It hadn't taken much to get away from the last car that had been chasing us. I was surprised with myself when I realized that I was kind of disappointed by the lack of final stand. As soon as we emerged from the canyon, coming out like a bullet being fired from a gun, I slowly let off the accelerator. It would take at least an hour to drive home because we had gone through the canyon which was the opposite direction of the ranch. Thankfully the ranch's land was so vast that we could soon be coming up on its back border and would be able to drive straight through the property since I knew the combination to the locked gates that kept trespassers out. A small dirt road led straight from the gates to the ranch house. The road was in enough disrepair that we would have to go rather slow. Of course anything under one hundred miles per hour would be considered slow after what we had just gone through. It worked out that we had to take this slower and longer route because it gave a chance for Antony and I to calm ourselves. And to talk about everything that had just happened.
"That," Antony stated in a flabbergasted tone, "was the single most incredible day. I mean that will outrank getting married and the day Antony Jr. and Antonia are born" I wanted to roll my eyes at the mention of Antony's plan on naming all of his kids after himself, even if they were girls.
"I just can't believe that we lived through that and that this car is in one piece…for the most part" I added with a grimace at the thought of the scraping sound of metal after we caught that air and then when the bullets made impact on the back of the car.
"Well, if Popi has anything to say about it, we won't be alive for much longer" Antony said. He wasn't as intimidated as much as he should have been but then again he didn't know how Popi had sent me out for him.
"Actually, I have nothing to worry about. If I remember right, Popi's exact words were 'Bring him home in one piece so that way I can tear him apart'. My guess is that he has the belt pulled out for you, ready and waiting" I said a little bit more smugly than I should have. Intimidation and plain fear spread over Antony. For a moment I wasn't sure if he was about to jump out of the car, wiling to face the mountain lions and rattlesnakes in the middle of the night rather than face Popi's old school discipline. Both of us were silent, deep in our own thoughts. I could still feel my heart pounding in my chest but slowly the adrenaline was seeping away.
"While Popi and you sort things out I'm going to be in the barn to try and clean the car up. Popi can't know what we exactly went through to bring you home. And he especially can't know about the cop. You know how he feels about cops. If he found out we were attacked, it would take enough tranquilizers to knock out an elephant to keep him from storming into the police station" Antony was oddly quiet as he listened to me and I could feel his jovial nature evaporate away. The radio station we had been listening to was now playing a soft rock sound, one that was a few hundred decibels lower than the music we had listened to while being chased. I didn't ever remember turning the volume down but I figured that Antony had done it when I was hadn't been looking. The length that Antony was quiet for was dragging out and I knew that the longer he was silent, the more I had to be concerned about. Finally he cleared his throat to speak, a very bad sign.
"That wasn't a cop car, Faith. At least not a real one" I glanced over to him with a questioning expression. "The car had the color scheme of an LAPD cruiser but you know that LAPD doesn't have a design for their cars that has the word 'Police' written out in big block silver letters on the doors. And it didn't say '…to protect and to serve' on the sides like most LAPD cruisers. This one had '…to punish and enslave' and that definitely doesn't belong on a police car. And then there's the fact that I've never seen LAPD modify a Saleen into a cruiser; normally they use normal sedans, not a custom hot rod. Not to mention that this isn't LAPD jurisdiction. I mean, we're not even in LA County so it didn't have any business being here let alone trying to arrest random people on the streets. That thing may look like a legit cruiser at first glance but it definitely isn't" I didn't even have to mention the obvious fact that a legit police man also wouldn't be helping a psychotic robot kill innocent citizens. Apparently Antony had been thinking the same thing because he asked me to lean forward so he could see my back. I obliged and then winced when I heard his sharp intake of breath and then an enraged growl.
"That tin can really did a number on you Faith" It took me a moment to remember that the adrenaline wouldn't be letting me feel the pain that Antony seemed to think would be coming. I leaned back against the seat and flinched as I felt a wet spot against the back of my shirt. I had been pressing so hard against the seat earlier that I hadn't felt the blood until I moved forward.
"Maybe we should tell Popi what happened. He's going to wonder how I got those" Antony didn't even wait for me to finish before he started shaking his head.
"There's no way he'd believe us. Would you if you were a sixty year old man watching two beat up teenagers who came in from the middle of the night with a damaged sports car saying, 'Oh yeah, we're late because I was first chased down first by a gang of underground racing drug traffickers and when Faith found me we were then attacked by a robot who apparently was tight with a fake cop cuz the cop promptly began chasing us down. Don't worry though cuz it randomly stopped chasing us when we got to the $100,000 car that Faith is taking care of for a random guy on the internet she met'? Should I go on trying to explain the bullets we got while going down the highway and Devil's Spine Canyon?" I shook my head, knowing that Antony was right no matter how much I didn't want him to be. We wouldn't be lying to Popi but my guilt was making me feel as if not telling him the details was just as horrible.
"Maybe that cruiser was something thought up by the gang. I mean, they have enough money to pull it off and it would be like them to put their own sick spin on it" Antony offered.
