New chapter for you all. Still looking for car designs. Hello to all the usual suspects, big shout out to them, go read their stories (check my previous chapters for the titles and authors). without further ado, enjoy the chapter (hey, its late, i'm tired and can't think of a foreword lol)
Hector set the race off, signalling the start, this race over a longer distance than usual. The four RX-7's launched, Dom and Tempest both taking off quick and smooth. The yellow one lurched slightly, but made up for it, the cars level, with both Dom and Tempest pulling ahead slightly. Knight watched from inside Karr, the Trans-am's windows tinted darkly so no-one could see in –"Karr, scan Dom and Tempest's cars. Can she beat him?"
The car didn't answer immediately. Anyone outside the car that happened to glance over, would see the golden light on the front rippling back and forth as it complied with its drivers request as Karr summarised his findings to Knight –"Hers is an older model than his. Ordinarily, I would say his should win, given it's a newer model. However, after scanning their parts, she has a good chance. Her performance parts are newer, slightly better versions than those in his car, which should even things. She also has a larger store of nitrous oxide than he does. Either outcome is equally likely, and in both cases, it will be close."
Knight nodded, and settled to watch the race. Dom and Tempest were slightly ahead of the other two cars, Tempest's easily the more eye catching of the four. As they watched, flame emerged from the car's exhaust as Karr reported –"She's engaged her nitrous oxide system."
"NOS," Knight corrected absently, as Dom's car surged with nitrous too. Knight narrowed his eyes slightly as he considered Karr's earlier findings –"If his tanks are smaller, his NOS is going to run out sooner right?"
"Possibly," Karr answered –"However, he engaged the system after she did."
"Calculate it," Knight told him, watching with interest as the car's raced along, dead level, mentally wishing Tempest could get the edge. A moment later Karr informed him –"His NOS should run out before hers does. Now."
As Karr spoke, Dom's car appeared to slow slightly, then about a second later, so did Tempest's. Dom almost immediately hit his NOS again, taking the lead, edging ahead of Tempest. The storm car surged forward as Tempest hit her second NOS, pulling level with Dom, edging slightly in front. Then something appeared to happen, the car beginning to slow down, white smoke billowing in huge clouds from the car, Dom edging back in front, crossing the line first by less than two inches. Knight winced –"She isn't gonna be happy."
"She blew a coolant seal," Karr told him –"It was just bad luck. If it had held 2.736 seconds longer, she'd have won. However, it hasn't completely failed."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning the car is still drivable. Provided she's careful about overheating."
"I see," Knight answered, watching as the cars pulled up. Tempest looked distinctly unpleased as she climbed out of her car, then schooled her features to their usual pleasantness to congratulate Dominic. Knight was mindful of his actions as he walked over, clapping a hand on Dom's shoulder. The other man looked slightly annoyed by it, for a moment, then hid it better as Knight congratulated him –"Good race man. Pretty impressive. Guess that's why they call you the race king of LA."
"Better believe it," Dom muttered, heading to join his team, lifting Letty off her feet and practically sitting her on his shoulder as if she were much smaller than she was –"My trophy."
Knight ignored the scene as he joined Tempest –"Guess we aren't racing tomorrow then."
"You aren't getting out of it that easy," Tempest retorted. Knight raised an eyebrow, acting innocent –"What happened?"
"I had him," Tempest scowled –"Then my coolant seal failed. Now it's leaking, and burning some of it off the hot engine parts. That was the smoke."
"And you intend to race with a damaged car?"
Tempest gave him an 'are you completely stupid' look, and responded –"No. I can have the car ready for races tomorrow night if I work my ass off on it."
"How you getting it home?"
"I'm hoping that it hasn't completely failed," she admitted –"If I'm lucky, and careful to avoid overheating the engine, I should be able to nurse Rex home."
"But what about parts?" Knight asked –"Won't you have to wait to get one?"
"I run a garage for Ricky Tran," Tempest told him –"Mean's I got several spares hanging around. I can use them. Ricky likes to keep me and B hooked up and racing. Makes him more money."
"She help with the shop?"
"You gotta be kidding," Tempest smiled slightly, almost unwilling to let her displeasure go –"much as I love her, she is a bit of a racer Barbie. Doesn't know one end of an exhaust from the other, let alone the much trickier stuff."
Knight grinned slightly, that sounded like Becky alright. He kept that thought to himself, and gave Tempest a boyish grin –"So we're still on to run tomorrow?"
"You betcha," Tempest answered, then grinned –"Then my crew will know you beating me was a one off."
Knight laughed –"In your dreams girl."
"And you dream of beating me," she retorted. Knight grinned, ready to retort as his watch chirped in the warning signal he'd agreed on with Karr –"We'll settle this one on tomorrow's run."
