Chapter Three

Boost drove out to the diner, where Axle idled alone, sipping on a can of oil. "Hey, man," he said.

"Hey," Axle replied, giving Boost a high tire. Boost rolled into place beside him. "'Sup?"

"Hangin', you?"

"Hangin', too."

"Cool."

"Hear from Ice?"

"Not yet. You?"

"Nope. He gets in touch with me every day, at least once."

"And you haven't heard from him?"

"Not yet."

"The guys and I can go run a search. This road leads to L.A."

"You sure? Guys could be after him that you don't have any business dealing with, and if you and your guys are about to go straight the way I think you are, it's best for you to go in slow."

"That's Torque talkin', ain't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Heh."

The two cars settled into something of a silence, and Boost scanned the town. His friends were driving into their cones after the day's race up at Willie's Butte. It occurred to him that they had stayed in Radiator Springs longer than he had planned, but the thought passed through his mind before he could act on it in any way. It didn't matter much anymore, anyway. For all he knew, he and his friends were exactly where Finn McMissile and his cohorts wanted him. If that was a bad thing or not was debatable, but he figured McMissile wouldn't endanger him prematurely.

He shook his hood. He was thinking crazy thoughts, and he was probably taking that intro video too literally. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I must be losin' it," he whispered. He looked over at Axle and asked, "Seen a good drag race lately?"

Before Axle could answer, two forms appeared on the horizion, approaching at reasonable speeds. Boost and Axle studied the forms, and it soon became discernable that one of them was a tow truck pulling another car. Mater, Boost thought. The form next to Mater was quickly identifiable as Ice.

"Found that car you were anxious about," Boost said.

"Yep, we have," Axle replied.

"Howdy, fellas," Mater said as he and Ice pulled into town. He pulled the hot pink Saturn he'd been towing into Ramone's body shop, and Ice settled in beside Axle.

"Your friend an electric?" Axle asked. Ice shushed him immediately.

"People are after him. He broke down on the way here. I got him as far as the county line, then Mater showed up," Ice replied.

"A friend from the tuner world, I see. He must be new, because I don't recognize him."

"He's new, and freakin' out. Give him a little space, okay?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, dude."

"Good, now that that's clear, whaddaya recommend?"

CARS

Mater looked around for the fifth time in the last minute, and Holley said, "Alright, Mater, tell me why you're so antsy."

"I'm jus' waitin' for somethin' to jump out at us, is all," Mater replied. "Finn said it himself. Bad guys don't take a vacation."

"True." Holley nodded and looked out over the cliff at the desert below. "You have good taste in places to live."

"Well, thanks."

She looked back at him, a soft smile on her bumper. "I saw you tow in an electric car earlier today."

"He's electric? I didn't know that."

"You couldn't tell?"

"Pretty hard, under the modifications."

She nodded in understanding. "Do you know his name?"

"Not really. That yeller feller called him Electro."

"Ice is here?"

"He the yeller one?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I think he's at Flo's."

"Oh, good."

"You need to talk to him?"

"I can wait."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Mater let out a nervous laugh and drifted back a foot. Holley rolled her eyes, turned, and backed up so that she was at his side.