"Yeah but they don't have enough brains or technology to build and program that robot. Those goons know how to shoot, drive, and pull off drug deals and that's about it" With a sigh Antony nodded in agreement. We were silent as the coupe traveled effortlessly down the bumpy dirt road. I would have been surprised as to how smoothly the car traveled when even ATV's would have bounced more than a jack hammer but I really wasn't after experiencing all of the car's capabilities first hand. Speedemon really had some good taste for cars.
"There really isn't anything for us to do except perform one hell of a cover up to keep Popi in the dark" Antony said with a sigh. I knew that he wanted to get back at everyone who had tried to hurt us but in all reality he was right. There wasn't anything we could really do other than to keep a safe distance from any trouble.
"For now, let's stay far away from town. That way it'll be easy to avoid those trigger happy, drug induced morons. I think as long as we don't take Speedemon's cars out anymore, we won't stand out as much just in case we run into those thugs again. As for the cop and his robot that was created by the devil himself, well….I'm not sure. Maybe we can see anything about any police departments switching over to Saleens on the Internet but I think we already know that thing was a poser and not the real thing" I said with a heavy voice. I could feel the wounds on my back bring on some pain and I wasn't looking forward to see for myself how bad they really were.
"And Popi?" Antony was still wincing at the thought of having to stay away from the incredible cars he had fallen in love with.
"He can't know what happened. You're right that he wouldn't believe us and if he did believe us, then he'd just freak out and go out interrogating everyone. And knowing Popi, he'd probably use a rifle to get the info he wanted" Both Antony and I couldn't help but to give a small smile. Popi was calm, cool, and collected until he was provoked and then it was like he returned to the lawless days of the Old West where the Sheriff was whoever had the biggest gun. However my smile disappeared at the thought of basically lying to the man who had become my second-father. "To make sure he doesn't know, we won't talk about what happened in the house, stable, or anywhere else Popi might overhear us. If we need to talk about it we can go by the old oak with the swing. There's no way that Popi can sneak up on us there" Antony nodded his head. It was in the wide open so we would be easily able to switch topics if we saw Popi approaching.
"What about your back?" Antony asked in a low tone that caused me to slightly shiver. He was barely able to hold back his rage at the thought of how the robot had hurt me so badly.
"While Popi teaches you not to get into trouble I'll take care of the car and then I'll use the first aid kit in the stable to get cleaned up enough to get past Popi without him noticing anything. I'm pretty sure I have a shirt in the stable that I can change into. Then I'll meet you in your room and you can help me with the wounds I can't deal with on my own"
"What if he notices? Those cuts are pretty deep and you can't blame falling off the horses"
"By the time he notices, if he notices, I'll have thought up a good excuse for it by then" Antony nodded his head in agreement. Both of us lapsed into silence, consumed with our thoughts.
The lights were on in the house when we finally pulled up to the stable. I wished Antony good luck as he hauled himself from the car and approached the house. His hands were shoved deep into his jean pockets and his feet were dragging in the dirt. The screen door creaked open and Popi stood in the doorway silhouetted by the house lights. Antony was in for it real bad and I felt for my friend. Trying not to think about it, I focused my attention to the Benz. I parked it in front of the enormous doors that Popi had apparently closed after I had left. Every movement was like the knives were being driven into my back all over again and I couldn't help the tears of pain that formed in my eyes. Once the doors were opened just enough to fit the car through, I got back into the convertible and drove it to its spot next to the Pontiac. The engine's purr was soft and the car's movements were slow. There was an odd kind of silence when I turned the ignition off and got out. The horses were barely awake, rustling quietly in their stalls. All except for Taffy who softly nickered with concern at the sight of me. I couldn't help but to smile. She had an uncanny sense to know my moods. With a quick glance at the driver's seat my heart dropped. There were large blood stains from my back.
"Shit" I hissed in a whisper. Pain consuming my mind with every movement I made, I went over to the lounge to clean myself up and to at least stop any bleeding. There was no use to try and clean the car when I was bleeding all over the place.
The patch up on my back was rather pathetic but I was thankful that the bleeding had at least stopped. That and the super-strength pain killers really helped me out. I set to work cleaning the Mercedes-Benz in a bathing suit top that I had found in the lounge. I had to throw away my blood stained bra and shirt and I didn't want to get any blood on my fresh shirt in case the wounds opened up again as I was cleaning. It was a strange experience as I started wiping away the thick layer of dust on the silver hood. I felt as if I was not only being watched as I cleaned but I could almost put words to the heavy feeling of pity and concern that seemed to be directed at me. Soon I was waiting for a voice to say, 'Poor child' in a parent-like tone. There was also the extremely strong sense of anger but I tried to ignore it the best I could since it was unnerving me so much. I had had enough of anger that day and I didn't want to be anywhere near it in the peacefulness of my stable. To get away from the invading feelings I scrubbed the bloody seat with all that I was worth. I was at it for at least half an hour with no progress when my cell phone's tone went off from the lounge, indicating that I had a text message. I ignored it, not in the mood to deal with anyone. But the tone kept on persisting so eventually I threw down the cleaning supplies and walked over to the lounge as quickly as my wounds would allow. The horrible cell phone was on the couch, insistently singing the once cute tone. Looking at the screen I saw that it didn't show any number so I just turned the phone off without answering and threw it back onto the couch. I was at the Benz's hood when the phone starting going off again. I stopped dead in my tracks, listening intently to see if my ears were deceiving me. Spooked, I went back to scrubbing the seat while the phone went on singing its song. It stopped for a moment but then started right back up again. Annoyed, tired, and frustrated I threw down the towel and grimaced in pain at the sudden movement. I went back to the lounge and flipped my phone open.
