Disclaimer: Kim Possible is property of Disney. I own nothing and don't claim to own anything.
Warning: Includes violence & gore, profanity, references to things like sex & drugs, and what some may consider intense scenes. Viewer discretion is advised.
XX
Chapter 5 – Arena of the Ahwahnechee
Tuolumne County, California
The Black Jaguar thundered down State Highway 108.
Ben wore his sunglasses as he watched the road in front of him, Kim was more interested in the power ballad he was playing.
What I've felt, what I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free, never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
"How have I never listened to Metallica until now!?" Kim said.
She recalled a classmate of hers named Howard McTroy and his Forest Green Metallica hoodie. She somehow understood "Metallica" was a band, but until today, it had mostly just been a word on a hoodie.
Kim Possible and Ben Tetradze had woken up that morning in Sacramento and gone to breakfast, and then they began their two-hour drive to the edge of Yosemite National Park.
Ben had said they were getting near their destination, but Kim had yet to see any of the mountains or forests that Yosemite was known for.
They were currently on California State Route 108 heading east, and their scenery was mostly hills, meadows, and distant woods.
They eventually arrived at a place called "Yosemite Junction" and turned right onto State Route 120. From there they drove south through more similar scenery, along with some farmland and roadside buildings.
They passed through a little village called Chinese Camp (Kim wondered how it got that name,) and drove across a bridge that had been built over a body of water that Ben referred to as the "DP Reservoir."
Eventually the State Highway became more winding , and their surroundings became hillier and woodsier. Kim took this as a sign that they were getting closer to the granite summits and dense forests Yosemite was known for.
As Kim looked out the car window at the surrounding woods, she found herself daydreaming, as she sometimes did when she had nothing to do during a long car ride.
After some length of time, Ben said her name "Kim?"
"What?" Kim said, turning her head in his direction.
"Welcome to Groveland, California."
They were approaching a quaint little town that was hidden amongst the forested landscape.
As they drove through it, Kim saw that the shops, lodgings, and restaurants had a rustic feel to them, made of wood and stone, all of which com. In her home state of Colorado, there were plenty of towns just like it.
"We're still not in Yosemite though, right?" Kim said
"We will be soon enough Kim, you'll see it when I race."
"So…What now?'
"Now, we meet an old friend of mine.
In the woods near Groveland there were a series of cabins for rent, they were mostly empty as it was still off-season. Next month was May, which was when the tourists began to show up in Yosemite.
The federal government intended to use one of the cabins to house the personnel and tech that would be needed to support Agent Ben Tetradze and Miss Kim Possible in their operation, and if necessary, intervene on their behalf.
April meant Yosemite was quiet and the roads were empty, it also meant the snow and ice of winter had for the most part melted away. In short, conditions were ideal for racing.
Driving up to the requisitioned cabin, Kim saw that the motor coach that she had seen at the scrap and salvage place yesterday was already parked there. While Ben parked and turned off the Jaguar, a woman exited the motor coach.
"Mel!" Ben exclaimed as he exited his car. "I didn't know they were gonna send you."
"A Marshal was requested, and I was who they picked," Mel said in a steady and mellow voice. "Our superiors know we work well together."
The woman named Mel was tall and athletically thin, had gray eyes, and black hair that was cut boyishly short. She was dressed in a defiantly sensible and unfeminine manner; a grayish-brown long-sleeved shirt (sort of like a something an office worker would wear,) a black tie, black slacks, and the same black shoes that were worn by nearly every federal agent Kim had encountered.
Kim was a budding fashionista herself, and thought girls shouldn't hesitate to be girly if it was what they wanted…But there was also something really cool about a woman who did her own thing.
It was also impossible to miss the badge and holster-and-gun on her belt. It was no great riddle that Kim was about to meet yet another law enforcement officer.
"Kim, meet Deputy U.S. Marshal Melanie Pollard," Ben said to Kim as she walked up next to him.
"Hi Kim, it's nice to meet you," Mel said, shaking her hand.
