Author's Note: I know I know, I'm going to incur the wrath of all my readers but if I didn't end this chapter here, the chapter would have been extremely long due to the next chapter and all the elements tying together that will bring this saga to its conclusion. But with the way this story's just writing itself, the next chapter will probably be up by the weekend but I make no promises. And I want thank heartily all the reviewers whose thoughtful comments are truly and humbly appreciated, especially Hawk Sage, Freddo, RedLion2, Jen23(hi KSF)—you guys are the very best. And please read their stories for they are all well written takes on the world of Speed Racer. So Enjoy!
CONFRONTATION!
The Go Team, like the other racing teams was preparing to travel down the course to St Louis, the halfway checkpoint so that the Mach 5 could be refueled and change tires. The pit crew under the direction of Sparky was packing the transport vehicle and was nearly ready to leave when Mom Racer noticed that Trixie had not returned from the restroom. She approached her husband who was supervising the proceedings.
"Dragon, I hate to bother you but I can't find Trixie," the matriarch of the Racer clan stated, worry etched on her attractive features.
"Huh? Anyi, what are you talking about?" Pops demanded, his eyes still on Sparky and the crew. Janine, who had been watching her beau at work was immediately alert.
Mom continued, "I just noticed that she hasn't returned from when she went to the restroom and I was missing her. Where could she be? I hope nothing happened." Her cornflower blue eyes were dark with concern.
Pops sighed and approached his wife, patting her shoulder. "Don't worry, honey she's probably still taking care of business." He blushed at the implication of feminine delicacies.
"I hope so. She's been gone for nearly an hour," Mom fretted.
Janine placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Mom Racer. I'll go check and see if I can find her. I'm sure she's okay."
"Oh would you? Janine, I'd be so grateful, Trixie's due date is close and I know Speed would be frantic if something happened."
"No problem, Mom Racer." She turned and headed to the restrooms at the pit area. When she got there she entered the ladies room and walked in the empty chamber calling Trixie's name and looking under the stalls. She felt a cold finger of dread skitter down her spine and an overwhelming feeling of foreboding flooded her being as she began to realize that the room was empty. Janine headed out of the deserted restroom.
When she stepped outside, Janine could not shake the growing feeling that something was wrong. Then something caught her eye and she went over to the stack of tires adjacent to the restrooms. She strolled over and surveyed the area, her intuition screaming that something was horribly wrong when she spotted signs of a struggle as evidenced by several tires strewn about. Then her suspicions were confirmed when she saw a scrap of hemp rope, like the kind used to tie down tents at the circus.
"Ohhh no," she gasped as the implication became clear. She sprinted over to where the elder Racers, Sparky and the team were.
Mom Racer saw the agitated expression on the auburn haired girl as she came to a stop, breathless before her. Her heart sank as she heard the next statement.
"Mom Racer, everyone, there's no sign of Trixie and I found this." She held up the rope.
"Huh?" Sparky and Pops came right over and took the rope from Janine. "What are you talking about?" Sparky asked his excited girlfriend, grasping her by the elbows.
"Trixie's nowhere to be found. She isn't in the restrooms and over by the tires where I found that, it looks like someone had a fight or struggle."
Pops' eyes narrowed to inky slits as he snapped, "You must be kidding! Who would snatch a pregnant woman?"
Sparky's face was grim as he said, "I dunno Pops but we'd better get a hold of Inspector Detector to help us find her and fast. If Speed finds out, it'll be hell to pay and the person who did it will be a goner, he'll kill 'em."
The frightened group all nodded in agreement as Pops made his way to a phone.
Back in the race, the Mach 5 had crossed the Minnesota border into Iowa and headed for the first checkpoint in Dubuque, where the drivers could have a short meal break. Speed and Twinkle were heading to the truck stop that the IRC had designated as the official checkpoint for the North/South Road Rally. After about five miles, they exited the interstate and pulled into the parking lot that teemed with semis and trailers. They got out and headed to the checkpoint tent at the rear of the parking lot.
The IRC tent was actually a trailer that housed the race officials, complete with facilities and a makeshift infirmary complete with medical supplies should they be needed. They also provided much needed liquids to replenish both car and drivers until the full pit stop at the halfway point in St Louis.
