Chapter 8
All Josiah had to take off the negative cable, take a socket, and remove the bolt, and the same for the positive cable. He took a wire brush and cleaned the terminals before having Duke remove the battery and replace it with a fresh one.
Josiah swore he could hear the scratching of pen on paper behind him, but the task at hand was more important.
Attaching the positive cable and then the negative as tight as he could. Josiah then put the seat back and sat on it, before pressing the ignition and pulling the throttle.
The engine roared to life as Josiah smiled.
"Finally!" Josiah said as he rode a circle around Duke, his eyes wide.
"There we go," Duke said, raising his arms as he held a clipboard in his hands. "You got it good as new."
Rusty ran out of the house to look at Josiah on his bike as he smiled.
"You got it running," Rusty walked up to him, tail wagging. "Even what Dad couldn't do but you did!"
"I learned from the best." Josiah said, holding his head up high.
Duke took a picture of Josiah on the bike as he smiled.
"Your mum ought to see this." He said, sending it to her.
Josiah looked to the street where he saw the motorcyclist from yesterday.
The police according to Bandit, still haven't found him and suggested he might've left town.
Then why did Josiah feel uneasy?
He remembered when that motorcyclist tried to grab him, and he fell down into the water before he could be snatched.
What did that guy even want with him anyways?
He rubbed the back of his head, frowning and he looked down, sighing.
"Still thinking about that kid from yesterday, Josiah?" Duke asked, kneeling down.
"A little." Josiah nodded.
"You can't always mull over things like that, Josiah," Duke smiled. "I want to return to my home of Canberra but I'm not able to right now because of my job and I have to live in peace with it, myself."
"I know." Josiah said, looking at Duke flatly.
"Just, have fun, alright?" He said. "You only get to be a kid once."
If only he actually knew.
"I will." Josiah forced a nod, as Duke handed him his helmet. "Why don't you practice with Rusty for today?" He asked.
"Sure!" Josiah said, Rusty jumping up as they followed Duke into his car to go out of town, or as the Australians called it, the bush.
It'd been a hot minute since Josiah rode a dirt bike anyways, a little practice wouldn't hurt.
"Wow, Josiah," Rusty said, as he saw Josiah cresting a hill. "You're a natural!"
Josiah nodded, as he thought to himself. 'If only he knew.'
Saturday rolled around and suddenly, Josiah found himself standing before it.
Brandy finally had the day off as the pair overlooked a great field of dirt, the trails having tracks from tires by motocross enthusiasts surrounded by mud.
"Well," Brandy said as she put her hands on her hips. "Are you ready, sweetheart?" She asked.
"I am." Josiah said, nodding. He put on his helmet got onto his bike and rode out to the parking lot.
He saw Rusty joining him as they fist-bumped, something Josiah taught him.
"Good luck out there, Josiah!" Rusty said.
"You too, Rusty!" He said.
The Heelers arrived, their Jeep parking. As the pair rode by, Bluey and Bingo got out as Josiah and Rusty stopped. She had a purple hand puppet of an animal that looked like a cross between a rabbit and an opossum to Josiah.
"If you win, can you pose with Bob Bilby?" She asked. "It's my turn again."
Josiah nodded. "Sure."
Bingo squealed, running back to her parents.
The pair rode off, as MacKenzie and his parents, as they waved too, the pair returning the gesture.
They rode onto a dirt path as they were surrounded by seven others who rode into the field.
They were corralled into rows by the organizer, a Doberman with a graying muzzle, with Josiah being in the back. Each racer was given a number on the front of their bikes, with Josiah's being zero-seven.
"Alright, children," The Doberman said. "I want a clean race here, no hitting and no fighting." He held out a finger. "And if you go off-course, you're disqualified."
Everyone nodded, Josiah sweating nervously.
Beside him, was a yellow motorcycle bearing the number Zero-four with the rider wearing all-white.
Josiah heard the gasps from his family on the sidelines, as they just sat down.
They looked at each other, their gazes meeting.
