Chapter 11

In Dublin's central city centre the night life began to kick in, with bars and clubs opening their doors for the party goers though they weren't the only ones about to go ahead and enjoy the night activities. A long stretch of road about 2km was cornered off with barricades, and on the sidelines thousands of street racers cars parked up all of them jammed in to watch the action. Tonight it was all about the drag race, an obvious strength to Ashley. The way this race was panned out, was the best racers from each team would be set against each other in an all out elimination race. The winner from one race would challenge another until there was only one racer left standing, and then they had the chance to tackle Ashley, even though Jonathan was the reigning overall champion. He didn't need to race until the big one at the end of the year, though from time to time if he chooses to do so and liked to play the psychological mind games with his opponents. Ashley though wasn't focused on the races instead her gaze moved around looking for those guys from earlier in the day, they had yet to show up and it made her wonder if they had suddenly realized the magnitude of what they were up against when she issued the challenge. However she knew they wouldn't back out it was too good an opportunity for them to pass up and she could tell they were keen to make a bigger statement here. She kept looking off through the crowd waiting for a sign for them to show up.

'I don't think they'll show,' Kian remarked he sat down next to her.

'What makes you think so?' she asked without so much of a glance his way Kian shrugged his shoulders.

'Well if they really know what is good for them they'd know who they were trying to mess with and think twice. Besides they must have been here long enough to know about you.' He said.

'Don't be so sure about that one, Kian from what I could tell, they weren't at all worried about it and certainly not afraid. What worries me though is whatever they have planned in the near future. But, if we can find a way to suss them out now then the better chance we have to find out what is really going on around here,' she answered, she pulled her phone from her pocket glanced at the screen sighed and put it away again though this didn't go un-noticed by Kian.

'Expecting something?' he asked but she quickly shook her head and scoffed at him.

'No don't be stupid. Now if you'll excuse me for a minute.' She said got up and strode off through the crowd Kian shook his head just as Mark, and Shane came to join him.

'What's with the look?' Shane asked.

'Do you think something is up with Ash?' he asked Shane shook his head.

'No, but then again it has only been a few hours since she got back and we haven't seen her in a couple of months,' he replied.

'No, that's not it. I have a feeling there is just is something up with her but I can't put my finger on it,' Kian answered.

'I think you're being silly let's worry about other things.' Shane said Mark on the other hand kept quiet he definitely agreed with Kian that something seemed different with Ashley he just wished he knew the answer. Ashley brushed through the crowd and kept walking down the street till she came to a small side alley; at first she had a quick look around to see if anyone was close by, but nobody was in sight then she slid into the alley. There she again got her phone she checked the screen but nothing had changed.

'Come on grow a little spine.' She muttered she searched through the phone book list found the name and hovered her finger above the call button for several seconds before she then changed her mind and instead began to write a text message.

'No, no that's crap.'

After a few more unsuccessful attempts she gave up and stuffed her phone back into her pocket she rubbed her face.

'It is not so damn hard. Why can't I just call him?'' she muttered.

'Call whom?'

Startled Ashley spun around Mark stood just outside of the alleyway.

'No one.' She said. He gave her a scowl.

'Come on, Ash I do know you pretty well and have done for a long time. You can't just pretend something is not up and brush it aside,' he answered she ran her hands through her hair and stepped out of the alleyway.

'Well even if there was I don't really feel up to sharing it with anyone all right? Now just isn't the right time for it.' She said and began to walk back towards the rowdy crowd, this just frustrated Mark even more, and he still cared and even loved her but at the same time he hated the way she sometimes treated him like he was totally in-capable of anything without her help.

'Who is he then?' he yelled after her; again Ashley stopped in her tracks slowly turned around and stared at him she didn't like the way he phrased the question and she strode back towards him with hands on hips.

'That isn't your business Mark; I think it best you put your focus on other things, instead of trying to nose around in mine.' She added, with that she turned back on her heels and back through the crowd Mark sighed and shook his head.