"Thanks, I've never met a Marshal before."
Even though she never met a U.S. Marshal, Kim knew they were the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the nation, predating the FBI, Secret Service and all the others. The first Marshals served under President George Washington.
"Most kids your age haven't met a Marshal, but then I guess you're not like most kids."
"I'm just here to watch Ben's back."
"Good, he needs it."
"I can see you two are already friends," Ben quipped.
Kim looked at the cabin "So what's the deal with this place?"
"The FBI and ATF both want temporary bases of operations for each leg of the tournament," Marshal Mel explained. "It's off season for the owner of these cabins, so the federal government was able to make a rather convenient arrangement."
"You and I will only be here till I race this afternoon," Ben explained. "Not long after the race is over, I'll receive word on the location for the next race, and we'll begin our journey there."
"And we won't be far behind," Mel added.
"Are there any police in Yosemite?" Kim asked.
"That would be the national park police, and maybe some rangers," Ben responded. "They're in on what's going down, but their instructions are to refrain from interfering with any racing, only to 'observe and report.'"
"Who gave them those instructions?" Kim asked.
"Their superiors I imagine. The Redwood Cup special interests probably worked their usual magic, and with the federal government also running its own operation connected to the Redwood Cup."
"We have a while before we need to leave, so I think I'm going to stretch and change into something more suitable."
Kim looked at Ben's outfit; a brown leather jacket worn over a black collared shirt, black pants, and brown boots, with his sunglasses tucked into his jacket pocket.
"You're not going to race in that?" Kim asked, she was under the impression he was. She thought he looked really cool.
"Actually no, I had the clothes I requested sent here. It was my intention to change into them at the last moment to ensure they'd be as fresh as possible for the race."
"So you got all dressed up like that for just the ride over?" Marshal Mel asked before Kim could.
"Dressing for a drive isn't the same as dressing for the race."
Mel and Kim regarded him skeptically.
"I don't have to explain myself to you two," Ben said curtly.
XX
Somewhere near Yosemite National Park
Albie and Night Devil parked their cars in the parking lot of some roadside motel.
Ryan Quint's Blue Mazda RX-7 was one of only a few cars in the parking lot. The Mazda used to be yellow, but then Nora Featherston called it "piss yellow," so Ryan had it painted blue.
Night Devil left his car with a bag of breakfast items from McDonalds, he walked over to Albie who remained sitting in his
"You sure you don't want to come in?" Night Devil asked.
"Nah, I'm good."
"If Ryan starts giving you shit for losing your race, I'll take your side. Better guys than any of us have lost to Rhonda the Witch."
Albie scoffed "Like I give a shit about what he thinks, I'm keeping watch."
After leaving the party, Calvin Shepherd had Night Devil, Albie, and Ryan Quint drive to the locations of their races and check into motels.
Night Devil and Albie were racing in the morning, Shepherd and Quint in the afternoon.
"I want the two of you to get some sleep," Shepherd had said to Night Devil and Albie. "I want you fed and hydrated ninety minutes before you're supposed to race, and on site thirty minutes before."
"Ryan you can sleep in, but I expect the same of you."
Even though Shepherd was also racing in the afternoon, he was also up early and fulfilling his duties as the Field Marshal for the Con Quest Motor Club.
Night Devil had beat Ian Montgomery, which was a reassuring start to things. Montgomery was a solid racer, and he was driving some tech industry supercar, but Devil was a force to be reckoned with.
Albie had the misfortune of facing Rhonda Govea.
Of the sixteen people racing, Albie was undoubtedly among the least impressive. He ranked 15 out of 16, or 16 out of 16 depending on where you ranked the Turtle.
He was competent when racing the street toughs that wanted to step up, but the Con-Quest Motor Club valued him for other things.
Rhonda Govea was a league of her own, to say nothing of her being fucking scary. During the agreed pre-race meetup, she kept looking at Albie as if she wondered what he tasted like.
