john, pull in there to the front door"
John pulls the Maserati up to the front doors, and a valet approaches the car and opens the drivers' door, while the doorman opens Rally's door for her
The car's occupants got out, and the valet gave John a tag for reclaiming his car later on, and then drove the car off to the underground car park
They entered the grand lobby of the hotel, and were escorted through to the Oak Terrace dining room
The maitre' de was looking over his guest list in front of him, and went "Name?"
John replied, "Bolton…but I don't think I'm on the list"
The maitre' de looked up, and went "I'm sorry sir, we're full"
John walked up to the maitre' de and whispered something into his ear, and slipped a $20 bill into his pocket
The maitre' de looked back over his list and smiled at the two of them "It seems I overlooked the table for 2 by the window" then clicked his fingers and a waiter escorted them to the table
The waiter pulled the chair out for Rally, and took her coat, then pushed her gently in while John sat himself down on the other chair
"I'll bring you a menu now, would you like to see the wine list as well?" the waiter enquired
"Please…and thank you" John replied
The waiter walked off taking Rally's coat with him, and disappeared into the cloakroom before reappearing and grabbing 2 menu's from the maitre' de's hand as he walked past and returned to their table to hand them out
John looked over the wine menu, while Rally looked the food over
"I will return in a few moments to take your order" the waiter excuses himself and leaves
Rally shook her head "I should never have asked you to bring me here john, the price's here are expensive"
"You think this is expensive?" went John "I live in L.A, this is cheap compared to some restaurants in L.A"
The waiter returned and took their order, and went to select the wine John had asked for
"So…" John starts "I heard lots about 'Rally Vincent' before I arrived in Chicago, that she's beautiful, bold, and with a bullet-proof heart. I can see the first two are correct, is that third part right?"
Rally looked up at John
"Sort of, but the last part isn't exactly true…"
He raised an eyebrow "you have me intrigued now, Miss Vincent, please tell"
"It's mainly men who say I have a bullet-proof heart, as loads have asked me out on dates, and I have refused them point blank…" she goes, and looking into John's brown eyes
"Then why am I so different?" he asked
"Because…this is a business date. We're supposed to be working together on this case" she smiled smally, but her cheeks started to turn red again so she turned away
"Rah, business before pleasure…" John replied
Rally looked at him again
"Can I ask you something now?" she went
"Sure, go ahead"
"Is there anyone special in your life at all? I mean, surely you must have a girlfriend or something back home in L.A."
John was silent for a few moments
"You're going to call me sad when you hear this, but the only thing special in my life is my car"
"Really?" went Rally; a little shocked at that "I would have thought someone who looks like you would have been inundated with offers from girls"
"No, people living in Los Angeles are too vain and stuck up, you have to look good, have lots of money and be a movie star or someone famous to have the girls there. They all dream of being the next Mrs Celebrity rock or movie star wife or the woman who had an affair with X so they can sell their stories for money. Even the working class girl's dream of getting out of it and being rich" he went
The waiter returned with the wine in a cooler, and two wine glasses
"Shall I pour, sir?" he enquires
"Please do" is the reply from John
The waiter fills Rally's glass first, then fills the second glass
"Your order will be ready shortly, sir" the waiter says, and then leaves
John raised his glass and looked at Rally
"Here's to new acquaintances and a good partnership" he went
"Here here, to new acquaintances" She replied, then the glasses clinked together and they took a sip each
"AHH, a nice refreshing wine this, not too sweet or sharp" went John
"I wouldn't know, I'm not much of a drinker" went Rally, who then took another drink from the glass
Around 12 midnight, her partner for the evening was helping a tipsy Rally out of the restaurant and towards the doors and the car.
"AWWW, just one more glass…" she goes, looking a little worse for wear
"I think you've had quite enough for one night, Rally" went John, holding her up as the valet brought their car around front
The Maserati stopped in front of the hotel, and both the doorman and John helped Rally get into the car, and then closed the door on her
The doorman said goodnight and walked back into the hotel, and John started to walk around to the driver's side, when a man jumps out from behind a large bush and tries to knock him down to steal his wallet
The man swings John around and tried to get him over, but his size made it impossible to do, so the man pulled a small berretta out and pointed it at him
"JOHN!" screamed Rally from inside the car, as she fumbled around to get the .38 out of her clutch bag
Reacting with speed, John used the eagle head cane to hit the man on the hand hard, and he dropped the gun, and was about to try and pick it up again when he saw John standing over him with the cane
"Don't even think about it, pal" went John, who casually put his right foot on the gun's barrel, and then gently pulled the eagle head upwards to reveal a shiny, sharp sword blade hidden inside the cane
The man gulped, and then ran off along E. Lake Shore Drive
Rally got out of the car and was about to shoot bullets after the man when John stopped her
"Don't Rally…he's had enough of a scare as it is. Let's get you home"
The cane was pushed back together, and Rally climbed back inside the car as John made his way into the driver's side
"You alright?" Rally asked him as he got in the car
"Fine" was the reply "it would take more than a scumbag like that to scare me"
The Maserati was slipped into gear and drove off towards Rally's house #
30 minutes later, it pulled into the driveway of Rally's house, Rally had fallen asleep in the car, so John gently carried her into the house and took her to her room, took her shoes off and placed her on the bed
He looked down at the sleeping Rally, pulled a blanket over her and brushed a strand of hair off her face
"Goodnight, Irene Vincent" he went, and then gently kissed her forehead, before turning the light off and leaving her alone in the room
He was about to go downstairs when a noise from another room made him look behind as he closed the door
Arlene opened her room door; she had the T.V quietly on and was standing there in pyjamas and furry slippers
"Hey…" she says quietly "good evening?"