'Fine I'll leave it for now but I will find out who he is I will.' He muttered and went to catch up.

'Oh, Ash good thing you're back,' Shane remarked when she and mark re-joined the group she gave him a quizzical glance.

'What's wrong?' she asked, Shane just nodded towards the centre of the crowd where most of them had already gathered, their loud chatter echoed all around.

'Let me guess,' she said

'Our friends have finally arrived and made their presence known to everyone,' she answered Shane nodded.

'You got that right,' he said, the group stood back and just ever so calmly watched the new group make their introductions and small talk with their curious visitors.

'So what are we waiting for then? Let's get over there.' Kian remarked Ashley went to stop him but Kian was already striding confidently off Nicky, Shane and even Nicole followed Ashley shook her head and Mark whom stood next to her also shook his head.

'Just what are they thinking? We're not friends with them,' he remarked.

'Are you up for a race?' she asked.

'I'm always up for a race.' He said.

'Good and I expect nothing less than a win.' She added, and without waiting for an answer she strode off to the rest of the group, Mark was right behind her and the mass crowd parted ways to allow them through.

'And here she is now,' Shane said; the whole group turned around Ashley and Mark moved in sight with their friends.

'So you're here now, she said, the guy stood opposite her with his group of friends also by him, he laughed coyly at her comment.

'Did you even think for one second I wouldn't?' he remarked and she in turn pressed her lips together a thoughtful expression on her face.

'Well let's just say it did cross my mind for a few minutes. I don't like being made to wait. Not even for a second.' She said.

'But that all doesn't matter anymore what matters is now you're here and we can get this race underway.' She replied the guy had a sly smile spread across his face.

'That is exactly what I was thinking,' he replied.

'And we'll do it my way too,' Ashley added the guy's expression didn't change he just gave a slight nod back at her.

'The way we'll do this, is by teams. Each one of your team mates will race against mine. If you win then everything we own will belong to you with no questions asked.' She said.

'Deal,' he remarked.

'But,' she interrupted and held up her hand.

'When my team wins then we keep everything and you tell us the real reason as to why you are here and what it is you've been doing since you arrived,' She remarked, at this the man rubbed his chin as though he was deep in thought. One of the men standing behind him tapped him on the shoulder they had a quick discussion.

'You have yourself a deal,' he answered Ashley smiled.

'Good then let's not waste a single moment nominate your first driver,' she remarked. The guy continued to rub his chin deep in thought he turned to look at his friends.

'So what do you say Vince, you up for it?' he asked, the man dressed in a faded orange sleeveless shirt and with arms folded across his broad chest and a serious look on his face, looked at his friend then back at the opposition.

'Alright I can take them.' He remarked Ashley and her friends glanced at each other with sly smiles on their faces.

'That is what we like to see from the opposition. It makes all the more worthwhile when you lose,' Kian said.

'We'll see who is laughing at the end,' the guy remarked.

'Yes, yes we will.' Ashley agreed she turned around and looked across at the crowd.

'Well then, what are you all standing around here for? There is a race to start so move.'

Instantly the crowd parted ways most of them mumbled under their breath but didn't make eye contact and the two main teams walked passed towards the cars that were parked nearby.

'This is going to be great action tonight,' Jonathan remarked he rubbed his hands together.

'Where are you putting your money?' one of the guys's on his team asked.

'I like the look of these new guys. I don't care where they came from and what they are doing here just as long as they can get rid Baker then I'll be happy. That way there won't be any threat to my crown,' Jonathan answered.

'You still fear her don't you J?' the guy asked Jonathan snorted.

'Stupid of course not! I am the number one racer in this entire country and nobody can dispute it not even her. But it doesn't mean I won't find a way to make sure she doesn't come close to taking my title so you better remember that one.' He answered he stomped away and got into his car.

