Chapter 5.

Dom hung up the phone. His face bemused, he turned to the others, they too wore similar expressions, curious as to who had called at such a late hour. Vince finally spoke.

"Well, who was that Dom? You look like someone's just burned you at the lights in a pram."

"Some guy with a weird accent, told me he knew who rigged the Evo. He said he needed our help, and would call again."

"Dom, something's going down here, and it looks like it's us." Dom looked at Vince and nodded. Leon decided to add his two cents.

"I don't like it dawg. You know me, I'm in for anything, but this is starting to scare me. We're being played here like a ten dollar guitar. We either gotta find who's got it in for us, or get the hell out of Cal."

"Running makes us look guilty. That's just what these guys want. It's time to get real serious. Leon, I know you still have a few old friends around here, ask em to snoop round. What is it Jessie?" Jessie, who'd been staring out of the window for the last five minutes turned to look at Dom.

"Some really great car just took off up the road. The guy was on the phone then just sat there. Then he just took off. From the sound the engine made, the drivers gotta have more than a few grand of top quality kit in there." Dom came over to the window and looked up and down the street.

"So this guys watching us. Did you make the car Jess?"

"I think it was a Beamer, the body'd been totally remade, but it looked amazing. I think it was green if that helps?" Dom shook his head, but Leon looked up at Jessie.

"Kind of a dark metallic green, 19s, slung lower than Vince's Morals?" The others all looked at Leon.

"Yeah, you know it?" Dom put his hands on either side Leon's shoulders.

"You need to be real clear on this. You sure you know this car?"

"Yeah, I saw it tonight. When Elise and the other guy, Lexx turned up, this incredible looking Beamer, was third car back in the Integras crew, I thought the guy drivin it, must put some serious cash in it."

"And you sure this is the same one."

"Well, no, not totally sure, I didn't see it dawg, but it sounds like it, and it seems to fit with what's been happening." Vince groaned.

"Great. If this guy Lexx is the one who's jacking these trucks, or into whatever it is their doing, how do we know he's not getting this guy to set us up." Dom thought for a minute.

"Mm. We're gonna have to wait for Brian to get back. Maybe he can tell us something after he's talked to Elise. Meanwhile. Jessie, you run a check on all Beamers in the area, and on this guy Lexx. Probably wouldn't hurt to check up on Elise too. See what she's been doing these last few years. Mia, you help him. Leon, you see if you can find any of your old friends, and Vince, keep an eye out ok. I'm starting to get an uneasy feeling. I want to go say hello to my first born." With that, he turned and headed for the stairs, the others hung around for a moment, then split and went about their separate chores. Letty followed Dom up the stairs.

.

Dom woke to the sound of the baby crying. He gently climbed out of bed, not that there was any need. Letty had always slept like she'd never wake, even a gun shot wouldn't have got her up. He guessed he'd be in for a lot of sleepless nights in the following months and considering that facts, he realised that it wasn't going to help matters. He sighed, then stopped dead in the hall way. The crying had stopped, and he could here gentle giggling, and shushing sounds coming from the end of the room. He reached for the revolver beside the bed, then thought better of it. He didn't want to hit the baby, he reached for the light switch, and hit it. Brian almost fell over in shock, and only just held tight to the baby, he was gently cradling in his arms. Dom heaved a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing in here?" He whispered.

"I just got back from the hospital. I accidentally woke the little fellow, when I passed the door, so I tried to put her back to sleep."

"Your good with kids Brian." He indicated the already sleeping baby in his arms. Brian shrugged.

"I had a lot of little cousins." He laid the little baby back in it's crib, and gave Dom a stern look. "Since your awake, I think we need to talk."

"Downstairs." Brian nodded, and the two silently made their way down to the den. Once seated, Dom began his story of what had happened after Brian had left. Brian listened with concern.

"And you say, he had a weird accent. What do you mean, like a hill billy?"

"No, I mean, it wasn't American at all, bar a slight cali twang, maybe English. Auzy maybe. Hell it could've been anything, I don't know accents." Brian sighed.

"Well, I think I remember this Beamer from tonight, like Leon said, but whether, this guy is on our side or not. That's another story." Brian gave a sheepish and almost scared grin. "Remember what happened last time you trusted someone you didn't know." Dom scowled at Brian.

"Yeah, but you worked out ok didn't you. You're right though, we gotta be careful. Jessie couldn't find anything on this car, though this guy Lexx, has done some hard time. His real name is Lenny Texas, from New Jersey." Dom gave a 'typical' smile at Brian as he said this. "He's twenty six, and served two years for armed robbery. Apparently, he was down for longer, but got out on an appeal. Jessie said there was a load of Bribery stuff around it. Plus he spent three years in Juvi, over in England for car theft, breaking and entering and assault, plus some miners. Apparently his father had moved their, but he came back here, once he got out." Brian interrupted.

"There's your Beamer driver."

"What? Oh, you think they met in Juvi."

"Makes sense. They meet, probably had similar backgrounds, and became friends, and then met up later. Check the records for anyone in their on car related charges. I'll bet my pink slip you'll find him." Dom laughed.

"Remember, I own the Supra, you owed me a ten second car."

"Don't remind me." Dom looked serious for a moment.

"Brian, you ever regret taking that case?"

"Never. I just wish I'd told you sooner. We coulda sorted it out earlier."

"Actually, if you'd told me you were a cop before you let me go, I would of let Vince kill you." Brian searched his eyes for any sign he was joking, but he couldn't tell. Dom suddenly shook his head. "So anyway, what d'you find out at the hospital, is Elise ok?"

"Yeah. It was touch and go for a while, but she came through ok. She even came round really soon after surgery, complaining how much the burns hurt, and demanding jugs full of coffee. What's the story with her anyway?"

"She used to be one of the team. She had this crush on me, but I was after Letty. Leon was actually after her, but she didn't feel that way about him. Eventually she left and fell in with a bunch of guys who stole cars for a living. Even changed her name, I can't remember what to. Anyway, next I heard, she'd gone east to New York or something. I guess she bought a return ticket. What she have to say anyway?"

"She said it wasn't them doing the trucks, it was Lexx and his crew. Apparently, one of her mates, Kip or something, saw them parking a semi in their garage, and then he heard about the jackings. So they watched Lexx and his friends for a few days, and saw them hit the second truck. What's interesting is though, she said someone phoned her yesterday, and told her not to go to the races. She thought, they were just trying to scare her off. Now she thinks they knew they'd been scene, and wanted to get rid of her. Anything sound familiar there?"

"You think this caller, is the same guy who called us?"

"Probably, and it might mean we can trust him. If he is trying to stop these guys, then maybe."

"Or maybe it's just more of the trap." A guff voice said from the door. Vince stood in the frame, filling in, and not looking his best. Brian had a sudden flash back to lying on his back on concrete outside a garage, with a shot gun to his face.

"Well either way, this guy is our main link, but all we can do is sit and wait till he calls again. Till then, we just gotta find out as much as we can about this lot." Brian and Vince nodded. "However, I think you all need your sleep. And by the sound of it, the baby needs a feeding. I'd better go wake Letty. This isn't going to be pretty." Brian smiled and Vince smirked, as they let Dom pass and walk slowly up the stairs. Brian then nodded at Vince, and both headed to their bedrooms, where Brian snuggled in beside Mia. He quickly drifted off to sleep, but his mind kept racing with thoughts of the crash over and over. He was missing something. Something really obvious and he couldn't see it but no mater how much he tossed and turned, his mind just couldn't place it.