Chapter Seven

"What?" Alex asked, jerking back from a quart of oil.

Lexie rolled her eyes. "Do you really want me to tell you again? I just spent fifteen minutes on the whole story the first time, and by the time I finish another telling, everyone else in this town will know exactly what happened last night."

"No, I know what you said, but how the hell could he break out of a maximum security prison?"

"Kill the power. How else? And keep your voice down. I can't believe I have to repeat myself."

"I'm in shock, okay?"

"Didn't I tell you I didn't feel safe?"

"Yes, but I didn't expect this at all."

"Holy Ford. Will you calm down? Cars will talk, and besides, you're not the only one who's freaking out. Montgomery is specifically out to get me, and not in some paranoid freakazoid way. He's literally after me, and only he knows exactly why."

"We need a solution, though. Did Holley give you a suggestion?"

"No."

"Okay, look, I can get the word out to the Four Families and the Professor. They'll be all over it. We already have guys all over, so he's gonna have a hard time gettin' away from us."

"You can do that?"

Alex nodded. "That's my job."

"Okay."

"I'm gonna have to do a little traveling, because I know they wanna hear this news in person, so you're probably not gonna see or hear from me for a while. If anything happens, call the nearest operator and ask for me personally. They'll patch you through somehow." Lexie nodded.

"You should probably leave as soon as possible. This is pretty important." Alex nodded again.

"Guess I better gas up, then."

Lexie watched him fill his tank, finish his quart of oil, pay his tab, and wave goodbye. Then he turned around and drove toward Los Angeles. She took a deep breath and turned away, simultaneously fighting and puzzling over the strange pain she felt.

CARS

"Hey, look who's here," a black Pacer said, giving Alex a high-tire as he drove into the foyer.

"We were wondering when you'd get back," a bright green Pacer added.

"I can't stay long. I'm sort of on a mission right now," Alex said. "The Boss home?"

"Yeah, I think so," the black Pacer replied, leading Alex down the foyer. He knocked on a door, and another black Pacer answered.

"He here to see the Boss?" he said.

"Yeah."

The Pacer who opened the door gestured for Alex to enter, and he closed the door behind him. "'Bout time you got back," Tubbs said as he drove out from behind the desk. "I was about to send a search party." He patted Alex on the fender. "So, how are ya?"

"Personally, pretty good, but I do bear bad news." Immediately Tubbs gestured for the other Pacers to leave, shutting the door behind them himself. When he looked back at Alex, his eyes were grave and his mouth was set in a line. He nodded for Alex to continue. "Montgomery's out of jail."

"What?"

"He busted free, we're guessing by messing with the power grid, which would've let all the other prisoners out."

"Axlerod?"

"Was he in the same jail?"

"Not sure. You got a plan?"

"Yeah."

"Whaddaya need."

"A ride."

CARS

Axle and the tuners gathered in the kitchen. "So, you got ghosts?" Boost asked.

"Yep," Axle replied. "Just two, though. Leland and Torque, Torque more frequently."

"That's nuts," Wingo said.

"I thought so, too, at first. It's just something you get used to."

The tuners exchanged looks, and DJ asked, "Okay, so why are we here?"

Axle shrugged. "Finn's got his reasons, I'm sure. I know Torque woulda trusted him, which is a lot more than I can say for a hell of a lot of others."

"I can see that. So what happens to us now?"

"I dunno. Probably classified, anyway, so there's no point in asking, really." DJ nodded and drifted back slightly. "Cider?"