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Several hours later Mark was awakened by a car carrier pulling in on the other side of their trailer. He started to roll over to go back to sleep until he realized that he was effectively pinned in position by Kiki's arm and leg wrapped around him as she slept with her head on his shoulder. He smiled and pulled the covers up over her shoulders and snuggled her contently and soon drifted back to sleep.

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About an hour later, Kiki woke up to find Mark's arms still wrapped around her. She raised up just a bit and began to nibble Mark's ear.

He said sleepily with his eyes still closed, "You know that beats the heck out of being woke up by a basketball hitting the wall." He stretched, then took her in his arms, and said, "This feels really good."

"Yes, it does. I could stay here all day." Kiki said.

More awake, Mark looked at his watch; it was 6:30 am. "I'd like to myself, but unless Hardcase found a hotel with a basketball goal, he'll be knocking on that door over there in about thirty minutes."

"I guess that means we'd better get up and get a shower," she suggested.

"Uh-huh. That's what we need to do," Mark said, even though he hadn't moved.

Kiki followed his lead and snuggled back beside him. They stayed like that for several minutes before she said, "Mark, this isn't working. I know you're not a morning person, but unless one of us move, we're not going to get anything done."

He smiled, "You're right, but I'm comfortable."

"Oh, so I'm comfortable now?" she asked like she was hurt.

"Yes, comfortable, but a good comfortable," he replied unwrapping his arms.

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While Kiki finished her shower, Mark fixed coffee. He asked, "Did you hear the car carrier come in a while ago?"

"No. I didn't hear anything," she said as she cut off the shower.

He laughed. "It pulled in right beside us." Mark took his coffee and unchained both doors. Then he opened the side door which faced Barbara's other car carrier.

As Kiki stepped out of the bathroom, Mark handed her a cup of coffee. "Thanks. We're gonna tell the kids that I got up really early and came over to get you up."

"Okay," Mark said. "Let's go see who got here really early or really late," he said stepping outside, followed by Kiki.

As soon as Mark saw the logo on the smaller car carrier beside him, he recognized it as a guy he'd raced against before. He and Hamilton had known each other, but had never been friends or enemies, on or off the track.

"Why don't you go make sure the girls are all decent. I'd like to bring the Coyote out as soon as I don't think I'll wake up the entire track."

"Okay," she walked around the trailer to the side doors, which she opened gently to find Carol and Barbara both up and making coffee.

Barbara couldn't help but tease Kiki as she stepped in the trailer with her hair still wet from the shower and carrying a cup of coffee. "You know for someone who came is so late last night, you were up awfully early this morning."

Kiki rolled her eyes a bit, "Somebody had to wake Mark up."

Carol replied, "Uh-huh."

Kiki said, "Mark's ready to open the back end up if you all don't mind."

Carol said, "Tell him to go ahead; those two may sleep until noon if we don't make them get up."

Barbara said, "Come on. Let's go help him."

Mark and the three women had the trailer open and the ramps set up in no time at all. None of them were paying any attention to the other teams who were beginning to also set up. Hamilton had drifted his car out of the trailer. Mark brought the Coyote out, then asked Barbara, "We are going to qualify the car today right?"

She smiled at Mark. "Okay, go get it out."

Mark turned to Kiki. "Come on." As they walked to the second car carrier beside Hamilton's rig, a man was putting a jack under Hamilton's car. When the man stood up, Mark heard Kiki's startled gasp. He looked from her to where her eyes were. Standing twenty feet away was her ex-husband and Mark's old rival, Sammy O'Connell. For what seemed to Kiki a lifetime, none of the three moved.

Hardcastle pulled in just in time to see the three all looking at each other. He knew what was going to happen, but just couldn't get out of the car fast enough to prevent it. McCormick was moving toward O'Connell. Hardcastle said, "Shit!" As he exited the car.

Mark walked over to O'Connell and stood toe to toe with him, and said, "You come within ten feet of Kiki or either of those car carriers, and I'll personally see to it that you are barred from every race track on the West Coast."