"I think your sister thought so" he went, then walked off down the hallway and then down the stairs to the living room, where he slept the night on the sofa
#I would never encourage anyone to drink and drive…just remember this is a fictional story, not real life
Chapter 8The Race begins
A fortnight had passed since the events of that evening, and preparations had been done in Ernest
Arlene's CRX had been fully inspected and passed by race officials and the racers had arrived in Chicago ready for the race, the car park and surrounding areas of Wrigley field being utilised to their fullest.
All over the field, cars, team trucks and people were running around like lunatics, preparing the various cars for the race, and not so much as an eyelid was batted when a small group of independents with two mismatched cars and a beat up tow truck made their way slowly to their designated pitch
"Here we are, this is our spot" James Bateman, the tow truck driver and chief mechanic of Team Vincent went, as he pulled the truck up
Kim went and lowered the CRX slowly down off the back of the truck's towing cradle, Ron began to unload the tools and James started to sort out the paperwork, as a Maserati pulled up alongside and its occupants also got out
Becky and John got out first, followed by Rally and Arlene Vincent, both of them dressed in race suits and shoes
"So, this is what it's like to be a race car driver" Arlene went, looking around as she said so, then walked over to Kim to help unload the CRX
Rally popped a radio earpiece into her right ear, and went "Can you hear me May?"
"Loud and clear Rally" went May, who was sitting in her fiat with Ken, about ½ a block from the field with a pair of field binoculars and the radio link to their friends
"I'll go set-up a recon…" John whispered into Rally's ear, and then started to wander off into the midst of the hustle and bustle
Becky adjusted her glasses, and then walked over to James to help him with the paperwork
The radio earpiece crackles into life, May called out to Rally
"I spotted the first suspect approaching the field in his car, its Carl Mendez and he's driving a modified black '96 Chevy Impala Low rider…"
"Thanks May…" Rally replied quietly into her lapel mike
John called Rally on his radio
"I see him…and he's carrying the illegal arms in the floor of the car"
"How can you be so sure, John?" Rally asked
"Because that's his style, it's easy to put a false floor on a car" was the reply
The radio came back on again
"Suspect no.2 is driving a 2000 BMW M3 Coupe, here's Joe Joseph" went May, acting silly and sounding like a cheesy game show voice
"Funny May, just tell us who you see, not announce them like…like that" Rally sounded a little angry
"K. O.K, don't bite my head off Ral. Wait…another one is approaching…it's an AC Cobra…I can see…it's Richard Rafferty! What's that two-bit wannabe driver doing here?" May exclaimed in shock
"Rafferty! What the hell?" went Rally back
A white AC Cobra made it's way through the crowds, with its driver looking around him, a large sticker on each door showing it's designated racing number
John's voice comes over the mike
"That's the person I'm after, driving that white AC, he's the one I've been trailing from L.A. Rally, hide the Maserati for me please, he may have seen it"
Rally went over to the Maserati and started the Italian super car up and moved it to behind the tow truck out of sight
As Rally parked the car up, through the crowds of people she thought she saw something she recognised. She got out of the Maserati and walked in the direction of the familiar item
The people were surrounding, everywhere you looked there were people walking, working or chatting, so Rally had to fight her way through, 'til she came across what was a familiar looking car to her
A bright orange with black bonnet 1968 Ford Mustang Mach 1, but with out-of-state licence plates and tags on it. Rally looked and leant inside the car to make sure, when a voice from behind startles her
"Can I help you?" goes the voice
Rally yelps and tries to turn around to see who spoke to her, but knocks herself on the roof of the car on her way out
"OWWWW! WATCH IT YOU LUG!" she retaliated to the person who startled her, but turned to face a man who was a mountain, she stopped and stared at the man, who had a goatee beard and dread locked hair coming down to his broad shoulders, and a pair of dark sunglasses covering his eyes
"Bean? Is that you?" she asked, as she rubbed the back of her head
Bean grabbed her and clasped his hand over her mouth
"SHHH! I'm not here…and for the duration of this…I'm Brian Brown…GOT IT?" he went menacingly
Rally just nodded her head in response, so Bean let his hand off her mouth
"What are you doing here anyway? You're not running anything for anyone, are you?" she asked him
"NO…" he replied, "I'm just here to race, that's all. I haven't had a job for a while, so I'm killing time…only I can't enter this as myself, if you know what I mean…too many people know me, and you nearly blew it all in a second"
Rally just went "Sorry Bea…err, I mean Brian"
Rally looked again at the car
"Is that the same Mustang that got smashed up badly a few months ago?" she enquired "that was pretty badly beaten up after that jump over the river"#
"Yeah, it's the same car. I just spent a small fortune restoring it again and adding to it. I'm glad it got trashed; I got it set up better than before now" Bean smiled, and patted the bonnet of the mach 1 gently
"You done a good job there…Brian" she replied, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice over his choice of name
"HEY…I don't get picky about your choice, do I…Rally" Bean replied
Rally humphed, and then turned around and started to walk back to her friends, but she stopped to say something
"Take care of yourself out there, O.K?"