Speed and Twinkle entered the tent where an IRC official waited at a table. They strode over and Speed handed the man his time card, which got stamped. He handed the card back to Speed.
"Looks like you're the first driver to check in, Speed. You can grab a bite to eat at the diner for a half hour then be on your way. Good Luck."
"Thanks." Speed took the card back and he and Twinkle headed out of the tent. He asked her, "You hungry?"
"Yeah, sort of," Twinkle replied.
"Then let's grab something to eat. The other cars'll be pullin' in so the sooner we eat the quicker we can be on our way."
She nodded, "Sounds good. Let's go." With that statement they headed to the diner where just for the race participants, a special buffet was set up.
Other racers were arriving to the check point tent and soon the parking lot was filling up with high powered Formula 1 racing machines stopping to check in or get some nourishment. In the flurry of activity, nobody noticed the red GTO Judge rumble in and park in the back of the diner.
Bruce slipped the gears into park and cut the engine while Trixie glanced about in bewilderment. She regarded her erstwhile abductor askance as she inquired, "What are we doing here?"
He was staring at the cars and drivers wordlessly as his amber orbs scanned the area for the shapely form of the girl daredevil he adored and ignored the chestnut haired mother-to-be seated beside him. Trixie sighed and tried again.
"Bruce, what are we doing here? Please won't you tell me?" she pleaded, her verdant gaze pinning him.
Bruce sighed and replied, "This is where all the racers are stopping. I'm looking for my girl." Then he spotted the unmistakable Mach 5. "Stay here, Trixie," he commanded as he opened the door and got out.
"Humph!" Trixie seethed as she watched him creep over to the diner.
Bruce made his way stealthily to the side of the diner to peer in the window. He combed through the moderate crowd of racers and navigators gathered for food. Then his teeth gritted and eyes narrowed as he became engulfed in a jealous rage when he spotted Speed and Twinkle at a table eating and seeming to be in a cozy twosome, laughing and having fun. His hands balled into fists as he turned away and then his eyes fell on the parked white racing machine. Bruce smiled unpleasantly as he began to head over to the Mach 5 but when he got to the M emblazoned hood his progress was halted by a hand on his arm.
"Bruce," the softly husky voice of Speed Racer's wife entreated, "What are you doing here by the Mach 5?"
The muscular ex-circus star sneered, "I plan to make sure that your husband's time alone with my cara is over. So let go of my arm." He wrenched the member away and Trixie watched with horror as he opened the hood and proceeded to disconnect the distributor wires.
"No, you can't be serious! Stop that." Trixie cried as she tried to halt his vandalizing but he pushed her aside, nearly causing her to fall. She grasped her abdomen as she felt the slight cramp of pain but she ignored it as she tried again.
"Bruce, you can't do this. You're ruining Speed's chance to win, and I can't let you do that." She reached into the power plant but Bruce pushed her aside as she fell this time to her knees. Trixie tried to rise but her girth prevented the action and the cramps kept her aground.
"Sorry Trixie, but I have to do this," he insisted as he continued to disconnect the wires. Satisfied, he slammed the hood shut. He did not notice Speed and Twinkle exiting the eatery, walking from the diner to the parking lot who saw him at the front of the car.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" bellowed a tenor voice as the blue shirted Formula 1 champion sprinted the short distance to his car, Twinkle bringing up the rear. His flashing cobalt eyes were on the car and then skewered the former circus star as he grabbed him by the collar. He then spotted his wife kneeling on the concrete and tossed the surprised Bruce aside as he rushed to her and asked frantically, "Trixie, what are you doing here? Are you okay?"
Trixie glanced up and the pallor on her face spoke volumes as Speed gently assisted her up. "Tell me, Trix what's going on? How did you get here with him?"
"S-Speed, he took me and f-followed you," Trixie stammered as another pain came and she grabbed his arm.
Twinkle, who had been stunned into inertia, regarded her fiancé with a mixture of amazement and reproach as she wordlessly went to Trixie, looping an arm about her. "Trixie, you look strange. Are you okay?"