"Is that a threat?" O'Connell said, not knowing when to keep his mouth shut.

Mark replied, "No, it's a promise."

Hamilton, who had no idea what was going on came out and said, "Skid? What's the problem?"

Mark never moved and never took his eyes from O'Connell, but replied, "There's no problem, as long as you keep a real tight leash on your jack man here," Mark said, rubbing in that the once race champion was now working on a pit crew as a jack man. He wanted to ask Hamilton if he knew why O'Connell wasn't racing anymore but figured he'd get his chance to push his buttons all weekend. Mark reminded, "Remember what I said. Ten feet."

Hardcastle walked over to Kiki just as Mark was returning to the car carriers. "What just happened?" he frowned.

McCormick walked up in time to hear Hardcastle's question. He said lowly, "Not here." He put his arm around Kiki and he headed them to the farthest car carrier where the Coyote was.

"Barbara, I'm not opening that trailer until time to qualify. Hardcase, I need you to go up to Kiki's car, take the boys their breakfast, and tell Mr. Jones that he needs to leave at least two or three of the boys with the car at all times, and preferably him stay with it, too. I don't think he knows she's racing, and if I can help it he won't make a connection between Kiki and the car. But if he goes up to the drag strip, he'll know that car carrier just like I did. I can't see him not going up to the drag strip unless he's too ashamed to show his face with those guys he used to race against."

Barbara and Carol were now completely confused by Mark's change of plans, as they had missed his encounter with Sammy.

Leaving Kiki to give them the condensed version of the past events, Mark said, "They'll be calling a drivers' meeting soon. I'm going to lock up the other trailer."

Hardcastle followed him. "You, okay?"

"I really could have done without him being here. But, I've got enough information that I plan to make his weekend interesting. What worries me is if he tried that stunt to get rid of Kiki once, if he knows she's driving, he might try it again," Mark explained.

Hardcastle warned, "Kid, he's a lot closer to your cars than he is hers."

"That's why I have already made a point of telling him if he got within ten feet of Kiki or these trailers, I'd see him barred from every track on the West Coast. Even as a spectator," Mark said.

Hardcastle didn't like Marks' tone. "McCormick, you can't go around threatening people."

"It wasn't a threat. Besides," Mark smiled an evil grin. "He's got far more to lose than I do, if he wants trouble." Mark remembered the harassing comments Sammy had made to him and about him having been in prison and had told him all it would take was 'a little push for him to wind up back in prison'. "Judge he wanted to play last time. I couldn't afford the trouble. Shoe's on the other foot this go around. Let's see who can push whose buttons."

"McCormick," Hardcastle began, but knew he might as well have been talking to the wall, "you just took the Bar Exam. No one wants a hot-headed attorney."

Mark smiled, "I'm not an attorney, yet." He paused as he locked the trailer, "I'm only out to push his buttons, a little. You know, give him some of the shit he gave me. Come on, I need you to take the car, go to the drag strip, and give Mr. Jones that message. Judge, we've got three cars and three car carriers, and we've got to be on the tracks. It's going to take all of you to help watch him and the cars while we're on the track or in drivers' meetings."

Hardcastle knew there was more going on than what McCormick was telling him. "Mark?" he questioned.

"Long story, Judge. Reader's Digest version – It's been a long time coming, but we might have a chance this time." McCormick said, then, in a tone that Hardcastle hadn't heard often. "If we do have a chance ... Judge, he took her away from me once. He tried to permanently take her away from me last time. He's the one on parole this time. He doesn't want to cross me, Judge. Legal or otherwise, he'll go down."

"McCormick!" Hardcastle exclaimed. "I hear what you're saying. I know where you're coming from, but you've got to get a grip and concentrate on doing what you came here to do."

McCormick replied, "I'm okay. Really, Judge, I'm good. Go on up to the other car and get back here before I have to go to the drivers' meeting, which should be in about fifteen minutes." Mark knew the drivers' meeting would never be called on time, but Hardcastle didn't know that.

