Act 6
"Uh oh," said Kenta looking back at the girl.
The guys at the table look up to see one of the waiters talking to the girl. They could all see her becoming more and more annoyed. A few second later they say her take off her sunglasses and set them down by the pad of paper in front of her. She calmly she faces the waiter and grabs his tie. She pulls him down to her eye level. Keisuke and Ryosuke couldn't hear what she said, but it seems that the waiter got the point. When she let go he quickly left her table.
"Wow," said Nakazato stunned.
"Now I'm kind of glad she didn't want to go on a date with me. The last thing I need is another tomboy like Sayuki," Shingo glanced at Nakazato. "Why don't you try Tekeshi, she's your type."
He turned away without saying a word.
They all turned back to their meeting.
"Bro what's the plan going to be?"
"How about we race on this mountain," replied Ryosuke pointing at a pass on the map Kenta had just spread out.
"But bro, what about that group?"
Ryosuke slid his fingers over the map.
"They will most likely hit here or here," he said pointing to two passes, the second one being the mountain Keisuke last raced on.
"Are you sure? That's pretty far from where they raced last time."
Shingo and Nakazato looked confused.
"What racing group?"
Keisuke quickly filled them in and turned back to Ryosuke, "but bro why that pass?"
"Easy. It's based on strategy. Think about it Keisuke, if you were trying to avoid someone what would you do? Go where they don't expect you, or go where they do?"
"But they could pick any of the other hills as well," suggested Kenta.
"But that is leaving the outcome up to the chance that the person you are trying to avoid won't be there. If they want to avoid us they are going to go to a place we have already been." Ryosuke sat back to drink his coffee.
Everyone began to think over what he said. Kenta looked back to see the dark haired girl looking their way. Catching his gaze she turned back to her notebook.
"That lady was looking over here."
"Maybe she finds you cute Kenta," Keisuke laughed.
Kenta blushed and tried to change topics, "So why are you so interested in this group?"
"Because Keisuke likes one of the drivers," Ryosuke said smiling.
"BRO!"
A commotion at the other table grabs their attention. Keisuke watches as a redhead runs to the other girl's table.
//Wait, isn't that Alex?//
The conversation was too low for him to hear, but he saw the other girl quickly pick up her things and the two made their way out of the diner. He glanced at Ryosuke.
"Well what are you waiting for Keisuke, let's go."
*********
After the Dark Horizon's meeting, Aki went into town for some tea. She took a seat by the window and pulled out a small notebook. Inside were some notes and equations that she had been working on. While writing she begins to notice some cars pulling into the driveway.
//Hmm, an EG6 and an R32 with suspensions set up for racing.//
She looked for a team sticker. Seeing it, her eyes narrowed.
//Night Kids from Gunma. What are they doing here?//
She looks back at her notebook as the two men walk in and grab a booth a few tables away. She hears one of them coming towards her.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked sitting down.
"It is now," she replied.
Shingo laughed. "I noticed you were alone and thought you might need some company."
"Thanks but I like being alone."
Shingo tried again. "My name is Shingo Shoiji, I am a well know racer down in Gunma."
"No way, I didn't know that," Aki said, the sarcasm practically dripping from her tongue. "Now if you haven't taken the hint yet, I'm not interested." She stared at him. "You are becoming more and more annoying with every passing second you sit here, so why don't you just go sit with your friend."
Shingo took one look at her eyes and made his way back to his table. After making sure he wasn't going to make a second attempt, Aki went back to working on her equations. A few minutes later one of the other waiters came by. She could tell by the way he was approaching that he was going to try and ask her out.
"Would you like some more tea?"
//Why I haven't finished my other one.//
"No thank you."
"Some food?"
"No thanks."
"How about a piece of pie?"
Aki was getting pissed. "I said no thank you."
He kept on going. Aki took off her glasses and placed them beside her book. Reaching out quickly she grabbed the guy's tie and pulled him down to her eye level.
"What part of no didn't you understand? The N or the O?" she asked. "Now I'll let you go if you promise to leave me alone."
Hearing a weak yes, she let go. As the waiter ran off she put her glasses on and looked back out the window. Parked in the lot she saw a pair of RX7 and an S14. Looking over at Shingo's table she spots them.
//So those two know the Takahashi's. Is it possible that Ryosuke formed a new team?//
She glanced around the diner and then back at the group.
//I wonder if Takumi is with them.//
One of the guys looked her way. She quickly averted her gaze. A few minutes later she hears the front door flung open and sees Alex rushing towards her.
Alex stops in front of her table out of breath. "Why did you turn off your cell?"
"Because I wanted to be alone. Why what's wrong?"
"Trouble. Rick is going to challenging the Tsunamis."
"He's only supposed to be checking them out. That bastard, I am really beginning to lose my patience with him." She was pissed. This whole day had been going wrong. Aki dropped some money onto the table. "Let's go before it's too late."
Both women quickly left the diner and got into their cars and were so preoccupied that they didn't notice the two people following them out.
********
Ryosuke watched as the two cars swerved in and out of traffic. Keisuke was slightly behind him.
//Better than expected,// thought Ryosuke watching the black FC. // I wonder where they're headed.//
The two women took the next exit off the freeway and headed for Komotiri Pass, the Tsunami's home course. Ryosuke smiled, it was one of the passes he had predicted they would hit. Fifteen minutes later, they reached the base. Alex turned onto a dirt side road. Continuing to follow Aki, Ryosuke failed to notice a blue car sitting in the local park. Vic called Alex warning her of the two Mazda's making their way up the mountain.
