Music Lessons

Part 4

Playing Chicken

By Nick Maro

Weaving in between cars and other vehicles on the road Aja kept up with Turbo. Roxy was just behind her dodging an annoying red truck. Turbo flicked on his turn signal as a courtesy for Aja and Roxy. The two women followed the mysterious street racer whom Aja had befriended. There was a small pop of static in Aja's ear where she heard Turbo swear under his breath. "About time I found the channel you two are on."

"Sorry about that," Roxy said momentarily riding on the sidewalk. "We didn't have time to make a game plan. So how is it that you know where he is? You're not in on it so you can lure us to secret location and have your way with us is it? Because if you are I want a dinner and movie first."

Aja and Turbo both started laughing. "I have a tracking device on my car," Aja began to explain. "I can track my car within a hundred mile radius. I have a personal tracker at home. I trust Turbo enough that I've given him one. Our street racing groups look after each other. We race for fun and the enjoyment of racing. This Zipper guy is new and obviously in it for more than fun."

Turbo signaled again and made a turn. "This guy and his boys are gonna pay. He was messing with Weasel and a few others a couple days back. I warned him the night he tried to ram you into the crowd not to mess with us. Hang on a second. I'm getting a blip." Turbo went silent and all that was heard was a faint beeping. "He's a half mile away heading out of the city."

"I'm coming up on your passenger side. Roxy you take his driver's side." The two women took their places along side Turbo's car. "Once we catch up to Zipper and my car, I need you to distract Zipper somehow, Roxy. I've got an idea that's pretty damn stupid and dangerous."

"Stupid and dangerous, oh yeah, those two words go together perfectly," Roxy said with a bit of playful sarcasm behind her words. "So what's your brilliant plan?"

"Well, while Zipper is distracted I figured I would jump on the roof of my car, shatter the passenger side window, climb in and somehow get control of my car back."

"That's not just stupid and dangerous it's suicidal! What if he activates your nitrous system? What then?" Turbo kept his car slow enough for Roxy and Aja to stay next to him.

Aja thought she saw the taillights of her car in the distance ahead of her. "He can't activate that. I have the controls for the nitrous locked on my laptop and that's at home. What do you suggest?"

Turbo thought about a new plan quickly. "You jump on the roof of the car while Roxy distracts him but after I'm slowed him down enough for you to do it. I'm going to get right in front of the car and start slowing down. Hopefully you won't have to jump on the car. Does that sound like a good plan?"

The taillights got closer as they gained on Aja's stolen car. "Anything that doesn't require me doing something potentially suicidal is a good plan. Let's do it."

Roxy pulled back slightly on her motorcycle and allowed Turbo to speed ahead. He passed Zipper easily and got in front of Aja's car. Roxy and Aja got along side Zipper. Roxy tapped on the window to get Zipper's attention. When he turned his head, Roxy lifted her t-shirt and flashed him. Zipper lost momentary control of the car. Aja moved further from the car's side to avoid getting hit. Turbo used that distraction to slow down in front of Zipper.

Zipper regained control and began slowing down. Turbo slowed down further letting the two cars bumpers to touch. Slamming on the brakes Zipper stopped all together. He started to back up and Roxy blocked his path backwards. Aja brought Jetta's motorcycle around and got off. From the way they had come she saw a mass of headlights. She hoped it was Jerrica and Pizzazz and not the Skulls.

Aja took the helmet off as she met Zipper getting out of the car. She ran toward him and slammed his back against the car's side. "You mother fucker! You couldn't take a loss could you? So you had to be a big man and steal my car. Or were you just taking it to test the suspension, hmmm? Just who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Who do you think you are, bitch?" Zipper shoved Aja back and pulled a gun from inside his jacket. "I should blow you away right here for the embarrassment you caused me." He pointed the gun at Turbo as he walked up and stood beside Aja. "And you mystery man I should blast for making me lose to this blue-haired whore. I was taking what was rightfully mine."

