Lightning, too, began to miss Sally the moment Mack started moving, taking him away from her. His trailer now felt big to him, and all too empty. He could have turned on his plasma TV or his stereo, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to forget what being beside her was like.
"You okay back there, kid?" Doc called to Lightning through the curtain. "You're awful quiet back there . . . no music or anything. Wanna talk?"
"No, but thanks Doc. I'll be fine," Lightning replied as he just watched the miles start to roll by outside his windows.
— — — — —
A while later his phone started ringing. At first, Lightning didn't feel like answering it, but then he decided to anyway as he hit the phone's answer button.
"Hello?" he said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
"Hey there . . . you're missing me already, aren't you?" his favorite voice in the world knowingly said via the phone. "Remember, missing us is my job. Yours is focusing on winning races, for both of us, okay?"
"Listen to her," Doc added from the other side of the curtain. "Sally, you gotta keep this guy motivated here. I can't do it quite the way you can!"
"Gotcha, Doc!" Sally replied through the phone. "Okay, champ, I'm going to lay it on you straight. You love me, you show me by seeing me on the other side of the start line, and then out in front of the pack, and then by seeing me around at the rear of the pack, and then on the other side of the pack again. You keep stretching yourself towards me every single lap okay? You see me across the finish line, and you get your tail to me first, got it? I am there with you in the pits. I am there with you out on that track, every single lap. I want your best, your absolute best! You bring it home to me . . . every lap, every race, okay?"
"Okay," Lightning replied, brightening up somewhat.
"Didn't hear you! . . . Okay?" Sally repeated.
"Okay!" he said with growing enthusiasm.
"Still didn't hear you! Must have a bad connection . . . OKAY?" she repeated again.
"OKAY!" Lightning said loudly and enthusiastically this time.
"All right Stickers! I heard you that time!" Sally cheered. "I'm going to tape record this and send it to you express tonight. Better yet, I'll call you just before you exit the trailer to race tomorrow evening. Just have Doc let me know when you expect that to be, so I can call you at the right time. Together, we are going to have you psyched up and revvin' and rarin' to go, like you've never been before!"
"How are you doing this, Sal? Holding up so well?" Lightning asked with a degree of surprise. "You were crying when I left."
"Flo's been helping me," she replied. "We've had some good talks through the day here. She's helped me realize that just because you're gone, it doesn't mean our love is. She's helped me tune into not just my memories of us together, but into the warm feelings we came to share. I found those feelings are still here with me, keeping me warm until you can again. They're there with you, too. The most basic, important thing is that you and I are in love with each other. Closeness is nice, even important to get things started — but Flo has helped me realize here that you and I are at a point now where we can keep enjoying our love together, no matter where we're each at. I feel that now, and so while I want to be with you again just as soon as possible . . . and I already have some news on that, which I'll share in just a minute here . . . I'm now feeling sustained, even happy with our love, just as I am right now. I am actually feeling great, and I want you to feel great, too, okay? Just know that there is a link between us now — one that can't be broken by distance, or practically anything. I've never known that such a thing could be, or felt it before. But I do now!"
"Wow, Sal," Lightning said, still somewhat amazed, "whatever you're doing really seems to be working for you. I'm glad!"
"You're not quite buying into this yet, are you?" she asked in a warm way.
"Well, I don't know quite how to," he replied, feeling a little confused. "You just seem so different than you were when I left."
"Here, let's try something together," Sally encouraged over the phone. "Even though you're parked in 'my' spot in the trailer . . ."
They both laughed.
" . . . Close your eyes and pretend I'm right in front of you," she continued. "But don't try and see me, just try and feel me. Feel my presence, sense it. Tune into me, and into our love. Just allow yourself to feel me near you."
"I am feeling better," Lightning said with his eyes closed, smiling a bit. "But I don't feel I'm quite where you're at yet."
"How do you prepare for races in your mind, before you go out of the trailer?" she continued. "Do you feel the track running by underneath your tires? The air rushing past you? The presence of other cars you pass as you pull ahead of them? The smells of rubber, oil, and fuel all around? Do you feel the energy of the crowd as you excite them?"
"Yeah," he said, "I do, even more than usual right now."