"Just cause you couldn't think of a retort," Tempest told him, sticking her tongue out at him. Knight grinned –"Just be careful the wind doesn't change. You might wanna get out of here, cops are gonna be here soon."
"How'd you know that?" she asked, suddenly wary of him. Knight frowned, thinking on the spot –"My car is a bit more sophisticated than Leon's. It doesn't just have a CB for scanning the police band, it's a computer. If it detects traffic on the police band, and I'm not inside, it sends a signal to my watch, causing it to beep, as it just did."
"Interesting set-up," Tempest replied, not looking entirely convinced. She seemed to weigh up what he'd said, debating whether he was a cop with inside information, or telling the truth. Whatever she'd settled on, she seemed to believe him, taking his advice and driving off, the RX-7 moving slowly. Knight slowly headed back to Karr, making it look like everything was normal, until Leon shouted –"We got cops incoming!" then sprinted over to the Trans-am and slid inside –"You almost blew our cover. How did you know so far in advance?"
Karr's engine came to life, and he joined the other cars as they made a break for it –"I don't just monitor police band. I was monitoring local phone connections."
"You listened in to people's phone connections?"
"No, that would be illegal without a court order," Karr answered irritably –"I can however track outgoing calls, and detected one to the LAPD's non emergency number. It doesn't take a genius to work out what it was regarding."
"Is that legal?"
"Since it's highly difficult to do without specialist equipment that only law enforcement agencies have, yes. If you hadn't noticed, I am highly specialised."
"Yeah Alright. Find Hector's car in the scramble," Knight told him as he turned the Trans-am down a side street –"And if you're so smart, why did you almost blow our cover?"
"If you'd rather spend the night in a police cell, be my guest," Karr retorted –"I however, do not want to spend the night in police impound. Why are we looking for Hector's car?"
"I want to see where he goes," Knight answered –"And then I want to snoop around."
"Alright, shut your scanner off, I'll take us the rest of the way," Knight told the car as they followed Hector round a corner. Karr complied, but asked –"Why?"
"It's a little too distinctive, and we don't want to get spotted."
"Understood," Karr answered –"We're here."
Knight peered out of the window at the crowd of cars gathered outside 'El Gato Negro' then across the street at the other building, its sign proclaiming it as "Hector's". Knight glanced back at the café –"I guess everyone's busy."
"You can't get through the main doors, they're in full view of everyone."
"Hmm," Knight muttered –"Guess it's through the roof. How do I get up there?"
"You could use the ejector seat."
"The what?"
"The ejector seat," Karr replied, sounding slightly impatient –"You haven't used it before, so you probably didn't know about it. I've already made the necessary adjustments, all you have to do is press the button. You should land quite gently."
"That's it, I just press the button?"
"It would help if you also opened the auto-roof."
"Smart-alec car," Knight retorted, and opened the cars roof –"Alright, stay out of sight," then pressed the button. With a hiss of gas, he was catapulted into the air, landing on the roof of the building with less impact than stepping off a curb. He looked down briefly, watching Karr back away quietly, staying out of sight, then headed across the roof and examined the window. One of the panes looked slightly newer than the others, the one above the catch for the window. He winced slightly and pulled on the sleeve of his leather jacket, as he bent his arm, and smashed the glass with his elbow, lifted the catch and opened the window, slipping inside. He gently negotiated his way down to the floor of the garage and looked around, casting the torchlight around. He grinned slightly, noticing the cars under the dust covers, their shape unmistakably that of Honda Civic's. He crossed over to them, and lifted the covers slightly. All three were dark blue. He mused that slightly, in the darkness of night, the cars would look like they were black, so they could possibly be the cars used. He looked at the tyres, and groaned. Pirelli's. Not the right make. He frowned slightly and headed over to the desk, looking for a copy of the books, or the inventory. His watch beeped quietly –"What is it Karr?"
"Six people are leaving in two cars."
"Damn," Knight muttered –"I'll be out shortly, meet me outside. Try and keep a lock on them."
"Understood."
Knight clambered up onto one of the hoists and back out of the window, sliding down the drain pipe to the waiting Trans-am –"Still got them?"
"No," Karr replied sullenly –"They accelerated away quickly, and got out of range of my scanners. They were heading north when I lost them."
"Damn," Knight sighed. There was silence for a moment before Karr spoke –"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault Karr."
"We could head north and try to pick up their trail," Karr offered. Knight shook his head –"It'd be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Lets just head ho…back to the Toretto's."
Karr noticed the slip, but didn't comment, instead turning on to the route back to the Toretto's as his driver sat back contemplatively.
End of Chapter 14…