Josiah narrowed his eyes, his newfound enemy holding out his finger and tracing it along his throat.
Josiah frowned as he shook his head.
"Flog him!" Bandit raised his fist, as Josiah looked at him.
"Flog him!" Bluey joined in.
"Yeah, flog him!" Bingo said.
Josiah turned to focus on the trail ahead.
"Wow," Josiah said to himself, quietly. "I have a lot of people to disappoint."
"On your marks," The organizer said.
Josiah pulled on the throttle, baring his teeth, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Get set."
He hunched forward, the cheers from the sidelines becoming an indistinct mess in his ear.
"GO!"
Josiah lanced forward, pulling the throttle as he sped past a few racers. Wheels met dirt, and clouds of dust left behind him as Josiah heard screaming behind him.
One of the racers, a beagle flew out off of his bike, as the motorcyclist in white passed by them.
"O'Five is out of the race!" The organizer said, through a megaphone.
Josiah's bike hugged the corner, the motorcycle in white passing by him and taking the lead.
Josiah glowered, a bulldog passing by him as he saw a ramp of dirt ahead and launched himself ahead, going past the bulldog and reaching his rival.
They looked at each other.
"Not bad, Jovanni." Zero-four said, going forward.
Josiah paused and he launched himself into the air. He screamed as the audience gasped. He turned and righted himself, lancing forward as another racer passed by.
The lead nudged him, forcing him off course as he found himself off-course.
"O'Two is out of the race!" The organizer shouted.
Josiah saw his rival was ahead of him and noted a raised corner that would skip a portion so he could catch up.
He rode towards it, pulling the throttle hard and launching him forward.
He landed a few feet behind Zero-four, the crowd erupting in cheers.
Josiah heard a thump to his side and looked, seeing two other racers roll in the dirt out of the course, Rusty landing beside him.
"O'Eight and O'One is out of the race! Four other racers remain!"
Rusty landed beside and popped a wheelie, and rode off a ramp. He flipped and suddenly found himself beside Zero-four.
Zero-four nudged Rusty's back wheel, as he spun out. Josiah passed him, glancing at him as he held a thumbs up.
Josiah leaned forward, standing on his bike's footrests as he narrowed his eyes.
"Second lap! O'Four is in the lead, followed by O'Seven, O'Three, and O'Six in the way back in last place!"
Zero-four slowed down, looking at Josiah.
"Nothing personal, Josiah," He said, nudging Josiah into a corner.
Josiah flew off, the crowd gasping.
Time slowed down for Josiah, as he seemed he was about to hit the mud outside of the course.
He heard Brandy screaming behind him, nearly drowning out the panicked beat of his heart.
"Pop a wheelie, Josiah!" Rusty shouted behind him.
Josiah with all of his might, forced his front wheel up, his rear wheel an inch away from the mud and into the dirt of the course.
The crowd gasped as Josiah wobbled, staying on one wheel. He slowed down and Zero-four passed by, nearly forcing Josiah off of his bike.
He landed on all twos again and rode forward, Rusty passing by, his eyes narrowed.
His bike got in front of Zero-four and it slid, Rusty drifting towards the mud. A cloud of dust covered Zero-four, forcing him to slow down.
"O'Three is out of the race!"
"Go, Josiah, go!" Rusty said.
Josiah narrowed his eyes and hit the throttle hard.
The wind was at his back, he passed by Rusty and smiled, going to meet Zero-four.
Zero-four looked over and nodded.
"Not bad." Zero-four said.
They were neck and neck as they brushed past the start.
"Third and final lap!" The organizer shouted. "O'Four and O'Seven are neck and neck!"
They rode together, one and the other trying to shake themselves off.
Josiah and Zero-four jumped off the ramps. For a mere second, one and the other only got ahead of one another.
Josiah's eyes scanned and saw the turn that Zero-four tried to get Josiah off at.
Josiah steeled and sped towards it, followed by Zero-four.
"What's this?" The organizer asked the audience. "O'Seven attempts a gambit to get ahead!"
Josiah jumped over the ramp, flying over the mud.
