Usual disclaimer applies, I own nothing related to Knight Rider or Fast and the Furious. Thanks to Tempest Races for the use of her characters and back story - highly recommend you go check out her stories, including my favourite, Tough but Tender. Sorry for the lack of recent updates, I've had a few issues with reworking areas of the original story and improving it, but seem to be back on track now. That said, please enjoy the lastest chapter :)

Chapter 15: Like a Mustang, Redlining every single gear

Knight turned around to find himself looking into a pair of aviator sunglasses. "Hi."

"Hello," he replied, "I don't believe I've had the pleasure."

"You'd know if you had," was the dry response as the brunette dipped her sunglasses, revealing blue eye shadow on the lids above pale grey eyes. "That was a good race."

"Not good enough," Knight replied. "I lost."

"A lot of people do out here."

"I'm Ian, Ian Knight."

The girl smiled mysteriously. "Jade Barrett. But my friends call me Jewels."

"More original nickname than Knight."

"Perhaps. Are we likely to see you around here again?" she asked. Knight's tone changed slightly. "You can count on it," he told her, then looked up the road. "Sirens. Time for us both to take off."

"To be continued?"

"Sure, assuming they don't catch either one of us," Knight replied, keeping his tone light. "You should get out of here, wouldn't want the cops to catch you," he told her, before sprinting to the Trans-am. With a squeal of tyres, the car took off. Knight punched the auto cruise button, letting Karr drive. "That went well."

"So it appeared. There was certainly an interesting surge in pheromone and hormone activity. From both of you."

"Karr..." Knight's tone was full of warning.

"I assume you still intend to use her to get to Tran."

"I only told Michael that to keep him from worrying," Knight told the car. "And you make it sound so ruthless."

The car remained silent for a moment. "I was merely re-iterating the plan. Which apparently, was never the plan. If it sounds ruthless, perhaps that is entirely your perspective. Since I don't have feelings, it makes no difference to me either way."

"Must be nice to have logic to fall back," Knight commented wryly. Karr fell silent, choosing not to respond.

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"So what the hell was all that about?" Brian asked as they pulled over and got out of their cars. "You interested in her? You know she's Tran's girl right?"

Knight shrugged. "Didn't seem to bother her. I need a beer."

Brian stared after him with a frown as Knight strolled into the Toretto's. Dom started to ask a question, but Knight just held up a hand, and headed into the kitchen. Brian winced as Dom got to his feet wearing his "so angry, I'm calm" face and walked into the kitchen. "Rule one, my house, you play by my rules. Means you don't ignore me when I ask you a question."

"I'm not on your team," Knight replied. "And I do what I want."

Dom's jaw clenched and Brian knew he was about one step away from punching Knight, and quickly intervened. "Dom chill out bro, c'mon. Just let him get a beer."

Knight merely raised an eyebrow at Brian as he led Dom away, and swigged from his Corona.

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Next Night

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Knight fought a smile as he parked Karr along with the rest of team Toretto, glancing around at the assembled cars. Tempest's RX-7 was parked up, Jade's Mustang next to it, and an Eclipse Spyder, midnight blue with silver flecks and a moon painted on it was next to it, some chirpy blond perched on the cars hood. Then he spotted Jade walking over. "There she is. Wish me luck pal."

"Good luck," the car replied, its tone warmer than Knight had ever heard before. He patted the hood gently, drawing strength from the sleek machine. "Thanks," then fell silent as Jade took the last few steps. "We meet again."

Jade smiled back . "So we do Mr Knight."

"Are you always this mysterious?"

Jade smiled slightly. "Nope."

"Why don't I believe that?"

"You tell me."

Knight shook his head and laughed. "So the Mustang is yours? You seem to have a thing for muscle cars."

Her smile widened. "It's all about the big block and the muscle baby," she stepped around him and regarded the Trans-am coolly. "Two thousand and two model right? Trans-am Firehawk? V-eight engine, three hundred fifty five horses?"

"Before modifications, yeah."

"WS Six or Seven?"

"Seven."

Jade tilted her glasses down below her eyes. "Rare. So..."

"So?"

"So do you want to race it?" she asked, a sly smile on her face.

Knight nodded. "You're on."

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Knight grinned as he approached the rest of the team. "Get your bets down."

"What's going on?" Dom asked in his "nothing goes without my say so" voice.

Knight smirked as he spoke. "I'm racing Jade, one on one."

"A Trans-am versus a Mustang, you're kidding right?" Leon asked. "You'll get creamed."