As Hardcastle started for Barbara's car, she called, "Want some company?"

He replied, "Sure." Hardcastle wanted more information on what he'd missed.

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Once in the car, Barbara spoke first. "What did I miss?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing." Hardcastle replied.

"Well, I'm not sure what kind of information you're looking for, but after you left last night, I went on in the trailer. Kiki said she was going to hang out a bit. She never came in the trailer. Of course the girls don't know that. She came in this morning freshly showered."

Hardcastle replied, "Yeah, okay. The old McCormick charm. Heard all about it years ago. What about the other car carrier?"

"It rolled in about 5 am," Barbara replied. "As far as I know, nobody paid it any attention. Mark got the Coyote out and was eager to bring out the new car. He and Kiki were going to open up the trailer and had been gone a few minutes when you pulled in."

Hardcastle replied, "Yeah, I caught round one. I'm just hoping there's not a round two or three."

"Kiki wasn't giving much information. Who is that guy?" Barbara asked.

"It's her," Hardcastle wondered now if he was correct in assuming, then decided to re-word his statement. "Kiki was married to him and had filed for divorce last time McCormick saw her. He tried to kill her in her last race by messing with her car."

Barbara was appalled, "Well, I'll just go tell Bonnie and have him put off the property."

Hardcastle smiled at her. He liked the younger woman's spirit. "I think McCormick would rather have him where he knows where he is. Besides, I don't know what he has cooking, but McCormick does have a plan."

"Judge, I hope you've got a tight grip on his leash," Barbara said.

"I'm not sure a logging chain would work right now," Hardcastle grumbled.

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McCormick was glad to see Hardcastle and Barbara coming toward the car carriers as the announcement was made over the PA system for the drivers of both tracks to report to the infield concession stand in five minutes. This surprised McCormick that they were having the drag strip drivers come down to this track, which meant Sammy would see Kiki going to the meeting.

In order to keep so many drivers straight, they had been given a special ID for themselves and their crew chiefs when they registered the cars. Hardcastle had brought Danny, Pete and Pat back with him and Barbara.

Though it would do McCormick good to walk off down to the drivers' meeting with Kiki, leaving Sammy with his jack, he was concerned about leaving the cars. Drivers' meetings were limited to drivers and crew chiefs. Being Barbara's car, Mark handed her the crew chief ID so she could attend the meeting. Kiki knew that Mark would most likely do the job of crew chief with Mr. Jones being his assistant, but due to Marks instructions, Mr. Jones had stayed with the car, and since Mark was attending the meeting as a driver she called her nephew over, "Danny. Here," she said handing him the crew chief ID, "You got me into this. I think it's about time you attended your first drivers' meeting."

As the four started walking the short distance to the gate at turn four, Mark didn't miss his chance to turn and look back to see if Sammy was watching. He was. At the gate, the four were asked to show their IDs. Sammy looked surprised to see Kiki show an ID and was let through the gate. Mark took advantage of the moment, unseen by Kiki, but seen by Hardcastle; he waved at Sammy as he was admitted on to the track as a driver.

Hardcastle shook his head thinking, 'It's going to be a long weekend.' Then he said out loud to no one, "I thought I was only here to make sure you didn't steal any more cars!"

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After the meeting, Mark informed Hardcastle, "I talked to Bonnie. With all the different classes of cars at both tracks, she's going to work it so that I can be down here for my qualifying, heats and features for both cars and be at the drag strip when Kiki is racing."

"McCormick, I'm sort of new to this racing stuff, but you can't race two cars and crew chief on the third at two tracks," Hardcastle said, a bit worried.

Mark replied confidently, "Sure I can!", then added quietly, hoping Hardcastle didn't hear, "As long as nothing breaks."

"McCormickkk," Hardcastle dragged out the word.

Mark turned, "It'll be okay, Judge. I've got to get up to the drag strip while they are watering and working this track in."