Is everything ok? You haven't logged on for a while –Speedemon the screen read. I was even more spooked at how he was able to get my phone number and I wasn't sure if I should reply or not. I stared at my phone as if it would tell me what to do. Chewing on my lip I typed a quick reply.
Everything's cool. I just got a nose bleed in your Benz and I was nervous about telling you. At least now Speedemon wouldn't freak out if he saw some blood but there was a little bit too much blood to back up the lie. Then there was the fact that I was sure to find bullet holes in the back of the car once I got up the gumption to go back there and see for myself. Speedemon's reply came back so fast that I jumped when the tone went off.
Don't worry about it. If you can't get the stains out I know a way to get 'em out I read as I walked back to the car. I sighed at his words. This was one hell of a stain and it would take a lot to get it out.
Ok, thanx for being so cool about it. It was a weak response but it was all that I could think of. I stood in front of the Benz warily as I texted the owner.
No prob. But I was wondering if you and your friend can get away for a couple of hours tomorrow. I'm going to be in the area tomorrow and I'd like to finally see you face to face. I groaned aloud as I read the message. After my fun-filled day I wasn't exactly up to meet with a mystery guy, especially with my back in the condition it was in and not to mention the extremely unnerving fact that he was able to get my cell phone number. I leaned against the Benz's hood as I thought over how I would let Speedemon down. Just as I was about to reply, my cell phone's tone went off. A text message from Speedemon popped up.
Please come, its extremely important. There's something about my cars that you really need to know about. I cast a furtive glance over the row of cars; the lumbering semi, the intimidating truck, the authoritative Search & Rescue ambulance, the smooth sports car, and then lastly the quick convertible I was leaning against. There was no point in denying that I knew something was strange with the cars, it was something that I had noticed the first day I had found them in the stable and it was frighteningly obvious that night I spent in the stable. Knowing one day that my curiosity would get the best of me and figuring that it might as well be the next, I replied that I would meet Speedemon at noon with me driving the Benz and Antony driving the Solstice. We agreed that we would meet up at the crossroads several miles from the ranch. It made me nervous that the old crossroads were literally out in the middle of nowhere but Speedemon reassured me that I would understand once I was there. The only thing that kept me from backing out was the reassurance that I could bring Antony and Kobe. After everything that had just happened, I was sure that a millionaire's son wouldn't be able to do any real harm. Especially since I knew that Antony would be itching for a fight with the guy and Kobe would attack the moment he felt that I was being threatened.
I didn't even bother turning off my cell phone since apparently it had a mind of its own. Not really thinking where I was going, I went back to the Benz's driver's seat so I could continue my pained onslaught against the stains. To my absolute amazement, the leather interior was spotless, without a single drop of blood. I looked at the cleaning solution I held in my hand, searching to see if it mentioned a delay in the effects. It didn't say anything and I was too tired to think about it even more. In a way I was grateful because I could then start the long process of rubbing all of the dust off. I had to make sure that the coupe was in perfect condition for when I met Speedemon tomorrow. Listening to the car radio as I cleaned I let my mind go blank. It was bizarre though because it felt as if the car was leaning into me as I ran the rag over its sleek metal. I knew I was overtired and in pain so I gave credit to the painkillers for the bizarre idea that the car was enjoying the attention like Kobe would when I scratched him. I couldn't help but to notice though that I was having to think up excuses for a lot of strange happenings lately. Finally after much apprehension and procrastination I came to the rear of the car. My jaw dropped at the perfect and undamaged rear bumper. I was absolutely positive that the car had been shot but there weren't even dents as proof that it had really happened. Suddenly remembering how the front bumper had been scraped up after our little jump I went to the front. It was in perfect condition. I shook my head in absolute confusion as I stepped back from the car. Speedemon wasn't kidding when he said it was important that he needed to tell me something about his cars because there was no way that the things were normal. At that moment, I knew that I had to ask Speedemon to take these cars back.
Author's Note: Once again, I thank everyone who's been reviewing or just reading. I know that in the movie, that the whole thing was Mission City but I live in SoCal and I could pick out the building my mom works in when I was watching the movie so in my mind, it all happened in LA. Which is why I went with Barricade being disguised as LAPD.