"You too, babe, you too"
Rally walked back to the group, fighting her way over to the tow truck, when an announcement was made over the park's P.A system
"Would all drivers and teams please report to the main marquee for briefing? Thank you"
"Well, that's our cue…" went James as Rally approached, Arlene patted her sister on her back "Let's go, sis"
The racers entered the main marquee tent and stood around. In front of them were a stage and a podium, to which a middle-aged man stood up and went behind and began to address the crowd
"Good afternoon to you all. My name's Jack Dawes, and I'm the race Marshall. By now you will have all received your copies of the race route as well as your time cards and race procedures book. This race will take place on public roads, which the Chicago police department have kindly closed off to the general public. But that does NOT mean you can drive recklessly along them, as there will no doubt be spectators at various stages looking to catch a glimpse of your cars. This is an open event, meaning any type of car goes, as long as it complies with our safety rules and regulations. You have one hour to prepare your vehicles for the race, we start at 12 o'clock sharp. All cars will leave exactly one minute apart after the car before them has left, therefore no. 2 will leave at 12.01, no.3 at 12.02, and so on. This is a timed race, so it is the fastest time that wins, not the fastest car. Remember that this is a race on public highways, so I don't want any casualties out there, and above all, enjoy yourselves. Thank you all"
The group started to talk amongst themselves and all headed for the main exit, while one small group stood together and started to devise a plan
John started to relay his plan "Right, James…you and Kim go and prep the car for the race…Ron…you join up with the rest of us in trying to place these on the target cars without being rumbled…" John opened up his right hand and showed the group some micro trackers "use any excuse to get close and inspect the car to place it on there, I don't care how you do it, just do it…we need to know where they are going to go to do this deal"
The others just nodded, took a few trackers each and split up in amongst the crowds
Around 45 minutes later, and a few worried looks from James and Kim as time was going on, the rest of the group came back to their pitch
"Mine's done…" went John
"Me too" went Arlene
Rally appeared, then nodded that hers were done
Ron walked up to the group "All done"
Becky waltzed back to them "I am not being paid enough to get hit on by these sleazy guys"
Rally looked at Becky with a funny expression on her face
"WHAT?" she retaliates
"Nothing…" goes Rally, but starts to think of all the times Becky and May had set her up on blind dates
The field suddenly vibrates as a few of the cars get fired up simultaneously, and the P.A system crackles into life
"Would all cars and drivers please report to the start line…all cars and drivers to the start line please…all the support crews please get ready"
"That's our cue…" went Rally, and she walked over to the CRX and started to get in
"HEY…down girl, that's my car" went Arlene
Rally looked at her from inside the car "Can you work the tracker locator and drive?"
Arlene looked at her sister "No…"
"…Then I'm driving"
"Fine…I got shotgun then" went Arlene, as she climbed into the passenger side and pulled her safety helmet on
John walked up to the drivers' window of the CRX "We'll be following you in the pick-up. James has a tracker locator installed on that thing as well. Take care out there" he then leant in and gave Rally a kiss "Good luck"
"Thanks" she replied, then pulled her helmet on and secured it
# for an insight into this, read my previous Gunsmith Cats stories
Chapter 9"Drivers…start your engines"
The cars lined up on the starting line, according to their designated numbers.
