Chapter 10

Parker was still pretty steamed when Eliot got back to the hotel. He hadn't found anything wrong with the track, and had kept his eye on Darrien as he'd driven slowly around the course. Eliot had been a little curious as to why the guy was going so slowly. Feeling out the surface, maybe? Committing turns to memory? Something just wasn't right.

Parker was zipping up her driving suit, still muttering under her breath in what he was pretty sure was Hungarian, and who knew where she'd picked up that language. Eliot reminded himself to ask sometime. After all, they were… something now, right? He could ask some of those questions.

"Parker, you ready for this?" Eliot finally interrupted her mumbled rant. "Your head on straight?"

Parker's head swung around to look at him and she glared. "I'm going to kick his ass," she said. "Really really really hard, and I'm going to drive really fast, and he's going to wish he'd done a better job cheating." She sniffed. "Some of us don't need it."

Eliot grinned a little, but reached over and laid a hand on the back of her neck, tugging her closer to him. "You cool?" he asked, sliding his other arm around her waist and tucking his chin in her hair. Not only did he get to enjoy the feeling of her pressed against him, he also got to see how tensed up she really was. He stroked his spare hand up and down her back. Not too bad, he thought.

Parker reached up, grabbed his ears and made him wince while she tugged his head around to stare her in the eyes. "I'm going to beat him," she said slowly and clearly. "By a lot. I'm cool."

Eliot risked the tender flesh of his ears, and dipped his head to drop a kiss on Parker's lips. "Ok," he said. "Let's go kick some Dumbass."

It was the same controlled chaos as yesterday at the racesite. Cars moving in and out of the track, drivers milling around, waiting their turns to run, spectators wandering back and forth, around, while they chatted with their favorites. Parker drew up into an area that wasn't covered with people yet, and parked.

"I'm going to check our start time," she said, opening her door.

"Parker," Eliot said, catching her eye as she made to get out. She looked back at him, door already open. "Watch your back. Something ain't right out here."

Parker nodded, and stepped out of the car. Eliot got out as well, and shutting his door, watched as she headed for the driver's table. He leaned back against the car, crossing his arms and scanned the crowd behind his shades.

He recognized most of the drivers at this point, and their co-drivers. Lotta family members/spectators he wasn't clear on, but they were relatively easy to pick from their behavior. He searched until he spotted Darrien, over by his car. The guy was on his cell, and as Eliot watched, said something to the person on the other end that made him smirk before hanging up. Yep. Something definitely not right.

"Hardison, any way you can find out who Darrien was just talking to?" Eliot said quietly.

"Please, my man, that's child's play for someone like me," Hardison said in his head. "Coupla minutes, and I can tell you what size underwear he's got on."

"No one wants to know that, Hardison," Nate's voice responded.

"I'm just sayin'," Hardison started, but Eliot tuned him out. Darrien was conferring with his co-driver, and they were glancing toward the driver's table. Where, coincidently, Parker was just finishing up and leaving. He did not like this. Not at all.

"This guy is way too fixated on Parker," Eliot muttered. "Something wrong, here."

"Parker the queen of the track, that's what's wrong," Hardison responded. "Dumbass gettin' beat by a girl, booyah…"

Parker strolled up to him, looking calm and cocky. "We got about a half-hour," she said. She leaned against the car next to him. Her eyes swept around, following his gaze. "You think he's up to something?" she asked. "Besides, well, cheating."

Eliot shrugged. "Not sure," he said. "Just…"

"Great," Parker muttered. "Another feeling." She heaved a sigh. "Sophie, keep your eyes open for Columbians, would you? Or Russians?"

Eliot groaned as Sophie answered, confused. "Russians? Are we expecting them on this job…?"

They were in position, ready and watching the clock tick down. Eliot counted it for Parker.

"… Five, four, three, two, one…" he said, and Parker dropped her foot and launched them into space. Eliot hung on. Holy fuckin' crap, she wasn't kidding about kicking Darrien's ass.

"Sharp left turn ahead, gravel," he managed to get out before Parker was downshifting and they went sliding around.

Dammit. They were really flying. Eliot's stomach leapt as Parker launched them over a small hill and they went airborne for a few seconds. Bam! They landed hard, wheels still spinning and kept going.

About halfway through the course, Eliot was pretty sure that no one was near their time. By his watch, they had a solid three minutes on the last race at this rate. Which was huge. HUGE.

They were coming up to a tight left turn, up against a dirt embankment. Parker downshifted in anticipation, lips tight with concentration, and then Eliot heard it. One single CRACK that was sickeningly familiar to him. And then the car lurched wildly.

Parker was fighting for control. "We lost a tire," she yelled at him as they skidded and spun. That corner was awfully close, that high embankment too near, and Eliot hung on, grimly sure that they were going to flip. The back end spun out, and he was pretty sure one tire came off the ground, and then they were sliding to an abrupt stop.

Eliot blew out a breath. "Nice job," he managed. His brain started working again. "Stay down, Parker," he ordered, opening his door and slipping out. Sure enough, their right front tire was blown. Crouching down, he eyed it carefully. He'd have to take it back to the room, but he was pretty sure that someone had shot it out.

"Nate, we got a problem," he said grimly, only to whip his head around and glare at Parker. "Dammit Parker, I told you to stay in the car!"

Parker was making her way rather quickly around to where he was, a spare tire rolling in front of her. "Fuck that, Eliot, we need to get this changed," she said, voice full of controlled rage.

"Parker, someone just shot out our tire," Eliot said sharply, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck and dragging her down to him, pressed up against the dirt wall behind him. "That's not an easy shot, and they could very well be looking to shoot us again."

"You know who this was," Parker fired back. "And I'll be fucking dammed if I'm going to let the sonofabitch win!"

"Parker, careful, Eliot needs to make sure that you're clear," Nate started.

"Parker, I am NOT going to watch you get shot for a fucking race," Eliot interrupted, rage building in his stomach. He could feel the violence rolling beneath the surface, just waiting to be left out.

"Then let's change this tire and get the fuck out of here," Parker shot back, sounding almost as mad.

"DAMMIT," escaped before he could stop it. Reaching over, fucking all the listeners and Nate's voice in his ear, Eliot dragged Parker against him by her neck and kissed her hard. When he broke the kiss, he glared at her. "Get in the car," he ordered, reaching for the tire. "Get in the fucking car, Parker, and be ready to get out of here!"

Eliot started the fasted tire change of his life, while Parker slipped into the driver's seat through Eliot's open door. Eliot tossed the bad tire at her as soon as he got it off, and Parker grunted as she caught it, working it into the backseat while Eliot got the spare on.

"Ok, go!" he finally said, diving into the passenger seat and pulling the door behind him. Parker was off like a rocket, and Eliot was hastily strapping himself in as dirt flew behind them.

"You guys ok?' came Nate's voice.

"Just dandy," Parker said through her teeth. "Now shut up, I have a race to win."

Plot! It's a plot! I know, who wants that when you could have smut. Eh, there had to be SOME plot in here… Enjoy!