*******
Aki raced to Komotiri pass, hoping Alex would be able to follow her. She watched as Alex pulled up beside Vicky's who sighed in relief as Aki drove past.
"I'm glad you managed to find her before Rick did something stupid," she said.
"I'm glad you called me first and didn't try and stop him yourself. I don't think Rick would listen to anybody except her anyway," replied Alex.
Back at the top, Rick and one of the Tsunami members were lined up at the start when Aki showed up. She put her car into a skid and blocked Rick's car. She got out of her car and walked to his window.
"Rick, get back to the motel."
"But-"
"Now. I'll deal with your insolence later. Right now I have to clean up the mess you made."
Looking over at the other car after she saw him making his way down the hill. Aki inwardly smiled; apparently the other driver was also getting a lecture. She waited until it was over. Glancing around she noticed a few guys on bikes, looking over at the exchange.
"I take it you're the team leader?" she asked the blonde after he had finished admonishing the other driver.
"Yeah, name's Ryo."
"Aki. I just wanted to apologize for my teammate's behavior and I hope it won't spoil any further relations between our teams."
He laughed. "It's no problem. If I was here earlier I would have stopped it myself, but apparently some people in my team are still a little immature."
Aki smiled. "Well I admit I sent my guy here to check you guys out. Mainly to see if you would like to organize a battle for the coming Saturday."
"I'd love to."
"Oh but could I ask a favor? My team is still very new to the racing world and they are not used to large crowds."
"So you want me to keep this fairly low profile? I don't see a problem with that."
"Thanks Ryo," said Aki getting back into her car. "I'll see you Saturday.
Just as she was about to pull out her phone rang.
"Aki, it's Alex. The Takahashi's just showed up."
Aki quickly hung up the phone and floored it. She passed the brothers soon after.
//Shit, too close. I don't have enough speed yet to lose them.//
She glanced in her mirror to see Ryosuke pull a quick J-turn and begin to chase after her. His brother wasn't too far behind.
******
As Ryosuke drove up the mountain he saw a muddy yellow colored car fly past. A few minutes later it was followed by the black FC. Ryosuke reacted quickly and did a quick 180 in an attempt to catch Aki's car. Keisuke also preformed the same move but could not match the speed of his older brother. Ryosuke began analyzing her driving.
//Impressive. She handles her car extremely well.//
The black FC began to pick up it's pace. Ryosuke was getting nervous. She was taking these corners extremely fast. Ryosuke was beginning to have trouble keeping up.
//The speed is unnatural. No engine I know can generate this much power, not even Takumi's.//
Aki began to pull away, yet when Ryosuke tried to increase his pace, he noticed her slowing down. She decreased her speed so slightly that most people wouldn't have noticed it. His eyes narrowed.
//She isn't driving seriously. Strange, it's as if she wants me to keep up with her.//
*******
Keisuke watched as both the FCs went faster, he could see himself falling father and farther behind after every corner.
//What is she? I thought no one could except Takumi could drive as good as my brother.//
They pulled a little farther away. Eventually he couldn't see them anymore.
//Oh I'm really impressed. I didn't know bro could drive that fast, especially since he isn't even driving seriously.//
*******
Aki looked back to see the two brothers following.
//This might be bad. I could probably lose the FD, but his brother poses a problem.//
She grabbed her cell as she increased he speed by another few notches.
"Alex leave now with the others. Yes meet me at that place."
She increased her speed once more but looking back she realized she still hadn't lost her follower. She smiled as an idea came to her.
//Ok white comet, lets see how well you fly.//
The lower part of this road had a bridge spanning a highway.
//Alex is going to have a fit,// she thought, calculating the trajectory of her jump. //But dad always said I inherited mom's wild streak.//
She waited for the bridge to come up.
//Wait, I want the other one to see this. The more the merrier as they all say.//
She turned right onto the dirt road that Alex and Vicky had been on earlier. Trying not to lose her, Ryosuke followed. They began to race uphill when Ryosuke found himself back on pavement.
//What the hell is she doing?//
Aki picked up speed. After a few corners she saw what she was looking for. She flashed her high beams and laughed at Keisuke's dumbfounded face as she drove by. Aki curbed her speed so that he could keep up, she was becoming more excited with each passing moment.
//This will be something they won't soon forget. Too bad the rest of my team can't see this.// She thought for a moment. //My mechanic is going to flip.//
The bridge came up and Aki aimed her car straight for the space between the guardrail and the bridge. She floored her foot and the black FC launched forward into thin air. Her car flew over the pass landing hard on the bottom road. Sparks flew as the bed of the car scrapped the pavement. Aki looked back.
//I didn't think they would follow// she thought looking back at the Takahashi brothers stopped on the bridge above her.
She smiled. Although she had just destroyed the shocks in her car, she had enjoyed every second of it.
*******
Ryosuke and Keisuke slid to a top after Aki launched herself off the bridge. Both brothers got out of their cars and looked over the edge.
"I can't believe she just did that. You're not supposed to be able to do that," said Keisuke stunned.
Ryosuke just stood there shocked.
"This might cause a problem for her race on Saturday. They can't back out since they made the challenge," Keisuke continued.
"But we might be able to track her down now," said Ryosuke thoughtfully as he watched Aki drive away. "She is going to have to go somewhere to get that car fixed and I might be able to find out where."