Arlene's CRX had been given the number 27, so their starting time was 12.26
The race Marshall shouted into a portable megaphone
"Drivers…start your engines"
The noise was deafening as nearly 150 cars started up at the same time, some giving their engines some revs to impress the spectators watching
The suspects' were all starting early on. The first one to go was Rafferty, with the no. 12; the second suspect went at no.15 and the third at no.23
Rally and Arlene were ready to go; they had two minutes 'til their start time
Arlene was checking the engine management system using a laptop that was plugged in and installed by James a week ago
"ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO SIS!" Arlene had to shout over the engine noise and the helmets muffling effects, reading off the engine temp, the revs and the oil temp and pressure, as well as the supercharger inlet manifold intake pressure, before minimizing that screen and bringing up the tracker program
"GOOD…LET'S SEE WHAT THIS THING CAN REALLY DO THEN" Rally shouted back her reply
Rally looked at her dials on the drivers' side; they all read the same as the EMS program did on the laptop
An official called their car forward, and Rally moved slowly towards him, then stopped as he gestured them to do so
Rally and Arlene looked at each other, then nodded and turned back to face the road
Arlene tapped Rally on the shoulder, as the laptop computer they had on board with the GPS module and tracking software also installed was showing where the 3 targets were going. They had deviated from the race route and were heading towards the outskirts of Chicago
The official tapped the front windscreen with his clipboard, Rally looked at the official "10 Seconds" he went
Rally gripped the steering wheel tighter and went 'let's do this' to herself
The official stuck his hand out with 5, then 4, 3, 2, 1…GO!
Rally floored the CRX, the car lurched forward in first gear, shooting flames out from the twin 4" exhaust pipes, wheels spinning wildly and sending white smoke everywhere as it shot off from a standing start
Second gear, and the CRX was flying along, third, then fourth, then top gear and the car was doing 110 easy, with more power and speed available if wanted
"WHOOO-HOOO!" screamed Rally, as she was enjoying driving the car at these speeds along public roads and not worrying about being stopped for speeding
Back at the field, James, Kim, Ron and John were all in the king cab of James' old Ford pick-up; Becky was driving John's Maserati back to her house for safety
John was looking at his laptop with the same software and GPS module, and was also tracking the suspects, as well as Rally and Arlene's position in the race
He looked up from the laptop and went "come on then…let's get this crate moving and catch up to them…if it can"
James turned around and looked at John with raised eyebrows "Crate? Catch them if it can?" he went, then turned the engine over with the ignition key
The monster modified 440 cubic inch supercharged Ford V8 started up with a roar from the custom-made exhaust system
"You just hold on to your arse back there, and try not to make a mess"
The truck was put into D, and James floored the gas pedal, making the twin-wheel axle spin the wheels, as the tow truck's rear end bounced a few times under the power and moved off quickly and started off along the road opposite the course until they could join it later
"TURN LEFT HERE, RALLY" Arlene shouted to be heard, and pointed with her left hand's index finger to make sure Rally knew what she was on about
Rally hit the brake pedal and double de-clutched the car to slow it down quickly. Then turned left off the course to follow the route taken by their suspects
Up ahead of them, an AC Cobra, a Chevy Impala and a BMW M3 were pulling up to an old building with an underground garage, the Cobra's driver honked the horn and the roller shutter door started to go up
The 3 cars pulled into the garages lot and parked up in front of a group of other cars, a big Mercedes-Benz, a Lincoln limo, and a Rolls-Royce
The drivers got out of their cars, and so did a few armed men from the Merc, followed by their boss. The driver got out from the limo and walked around to open the back door for its passenger, who got out with a young woman and a bodyguard. The Rolls Royce driver got out also and did the same for his passenger, a stockily built gentleman in a business suit
The stockily built man acknowledged his counterparts with a graceful nod of his head, and then turned to look at the drivers of the three sports cars
"Gentlemen…" he went, looking at the group "I trust that you have our 'merchandise'"
"Yeah…I got mine. It's in the trunk in the fake fuel tank. You got my $100,000?" Rafferty went, pulling off his helmet and chewing on a stick of gum
Joe took his racing helmet off and shook his head to make his long blond hair fall back to shape "As always…I deliver, but with more style than these others. My boss sends his thanks for the prompt payment for the last shipment of his merchandise, and hopes that this will be as quick a seller and of equal quality and saleability to yourselves"
The last driver, Carl Mendez, removed his helmet and looked at the group
"I got your new weapons hidden in the floor of my car; I hope you bought the appropriate tools to retrieve them?"
The stocky gentleman nodded "I have all the necessary equipment here…" he went, and then clapped his hands twice and a dark blue Dodge delivery truck reversed into the light. The rear doors swung open and 4 mechanics got out, dressed ready to work, with every tool they could need at hand in the back of the van
"I trust this will not take long…I have a business meeting to attend at 3" he went, and looked down at his expensive Rolex watch
The CRX rolled up quietly outside the old building; Rally and Arlene both removed their helmets and looked at the building in front of them.