About a dozen cars pulled up to where the scene was taking place. Zipper looked and licked his lips nervously. Roxy grabbed his arm while he was distracted, causing Zipper to fire twice. She twisted his wrist and Zipper dropped the gun. Roxy twisted his arm backwards and threw him into the guardrail. Zipper looked up at Roxy in a daze as she brought her knee into his stomach. Zipper doubled over and she grabbed his other arm while jumping on the edge of the guardrail.

Roxy leaped off the railing while still holding on to Zipper's arm. She flew forward, jerking Zipper to the pavement. She brought her full weight down on his back with her elbow. Zipper went unconscious. Roxy stood and wiped the hair from her face. She smiled at Aja and Turbo. "No one and I mean no one, points a gun at my friends." She wiped her jeans off as she walked and smirked at the crowd. "Plus he was a major dick!"

Pizzazz and David pushed their way to the front of the crowd. Roxy walked up to David with self-satisfied smiled. She kissed him deeply and grabbed his butt. Pizzazz saw Kimber a few feet away looking on with jealousy. Roxy finally broke the kiss and giggled. "Sorry, heat of the moment. And I couldn't kiss Turbo over there." She jerked her thumb at the helmeted man. "Ever tongue a kiss a helmet? It's disgusting." She winked and joined Jetta by her bike.

"I think she likes you," Pizzazz said giggling at the stunned look on David's face.

Most of the crowd left once Roxy had knocked out Zipper. David, Pizzazz and Jetta stayed behind to help Aja with Zipper. They hog-tied him to the guardrail as a message to the Skulls. Turbo disarmed and took the gun with him. Roxy and Jetta gave Pizzazz the number to reach them at. David rode with Pizzazz in her car. She dropped him off at the condo. They agreed to go to Gabor Industries together the next day.

David and Pizzazz walked into the main office of Gabor Industries together. The day before Eric Raymond explained to them quickly which key went to what lock. They walked past a reception desk where a middle-aged secretary sat. She noisily cleared her voice and Pizzazz stopped walking and turned. The secretary scowled at her. "Where do you think you're going?"

Pizzazz allowed herself a small smirk. "I think I'm checking out my company. My name is Phyllis Gabor." She pointed her thumb at her twin. "This is my brother David Gabor. We've just inherited the company from our deceased father. Now if you'll excuse us, we're on a tight schedule." She started down the hallway again when two large security guards blocked their way.

"Okay, kids. The prank is over. We'll just escort you off the grounds." The lead security guard took a step towards them. David moved in front of his sister. "C'mon, son, don't make this into a big deal. Just get off the property and there won't be any need for trouble."

"The way I see it, you're the one who is trespassing. My sister and I do own this company. We are heir to it." David shifted into a defensive stance.

The two security guards started approaching David and Pizzazz when a tall, thin blonde man came up behind them. He was dressed casual but carried authority in the way he walked. "Bradley, Westford, let Mister and Miz Gabor pass. They are after all the new owners of the company. It would do you good to remember this in the future."

The lead guard looked at the twins then back to the man. "My apologies, Mr. Gabor and Ms. Gabor, we didn't know."

"You're excused, Bradley," the man said coldly before turning to Pizzazz and David. "They really are good men, if only a bit overzealous. I'm Kevin Ross. The current senior CEO of Gabor Industries. Your father put me in charge in his will until you two turned twenty-one. I must confess that I have been looking forward to meeting you both. Please, let me show you around."

"Thank you, Mr. Ross. Call me Phyllis if you want. Being called Ms. Gabor makes me feel old." She gave him a quick wink. "Not a good thing to do to a girl who just had her birthday." She and David followed Kevin as he showed them the building. She finally excused herself and motioned for David to follow her. They found an empty conference room. "I think he should stay for now. I didn't understand anything he was explaining. What do you think?"