Barbara brought out a couple of two-way radios that could be used to keep in touch from track to track. "Mark, take this and I'll keep the other. I've got the truck drivers here with me. You all go get the other car qualified." To Kiki she said, "Go get 'um!"

Kiki replied, "I just hope I don't jump the light!"

Mark, Hardcastle, and Barbara all said together, "You won't!"

Mark and Kiki got in the Coyote and pulled out. Hardcastle pulled out behind them in Barbara's car with the boys and the two girls, who had finally gotten up.

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Mark pulled the Coyote into the restricted area of the drag strip where the garage area was. Mr. Jones assured him that no one had been around the car. Mark still looked it over from top to bottom before Kiki lined it up in the staging area. As the car in front of her did its burn out, Mark checked her safety harness, giving them one last tug through the window of the 1969 Dodge Charger that was painted a midnight blue. Thanks to Kiki's friend, it bore his garage as a sponsor. The class had restored the entire car from the ground up, including the 426 Hemi under its hood. She was lined up against a 1968 Mustang.

McCormick was in total concentration as he helped to get Kiki lined up to do her burn out. Seeing Mark's signal, Kiki let off the clutch doing the burn out like she'd never left racing. Again, Mark was in front of the car motioning for her to easy up. When she got the car lined up, where Mark wanted it, he then, moved to the side and gave her a thumbs up, which she returned.

After returning Mark's thumbs up, Kiki's only thoughts were on the Christmas tree lights. She left the line perfectly on the green.

Mark watched for her time at the end of the track. When the numbers were displayed, the Hemi had reached 101mph easily defeating the Mustang who had only gone 96mph.

When Hardcastle looked up, Mark wasn't anywhere to be found.

He had instantly headed to the garage area to meet Kiki after she turned the car around and head back to the trailer area. When he saw her, she was trying to get out of the car quickly as Mark made his way to her. He could see the kids excitement, especially the girls of the class, who were closest to Kiki.

The girls saw through their excitement the distress that Kiki was in.

Though Kiki only said, "Get me out of this," her expression, which the girls didn't understand, alerted them something wasn't right, just a split second before Mark got close enough to see her distress, which he, unlike the others, understood. Between the fireproof racing coveralls, the helmet, the safety belts, and the thick fireproof gloves, Kiki was unable to release herself from the car. Due to the warmth of the day, and the flash backs of her crash, Kiki was becoming increasingly upset and eager to get out of the car. Mark made his way through the kids. He was able to see her begin to fight the safety belts. Mark was now inside the car from the waist up, speaking loudly, but calmly, "I've got you. I'll have you out right now." He released the safety belts.

"Can't breath in here," she said still very distressed.

"Calm down. It's okay" Mark said, working quickly to undo the helmet. "Shhhh. Breath. Slow." Knowing her very well, he knew when this was over she'd be embarrassed, so he let her remain in the car, blocking everyone else out of her view. "It's okay. It's just us. I know how closed in it can feel in here, especially when it's hot like this. Give me the gloves," He said as he took them off her hands, then began to unzip her coveralls so she could get some air.
Only now, did Kiki take a long deep breath, close her eyes and let the breath out. She licked her lips and said, hoarsely, "Wheew. Sorry about that."

"Look at me. There's nothing to be sorry for. Firstly, this is a lot more closed in than a Top Fuel car. You don't have to tell me how hot it is in that suit." Mark reached up and tugged his own driver's suit. "Plus, in this blue car it's a lot hotter. Here, let's wipe your face." He handed her a towel. "You were just a bit too hot. Everything is okay. Let's get you out of there and get something cold to drink."

Kiki said, "Mark, that's not all the problem."

He smiled at her. "I know that, and, you know that; nobody else has to." He smiled down at her still sitting in the car seat. His smile widened, "Besides, you kicked his a--!"

Only then did she smile, "I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Mark said now helping her out of the car. He saw Hardcastle's questioning look. He returned it with an, 'It's okay. Don't ask.' look.

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