"The signals coming from inside that building, sis" Arlene went, and turned the laptop around to show Rally
Rally looked at the map on the screen, and the three blips flashing on-screen
"Yup…I'd better place a call to an old friend of mine to send some backup" she went, then pulled out her cell phone out from inside her suit's top pocket and hit speed dial 4
Around 5 minutes from their current location, a dozing Detective Roy Coleman was rudely awakened by a tickling sensation in his jacket pocket. He went in and pulled out his cell phone and looked at the number display "Rally…" he went, and then pressed the answer button
"Hey Roy…how ya doing?" she went
"Is this a social call, as I am on duty for this stupid road race…" he went
"No it's not Roy…how would you like to be the officer credited in busting the biggest shipment of drugs and illegal firearms this town has ever seen?" she asked
Roy listened intently "How big…and is it a reliable source this info came from?"
"Big…and yes, because me and my sister are outside the location where the deal's going down"
Roy looked at his watch "I can get a small squad together in around 30 minutes…"
"And they'll be gone by then Roy. Trust me on that" Rally butted in
"Give me your location" he replied
"Outside an old house with underground parking on 56th and Elsmere, in the old district. We're in my Sisters car"
"I'll be there in 5…" he went, and was about to hang up but was stopped by Rally shouting out "AND NO SIRENS"
Roy looked across at his new partner, Lieutenant Neil Cross, and went "Fancy doing some REAL police work?"
Chapter 10Busted!
A few moments after calling Roy, a dark blue Ford tow truck appeared around the corner up the road, and headed towards the parked CRX. James saw the CRX was parked up, so he knocked the truck to neutral and switched the engine off, and let the truck coast slowly up the road under its own momentum
The truck stopped and the occupants got out, and ran around to the CRX's drivers' side
John looked at Rally, "we all set to go?" he asked
"Not yet…I'm waiting for some backup to arrive," she replied
Just as she said that, an old blue Ford Sierra came around the corner up the road, with a rotating light on the dash. The car pulled up slowly behind the other two and the occupants got out
Rally and Arlene got out of their car, and the sierra's passengers walked over to greet the girls
"Back with that wreck again, Roy?" she asked as he approached
"The Crown Victoria's in for a service, so I got the old car again for the moment" he replied "Now where's this deal going down then?"
Rally pointed towards the building to their right with the roller shutter door "There" she went "there's no lookouts, as they figured everyone would be watching that race, including you guys"
"They got that much right, ¾ of the force are attending to this thing…" Roy went, then noticed what the two of them were wearing, and a CRX all done out in racing decals and a tow truck as well "What's all this then, fancy dress?"
"Funny Roy" Rally went, then unzipped the racing suit to get her gun out from her holster that she had put on under the suit, and revealed a little bit of Bra in the process. Realising what she did, she zipped her suit back up again after taking her gun out
Arlene did the same thing to get her Sig Sauer P228 out, but left her's open enough to show cleavage
"Prude" she went, looking at Rally
Roy looked at the others there "who are they?" he whispered in Rally's ear
She looked around at them "Damn! I forgot to introduce you. Roy, this is John, that's James, Kim and Ron. You already met my sister, Arlene"
Roy looked at her harshly "Yes, I have" he went icily
Arlene returned the harsh look "I remember you, Detective" she went
"Hey hey hey…cut it out you two" Rally cut in between them "let's get this thing done, and then you can sort your problems out"
The 2 girls, John, Detective Coleman and Lt Cross snuck over to the roller door, and the three men tried to lift it up, but it wouldn't budge
"Damn…it must be electric or locked" went John
Detective Coleman pulled out his cell phone and started to dial a number
"Who you calling, Roy?" Rally asked
"S.W.A.T." he replied "was goanna need their mobile battering ram to get in here"
Arlene tapped Roy on the shoulder "What?" he asked coldly
She just pointed towards the tow truck "Why not use that?" she asked
Roy stopped dialling for a minute and looked towards the truck "HMMM"
The tow truck was reversed towards the door slowly and the tow cable was lowered and then hooked on to the doors handle
"Can your truck do this?" asked Roy
"Piece of cake" James went, then gunned the engine
The door came flying off in one movement, and got dragged behind the truck away from the opening
Down in the garage, the noise of the door being ripped off its mountings alerted the criminals that company was there. The armed men scattered and took up defensive positions behind concrete pillars, the drivers tried to get back in their cars to escape, Rafferty was the first to get in his cobra, and started it and floored it in one movement, hand braking the car 180 degrees in a short space and gunning up the entrance ramp. Rally, Arlene, Roy, Neil and John had to pull as close to the wall as they could as he went flying past them
"HE'S MINE…" called John, as he started to run up the ramp and back out to grab a car