"Let him," Vince snarled, then grinned. "the humiliation will be good for him."

"You two know nothing," Letty rolled her eyes. "That Trans-am at stock cranks out about three hundred twenty, three hundred fifty horses, same as a Mustang GT, it's the electronic limiter than keeps its speed down, unless its reprogrammed, and both of these have been heavily altered. It's an even match."

"Thank you," Knight smiled, flipping off Vince as he did so. "Should be a good race."

Dom immediately started running a book as Knight returned to his Trans-am. The cars scanner bars rippled slowly. "You know I'm far more powerful than that."

"You know that, and I know that. They don't need to know exactly how much better you are."

"Do I have to lose? The Three Thousand beat me, and it's a Mustang."

"The Three Thousand is Knight Industries enhanced. And it's a GT five hundred KR, which is about twice as powerful as the one we're racing. Besides, you heard Letty."

"We're evenly matched?"

"We are if you were a normal car."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Karr growled.

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Knight pulled the car to the line, a big grin on his face, focusing his eyes on the finish line as Karr asked. "My scans of you reveal some intriguing activity. Is something wrong?"

"Nope," Knight replied.

Karr analysed his voice and decided he was being honest, despite the confusing readings from his sensors. "We are going to win this one right?"

"I'm not planning on losing," Knight replied calmly. "Like I said before, this would be an even match."

"Good," Karr replied firmly.

Knight smirked as the Mustang rolled up alongside, the street lights glinting off the white and red paint. Nyssa perched on Vince's shoulders, holding the flag, shooting a glance at the Trans-am, and started the race. The black and silver Trans-am took off with a squeal of tyres, the back end sliding slightly as it pulled away. The Mustang accelerated quickly, but not quickly enough to keep up with the Trans-am as it tore away. As soon as they were up to speed, Knight hit the nitrous, and tore away at speed. Glancing at Karr's monitor, he saw that Jade had hit hers too, just enough for the Mustang to keep up with the Trans-am. He glanced up at the road, then back at the screen, watching the Mustang slowly gaining and took his foot off the gas. Karr almost immediately questioned. "Why are we slowing down? She'll catch up."

"It's alright Karr."

"I'm assuming control," the car replied, the Trans-am picking up speed again as the auto cruise lit up.

Knight hit a couple of buttons, then restored manual cruise and hit the brakes, ignoring Karr's protest, slowing the Trans-am to let the Mustang catch up, holding level alongside and smirked at Jade as she looked across. He threw a mock salute at her, then hit Turbo Boost. The force off the boost pressed him back into the seat as the car rocketed forward, accelerating at phenomenal speed as it crossed the line, before slamming on the brakes. Knight smirked as the Mustang crossed the line, and span around, Jade pulling the car around so that they were nose to nose. Knight winked at her, then shot backwards, spinning the car around in a j-turn and heading back for the starting line at speed, slamming the brakes on and spinning the car around, the tyres squealing and smoking as it span, the car halting for a second before the rear wheels span again. Knight smirked at a glaring Dominic as he got out of the car. "What? Too flashy?"

"You just cost me a grand an a half," Dom said looking irritated as he handed over winnings to some of the team and trying to ignore the "I told you so" grin on Brian's face.

"Serves you right for betting against me," Knight replied looking past Dom as the brunette stepped out of her Mustang and headed over. "Good race."

"You got a lot of speed out of that Trans-am."

"The amount of money that went into building it, I should hope so," Knight smirked, the smirk becoming a grin as he heard Karr's scanners pulse behind him. "Fancy buying the winner dinner?"

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Later that night

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The Civic's approached from the rear of the truck, rapidly pulling along side. The trucks driver swerved, trying to ram the lead car, but its driver reacted quickly and swerved away. The sunroofs of the other two opened, and a hail of bullets persuaded the truck's driver to not try anything as the lead Civic pulled in front. The car's sunroof opened, and one of the occupants stood, firing a harpoon gun into the truck's passenger window, and yanking the window out. A slender gloved hand took the gun, and passed up a second. The other hijacker fired the bolt into the truck's passenger seat, and made the jump to the truck, scrambling through the window. The hijacker levelled an air pistol at the driver, and fired. The driver felt a dart strike his arm, and he began to feel drowsy. The cars on either side backed off as the truck started to weave back and forth across the road, and before he passed out, the driver felt his passenger pulling him out of the way, and taking his place. The hijacker struggled for a few moments before gaining control of the rig, and straightening out. The cars pulled in line with the rig now under their control, and sped off into the night.

End of Chapter 15…