David ran his hand through his hair and looked at the ground. "I don't trust him. There's something he's not telling us. I don't know what it is but I just have this gut feeling. It's in the way he's explaining everything. He's avoiding telling the full truth. Can I make a huge suggestion?" Pizzazz nodded. "I want to bring Kyoko's father in. Hiroki Bayushi is one of the best businessmen I know."

Pizzazz nodded again in agreement. "Sounds good to me, I just find it funny that less than twenty-four hours of finding out you're my brother, I trust you with all my heart."

"That's because we're twins, if you can't trust me, who can you?" David gave her a pat on the arm. They left the room and joined Kevin who was waiting by a water fountain. He showed them the rest of the building and the offices. Pizzazz and David left their company feeling uneasy about the man who was in charge.

Starlight Drive Inn was located on the outskirts of town near one of the Gabor Industries research facilities. The old movie theater hadn't been in operation since the mid-nineteen eighties. The screen had mostly fallen apart. Holes appeared in the white screen. The concession and projection booth was boarded up, while graffiti covered the walls.

There was a door that led to a storage area under the giant screen. Jerrica brushed the dust and dirt off of the lock. She looked over her shoulder. Kimber was looking over the old speakers. Jerrica turned back to the door and pulled a key out of her pocket. She slid the key in the keyhole and unlocked the door. The doors creaked as Jerrica opened them. Sunlight flooded the room under the screen.

Jerrica let out a small sigh. The storage area was filled with old boxes and crates. "Hey Kimber, I'm gonna need your help here. Whatever reason dad left us this dump for has to be around here somewhere. God this place is a disaster area." Jerrica made a face at a box of ten year old popcorn. "I think we'll need a flame-thrower."

"Oh I'm sure it's—" Kimber stopped in mid-sentence when she finally saw the storage room, "—worse than I thought. A flame-thrower or maybe some napalm. I know! We can get the rugrats in here to clean up! Child labor at your fingertips! It worked for Kathy Lee Gifford and Michael Jordan." Kimber walked down the makeshift aisles the boxes and crates made.

"We're not using the Starlight Girls as slave labor," Jerrica said with a laugh in her voice. "Besides, that's not legal anymore." She looked at how the boxes were laid out. "Hang on a sec. I think dad left us a clue here. Keep walking between the boxes, Kim." Kimber followed the rough path as asked. It ended at a blank wall. Jerrica came up behind her younger sister and looked the wall over.

Kimber glanced back at her older sister. "Just what are we looking for?"

"I have no idea." Jerrica studied the wall closely. She went to put her hand on the wall. Her hand passed through where the wall was supposed to be. She jerked her hand back and shared a shocked look with Kimber. Jerrica took a cautious step forward. She was in a dimly lit hallway. The hallway was about six feet long. At the other end was what looked like an elevator door. "Kimber step forward. I think we've just discovered our first hologram."

Stepping forward with a slight jump Kimber smiled at her sister. Together they walked up to the door at the end of the hall. The door automatically slid open slowly. The two sisters nervously got on the elevator car. After a few seconds the door shut and the elevator started moving down. The doors opened after the car stopped. Neither Kimber nor Jerrica knew how far down they had gone.

Outside the elevator doors was another short hallway but this time there was a door. Kimber followed Jerrica off of the elevator. Jerrica looked back at Kimber as she put her hand on the door handle. She carefully and slowly opened the door. Bright light flooded the hallway. Jerrica and Kimber stopped short upon entering the new room. All around them was electronics of varying kind and work tables with computers and gadgets in pieces. A man sat with his back to them. He was hunched over the table with a soldering iron.

Sitting next to the man was a computer mainframe with a built in monitor that was blank. Jerrica looked at the floor to make sure she wasn't stepping on anything. She quietly cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me. I don't mean to intrude or trespass, but uh, what is this?" Kimber hugged Jerrica's arm tight.

