Chapter 16 - Busted!
"Letty, what's up with you?" Mia wanted to know why Letty was leaving Dom in the clutches of the skanks. It was incredibly out of character for the Latina woman.
"Well, if he'd rather flirt with skanks then be with me that's his problem. He needs to get over it and me yelling at him over it's clearly not helping. So I'm going to see what ignoring him does. It's like he only wants me to get pissed and fight with him anyways."
"Good plan, see how this works. Couldn't be much worse right?" Nyssa elbowed Letty and they laughed. Nyssa cranked the tunes in her car and she and Letty started to grove a little to the music. The song she had queued up was a techno track called Phat Bass. Nyssa and Letty drug Mia into it and the three of them got into it. They didn't notice the crowd they attracted.
Dom and Vince noticed the crowd of people around where they parked and headed over. They saw the girls dancing, and watched as other people, including guys, joined in. Vince shook his head, it never failed to amaze him how that girl started trouble, and since it was her stereo on blast he'd bet money this had been her idea. Of course Letty was dancing with some guy who had joined in and Dom looked ready to start throwing punches. They fought their way through the crowd and cut in on the guys who were dancing with their girls.
"It's time to turn that shit off. Dom's ready to race." Vince said as he shoved the punk who'd been dancing with Nyssa away from her. She turned it off and a chorus of awe's went up from the group. They had wanted to dance. But they dispersed now that the music was off and Dom and Vince were around.
Dom called the race and it went off smoothly. Dom won. Nothing new there. Too bad there was no one to give him a run for his money. He called another race since the cops hadn't been called yet.
"You could always take my car and give it a shot." Nyssa told Vince as they stood around waiting for three people to step to Dom's challenge. He was having trouble getting three after the solid beating he'd delivered to the last three. Vince seemed to think about her offer for a moment.
"You know, that's not a bad idea. I been driving your car enough to know how it runs now and it's been a while since I got a chance to run." Vince took Nyssa's keys and headed off toward where Dom was standing. "Hey, count me in Brotha."
"You? You wanna race?"
"Yeah, I wanna race. That an issue?"
"Hell yeah it's an issue. I don't wanna race you. We don't race each other on this team V. You know that."
"Well you stand back and let me go this time then. You race all the time and I can't hardly remember the last time I did. I want in." Vince showed no sign of backing down, despite the death glares Dom was shooting him.
"I'm not backing out. You'll have to race me." Dom relented on condition, hoping Vince wouldn't step to the challenge. He was destined to be disappointed.
"I thought I was gonna be up against you when I told you I wanted it. Bring it."
"I will take your money, family or no." Dom retorted with a smirk.
"Goes the same this way Brotha. Line that thing up."
Each man handed Hector their money and moved their cars to the line.
The girls took Letty's car and parked at the start line. Letty and Mia stood next to the Silvia talking to some people they knew while Nyssa walked up to the open window of her car. "Good luck. Go get 'em." She told Vince when she reached the side of the car.
"Thanks."
She patted his shoulder and moved to walk away. Vince grabbed her wrist and turned her back around. She looked at him questioningly, head cocked to one side. He tugged her down and she leaned slightly in the window, unable to stop herself due to his strenght. He kissed her hard. "That's what I really needed for luck sweetness. See ya in the winners circle." She leaned in the window and changed the song on the stereo.
"No, this is what you need for luck." She pulled up one of her favorite songs on the radio and walked away, back to where Mia and Letty were waiting for her.
Vince pulled the car up to the line level with the other three men. They all got ready to race, turning on nitrous valves and checking over gauges.
Mia and Nyssa couldn't decide who they thought would win. Letty thought it would be Dom because it was always Dom. Mia and Nyssa weren't so sure.
Leon announced it was go time when he got a 187 on the scanner and Hector dropped his arms upon getting the confirmation. It became immediately clear that the two unknown men in the race might as well have just handed in their cash and saved their spray because they fell off the pace almost immediately. It became clear the race was going to be all about the purple Nissan and red Mazda. The two cars were racing neck and neck.
Dom had a lot more experience in street racing, given the many races he was always offered and his king of the streets reputation. Vince had the frustration of knowing that he was regarded as the big dumb guy who did what he was told and towed the team line. Both were driving cars that could pile on the speed and not let up. The fact was driven home by the infuriating dance they were perpetrating. One would gain a fraction and then the other would counter and pass by the same small distance. The give and take pattern continued for the first 7 seconds of race. It was most unusual for a race involving Dominic Toretto to come down to the wire as it was clear this one would.
