Holley sped her way out of Sid, he had barely landed as she rushed off toward the Bayou, she had 10 minutes, 10 minutes to make it. Over head scanners had shown excessive heat coming from a harbor house down the Bayou about 5 miles. She slid to a stop a few feet from the house, guards. Cars sitting idle outside of the house. She took a deep breath, now she only had 5 minutes.
…………….
Miles tisked,
"It would appear one of you is about to die, 4 minutes. Gentlemen and so far, no contact has been made by any means. Guess that lot of you aren't as important as I thought."
Miles drove back over in front of the camera,
"You think you are calling a bluff? Well let me assure you I, Miles Axelrod, do not bluff. You have precisely 60 seconds to make contact or one of these four is gone forever."
McQueen looked to Doc, who nodded to him reassuringly. Mater glanced between all of them, as did Finn. Engines were overheating, check engine lights were flickering hard, oil pressure was high, and tires were smoking.
"20 seconds…"
McQueen felt a fear in him like nothing he had ever felt before, he knew he wasn't the only one the fear in Doc and Mater's eyes unnerved him.
Doc glanced over Lightening, the kid was terrified, and he had every right to be. He was scare himself, not of death but of loosing McQueen, he would never had admitted it out loud, but he saw the young racer as a son, his life had finally found another meaning when he found McQueen.
Mater was scared, he could feel everyone else's fear making his fear worse. He looked down to his best friend, if it was him that was to go first, he wouldn't get to say good bye to McQueen.
Finn looked down the line, if anybody had to go first, he hoped it would be him. The others were innocent in all this, it was his fault Mater had gotten involved with subsequently lead to McQueen getting involved.
"10 Seconds…"
"If you have to kill someone, kill me first."
Everyone looked down the line to the Aston Martin, his gazed was fixed on the Range Rover.
"They are innocent in all this, its my fault they are here so finish me off and let them go!"
Miles chuckled, ignoring Finns protests.
…………….
Holley huffed as he knocked out the last guard, she looked at her clock 5 seconds, she felt the tears already coming. She knew she was too late, but she still had to try.
…………….
"And that's time gentlemen now, witness as one of these cars dies and that leaves oil on your tires as well Mr. President, your Majesty, you did nothing to stop it."
Miles turned to the four,
"Whose ready to die?"
…………….
No one breathed as they watched the screen, Sally was huddled closely to Sheriff as they watched the screen in horror, nothing could be done. Flo leaned hard on Ramone and Ramone on her, Luigi and Guido's eyes were wide as they remained close to each other. Sheriff felt Sally lean into him, he had to keep himself together for everyone here, it was his job. Sarge and Fillmore were even silent as they watched the horrific scene play out before them.
Everyone across the country stared at their screens, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. No one could believe what was happening.
…………….
Finn waited for it, waited for the heat in his engine to get hotter for his engine block to explode but nothing happened he glanced over to Mater whose eyes were squeezed tightly shut.
Mater squeezed his eyes closed, he had no intention of seeing his own engine explode, but nothing happened.
Doc took in a breath, he waited only for nothing to happen, a yelped caught his attention from McQueen, his tank fell to the floor, his heart stopped.
McQueen was finding it hard to breath now, his engine was hot already but growing hotter. He yelped as something clanked, and his engine block broke, his exhaust backfired. McQueen struggled to catch his breath; his body was shaking now. His vision was blurring, another loud metal crack sounded from his engine as flames busted out from under his hood. McQueen screamed as he felt his engine blow, shrapnel from it lodging itself into his internal systems. He could hear a muffled voice speaking to him, he was in pain, an intensifying pain. The flames flickered from his chassis as the darkness closed in on him, he welcome it a relief from the pain that currently flooded his body.
…………….
Sally screamed involuntarily as McQueen burst into flame, her scream echoed off the mesas and buildings. She felt as though her heart stopped, it was like an outer body experience. She saw the flames, heard the others but she couldn't move. Couldn't speak. She could barely breathe.
"NO!"
Sheriff hollered out with the others, no one could believe what they had just seen. To make matters worse the camera didn't pan off of McQueen it just there for another minute or so before switching to Miles.
"Now you've seen I am not bluffing. You have another hour to comply."
The screen was black. Sheriff couldn't move, he felt Sally leaning he full weight into him. She was in shock as was everyone else. No one could move, no one could speak.
…………….
Doc yelled as McQueen's engine blew.
"LIGHTENING NO!!"
He couldn't believe his eyes, McQueen's body jumped with the explosion knocking his back tires off the dyno cause a horrible screeching sound until it was switched off. He looked desperately at McQueen, his eyes fluttered open and shut, his body shook.
"Its okay kid, let go… escape the pain."
Doc's voice stammered, tears formed in his eyes as he watched McQueen's body sag on his axles and his eyes fall shut. He couldn't believe it; his world had just blown up. He gasped for air as his engine was still reviving on high, his axels burning from the consistent motion. All the pain he was feeling he channeled it, he looked over to Miles, he was to angry to cry now. Miles was going to die.
"Put that fire out and put that scrap with the other one."
Mater was in shock, his eye were wide as he watched McQueen get doused with Fire Extinguisher foam, and then roughly pulled off the dyno and hauled away. McQueen's body drug the ground, horrible squeaks and creaks echoed as he was hauled off. Mater felt his heart break, he didn't get to say good bye to him. This was all his fault, McQueen said that Mater and Finn had brought him here right… Mater glanced over at Finn. Mater felt his heated engine grow hotter he was angry now, angry at Miles for killing his best friend and also at Finn for dragging him into and not listening when Mater had insisted, he wasn't a spy.
Finn felt maters hard glare on him, and it was well placed. He felt overwhelmed by guilt and grief, the young racers death was on him. Hadn't Mater told him several times he wasn't a spy and he had never listened? This was his fault; he didn't blame anyone who accused him.
"Now whose next?"
The three had been so locked in grief and shock that they hadn't noticed the camera switch around. Doc growled,
"You're insane! You'll pay for what you've done!"
Mile smirked,
"oh please, threats…"
He turned his back to Doc and drove over to the large monitors that lite the room. Doc was infuriated, he would kill that car with his own tires, and he would enjoy it!
…………….
Holley's eyes were wide, she was too late. She heard the explosion from her position on first floor. The sound came from below her an underground room. She sunk on her tires; she couldn't grieve now. She had to save the others that were left. She snuck around the corner, her eyes catching a glimmer. She gasped quietly as she saw McQueen being drug by two Hugo's and thrown into a room. The door sealed shut with a loud thud. Holley sighed, so they killed McQueen first she would have bet money that it would have been Fin. She looked to the door her heart heavy knowing that Mater wouldn't be in a good state, she watched as the Hugo's boarded an elevator and it went down. That was where they were, but how to get down without being seen?
…………….
The town sat in grief-stricken silence as the TV flickered on again, this time the President appeared. A deep blue 1946 Series 61 Cadillac.
"Vehicles of America, today we have witnessed a tragic and terrible event. Terrorists have threatened us unless we release some of the world's top criminals, they will continue to…"
The car on the tv went silent he looked down at the papers in front of him,
"We face a dark threat, a threat that will rise if we allow it…."
Sheriff tuned out; in other words, the government wasn't going to do a thing to help. He looked over to Sarge nodding from him to come to him. Sarge rolled over.
"Sherriff?"
"Support Sally would ya? There's something I need to attend to."
Sarge nodded backing into Sheriffs spot as Sheriff backed out. Sheriff had made it a solemn vow to never black mail anyone with anything but not was not that time. He had to break it in order to save lives.