The man looked up and turned around. Kimber and Jerrica were both surprised to see he was around Jerrica's age. He had black hair that fell over his left eye. He gave them both a kind smile and quickly walked toward them. He brushed his hands off on the front of his lab coat. "Welcome. Welcome Jerrica and Kimber Benton. It's wonderful to finally meet the both of you. Your father spoke of you all the time." He looked around for a moment. "I see Phyllis isn't with you."

"Who are you? What is this place? Wait," Jerrica closed her eyes, shook her head and held her hands up, "you knew our father how?"

Laughing politely, the man pulled up a stool and leaned on it. "My name is Terry Peters but most everyone calls me Techrat. This place is known as the Rat's Lair. At least it has been since your father's death. I knew your father because I was his lab assistant during his last few years. I've been continuing his research in holograms ever since. I was actually expecting you yesterday."

Techrat hopped off the stool with a burst of excitement. "Your father wanted me to show you his greatest accomplishment. It's a fully functional hologram generating computer. He completed it a month before his death. I've been working on it ever since. The holographic matrix was very crude and didn't produce very stable or solid holograms. I've stabilized it and made the needed adjustments." Techrat gave a casual shrug. "Professor Benton named her Synergy. I kinda liked it, so I kept the name."

"Do you live here or something?" Kimber asked quietly from behind Jerrica.

"Well, sometimes it feels like I do. I have an apartment." Techrat paused for a moment in thought. "I think. Did I pay the rent this month?" He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He looked at the door they came in and smiled widely. "I see you used the Starlight Drive Inn entrance. I always thought of it as the secret entrance."

"Secret entrance," Jerrica said slowly.

Techrat nodded. "Yeah, the main entrance is through Gabor Industries next door. Professor Benton and Harvey Gabor had this lab built so Professor Benton could do his research in private. Harvey bought Starlight Drive Inn for Professor Benton. It was a quicker way in than going through all of the security at Gabor Industries." Techrat went behind the computer mainframe. "So, want to see Synergy?"

Jerrica and Kimber both nodded slowly and moved closer. Techrat plugged the computer in and flipped a switch on the side. A system bios display appeared on the monitor. It slowly began to form a female face. The picture finally became clear. Kimber and Jerrica stared at the purple skinned face of Synergy. "Greetings, I am Synergy. From the information and pictures that have been scanned into my memory, you are Jerrica Benton and Kimber Benton; the daughters of my creator Emmett Benton. I am pleased to finally meet you both."

It took Kimber and Jerrica a few moments to get over the shock of finally meeting their father's life work. Techrat watched the two sisters with his own personal pride knowing he helped with their father's legacy. Jerrica and Kimber stayed for a few hours talking with Techrat and Synergy about their father and their personal lives.

Sitting in the fast food restaurant Aja got to know Roxy and Jetta a little better. Aja felt a certain kinship with the two women. "So what made you decide you wanted to be a wrestler, Roxy? It's not the most common choice for a woman to make." Aja took a sip of her shake that she had ordered.

Roxy swallowed her bite of hamburger. "It's actually a family tradition. I'm a third generation wrestler. The first female third generation wrestler I might add. My grandfather was Nicias Pelligrini. He helped found the former Eastern territory of wrestling. My father is Alexander 'The Punisher' Pelligrini. He was the first five time world heavyweight champ of the GWA, Global Wrestling Alliance. I wanted to break in on my own and not use my semi-fame to do it.

"That's actually how I met up with Jetta here. 'Bruiser' Burns is her father." Roxy smirked at Jetta. "I swear they had the most ridiculous nick names for wrestlers back in the seventies and eighties. It runs in both of our blood. But playing music is my true passion. I'm doing the whole wrestling thing out of respect for my family." Roxy shrugged and bit into her burger.

"My father was never as famous as Roxy's. He was mostly known in Europe, although he did have a small run in the States." Jetta smiled to herself. "He may never have gotten over with the fans, but the other wrestlers respected the hell out of him. Dad never complained about havin' to lose. His words of advice were, 'Sheila darlin', work ethic and doin' what you're told will get farther than constantly bitchin' in this business.' I honestly think he wanted the respect he got rather than to be the most popular guy on the roster."

