There was a certain atmosphere one entered into when they stepped into the world of street racing. It was a combination of a rock and roll video combined with the style and panache of hip-hop, fused with an energy level that only comes when all racial barriers are dropped for the scant hours that the community of men and women gathered to share a common love of fast cars and the adrenaline rush of pushing one's self to the very limit of endurance and living to tell about it. It was a shame that real life had to intrude on this utopian haven they had built as polite society shunned the very aspect of the sport.

Cale had to agree that what they did was indeed reckless and endangered lives, but she had to also give them credit for making the effort to pick a time and place when the least amount of collateral damage would result from their illicit activities. If anything bad happened out on the streets, it was pure chance and no one could predict what folks would be out and where. All they knew was that the area they had chosen to secure was theirs for the night, until some civilian, some outsider, called the cops and they had to scatter like a school of fish fleeing from a shark.

It was a power trip to be immersed in the world and an even greater privilege to be invited into the most inner-circles of a borough's team and share in the collective triumphs and heartaches. This was where Cale found herself, as she stepped out of her Mustang and watched as people flocked to Dom and his crew, eager to get things started. She didn't join them, preferring instead to sit on the hood of her car and watch from a distance. Something in her ached as she watched the proceedings, and she couldn't help the look of longing that may have crossed her face.

She felt the car shift under the added weight of someone else joining her on her chosen perch. Out of the corner of her eye she could make out her friend Chris, and she smiled, giving him a sidelong glance. "Kinda makes you wish for the old days, huh?"

Chris chuckled. "Yeah. It was so much simpler then. We knew where we stood in Rockport and were proud of it. I hate having to hang back for fear of being recognized."

"You've changed in two and a half years, though."

"So have you, Cale. Even if your name had been dropped, I'm sure only those who knew Rockport would know you by sight."

"Ha, that's a laugh. We all know racers talk. And talk in the race world travels faster than a cheerleader's exploits under the bleachers in high school."

"A quarter-mile at a time and with the speed of a NOS-injected engine. Can't get any faster than that."

"Nope."

They lapsed into silence, just watching as bets were placed and racers threw their lots down for a chance to take on the great Dom Toretto. It was easy to find him in the press of bodies: he was in the very centre, with all eyes looking on him expectantly. For a brief instant his gaze found Cale's and she felt the corner of her mouth quirk up in a tiny smile. She was only partially surprised when he smiled back. The moment was interrupted as a Latino guy broke their line of sight. He held a walkie-talkie up to his ear.

"Who's officiating this," Cale asked.

"Some guy named Hector. Has his own team but doesn't race anymore. Word is he wants to go legit."

Cale nodded. "I guess he's tired of the heat. At least this way he won't be busted for street racing."

Chris snorted. "Of course not. He'll be busted for extortion or running a gambling ring or something. Or the IRS will catch up with his non-taxed income from these meets."

Cale chuckled. "Well, there's the signal. You need a ride to the venue?"

"Nah, I hitched a ride with Justin. He'll be looking for me."

"See you there then."

------

The Mustang filed in between Justin's Maxima and a BMW. Cale shared a polite nod with the driver of the BMW as they each got out and headed for the sidelines. The entire group flanked the course for the racers, blocking off all side streets and ensuring that everyone got a chance to see the action. Cale stood between her friends, as she watched the cars hit the line.

She scouted the crowd and found Mia. They waved at each other, and Cale had to grin at the other girl's enthusiasm. Cale let her eyes track the crowd. She inhaled sharply as she caught sight of someone she recognized, and grabbed Justin's arm.

"Cale?"

"Is that Butch down there, or am I seeing things?"

Justin shared a look with Chris and the two followed Cale's gaze. Chris leaned down and said, close to her ear, "Where, exactly, Cale?"

She nodded down towards the racers. "Behind Toretto's RX-7."

"I don't see anything," Justin said, squinting. "Are you sure?"

Cale took another look, but who ever it was she thought she saw, was gone. "Nothing. No. Never mind."

The boys shared another look before shrugging. They didn't have time to dwell on it, though, as the cars revved to life. Hector, from a spot above the start-line, raised his hand. The crowd feel silent, letting the sound of primed engines fill the street. The sound rebounded off the buildings, rising in a resounding crescendo that hit its peak as Hector's hand fell and the racers jumped off the line. The roar of the cars meshed with the roar of the crowd, leaving Cale's ears ringing as the dull, cascading echoes reverberated through her body.

As soon as the cars were out of sight, Cale scanned the crowd again, trying to shake that feeling of foreboding that had begun to tickle her midsection. She could have sworn she had seen Butch, the one responsible for all her ills, in the crowd up front, but he had disappeared like a phantom. She could only chalk the vision up to her paranoia at being recognized buy someone. Who else but Butch would find her here like this?

These thoughts didn't have time to take hold, as the hint of sound reached her ears, signalling the return of the racers. She turned her head to see the red RX-7 cross the line, its opponents far behind. Of course Dom had won. He always won. Once all four cars had crossed, Cale let the crowd sweep her forward into a circle around Toretto. As she neared the center of everyone's attention, she looked past him and stopped dead in her tracks.

The people surged around her, but she wouldn't budge. Oh, no. Oh, fuck me...

"Cale? What is your half-sister doing hanging off Butch's arm?" Justin asked close behind her. She was so stunned by the sight that she didn't even jump. All she could do was stare and blink.

The three friends watched as Lynn detached herself from Butch and sauntered up to Toretto. The blond woman who was Cale's half-sister leaned up to drop a kiss on Dom's cheek. The big man didn't seem to notice the gesture. Instead, he gave Lynn a polite smile, and put his hands around her waist so he could pick her up and move her out of his way. He was looking for someone else in the crowd, but seemed unable to find whomever it was.

Cale noted the slightly miffed look on Lynn's face and Butch's proprietary arm that went around her shoulder. Cale shook her head. "Clever girl..."

Chris finally looked down at Cale. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Cale turned and headed back to their cars. "It means, boys, that my half-sister has found a new fad in the street racing circuit. She likes to immerse herself in whatever our dad is fighting against as a way to rebel, or something."

Justin raised a brow at that. "You're kidding?"

"Nope." Cale gave the boys a rueful smile. "Dad's currently assigned to defend a young woman whose child was hit by a street racer. She doesn't have enough cash to buy a lawyer, so she submitted the case to his firm and it crossed his desk."

"So, you're saying that Lynn has now decided to shack up with a street racer?"

Cale's chuckle was cold. "Oh, no, Jay. It's deeper than that. Lynn's world is all about status. She has to be at the top. And the top in this borough is..."

"...At Dominic Toretto's side."

"Precisely." Cale gave Chris and Justin another smile. She paused, key poised to unlock Mustang. "I have no idea what slime pit she fished Butch from, but he's merely her ticket into this place. Now that she's here, she'll stop at nothing to get to Dom."

Chris had to laugh. "Yes, well, Toretto didn't seem to pleased with her advances."

Cale merely winked at her friends. "I'll see you guys on Monday."

And with that, she climbed into her pony and headed back to Dom and Mia's.