James had turned the truck around and was going to use it as a roadblock to stop them from escaping in their cars, but before he had a chance to position the truck, a white Cobra came flying out from the doorway and caught the edge of the front heavy duty bumper with winch with the corner of his car, damaging the front wing and smashing the headlamp, momentarily losing control of the car but regaining it and shooting off down the road
John ran out from the doorway and shouted "GET THAT TRUCK IN THE DOORWAY NOW, JAMES"
James nodded and finished putting the truck in the door, locking the airbrakes so that no car or person could get past it now
John ran over to the first car he could get to, the CRX, but the keys had been taken out of the ignition
"DAMN! BUGGER!" he shouted obscenities at the car, then turned and looked at the police Ford sitting behind
He ran over to the Ford, saw the keys in the ignition and got in, started the car and slammed it into gear
The car's wheels spun wildly and he turned the car around using the handbrake, chasing after the cobra
Inside the building, the 2 girls and 2 police officers were engaged in a fire fight with the henchmen, who were trying to give their bosses cover to escape. The Lincoln limo was the first car to attempt to get away, and went towards the ramp at speed, not knowing what was waiting for them
It went up the ramp, and smashed straight into the front of the tow trucks massive reinforced bumper with such impact that the front end collapsed, the bonnet flew open and smashed the windscreen and the radiator ruptured and collapsed into the engine block
The Mercedes was next up the ramp, Lt. Cross fired a few shots off as it went past his position, holing the bodywork, but not stopping it. The rear end of the limousine stopped it, as it ran headlong into the trunk, totalling the rear end of the limo and the front end of the Mercedes. Upon seeing this, the other drivers knew there was no way out through that exit
In the garage, Rally and Arlene were hiding behind pillars opposite each other. Arlene pulled her gun up to eye level in her left hand, then unzipped her race suit down to waist level with her right hand, and then fumbled around inside the suit, looking for something
"DAMNIT! WHERE IS IT?" she went, and then found what she was looking for, one of May's special tear gas smoke grenades, flat sided and high intensity, that she had stuck to herself using medical tape
She knelt down behind the pillar, put her gun on her lap, and started to check the grenade
Lt. Cross was on the pillar the other side, next to Arlene, and was staring at the woman, as she hadn't done her suit back up and was flashing her breasts and bra and a flat stomach
She looked over at the officer, smiled, then zipped her suit back up, but leaving enough cleavage exposed to tease
Roy called out "CHICAGO P.D. THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS AND SURRENDER PEACEFULLY"
The sound of gunshots being fired was Roy's answer
Arlene called out to the other three "WATCH YOURSELVES", and turned sideways on and threw the grenade into the midst of the other cars and pulled back behind the pillar, closing her eyes in expectance of the gas
Rally saw the grenade and recognised it immediately, and so ducked and also closed her eyes
The grenade exploded, and a fine white powder and gas suddenly started to fill the small confines of the garage, and all around coughing and wheezing could be heard. The 2 cops and bounty hunters made a dash for the door that led outside, and had to climb over the wreckage of the two cars, with their occupants trapped inside as there wasn't enough room to open the doors wide enough to get out
The gas filled the garage, and started creeping up the tunnel, the 4 of them clamoured over the front of the truck to get out as the gas started to come out of the entrance
James started up his tow truck and pulled it out from the doorway, dragging the crippled limo and Mercedes out with it, as its front end was mashed in onto the winch on the front bumper, and so was the Merc's front bumper engaged to the limo's rear
Rally, Arlene, Roy and Neil all got out, but not quick enough to avoid the total effect of the tear gas, and so their eyes were watering a bit
The remaining suspects and the drivers of the two remaining race cars started to emerge from the garage now the entrance was clear, but the group was waiting for them, guns ready
The gang boss and his woman from the limo got out and were ready to pull a piece out, but the sound of a shotgun being pumped made him think twice
"I WOULDN'T DO THAT IF I WERE YOU" went the voice of Kim, who had James' shotgun in her hands, pointing it at them from the left
"I do believe you have the right to remain silent" went Ron, who was pointing a Magnum P.45 at the men as they emerged from the garage
Roy looked around for his car, but couldn't see it, then he thought he saw it coming back down the road, but wasn't sure as his eyes were watering
Chapter 11
Roundup and round off15 minutes after calling for backup from the old sierra, the three gang lords were being put into a police van, along with their men and the two drivers of the race cars which had their 'merchandise' hidden in them
Roy came over to Rally, looked at her and said, "How did you find out about this lot anyway?"
"AWW, come on Roy…you think I'm goanna reveal MY source to you?" was Rally's reply, with a big cheesy grin on her face
Roy sighed "Well…it was worth a try. Nice work by the way"
"Thanks…you too" Rally went
"Stop by the station later for a statement?"
