Chapter 24: Get your Motor Running, Head Out On The Highway, Looking For Adventure, And Whatever Comes Our Way
"I thought I told you to eliminate Knight," Ricky snarled angrily.
Tempest flicked her hair back . "I did as you asked."
"Then why isn't Knight dead?" Ricky yelled, getting in her face.
Tempest gave him an icy look. "Don't yell at me again. I shot off a whole clip, and he was dead in my sights. The goddamn car's bullet proof or something."
"Don't make excuses, you failed," Ricky growled, "but then it's always been said if you want something done right, do it yourself."
"Yeah well good luck with that," Tempest growled.
"Is now a bad time to tell you that the car is in fact bulletproof?" Jade glared at them both icily. "I know you wanted me to keep him busy, but taking shots at me wasn't part of the plan."
"What did you find out?" Tran asked coldly.
Jade narrowed her eyes at him. "Knight works for some freelance law enforcement agency, a division of Knight Industries. And he admitted he was investigating the truck heists. Oh and get this, the car has an onboard computer that controls the entire vehicle."
"Wonderful," Tran glared at Tempest. "This guy is out to put all of us in jail, and you show you can't hit a simple target."
"Someone yelled for them to get down, and then the car got in front of them."
"You should have taken the shot before he got near the car!"
"Perhaps you didn't hear me, the car got between me and him. And like she told you, the car is bulletproof."
"And you couldn't get another shot off before it got in the way? What kind of shooter are you?"
"Well, if your such an expert, why didn't you try?" she glared at Tran coldly. "Get out of my garage."
"Don't forget your place Tempest," Ricky growled, glaring into her eyes. "Otherwise you may find you have a lot more problems to deal with, this garage being the least of them," he warned then turned his attention to Jade. "And you, you keep doing what your doing. Keep him and his car out of this," he snapped, then headed out to his car.
Tempest shook her head slightly, and tied her hair back, flipping open the hood of her car and starting to work.
"So how were races last night?" Dom asked from one of the caravans the team were loading.
Knight shrugged. "Didn't get many races in. and then we had to bail to avoid the cops."
"There was a nice big crash," Karr added. "It was a fine display of the laws of momentum and energy."
"That's enough Karr," Knight told the Trans-am.
Dom gave him a blunt stare. "Crash?"
"Yeah," Knight replied. "The guy with the grey Impreza, flipped it over into oncoming cars. Quite a wreck."
"Heard you got shot at. Find out who yet?"
"I've got my suspicions," Knight answered. "Ricky Tran. He didn't seem pleased to see me still alive. Not sure why. Moves him to the top of my list of suspects."
"Well with any luck, you'll get your reason at Race Wars," Dom told him. "Want Letty to go over Karr, make sure he's in tip top shape?"
"I'm always in 'tip top' shape," Karr informed coldly. "But I would…"
"We don't have time Karr," Knight grinned. "We got things to do."
"Like figuring out why Ricky Tran wants you dead?" Karr asked. Knight quickly slid into the Trans-am's driver's seat and started the car.
"Exactly like that pal," he answered, and backed the car out of the yard onto the street.
That Evening
"It's quiet. Too quiet," Knight muttered as they drove round. "Anything on the police band?"
"Nothing," Karr replied. "I think we're drawing a blank."
"Hmm," Knight sighed. "Ok, access as many trucking company schedules as you can. Find out if there are any trucks out tonight, and what they're carrying."
"Very well."
Knight frowned as he waited, listening to the deep rumble of the Trans-am's engine as the vehicle rolled along. "Anything?" he asked, glancing in the car's mirrors.
Karr's reply was blunt. "Nothing yet."
"Alright," Knight muttered, glancing in the mirrors again. "I think we're being followed."
"The motor cycles?" Karr asked.
Knight nodded. "How long they been back there?"
"Long enough," Karr replied. "Should we extend an invitation for them to join us?"