Vince and Dom had both already used nitrous; they were still neck and neck. Vince wondered, could he get off a third charge? Would it ruin Nyssa's car? Either he tried it or he accepted a tie with Dom. He knew it wouldn't be a full shot so he figured it should be fine. He went for it, knowing that with Dom's system after two shots it was pretty well empty. Mostly one shot was plenty for Dom to use. Vince hit the red button on the wheel once again and got just enough of an edge to beat Dom. He did wonder how he was going to get the car slowed down from 160 without the brakes fading out on him.
He got it slowed down enough and pulled a U turn by locking up the parking brake. He headed back to where the whole crowd was cheering.
The crowd couldn't get over what a race they'd just seen. No one could remember the last time they'd seen anyone beat Dom. It just didn't happen. That was what kept everyone trying to beat him. They all wanted to be the first one to manage. Now someone had. What would it mean to their king?
Mia was looking at Dom like she expected him to freak out and do something crazy. She wasn't sure how her brother would take his loss. Letty was secretly glad, hoping maybe Dom would gain some humility, seeing that he was no superman and he could be beaten. Nyssa was cheering in the middle of a crowd of other people who were also cheering. No one but Nyssa was quite sure what they were cheering for. Was it for the spectacular race or because someone had finally shown Dom what it was like to finish second.
Vince got out of the car and walked up to Nyssa. The other people in the crowd parted out of his way but Nyssa stood her ground. She ended up in a clearing by herself, watching Vince approach her position.
"Way to go cowboy. I knew you could do it."
Vince picked her up by the waist and swung her around. "Thanks for letting me use your car."
"I just hope some day I can drive it the way you just did."
"You will."
"Cops, we got cops, go. Go. Go." Leon shouted. Vince and Nyssa jumped in the Skyline, Vince drove. They ran and got out of the district so fast the cops never saw them on the scene. They got out so fast they were the first ones home. Vince put the money he'd won in his room and Nyssa sat down in the living room, not knowing if there would be a big party or not. Leon showed up next, then Mia who had jumped in Jesse's car. Then Dom showed up. Everyone wondered where Letty was. The phone rang and Nyssa grabbed it.
"Toretto's"
"Nyssa, its Letty. I got caught by the cops. I'm down at the station on Parkwood. Could you or one of the guys come and get me? I need money to pay my fine too. It is in my room under the bed in a box. I know that is not a great place but bring a couple hundred bucks whoever comes ok?"
"Sure Lett, I'll come right now girl, be there in about 20 minutes k?"
"Sure. Thanks a lot Nyssa."
"No problem."
She hung up and turned to the team, "I gotta go get Letty from the police station. She has to pay a fine and they're keeping her car overnight."
"I'll go get her." Dom said and turned to leave.
"No Dom, you better let me go for her, I'll take Mia with me." Nyssa stated.
"She's my girl, I'll go get her."
"Ok Dom, smart idea. After all the cops are bound to believe you when you tell them your girlfriend went racing without you this evening. Plus your car is hot and the spray is all used up. They have enough to question you too. They have nothing on me."
"Your spray is used up too, and your car is also in obviously just been raced shape so I don't see how it matters who goes and gets her."
"I can take the Mustang and it's not even a race car. Just the two Toretto girls getting the third, nothing funny 'bout that. Dom Toretto picking up his girlfriend at the police station after she got picked up for street racing not smart." Dom relented and Mia and Nyssa went upstairs and grabbed the money. They headed for the front door. Vince stopped them.
"Remember Nyssa, you were home all night, you and Mia have school tomorrow so you were studying or somethin. Tell them we all stayed home just in case Letty told them that they had it all wrong she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time or something."
"We'll do fine Vince. See you soon." The two girls left and headed down to the police station Letty had named. They walked in and Nyssa walked up to the desk jockey du jour. "We're here to get Letty Lopez please."
"Who are you two? Are you a relation of hers?"
"Yeah, we're her cousins. Can you get her now? I understand she's only being held pending the payment of her fine."
"Well, that depends. Where were you ladies all evening?"