"Sure can"
Roy turned back and walked over to the officers on the scene, and started giving orders out on what he wanted done there
John was hanging around by James' tow truck, so Rally walked over to him to see if he was all right
"You O.K?" she asked
"I guess," he sounded down as he answered her
"Where'd you go to John?" asked Rally
"After Rafferty, but he got away from me, all because of that piece of junk…" he went, pointing the finger at the police car that Roy had
"Never mind…" she started "we got everyone else, and recovered a few hundred kilos of drugs and some illegal weapons from those cars"
"Yeah…small price to pay I suppose" he replied rather dejectedly
Arlene sauntered over to Rally and John
"S'cuse me, but there's still the small matter of this race to be finished, Rally…" she went "by the way…I'M DRIVING!"
Rally turned quickly around to see her sister sprinting for the CRX
"NO YOU'RE NOT…I AM!" she shouted and ran after her
Around 2 hours and 47 minutes after everyone else finished the race; Team Vincent's Honda CRX crossed the finish line, and stopped by the officials to have their time card punched
"You're around 2 ¾ hrs late" went the timekeeper, as he punched their time card through the clock
"Yeah…we got held up…or rather someone else did" Arlene replied sarcastically, and took back the time card
"Don't forget these…" he went, and passed her a silver envelope over
"THANKS" she replied, then sped off from the finish line and headed back to their house
Rally opened the envelope on the way home "Tickets to tonight's post-race party…for Team Vincent" she went, looking surprised
"Well sis…looks like we have to dust off our glad rags for tonight then, because we are going to PAR-TAY!" Arlene replied
That evening, a large group of people, all dressed up in suits and ball gowns, arrived at the sumptuous Chicago Grand Hotel and Ballroom
"May I say you look as dazzling tonight as you did the first night we went for a meal, Ms Vincent" went John, all dressed up in a black Tuxedo with red bow tie
"And you don't look bad in a tux either, Mr Bolton" replied Rally, who had on a shimmering ocean blue sequined dress with matching heels and handbag
"Can the chatter…LET'S PAR-TAY!" went Arlene from behind them, in a smart ladies emerald green dress and heels
"YEAH!" went Misty, all dressed up for a change in a low cut black dress and red heels
Becky followed them in, dressed up in one-piece dress and with different glasses on, with Ken and May, both of them dressed up smartly, followed by James, who had a walking stick tonight instead of his crutch, and Kim and Ron
The group walked in and were directed to the main ballroom, and shown to their table
The race Marshall, Jack Dawes, stood up on the podium in front of all the teams and drivers, minus a few empty tables for the ones arrested earlier on.
"Good evening folks…well, we made it!" he went
A round of applause went around the hall, and gradually died down as he spoke again
"I have here…in my hands, the list of all the winners and runners up for this year's prizes…" he went, then started to read out and call up the team's involved
He ran through the prizes and trophies, and the teams collected them as they were called
"…And finally…for the prize of the most entertaining start in this year's race…please congratulate…" the hall went silent "Team Vincent for their smoke and flames start…" the hall erupted into clapping, and a spotlight suddenly shone down on their table
They all looked at each other in shock, not knowing what to do, so John stood up, pulled Rally's chair out gently, helped her up and walked up to the stage with her to collect their trophy
"ERR…Thanks." Went Rally into the mike, not really knowing what to say, then left the podium to loud applause all the way back to their table
"Please…give yourselves a round of applause, as this race wouldn't happen without all of you, and enjoy the rest of this evening's entertainment" Jack Dawes finished off, then stood down and went to his table
Music started playing and the party started up properly, with some team members getting up and dancing, while others headed for the free bar laid on
The evening wore on to late in the night; Rally and John had danced, talked, drunk and flirted all evening, so the others left them to get on with it. Ken and May sneaked off and left the others partying, Arlene and Misty had fun flirting with each other and all the men around, before disappearing with two. James and Kim danced most of the evening, stopping occasionally for a drink. Ron and Becky got talking quietly, and the two of them left early to go back to Becky's house for some alone time.
Around 2 am, the last of the party guests had left, Rally and John were still there talking at their table, while hotel staff were starting to clean up around them
"I think we'd best move from here now…I think they want us out" he slurred
"Yeah…I {HIC} think so," replied a drunk, but very happy Rally
John helped Rally up to her feet, but she couldn't hold her balance properly in her heels, so she took them off and put them in her handbag
"Use me to balance Rally" he went
"OOOH…aren't you Mr smooth" she replied, and grabbed him tightly around the waist
The two of them walked out slowly into the main hotel lobby, and John gently guided Rally over to the reception
"Good evening…I have a reservation for Bolton…two rooms" he went to the clerk
"Yes sir, rooms 615 and 616" he went, then handed John the keys
Rally looked up at him "you planned this, {HIC} didn't you?"