Speed glowered at Bruce, his entire being filled with a red haze of wrath. He growled, "You bastard, I should kill you. You had no right to drag my pregnant wife with you on your snipe hunt." He released Trixie and rushed at Bruce in a tackle, knocking him to the ground.
Bruce was taken completely by surprise but recovered quickly as he too became enraged. He pushed the livid racer off him and his physically fit body tensed in a crouch as the two men squared off.
"Racer, I'm gonna give you the pounding you asked for the other day when you tried to keep me from seein' my girl," Bruce growled as he swung his right fist, connecting with Speed's jaw with a solid hit, sending him back.
"What the hell are you talkin' about? I never tried to keep you from your girl," Speed countered, his eyes narrowed to sapphire slits. He recovered and feinted to the left and then buried his right fist in Bruce's flat belly, driving the wind out of the trapeze artist with a "whoof" as he doubled over. Speed then gave Bruce a vicious left cross that sent him sprawling, landing on his back.
"C'mon, on your feet so I can knock ya down again!" Speed snapped as he waited for Bruce to slowly rise flicking blood from his split lip. He smirked as he got into position.
"Glad to oblige, Racer. Only this time you're the one who'll be kissin' the ground." The pair of men circled each other menacingly.
On the side, both women watched in fascination and terror as the men charged at each other like infuriated wrestlers in a ring. Their grunts and groans as they grappled with each other indicated a true battle royale between adversaries that were bound and determined to tear each other's heads off. Speed pushed away and then drove his right fist into Bruce's jaw then before the circus flyer could respond grabbed him by the throat and began squeezing.
"You deliberately put my wife in danger, I'll break your neck with my bare hands," Speed howled through gritted teeth as he crushed Bruce's windpipe with all his adrenaline fed strength. The former circus star's eyes bulged as he reached up and clawed at the iron grip on his throat.
Twinkle had seen enough as she watched the enraged Speed slowly ending the life of the man she loved. She left Trixie and rushed over, beating her fists on Speed's back.
Stop it! Stop it! You're killing him, you're killing my fiancé!" she shrieked. He ignored her as he continued squeezing the life out of Bruce Trapezini.
To the side, Trixie stood witness to her husband's apparent bloodlust as she felt another sharp pain rip through her. She then felt the warm liquid pour out between her legs as her water broke.
"SPEED!!" she cried in agony.
Speed was oblivious to his immediate surroundings until the high pitched shriek of his name pierced through the tunnel vision. He panted heavily as he glanced in the direction of his wife. He threw the semi-conscious man aside as he rushed to his doubled over spouse and Bruce crumpled to the ground in the arms of a sobbing Twinkle.
"Trixie!"
She whimpered as she clutched his arms. "Oh Speed, it's time! The baby's coming now!"
"Okay, baby okay. C'mon, we'll get to the nearest hospital." He scooped her up and carried her to the Mach 5 where he laid her on the red bucket seat. He leapt over the side to get behind the wheel and turned the key but the engine failed to fire, the ignition grinding over and over without catching.
"Son of a bitch!" Speed cursed as he glared at Bruce. "What the hell did ya do to my car? Answer me!!"
Bruce was still barely conscious cradled in Twinkle's arms but Trixie's next scream drew Speed's attention. "Oh Speed, please, please help me!"
"Easy angel, I will, I will I promise." He glanced at the IRC tent and then vaulted out of the cockpit and hurried to the passenger side. He tenderly gathered up Trixie again as he strode over to the tent and barged in.
The race officials stared with bug eyes as Speed asked in a hurry. "Please, my wife's having a baby. Can we use the infirmary of the tent?"
"W-what?" the race official stuttered, still in shock.
Losing his patience Speed snapped, "I need to use the infirmary of this tent, now!" He took his wife and gently laid her on the medical cot in the corner, placing a pillow under her head to prop her up. He commanded, "And I need all the sheets, blankets, and first aid supplies ya got, on the double!"
"Y-yes, right away," the race official answered as he rushed off to get the things Speed asked for.
Speed knelt beside Trixie, gently caressing her forehead as he said softly, "Hang in there, baby. We're gonna do this like we've always done everything, together. We're a team, remember?"
She managed a weak smile and she nodded then another contraction hit as she screamed. . .
NEXT---CRUNCH TIME!