"Home studying, we both have school tomorrow, so we'd like to get Letty and go home. We need to get up early in the morning."
"What kind of car did you drive here in?"
Nyssa knew he had no right to question them in this manner but she didn't know if he could turn around and keep Letty over night if he felt like it so while she wanted to tell him to go to hell she bit her tongue.
"My '67 Mustang vert. It's red. You should be able to see it right out the front door as a matter of fact." Nyssa said on a sigh. The desk sergeant looked and did see the car sitting at the curb. He frowned and Nyssa caught his frustration. "So can you get Letty now or is there some other event that has to happen first?"
"You ladies sure you were home all evening?" The cop asked. The fact he didn't believe them was written all over his face. They both nodded yes.
"What about Toretto and his band of thugs? They home all evening too?" The cop looked at them both. Nyssa answered without hesitating, she hoped she knew Letty as well as she thought she did.
"Yes we were all home. You must have picked up Letty while she went for a drive. She was the only one that left the house all evening. Mia and I were studying while the guys watched a flick." Nyssa was getting pissed off at this guy's attitude. "Listen, can you go get Letty now. I have the money to pay her fine, a fine that she no doubt doesn't even deserve, and that was the only term that was conditional of her release. So either you go get her or I call my lawyer."
"Oh I'm scared now." The officer scoffed at Nyssa. "You gonna call your lawyer. Like people like you have more then legal aid."
"Well really people like me keep Kevin Elliot on retainer and you must know he is far from legal aid." He was her daddy's lawyer and he was good. He had defended many celebrities and notorious people on much more serious charges then street racing and got them off without issue.
The cop knew who the girl was talking about and he couldn't keep her friend he knew. He relented and went and got Letty out of the holding cell. They paid the fine and all climbed into the mustang.
"Girl, that story you told the barrel assed donut muncher was perfect!" Letty crowed from the back seat of the Mustang as the girls headed home. "It fit right in with what I told him and I loved the part about the lawyer. Is he the real deal?"
"Yeah, he's dad's lawyer. He's pretty good too. If I'd had to call him and that cop wasn't holding you legit he woulda been in a lotta trouble."
"I hate cops." Mia said with feeling. "Just walking into that place gave me the willies."
"Why you hate cops for? You're miss goodie two shoes!" Nyssa said with a giggle.
"Yeah, but my brother sure isn't. I've seen enough cops at the door to make me not like them much. Not to mention the results to Dom's backside a few times after the cops brought him home to dad." Mia wrinkled her nose and all three girls laughed at the image of Dom being taken over his father's knee.
They arrived home to just the guys, no party.
"Where is everybody?" Letty asked as they walked into the house."
"I just wasn't in the mood to listen to all that bullshit." Dom said from his place on the couch. Letty nodded her understanding.
"Shit, you shoulda seen this chica." Letty started to tell the story of Nyssa and the cops. "Dude almost shit his pants when she dropped the fancy lawyers name." Letty finished.
"You know Dom wanted to be the one to go get you Letty, but we wouldn't let him." Nyssa pointed out. Dom looked up at Nyssa in appreciation.
He really did appreciate her letting Letty know he was concerned over her.
Letty looked at Dom and she could tell that he really had been worried and had really wanted to be the one to retrieve her. But she wasn't above having a little fun at his expense. "So it's not that he's lazy, he wanted to come get me eh? Well what stopped him?" Letty wanted to know.
"Nyssa thought he'd end up in with you so she made him stay home." Vince figured Letty would believe him, and she did.
Dom and Letty went to bed and the rest of the team unwound a little with some Grand Theft Auto, which always relaxed them. Nyssa fell asleep with her head in Vince's lap while he played the video games.
He was planning on buying her something nice for letting him use her car but he didn't know what to buy a girl one thought one liked that wasn't too serious a gift, but at the same time was not insipid. While he was thinking about that Leon won the game against Jesse and yelled his pleasure. Nyssa came to with a start.
"I'm gonna head to bed. I don't care if it's only two am and I don't have any reason to get up tomorrow. I'm tired out." She got up and headed for the stairs to the basement. Vince watched her go and took the controller from Jesse, deciding to stay up for at leat one more game. After he beat Leon into oblivion on the game he also got up and headed to bed, joining the already sleeping Nyssa in bed.