They raced some farmland in the Central Valley. Since his losing was nearly a certainty, Albie merely did his best to make it interesting. He came out looking better than most thought, but still seemed relieved when it was over.
Now it was time for what most were looking forward to that day…Ryan Quint versus Ruslan Lomovtsev, otherwise known as Special Agent Veniamin Tetradze from the ATF.
If Ryan beat him, it'd be a staggering boost to his reputation. Ryan would be impossible to deal with after-the-fact.
If not…Well, then Night Devil would have to step up. He'd like to race Tetradze during the night.
The night was his specialty. It was where everything made sense…Except for him.
XX
Ryan Quint was relaxing in bed and watching T.V., while the young woman he was with was getting dressed.
"Go answer the door," he ordered her.
The young woman flipped him off. "Eat shit asshole, I'm done with you!"
"Either way you're heading to the door dumbass!"
She grabbed her handbag and stormed over the door, she opened it to see Night Devil and his psycho stare. For a few tense moments, they both just stood there. Night Devil took a step to the side, and she scrambled past.
"And in came the Devil," Ryan sang at the sight of Night Devil, "He had a pitchfork in his hand."
Night Devil just gave a smirk as Ryan sang lyrics from his favorite song "You want breakfast?"
Ryan sneered at the bag of fast food "I need to teach you how to eat real food."
"Like what?"
"Like lobster, clam chowder, Eggs Benedict, ham with peach garnish, peach cocktails, anything with peaches really. Do you even know what bisque is?"
"Somebody wishes they were still at the country club in Delaware." Night Devil placed the bag on the nightstand next to the bed. "You need to carbo-load for the race. Eat the pancakes and bacon, I know you like them."
"The big man at his race?"
"Him and Chris Cuellar are gonna race out by the coast."
"Right…How'd you guys do?"
"I beat that slick shit Montgomery, Albie obviously lost to the Witch."
"Did she rape him before or after the race?" Ryan asked with gleefully inappropriate flippancy.
"Nah, he's okay. He did better than expected."
"Oh yeah? Maybe that psycho bitch went easy on him?"
Ryan and Night Devil exchanged a look, both wondering if Rhonda Govea, a woman who once shot someone with a crossbow for leaning against her car, had the programing to go easy on anyone.
"How long did you sleep?"
"Seven hours."
"Is there going to be a pre-race meet?"
"No, Tetradze, AKA: 'Lomovtsev' opted out. He's just gonna show up and race."
"Oh, yeah?" Ryan said with a grin. "You think he's too much of a pussy?"
Night Devil shook his head "No, I think he has nothing to say to you. He just wants to race."
Ryan blinked a few times at Night Devil who just stared back with his psycho gaze. If he was expecting his friend to indulge him, then Night Devil either hadn't picked up on it or preferred to be candid.
"Right…I'm gonna take a shower and eat my pancakes."
"I'll stand outside and keep watch," Night Devil said as he went to the door.
Ryan took a portable stereo into the bathroom to play his music while he showered. It was part of his pre-racing ritual to pump himself up with music.
So, so, so, so listen up ' cause you can't say nothin'
You'll shut me down with a push of your button
But yo, I'm out, and I'm gone
I'll tell you now, I keep it on and on
'Cause what you see you might not get
And we can bet, so don't you get souped yet
You're scheming on a thing that's a mirage
I'm trying to tell you now, it's sabotage.
Ryan turned the shower off and grabbed a towel to dry off, he then looked at the bathroom mirror and
Ryan went to get his pistol, a Glock 19 with a gold-plated slide.
Returning to the bathroom, he regarded himself in the mirror.
"Either I'll win…" Ryan said, imagining he was talking to Ben Tetradze, "…Or you die."
He shot his own image in the mirror.
XX
Groveland
Ben laid out a map of Yosemite National Park on the hood of his car.
"I think our first order of business is to find a position for you to spectate from, and I have a location for you in mind."
It wasn't like Kim had any other ideas. It seemed dumb to her for spectators to have to decide which small part of a race they wanted to witness.