Brandy screamed, her sister Chilli's jaw dropping.
Bandit's eyes widened, the Heeler sister trembling.
Time slowed down for Josiah once again, as he closed his eyes.
Two wheels hit the dirt.
"O'Four is out of the race!"
Josiah opened his eyes, as he found himself near the finish line, as he sped towards it.
The other, the final one, a shiba inu, was approaching. They were nearly side-by-side as they rode across the finish line, Josiah's wheel in front by a few inches.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" The organizer said. "By a few inches, O'Seven has won!"
Josiah and the shiba inu skid to a stop as Josiah's heartbeat quickened.
"I did it," Josiah put his hand on his heart, the shiba inu clapping behind him. "I DID IT!" He raised his fists into the air.
Brandy and the Heelers gathered around him, Rusty and Mackenzie going around Josiah, Brandy hugging Josiah close.
"Way to go, squirt!" Bandit said, grinning.
"You did it!" Bluey said, jumping, her hands raised in the air.
Bingo handed Josiah Bob Bilby as he put him through his hand, Brandy releasing him.
The organizer approached and handed Josiah a ribbon, as he held out Bob as Brandy held a camera in her hand. He smiled, the camera flashing.
"Who wants pizza?" Bandit asked. "It's on me!"
Everyone erupted in cheers, even Josiah did, as he was carted off to the parking lot.
Josiah looked to where Zero-four landed as he took off his helmet, revealing a Weimaraner underneath, his gray-blue eyes baring into him as he scowled.
Josiah for a moment felt uneasy, they made eye contact.
The Weimaraner pointed at him, his brow furrowed.
Josiah then grabbed his eyelid, and stuck his tongue back, grinning.
Josiah was a little surprised that Pizza Hut existed in this universe and that in Australia, they had buffets, apparently as he cursed the US for having mediocre restaurants.
"Way to go, Josiah!" Bandit said, as Josiah's friends and family were gathered around a table, as Josiah bit into a piece of pizza. It was busy with plate clinging and conversation in the background.
"I can't believe it," Brandy put her hands on her cheeks. "You won the race!" She hugged Josiah closely, tears falling down her eyes.
Josiah felt a little embarrassed as he looked away.
"I just got lucky, is all." Josiah said, smiling nervously.
"Don't be like that," Bandit shook his head. "You were good out there, Josiah," He held out his hand and clenched his fist. "I don't think that kid's ever gonna forget he got beaten by you!"
That was when Josiah heard the front door's bell chime.
"JOSIAH," He heard something shout, as he turned his head, eyes on him. "JOVANNI!"
It was the Weimaraner from earlier, his teeth bared and his finger pointed at him.
"I've been looking all over for you and you of all places," He said, "And when I found you," He grits his teeth, his eye twitching. "You were in a motorcycle race and you-"
"He flogged you!" Bingo said, pointing at him.
"Bingo!" Chilli said, glancing at her youngest before she bowed her ears.
"She's not wrong though," Bandit smiled, shrugging before Chilli and Brandy glared at him. "Sorry!"
"Do you understand what I've been through," The Weimaraner said, approaching Josiah's table. "To find your sorry a-"
"What do you want?" Josiah asked. "Who are you, anyways?"
The Weimaraner pinched his forehead.
"It's Spencer, you idiot," Spencer said, his tone growing ever more annoyed. "And-"
Josiah froze, his blood growing cold, Spencer's words becoming nonsense to his ears.
'They sent Spencer, the guy who sent me here, to get me out?!' he thought to himself.
"Listen," Bandit crossed his arms. "I really ought to call the police," He loomed over Spencer, who stepped back. "Because you almost hurt one of my daughters with that thing."
Spencer frowned, looking up at Bandit, and then to Josiah.
"This isn't over, Josiah." He said, running away out of the door.
Josiah's mouth hardened into a line, as the others watched Spencer leave, his tail tucked between his legs.
"You know this guy, Josiah?" Bluey asked.
Josiah shook his head.
'I wish I didn't.' He thought to himself.