It wasn't too long later when the crowd reassembled along the stretch of road for the race and the two cars lined up along side each other with their engines running. Both drivers didn't look at one another and at nobody else around them all they were focused on was the road in front of them.

'I hope this goes better than his last race,' Kian said quietly, Nicole was stood next to him she heard.

'Yeah me too Ki. He is going to want to do extra well for Ashley as he always does but I just have this weird feeling,' she remarked.

'What are you two talking about?'

Kian and Nicole jumped they were caught completely off guard by Ashley she had just walked up behind them.

'Nothing, nothing we were just rambling about stuff, you know general things. Nothing of great importance,' Kian said, she burrowed her eyebrows she definitely wasn't convinced by his cover story.

'Ok, spill it Egan I know there's something you are hiding, and you were never very good at keeping secrets anyway,' she answered.

'I know nothing.' He protested.

'He doesn't and if he were, well I'd be the first to know too and you know that Ash.' Nicole added.

'Guys seriously just tell me what the hell is going on,' Ashley said.

'Ok. Well while you were away, Jonathan was up to a few tricks in trying to get around and steal cars from us and in particular he was after yours,' Kian said.

'That doesn't come as a huge surprise to me,' she remarked.

'Of course but Jonathan went to one extreme. He wanted to race all of us for them, and he'd beaten pretty much all of us except for Mark. So they raced and you know Mark did win it in the end.' Kian said.

'Yeah well I should think so,' Ashley replied.

'Near the end of the race before Mark actually won it, his and Jonathan collided right at the finish line. Mark's car was the most damaged of the two,' Kian said.

'What?' Ashley exclaimed she looked back to the two cars at the starting line with their engines growling at the ready for the signal to be given.

'Why hasn't he told me about this?' she asked.

'Well probably because he knew you'd get upset.' Kian replied Ashley shook her head she was furious.

'Just the bloody cheek of Jonathan to do that, he knows Mark is the only one I trained but figured he was the easiest to get to since I wasn't here.' She muttered.

'He is seriously asking for it now,' she added.

'That is not all though.' Nicole said Ashley frowned she looked at her two friends and the expressions they were showing she took as a bad sign.

'So tell me,' she said; Nicole and Kian glanced sideways at each other.

'Oh for heaven sakes guys stop that and just come out with it.' She snarled, too late the much louder roar of the engines from the two cars broke their conversation, and they turned around just in time to see the two sped off down the race track.

Mark had edged his car just out in front of Vince's car but the lead wasn't by a big margin as the two raced towards the first right-hand turn and both turned into it sharply and disappeared around the corner, but the action was being captured on the big screen. Ashley turned back to look at Kian and Nicole but they'd quietly sneaked away while she'd been busy watching the cars.

'Well whatever it is they know I'll find out later,' she answered. Back out on the race track the two cars were neck and neck down the next stretch of road, small buildings zipped by in a blur of fuzzy colour as Mark and Vince tried to get an advantage.

'Ah crap this is going to be tough,' Mark mumbled he remembered that in the next part of this track would take them down a very narrow one-way alley side lane and an underground tunnel. He didn't have a lot of time to try and get a lead before they hit that next stretch. He saw his chance as the two cars came across the roundabout, and just ahead of them was the narrow alley way.

'Al right then here goes,' Mark mumbled. He hit third gear and accelerated harder his aim was to go through the roundabout instead of around it, but what he didn't expect was Vince to employ sneaky tactics of his own. He too had shifted into third gear; only he went around, and the two cars came off the roundabout, with the front bumper of Vince's car clipped the back end of Mark's. That brief but forceful touch sent Mark's car into a back-end spin. He pulled the steering wheel tight to the right but by that time the wheels had locked and the front passenger side of the car slammed into the building.

'Oh god!' Ashley cried. Vince's car too had lost traction at the time of impact but he had slightly better control to swerve away from the building, but the front end of his car smashed straight into the back end of Mark's car.