"Okay," she said, "then feel me just glide in there right beside you. Do you sense that gentle spark? That surge of vague but good energy that you've felt when I am right next to you, especially when I've just done something you feel really good about — something that you admire about me, that just wows you? Just feel that . . ."
"Yeah," Lightning agreed with a smile, his eyes still closed.
"Feel that sensation? That energy?" she asked warmly. "That's our link. That's our love. And it's with each of us all the time now, no matter where we each are. Just think about and tune into that whenever you need a boost, okay? This is the edge you've asked for . . . the edge we now share, always."
"Wow, Sally," Lightning replied, " . . . I do feel you now, and our link and love. All of a sudden, I'm not missing you anymore. I feel you're right here with me, inside."
"That's because I am," she said warmly. "Always with you now, just as you're right here, always with me. Use it, okay? Use me . . . use us to take you farther and faster than you've ever gone before. Just soar!"
"Wow, Sally," Lightning began to marvel. "Could you thank Flo for me . . . for us?"
"I already have when I started to feel good from what she taught me," Sally responded. "She said a wise older friend once taught it to her, when she was missing Ramone while he was off in the military. She said it worked wonders for her, and I believe it now."
"Okay, now that you've got me feeling great right up there with you, what's your news?" Lightning asked.
"Oh yeah," Sally responded, seeming to lose some of her enthusiasm now. "Well, don't let yourself start feeling down here, but I called the Carburetor County Courthouse this afternoon, and the earliest court date I could get to hear any motions on my restraining order is three weeks away. For some reason, the courtrooms there are just booked solid."
"Darn, that's after the next three races," Lightning sighed. "I'll be back home by then, and it's way after the big Texas Oil Bowl race I was really hoping you'd join me for. There are no other options, huh?"
"Not in Carburetor County," she responded. "Don't worry, I'll keep brainstorming and searching for alternatives. Ooops, I'm getting customers here at the motel now. I've gotta run, but just remember our link, and rest up now for your next race during the trip here, okay?"
"You got it, Sal!" Lightning assured. "And you know, you're still incredible — even wowing me over the phone here!"
"That's what I'm here for, Stickers!" Sally warmly responded. "I love you . . . bye."
"I love you, too," Lightning responded, " . . . bye."
"Do you know how incredibly lucky you are?" Doc asked through the curtains, unable to help overhearing the whole conversation.
"Yeah, I think I do," Lightning responded with a happy sigh.
— — — — —
Before long, Lightning and the team had arrived at the New Mexico Speedway near Albuquerque, and Doc was already busy putting Lightning through practice laps.
"Kid, you're doing good," Doc said on the crew radio. "I haven't seen you keep up that kind of pace for the last couple races now. What Sally said to you earlier must be working!"
"Yeah," Lightning radioed back with a satisfied smile, "We've got our 'edge' going here between her and I now."
"Now, I want you to maintain that pace while pretending to weave through the pack some, back and forth across the track. Just watch how you approach the turns while doing that though."
Off in a far corner of the pits, a car was watching from the shadows, and on the phone.
"Yeah, he's here . . . running laps right now," the car said into the phone. "I hate to admit it, but he's looking good, better than he has recently. He could be a threat tomorrow . . . Maybe you're right — it might be worth a try sending a message back home to throw him off, maybe even encourage him to pull out. If he's now with whom I think he's with, my chances at a winning season here could be in trouble. Hey, someone's spotting me here. Gotta go. Send that message tonight."
— — — — —
"Welcome back race fans! Once again this is Bob Cutlass with my good friend Darrell Cartrip as always, covering a rare Wednesday night race under the lights here at the New Mexico Motor Speedway near Albuquerque, the Vitoline 200, which is taking place as a lead-up ahead of this weekend's big Texas Oil Bowl race."
"And Bob, this has been quite a race so far," Cartrip now picked up. "After a not so hot couple of races recently, Lightning McQueen has really turned things around this time. He broke out of the pack early, and has been maintaining a consistent lead. While his unusual but crack crew has given him an edge in the past, this time he almost looks like he's been chasing something out there, but darned if I know what it is!"