"I think that's a good idea," Knight told the Trans-am. "Give me control."
The car switched over to manual cruise as Knight took the wheel, and removed pressure from the gas pedal. The car's speed fell gradually, the bikers gaining ground. When they realised the car was slowing down, the bikers accelerated, surrounding the Trans-am and pulling out Uzi's. Knight grinned. "Visuals?"
"The visors are down, and have a reflective coating. I can try and get an image, but it will be of comparable quality to the shooter."
"Useless you mean?"
"Do you want me to open the windows?" Karr replied with a snarl.
Knight laughed. "I'm just kidding Karr."
His attention was drawn by tapping on the window, one of the bikers motioning for him to pull over. Knight shook his head. "Not a chance," he thought out loud, and then hit the accelerator. The two bikers in front of the Trans-am quickly moved, all six of them opening fire on the car, the bullets bouncing off harmlessly. Knight sighed. "Get the feeling they're a little hostile?"
"They are firing guns at us, feelings don't enter into it," Karr replied coolly. "How do you intend to deal with them?"
"Something like this," Knight replied, increasing the distance between Karr and the bikers, then slammed on the brakes, and spun the car, coming to a stop at 90 degrees. The first two bikes slammed into the side of the Trans-am and flipped over, the riders sliding off the Trans-am's body work. The other bikers barely avoided hitting the Trans-am as the car moved off, the bikers resuming the chase. Knight shook his head as bullets bounced off the car's molecular bonded shell. "You'd think they'd have realised that isn't working by now."
"I can't say I think much of their two wheeled broomsticks either," Karr replied. "We have a problem. Someone has notified the police. However, they seem to be looking solely for us and not our friends with the automatic weapons."
"Great," Knight muttered, slamming the Trans-am into one of the bikes that pulled up alongside, knocking it over easily. "three down, three to go."
"Might I suggest you hit the brakes?" Karr asked. "There's one directly behind us."
"Good thinking," Knight replied, hitting the Trans-am's brakes, the biker slamming into the rear of the car and rolling over the car, dropping off the hood as Knight hit the gas, reversing the car, and spinning it around, belting down the road at speed, then saw the police road block. "Can we turbo?"
"Of course we can," Karr replied. "But with their arrangement, I can't guarantee how we'll land."
"The bikers?"
"They've just broken off. One of the approaching cruisers has broken off in pursuit, but I find it highly unlikely they will succeed in catching them. We however are trapped."
"Terrific," Knight groaned, pulling the Trans-am to a halt in front of the roadblock, and obeying the instructions as a loudspeaker blared out. "Put your hands where I can see them. Now open the door and step out of the vehicle. Put your hands on the roof and don't move," the cop ordered. Knight sighed as he felt handcuffs close around his wrists. It was gonna be a long night.
"Thanks for coming Letty," Knight said as they headed out of the station. "I hate overnighters."
Letty smirked. "The good guy gets busted. You know you won't live that down right?"
"Just like Brian hasn't lived down Chumpy," Knight gave an embarrassed smile. "Gotta admit I wasn't expecting you."
"Your boss figured his involvement would blow your cover. He and Brian worked out a way he could get the money to us, and we'd bail you out. Mia dropped me off. And I just couldn't miss this," she grinned.
Knight shook his head slightly. "Was it worth it?"
"Oh definitely."
"Glad to hear it," Knight offered, showing the slip to the attendant. The guy waved him through to get Karr. "Good to see you pal."
"Are we getting out of here?"
"Straight to the point," Letty laughed sliding into the Trans-am's passenger seat as Knight slipped into the driver's seat.
"I don't like jail."
"And I don't like police impound," Karr retorted, making Letty laugh as the car pulled out. "Now where are we going?"
"DT auto's," Letty told him, having trouble to get the words out through her laughter. "I gotta get back to work so that we can finish up preparations. And then we go."
"Go where?" Karr asked bluntly.
Knight grinned. "Race wars."
End of Chapter 24…