"I sees respect is a very popular concept around heres." The three women looked up to find a huge bald man with a skull tattooed on his forehead. He glared at both Roxy and Aja. "Boss says that he wants to challenge the blue-haired bitch to a rematch of his rules. What do youse says?"

Jetta held Roxy back and let Aja handle the situation. Aja stared at the messenger and smirked. "Just where did you learn English? Bad gangster flicks?" She changed her voice to mock the man before her. "Youse tells yours boss that he's an asshole and I's accepts his challenge. Also, he cans go fucks himself afters I's beats his ass reds agains."

The man let out a low growl and leaned forward to intimidate Aja. Roxy finally broke free and went nose to nose with the bigger man. She growled deeper. "You have your answer. Now go before I make what I did to your boss look like a bump on the head. Do we have a mutual understanding, you genetic defect?"

Staring at Roxy for a long moment the man backed down and left the restaurant. He returned a few minutes later. He walked right up to Aja. "Boss says youse plays a game of chicken with him at ten o'clock behind the water reservoir. He wins, he takes your pretty car and your pretty little body for the night. He loses, he leaves youse alone." The man left the restaurant and didn't return.

"How is it that I attract all of the social rejects?" Aja asked pushing her tray away not feeling hungry anymore.

Jerrica tried to block Aja from leaving the house. She was furious that Aja would accept a challenge like that. "You're not going. I don't care what you say, Aja. I'm not going to let my best friend do something extremely idiotic as play chicken with some lowlife. This matter of pride has gotten way out of hand. What kind of message are you sending to the Starlight Girls?"

"If you would keep your damn voice down, they won't know what I'm going to do. Even if they do know what I'm doing, the older girls understand that it is dangerous and stupid. They can explain it to the younger girls. But I hope they get the underlying message that you don't back down from bullies. That you never sacrifice your convictions." Aja adjusted her racing gloves.

Pizzazz gently moved Jerrica out of the way of the door. "She knows what she's doing, Jer. Just trust her. She's one of the best drivers I've ever seen. I'm going with Aja to this race. We'll both be fine. Roxy and Jetta are meeting up with us there. Everything will be okay." Pizzazz put her hand on Jerrica's shoulder and smiled.

"Damn I hate it when you're right." Jerrica smiled at Aja. "Just be careful."

Aja gave a slight nod and left through the backdoor. Pizzazz jogged after Aja and climbed into the passenger side of Aja's street car. Aja pulled out of the driveway and got on the main highway, heading to the water reservoir. Pizzazz went to turn on the radio when she remembered there wasn't one. She brushed her hair out of her face. "So what do you think of Roxy and Jetta?"

Stopping at the red light Aja tied her hair back quickly. "I really like them. They seem to be very loyal to people they like. It was funny when that big ape came to our table. Roxy almost jumped him. Jetta held her back until he got a bit too threatening." The light turned green and Aja slowly began to drive again.

Pizzazz checked her watch. They were going to arrive a few minutes early. She leaned back in the seat. "David and I checked out Gabor Industries today. We really don't trust the guy in charge. There's something about him that rubs us the wrong way." She rolled her window down a crack. "Did Jerrica or Kimber mention anything about what happened at the drive inn?"

"Now that you mention it, no they didn't." Aja and Pizzazz shrugged together. "Something must've happened. Jerrica was acting a bit strange when she got home. Like a child who had a secret." Aja spotted Roxy and Jetta waiting by their motorcycles and pulled up next to them. She stopped the car and got out. "So is he here?"

"He's down there." Jetta pointed to a pair of headlights. "A coupla his boyfriends came down to try and scare us. I've personally found scarier chunks in my loo." The head lights flashed to signal Aja to drive down by him. Jetta patted the back of her motorcycle. "Hop on, Pizzazz. Roxy will take Aja on the back of hers."

