Chapter 7: Entering Chicago

The next morning

Ezra's P.O.V

The next morning came quickly, and the pressure was on in the first couple of minutes of the day as I got ready to bring it on home for us. After I finished putting on my clothes, I walked outside with Sabine, where the crew was already waiting.

"Good luck, Ezra. We're counting on you, mate." Zeb said, with all of the crew nodding. "Thanks, guys. And if we lose-" I was cut off when Kanan said, "We are not going to lose this. I have extreme faith in you, Ezra. You can do it, we are all betting on it." "And we'll be watching you, cheering you on." Hera added. "Thanks, guys. I'm gonna go and win it for us." I said with a more "I can do it" attitude. I started walking to my Bugatti, when Sabine put her hand on my shoulder.

"Good luck today. Make me proud, Ezra." she said with her arms around the back of my neck. "I will, Sabine. I love you." I said. "I love you too. Good luck." she said, giving me a quick kiss on the lips, and then I walked into my Bugatti. I took a look at the crew before I turned on the engine, all of them nodding at me, and then I started it up. I pulled out of the motel, and continued to go down the road to Chicago to meet the other four drivers of the final five.

15 miles into the drive

I continued driving on the highway, being on the lookout for any more racers who could be here. Kanan started contacting me, in which I answered my phone. "What is it, Kanan?" I asked. "Just a heads up. The Russian Varlamov brothers are the brothers who you'll be going up against. Be careful, they're really good drivers." Kanan informed me. "Okay, Kanan, I'll be careful." I said. "Good luck, Ezra. We're watching you." he said before he hung up.

I continued driving down further, and then I saw three cars up ahead. One of the cars was a blue Alpha Romero, a green 2014 Corvette Stingray, and a grey Pontiac Solstice. I had a feeling that those were the brothers that Kanan told me about, but luckily, I had an advantage that all three of them didn't have. I had a Bugatti, which was faster than their cars, unless otherwise.

I increased my speed, coming up on the Solstice, the driver putting up a good fight. He went as far as to ram me, but I rammed him back, sending him off the road, passing him. That was one Varlamov brother down, two more to go.

I gained up on the Stingray using my nitro to help me out, but like the Solstice, the driver of the Corvette was putting up a good fight, even better than his brother in the Solstice. He rammed me, but I rammed him back harder, the driver still putting up a good fight. He attempted to ram me from the back, hitting my side, but that was when I drifted, drifting hard and getting my car straightened out, hitting my nitro to speed away from the second Varlamov brother. Two brothers down, one last brother to pass, and then it was just me and the last one in Chicago.

I sped up further, catching up to the Alpha Romero that appeared faster than my Bugatti, but I wasn't gonna go down without a fight. I hit my nitro again, speeding up to where I ended up behind the last Varlamov brother, aiming for the side. I rammed his side, in which he ended up spinning out. I hit my nitro again, speeding away from the last Varlamov brother, passing a sign that said five miles to Chicago.

I felt pretty good about myself after that, thinking that those drivers were practically nothing, considering that I advanced myself to the last two, being myself and the last driver. Kanan contacted me while I drove. "Ezra, great job back there with the Varlamovs. It is down to just this moment when you get to Chicago. Put your mind into the road and the wheel, and win this thing for us." Kanan cheered me on. "Thank you for the support, Kanan. I'm going to win this, I just have a feeling." I replied. "I know that you are going to win, I just know it, and so does the crew. Alright, you're coming up on Chicago in about a mile. Follow the route, and end this thing once and for all, Ezra." Kanan cheered me on further. "I will end it for us, Kanan. I'm going now." "Good luck, kid. By the time you win, we'll be over in the city to celebrate. Good luck, and go hard like there's no tomorrow." "I'll see you guys later." I said, hanging up my phone, entering Chicago.

I took a deep breath as I continued my drive through the city, trying to remember Sabine's advice from last night, and setting my mind straight. It has come down to this, it's time to end it once and for all.