This really wasn't his day. First, he got distracted by this nonsense and now his team had a problem. What happened? Tyre wagon broken?
Lightning drove onto the pit lane and got out of his car. His friends gathered around near the lane. They looked worried, Fillmore and Sarge changing a nervous look.
"Hey what's wrong?" Lightning sprinted the last meters to them. Mater still had his headphones on. "We got a call from Flo back home. Doc and Sally are gone. They wanted to watch the race together but they never came. They're missing.", he said hopeless. Lightning's brain stopped thinking. Gone?
"Wha- Why?"
"We don't know, man.", Fillmore said. "They haven't left any notes. They're just missing since yesterday."
McQueen looked around his friends. Sally and Doc missing? Where should they go? They always watched his race together. And even now where Doc couldn't join them here...
He made a decision. "We have to go. Now!", he put off his helmet and went back to his car.
"But the ceremony! And the press conference!", wondered Mack.
Lightning shook his head. "Fuck 'em! We have to find them!" Find Sally. Find Doc. Whatever happened to them, he would find them.
Suddenly, McQueen remembered the noise on his radio. 'You want them back, don't you?'
He stopped like a lightning bolt hit him and ran back to Mater. "Hey, have you heard someone on the radio when I was on track?" Mater looked at him confused, and stopped helping Mack with the tyres. "What'ya mean? Haven't heard anyone but you."
"Really?", Lightning was disappointed. If he would only knew who talked to him...
"Get your car in, kid. We're starting in 10 minutes.", Mack called. Lightning sighed, driving his stock car to the truck, passing Guido and Luigi.
"Raccapricciante!"
"Sì, Guido. So scary."
...
Two days later the big red truck stopped in the middle of a small town. Epic mountains rised at the horizon and got lit by the setting sun. A traffic light blinked on a regular basis and gave the town a sleepy atmosphere. The friends got out of Mack's truck and got greeted by Flo, Ramone, Red and Lizzy.
Flo droped her head when she saw Lightning. "I am so sorry, boy. We should've told you earlier but we didn't noticed until then."
The rookie shook his head. "It's okay, Flo. It's not your fault." He had a suspicion and the whole journey he could just think of one thing. What if they didn't leave on purpose? What if the guy on the radio was behind all that? Because, why should he have said this otherwise?
Just because to irritate him, that would be a strange coincidence.
The rest of the evening was gone fast. They stored the racing equipment in a hall, which was extra build for that. Then they met at Flo's and discussed what they should do now. It became a long talk and when Lightning went back home after dinner, it was already dark outside.
He passed the office of the Cozy Cone Motel and stopped. Sally's blue Porsche was parked behind the building. Lightning felt his heart ache. This scenery seemed so ridiculously normal but it totally wasn't the case. He hesitated but shorted the distance fast. The doors were open. Sally never locked her car. Lightning sat down onto the passengers seat, where he already had sat so often. He stroked the light leather of the interior and sighed. He had to get her back! Otherwise he would go crazy! But he didn't even know where she was. And what happened.
Suddenly his phone vibrated. He winced and grabbed it out of his pocket.
"Hello?"
"Lightning McQueen.", said a voice. It was the same who talked to him on the radio. Lightning straightened his back. "Who are you?", he snapped. But the caller ignored that.
"Missing someone McQueen? I know where they are."
"What?"
"Listen buddy. I make you an offer.", said the voice and Lightning sifted the list of Piston Cup contenders in his head. He just couldn't match the voice to a face.
"We are gonna make a race. Just you and me. Private, without cameras. 50 laps. And if you win, you will get your friends back." Lightning heard the winning smile through the phone and felt nausea. Why would he offer that? There must be another way!
"And what if I say no? If I just call the cops?"
The other racer laughed. "Well, Lightning. I know you. I know every single one of your tactics. So if you try to cheat, I have to send a mail to all your contenders with your datas. So..."
"Okay okay!", Lightning hissed. "And what if I lose the race? Will you keep my friends?"
"Haha, no! I am not a bad person! You'll get them back. But you have to retire."
Bad person, huh? Lightning's heart beaded fast. Retire? After his second season!? This guy was just crazy! Never ever would he do that! Racing was his life.
"So what do you think?"
Lightning breathed in. This was too high a price. But otherwise - which other chance did he have? He was fast. He almost won every race in the last months. He could win.
"Are they okay? How is Sally? If you put a single hand on her-"
"Babe, your girlfriend's fine. Trust me. They both are.", said the charming voice and Lightning would've loved to vomit.
"You know the old speedway in Albuquerque, New Mexico?"
"Yeah", Lightning replied.
"In two weeks. I cannot wait to beat you, champ. See you there."
"But wait-"
The phone cracked and everything went silence. Lightning groaned and leaned his head against the cold window. What had he done?