"No, I planned ahead" he replied, and then turned her round to the elevators and the two of them went up to their rooms for the evening
Chapter 12More than friends?
Standing outside the rooms on the 6th floor, Rally and John were holding hands and looking at each other
"Night then John" she went, but didn't let go of his hands
"Goodnight Rally" he replied, but also didn't let go
They stood there like that for a minute
"John…" Rally starts "will it be o.k. If I stay with you tonight…"
John looks at her, and gently rubs her hands with his "If that's what you really want"
"It is what I want…I don't fancy being alone tonight"
"Come in then" he went softly, then let go of her right hand and opened the door to room 615
The two of them walked in to the room, and John closed the door gently behind them, but then opened it again to place the 'do not disturb' sign on the door handle, before closing and locking the door
The next morning, Rally and John emerged from the room and went downstairs for breakfast in the coffee bar. Rally hadn't put her shoes back on, and John didn't bother with his bow tie and had his top 2-shirt buttons open, but neither of them cared, they were happy
The two of them sat down over a breakfast of pancakes and coffee, and continued with their conversation
"I'm goanna miss you…going back to L.A." Rally went, putting down her coffee cup
"I'm going to miss you too, Rally" John replied, staring into her deep blue eyes
"Do you have to go back?" she asked
"Unfortunately, yes. My life is there, my work is there. Same as your life and your work is here" he went, then picked up a fork and ate a slice of pancake
"Will I ever see you again?" Rally asked hopefully
John smiled a soft smile "If you want to see me again…"
"Yes" she replied softly
"Then come and see me…anytime you like" he said, and pulled out his wallet,
"Here…take this" he went, and gave Rally a business card. She read it
John Bolton
Private Investigator and
Fully licensed Bail Recovery agent
She turned it over, and his numbers and address were on the back, for his shop and his mobile
"Hang on…" he went, then took it back off her and wrote his house number down on it, and passed it back to Rally
"Thanks John…" she went, then leant over and kissed him on the lips, but John gently took hold of her as she started to go back and kissed her again
"I hope I can see you again Rally" he went as he backed off slowly, looking at her
"Please…call me Irene"
"I really hope I can see you again…Irene"
The two of them finished off breakfast and walked out of the hotel with their arms around the others waist, and took a taxi back to Rally's house
Later that day, John was loading up his Maserati with his suitcase and personal items from the motel room he was staying in on the interstate. Rally was there with him, helping him to load the car.
The boot slammed shut on the Maserati
"Well, that's done" John commented
Rally walked over to him and placed her arms around his waist and looked up at him
"Do you REALLY have to go?" she pleaded, then sighed. He just nodded his head slowly
John looked at his watch at the time, and then looked at the evening. The sun was starting to set and the sky was a lovely orange colour
"I suppose it is a bit late to try and start driving back now" he went, and then smiled at Rally
"Come back to my place then for tonight…please" she went
"Yes…I'd like that…if you don't mind that is" John replied with a smile, then bent down and kissed her on the lips and embraced her
Rally's left leg rose up in the air with the kiss, and then lowered as they started to ease off
"Follow me then" she went, and then stole a quick kiss from him before letting go and starting to walk back to her Cobra Mustang
"Follow you?" John teased playfully "I think you mean follow me" he said, then jumped into his Maserati and fired the Italian beast up and revved it a few times
Rally climbed into her Cobra Mustang and fired the muscle car's enormous engine up, then revved it as well "NO, I MEAN…FOLLOW ME" she went then slammed the car into gear and went off quickly
"Playful tonight" he went to himself, then slipped the Maserati into gear and sped off after the Mustang, easily catching up to it in no time
John pushed the electric window button and the window descended
"HEY…" he called "WHY DON'T WE MAKE THIS INTERESTING, LOSER HAS TO DO WHAT THE OTHER WANTS FOR THE NIGHT"
"FAIR ENOUGH" called Rally, and she dropped two gears and sped off with a roar
John just laughed, and pressed a button on the centre console, and an LCD touch screen slid out from the centre and flipped up to show the engine management system controls. John adjusted the boost valves on the screen and then dropped a gear as well; the car dumped excess pressure from the twin turbo's and started to gain on the Cobra in no time, then passed Rally as if she was standing still
It took Rally a few minutes more to get home to her house. John was waiting outside leaning against his car. No one was home
"Now that's not fair…" she started to say as she got out of the car and walked towards him.
John pushed his finger against her lips gently and said, "Prepare for the night of your life"
Rally raised an eyebrow; John took his finger off her lips and gently kissed her
"Perhaps I should lose more often then" she went quietly, and the two of them entered the house together, shutting the front door tightly behind them.
The end?
Has Rally found someone to love? Gunsmith Cats will return again in a fanfic SOON!