"And Darrell, the amazing thing is that McQueen's stellar performance here comes despite unfortunate news from his home town of Radiator Springs today that we just received word of," Cutlass smoothly transitioned. "Apparently a fire occurred at his fiancée Sally Carrera's vintage motel, the Cozy Cone. Two of the restored cones there burned to the ground in the early hours of this morning. Fortunately the occupants escaped, but it was the worst fire that town has apparently seen in some time. The Carburetor County Fire Marshal is investigating, and apparently arson is now suspected. But Lightning McQueen continues to race in these final laps as if he's completely unaware of it."
"You're doing great, kid!" Doc coached Lightning on the crew radio. "Just keep pushing a couple more laps and you're home free!"
"I hope Sally's seeing this!" Lightning radioed back enthusiastically as he raced at the head of the pack nearing another turn. "It's the best I've run in a while now. Her encouragement has been great! Any calls from her yet? She's been awfully quiet today. I had expected to talk to her before the race."
"Not now, kid! Focus!" Doc coached. "I told you she said she'd talk to you after the race. She was out of town for something today . . . You've got two cars gaining on you. Hicks looks like he really wants to chew your tail, so move, now! Push it hard, and drive it deep! . . . That's it! . . ."
"Okay, Bob," Darrell exclaimed with increasing enthusiasm, "here we go, the final turns. Hicks and Junior are gaining on McQueen. But wait, McQueen's surging ahead again! LOOK AT HIM GO! IT'S LIGHTNING MCQUEEN BY TWO, NO THREE CAR LENGTHS NOW AS HE APPROACHES THE CHECKERED FLAG! IT'S ALL OVER, WHAT AN IMPRESSIVE WIN FOR LIGHTNING MCQUEEN!"
"Doc," Lightning radioed almost out of breath amid the cheering crowds as he slowed now on the track, "I'm heading straight for the trailer here. I want to talk to Sally now . . . even before the trophy is presented."
"Okay, kid, you've earned it. We'll keep an eye out for the awards ceremony and let you know when it's time," Doc replied. "You might want to dodge the press by going around the back side of the pit buildings to get to the trailer. It's unfortunately over by your sponsor's tent again."
"No problem," Lightning replied on his radio.
Easing quietly off the track at the edge of Pit Row, he managed to slip behind a cordon of security cars and motor down the quiet back alley among the other trailers towards his sponsor's tent.
"McQueen," he then heard a voice echoing through the alley say amid the crowd's continued roar in the background. "Stop for a moment. Stay where you are."
"Who is this?" Lightning asked, unable to make out who was talking to him as he stopped.
"Just stay where you are. You're not going to see me. Just listen," the voice replied.
"What do you want?" Lightning questioned, now on his guard.
"I just want to give you a tip," the voice continued. "Drop your girlfriend. Drop Sally Carrera . . . she's bad news."
"No way!" Lightning angrily responded. "Not going to happen!"
"She could end up hurting you . . . hurting you bad," the voice warned.
"What part of 'no way' don't you understand?" Lightning emphasized.
"Believe me now, or find out later," the voice said ominously. "You're going to get hurt if you don't drop her . . . or she will. Your choice."
Lightning then zoomed down to the end of the alley and looked around the corner. But he saw nothing. No one was there, except pit crews some distance away starting to clean up after the race.
"Hey Lightning!" another voice said from close behind him.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Lightning yelled, scared out of his wits.
"Mack!" Lightning said out of breath as he turned around. "Don't do that to me!"
"Uhh, what's the matter?" Mack asked, surprised. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"Mack, I've got to get to the trailer and make some calls," Lightning decided.
"But you've got to make your personal appearance with your sponsor again. I backed up your trailer right to their stage," Mack noted.
"Then stall them! I'll call from the crew section . . . I don't care!" Lightning responded with determination. "Something's going to happen, either to Sally or at the Oil Bowl race coming up, and I've got to do something about it!"
Lightning then broke away from Mack and ducked into his team's crew trailer without anyone at the Rust-eze tent noticing, hurriedly dialing the speakerphone once he was inside. It rang and rang, with no one answering. Lightning began to grow frustrated. Then it strangely clicked, as if the call was being forwarded. The phone began ringing again.