Aja looked hesitant at first and then hopped on Roxy's motorcycle. She turned to Pizzazz. "I don't trust these guys. Stay with my car, Pizzazz." Pizzazz nodded and leaned on the hood of her foster sister's car. The two motorcycles sped away to where the head lights blazed brightly.

After a few minutes of waiting, Pizzazz finally saw Roxy and Jetta's motorcycles return. Aja hopped off the back of Roxy's motorcycle and got in her car. She started the engine right away. Pizzazz backed away from the car and joined her two new bandmates. "So, they're starting, huh?"

Aja's engine roared loudly and shook the body of the car. Pizzazz heard Zipper's do the same. Aja gunned the engine one last time and then put it in gear. The tire's spun rapidly, shooting gravel and stones from beneath its tires. The car raced forward toward the other oncoming street car. Pizzazz hugged her arms across her chest as she watched.

The two cars raced closer and closer to each other. Pizzazz heard Roxy quietly cheering Aja not to swerve. Jetta was doing the same. The two women were watching the game of chicken intensely. Pizzazz saw the cars were about twenty feet away from each other where neither car showed signs of turning away. Aja began to turn when they were about twelve feet away but then headed back toward Zipper.

Zipper finally turned his car sharply, avoiding Aja's car. The two cars passed each other safely. Roxy, Pizzazz and Jetta cheered. Aja had won the game of chicken. She turned her car around and chased after Zipper. Pizzazz hopped on the back of Roxy's motorcycle and joined in on the chase. The Skulls passed up Roxy and Jetta in their muscle cars. They eventually passed up Aja.

Stopping her car, Aja got out and waited for the other women to join her. She gave a modest shrug when they stopped. "Well, it looks like I won again." Aja turned to watch the fading headlights. "Damn that guy is an asshole. But I should get back so Jerrica doesn't freak out anymore than she already has." Aja got back in her car and rolled down the window. "You coming with or going with Roxy and Jetta?"

"If they don't mind giving me a ride home I'll go with Jetta and Roxy." Pizzazz grabbed the helmet Aja offered out of the window. "Thanks. Tell Jer not to wait up." Aja gave a slight wave and drove off. Pizzazz put on the helmet and tuned the mic to the frequency Roxy and Jetta had their helmets set to. "So where do you want to go?"

"Maybe we should pick up Stormer and your equipment. That battle of the bands thingy is a few weeks away and we really should start practicing." Roxy looked at her watch. "Then again it is kinda late. I do want to show you the music store that has the guitar I want, Jetta. Nice thing is that they're open twenty-four hours. The owner is an old musician who always found it annoying that you could never get new strings or drum skins when you need them."

Jetta chuckled. "You got it, Rox. You don't mind do you, Pizzazz?"

"Hell no. Besides, I have my credit card with me. New equipment is on me." Pizzazz held on to Roxy's mid-section as she put the motorcycle into gear and led Jetta to where the store was located.

Finally heading home Pizzazz smiled to herself. Roxy and Jetta were musicians to the core. The two women told her that they would retire from wrestling and concentrate on the band. That level of commitment made her happy. The clerk at the music store was holding the new equipment they had purchased until Pizzazz could bring her van over.

"Not fallin' asleep on us are you, luv?" Jetta asked with a joking tone.

Pizzazz laughed quietly. "No, just thinking of when would be a good time to pick up the equipment. I can get it as soon as you drop me off but I'm tired. So I'll wait till morning or something. I think we're going to need a place to practice as well." She pointed at a street. "Make a right here. My place is just up ahead."

"No probl—," Roxy stopped in midsentence. She heard Pizzazz gasp in shock when she saw the raging fire that engulfed the house Pizzazz called home.

TO BE CONCLUDED IN "TO THE VICTOR, THE SPOILS"

PART 5 OF MUSIC LESSONS