Chapter Five

Finn led Axlerod and deAngelo into the shop, and Tomber shifted between studying his strange guests to staring off into space. "Tomber?" Finn asked, waving a tire in front of his face. After a moment, he tapped gently on the French car's hood, and Tomber jumped and shot backward, launching into a string of questions. "Tomber, easy," Finn said, and the Reliant Regal fell silent. Finn explained in French that there was a prison break and he and deAngelo were trying to protect their informant Axlerod from one of the other escapees.

Tomber nodded. "Oui," he said. "Your informant can stay here with me, but if I start hiding others, the cars around here will talk."

"I understand."

"Now, Finn, it is late. If you want to-"

"No. I need to find alternate arrangements for a few other cars under my watch."

"Oh, oui oui. Bien. Good luck."

"Thank you."

Tomber glanced at deAngelo. "Beats monseur Montgomery, but he still smells like new car."

deAngelo gave Tomber a slightly confused once-over and then turned to Finn. "Perhaps we should get going. We do have other matters to attend to."

Finn nodded to deAngelo. "Right." He turned to Tomber and said, "We'll be off now." With that, he and deAngelo drove out of the shop, leaving Axlerod in Tomber's custody. Tomber closed the door, drove to the corner of the shop, settled in, and fell asleep.

CARS

Holley smiled as she followed the winding Route Sixty-Six, and then her onboard phone rang. "What are your recommendations for restaurants in Los Angeles?" she asked.

"Somewhere crowded, with a number of exits," Finn replied. "If I were you, I'd be sure to get out well before the lights go out."

"And what if I sought to choose a hotel?"

"Also somewhere crowded, perhaps moreso. I wouldn't recommend a casino, but I would recommend something near our friend's repair shop."

"Finn, in four sentences, you've told me more than anyone else ever could."

"Well, thank you, and if you want a new paint job, I hear retro is in."

"Good to know."

Holley hung up, and the instant she crossed the town limit of Radiator Springs, Mater shouted, "Howdy, Miss Holley."

"Hello, Mater," she replied cheerily, though her gas tank was moments away from betraying her.

"I was wonderin' when you'd show up. How you been?"

Holley looked around, inched closer to him, and whispered, "There's been a jailbreak in London. Montgomery shorted the power grid so he and his allies could escape, but he let Finn's informant out, as well, as well as the other prisoners. The tuners are going to be relocated to a Los Angeles safehouse, and the informant is in Paris."

"He told you all that?"

"More or less."

"So whaddawe do?"

"Wait."

"For Finn?"

"That or something bad to happen." As they approached the cafe, she added, "Be careful, Mater."

"Shoot, I'm known for bein' careful."

"I'm not so sure. I'd be much more watchful if I were you."

Mater nodded and adopted a pseudo-creepy stare into space that made Holley back away slightly and turn to the right. She looked back at Mater to find that he'd relaxed, and then she drove over to the Cozy Cone for a cone.