"Fl-Flo's V-8 Café, and the Cozy Cone Motel . . ." a familiar voice finally answered, but in a strangely somber, almost frightened way.
"Sally! This is Lightning," he responded with relief. "How did I get Flo's phone dialing your number? But listen, I've just received an anonymous threat against one or both of us at the track here. I don't feel it's safe you being alone there anymore. I don't care what you have to drop, but get yourself to Texas and meet me at the Oil Bowl. I'd come back with Mack and get you myself, but we'd miss the race if we did. I'm prepared to do that though, if you want me to."
"Stickers, I've got my own news here," Sally said, unable to hide the fear and concern in her voice now. "First, please don't get mad at me or Doc for not telling you earlier. I made him promise not to tell you. I didn't want you being distracted before or during the race. It wouldn't have made any difference here."
"Tell me what?" Lightning asked with growing concern.
"Lightning, my love," Sally sniffed, unable to hide her tears now, " . . . we had a fire at the Cozy Cone last night. Two cones, Three and Four, burned to the ground. Red did a wonderful job all by himself fighting the fires, but he was unable to save them. Mater and I rescued the occupants ourselves just as Red arrived. Thank goodness no one was hurt. The County Fire Marshal came to investigate today, and he now believes it's arson. The motel has been closed as a crime scene for the time being, and Flo is having me stay with her and Ramone, while the Sheriff and the State Highway Patrol Investigations Unit are now watching over the motel."
"That's it, Sally. I'm coming home now," Lightning said with determination.
"No, Stickers, don't quit now," she responded. "Don't let whomever is doing this win. That's what this is all about, getting you to drop out. But I don't know how I can get to the track with you yet, without legally jeopardizing myself. The court date to clear this up is still weeks away."
"Sally, please . . ." he replied. "It's either you find a way to get yourself safely to Texas and be there with me on the track — or I'm dropping out of the Oil Bowl, no matter what it costs me, no matter how big and prestigious a race it is, and I'm coming home to protect you. I love you too much now to let anything else happen to you. Your call, Sal."
Sally paused on the other end of the phone. "Don't quit, Stickers . . ." she finally said. "I'll find a way to be there . . . somehow. I promise."
"How are you holding up, Sally?" Lightning gently asked her.
"Honestly? I'm scared, Lightning," Sally confessed, "as bad as I was when I felt I had to leave L.A. I wanted to call you today, but I knew what it would do to you, and what you would want to do. I just couldn't have held myself together if I did call you earlier. I couldn't hide things or lie to you . . . I just can't! So I let Flo help me here today. She's taken such good care of me. And Mater blames himself for not seeing the arsonists, as the cones were visible from his wrecking yard. You'll have to reassure him that he did the best he could."
"Have him come with you," Lightning suggested. "That'll let him know that I thought he did his best. I think the rest of the county would be willing to cover his towing work for the time being."
"I will. Lightning, I can't wait to see you," Sally said with urgency in her voice. "I don't care anymore if I get sued for everything I own if I step on a track now. I want to be with you."
"I know, Sally," Lightning assured. "But let's see if we can do better than that. I just wish I was there with you right now, when you need me the most."
"You are, my love, you are . . . right here inside me," Sally affirmed to him as she stifled a tear. "I have to go now, okay? I love you, Lightning. I love you so very much! Know that I am very safe and protected with Flo and Ramone tonight, and please be safe yourself . . . for me, okay? Oh, and I did see you win the race just now. Flo insisted I relax and watch it on TV here at the café while we worked the evening shift. It's been good for me to do something here. The announcers even said that you appeared to be chasing something out there on the track. They just didn't know it was me, did they?"
"It was your strategy, Sal. It worked like a charm!" Lightning responded warmly. "And I love you too, Sally. I just so wish I was there with you right now. Just nudge up beside me in your mind and try to get some sleep, okay? And you call me anytime at all tonight if you want to. I'll make some more calls and see if I can get us some help."
"I'll call others on my end, too, that I haven't asked yet for help," she said.
"Deal," he replied.
"I love you, Stickers . . . bye," he heard her say, reluctantly hanging up.
"Love you, too, Sally . . . bye," he replied as he hung up as well.
"Hey, Lightning!" he now heard Mack banging on the crew trailer door. "I got Doc trying to stall the Rust-eze crowd, but they're calling for you. Plus the track officials are looking for you so they can hand you the trophy!"
"Okay, Mack, I'm coming," Lightning said as he opened the crew trailer ramp and came out.
"Listen, Mack," Lightning added as they then motored around to the Rust-eze tent entrance. "The reason I was jumpy in the alley was that I was just given an anonymous threat there against either Sally or myself if I didn't drop her. I've just called her to let her know, and asked her to join us in Texas. She's also just told me about the arson fire back home at the Cozy Cone Motel last night. For now, we've all got to watch each other's bumpers, and be on guard, okay?"
"You can count on me, boss!" Mack said as he started casting a determined eye around the pit area. "No motor scum is going to get their dirty tires on you or this team if 'ol Mack has anything to do with it!"
Deciding to combine two events into one, Lightning called out from the back of the Rust-eze tent, "Okay, attention everyone. This is a victory for our Rust-eze family and friends as much as it is for me and my team! So let's move this party over to the presentation stage, because I want all of you there around me as I accept this trophy. Let's go!"
"Kid," Doc said as he now motored next to Lightning as they led the Rust-eze crowd across the pit area to the presentation stage, "Nice move here. Listen, I'm sorry . . ."
"Doc, don't worry," Lightning assured, knowing what he was about to say. "Sally told me everything just now on the phone, including why she made you promise what you did. I understand, I do. Besides, I just got an anonymous threat against Sally or I from someone in that alley back there who wouldn't show himself."
"You want to go home?" Doc asked.
"Sally and I just decided that I wouldn't," Lightning replied. "We agreed that you and I will proceed to the Oil Bowl, and that she will find a way to safely travel and join us there."
"That's the gutsy thing to do, kid," Doc said with admiration. "I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you both."
"Howdy there, Lightning," Tex said as he approached them.
"Ah, Mister Tex," Lightning responded, eager to see him. "Could I talk with you for a minute? Doc, could you keep leading everyone to the presentation stage?" he then asked, glancing at Doc.
"Right this way, folks," Doc said loudly as he gave Lightning a nod and then turned away, urging the Rust-eze crowd to keep following him.
"Lightning," Tex interjected once they he and Lightning were off to one side by themselves. "First, we all heard about what happened to your fiancée and her motel overnight here. We are so sorry. If there's anything we can do to help . . ."
"Well, Mister Tex," Lightning responded, taking a deep breath, " . . . we, Sally and I, would be very grateful if you would. Basically, the motel fire is now believed to be arson, and I believe someone at the track here knows about Sally's past . . . on the track here, and wants to keep her off the track, and away from me."
"You mean it's true?" Tex asked. "The rumors I've heard going around that your Sally is really that wild Porsche, Sal, who used to hang around here?"
"Yes it is, Mister Tex," Lightning confirmed. "Sally admitted around the time we decided to get engaged that she was a lost girl back then. She deeply regrets that past, and it still haunts her, even though she's since become a sharp attorney, and now . . . well . . . a restorer of an historic small town."
"Yes, cars do change, Lightning," Tex admitted. "I even had my own wild times during my younger days that I'm not especially proud of. But 'ya know, I heard good things about Sal, too. That maybe she was just with the wrong team, and could have been something around here with the right influence. I just have one question for you though, Lightning . . . do you trust her?"
"With my life, Mister Tex," Lightning said. "I'm ready to give my life for her right now."
"Well son, that's good enough for me," Tex replied. "I imagine you want her safely escorted to the Oil Bowl, am I right?"
"Yes," Lightning confirmed. "But she has a restraining order against a car here at the track that used to abuse her, that effectively prevents her from being able to set a tire on any Piston Cup circuit racetrack where this car races. She's filed for a hearing at the Carburetor County Courthouse to clear it up, but can't get a court date there for three more weeks."
"Well, that won't do," Tex said, shaking his hood. "She's still a lawyer, right? Could you give me a phone number where I could reach her, right now? You'd better get up there on stage though. Don't worry, I'll get this all started here."
Lightning just started smiling.