Whatever Ben decided was fine. "Okay, where's that?"
"I think we should put you near the end. Right about…here." His finger pointed at an observation point that seemed to be positioned right above the highway.
"Why there though?"
"Do you see this turn?" Ben pointed at the turn that was adjacent to where she'd be positioned.
"Yeah?"
Ben smiled "That's my ace in the hole."
"How so?"
"Ryan Quint struggles with turns."
XX
Some Hours Later
Yosemite National Park
It was about an hour before the race was scheduled to begin, and Ben and Kim were at an observation point that overlooked the turn in the highway that was integral to Ben's plan.
The observation consisted of some old-looking wooden benches and a short wall made of stone. Kim had the suspicion that they were all here many years before the highway was.
"Wow," Kim said as she looked at the turn down below.
"Wow what?" Ben inquired.
"So this is all it takes to win a race? Just one turn that the other guy isn't ready for?"
Ben looked at her "Kim, I'd think you'd be surprised how important a difference the little things can make. I've seen well-laid plans be undone by mere details."
He looked back at the turn below them, "I think it also helps that this turn is closer to the end of the race than the beginning. It'll leave less room for a turnaround for Quint."
Kim didn't care much about what was below, but more on what was ahead. "That is some view!" Kim marveled at the full splendor of Yosemite: granite formations, green trees, distant lakes, and big blue sky.
Ben took in the view as well "President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir thought as much when they were here ninety-seven years ago."
"Naturally though, the story of this place goes back further. To the Ahwahnachee
and even though they were pushed out in the nineteenth century, their spirits are still here. I hope to give them a good show, to add to the legend of this noble wilderness."
Kim looked at Ben with admiration, "You like knowing things, don't you?"
"One of the purposes of life is to learn. How else are we to achieve higher forms?"
She was unsure what Ben meant by 'higher forms,' but she couldn't help but like the sound of it. "I like learning too. Too many people in the world don't have a clue."
"Well don't judge them too harshly Kim, most people prefer to focus on their own existence. Their job, their family, their friends, their hobbies. Education and enlightenment are good, but humans aren't Vulcans or Elves, they're rather something more than that."
"You must think I'm…" Ben stopped himself and frowned. He stood there for a few strange moments with his blonde hair blowing in the wind. He wasn't looking at her but looking past her, looking at something that couldn't be seen. Something that only he could see because he was visualizing it in his mind.
Kim didn't say anything and let Ben have his moment of…whatever this was.
Had she ever seen him do this before? She didn't think so, but it wasn't like she had known him for very long. They had quickly become friends, so it was easy to overlook that she had met him a month ago.
There was so much about him she didn't know.
Ben's moment didn't last very long, he blinked a few times and gave Kim a reassuring smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry Kim, I was thinking about…something else."
"Okay," Kim said, just rolling with it. "Um, I think you have a race you're supposed to go to?"
The call to race gave Ben his groove back "Right then, I'm going to leave you here Kim. I trust you'll…"
"Don't worry about me, Ben. Just go win!"
XX
10 Minutes Before Race
Yosemite National Park
Ryan Quint, Night Devil, and Albie were at a roadside community alongside the highway in Yosemite. It was a "community" in the loosest sense of the word; a gas station, a country store, a few other buildings without signs on them.
There were also a dozen or so other people there, mostly Con-Quest hangers-on and tournament spectators.
Ryan Quint and his car were surrounded by a small group of people. He was prattling on about himself,
Night Devil leaned against his own car looking intimidating, prepared to break someone's head if they gave him a reason.
Albie was off to the side by himself and talking on his phone.
"He shot his gun inside a motel room!?" Calvin Shepherd
"Ryan said it wasn't an accident," Albie said.
"Why would he do it on purpose?"
"Uh…Because he's Ryan?"
"Do you know if someone called the cops?"
"I don't know, we got out of Dodge as soon as possible. Devil spotted the manager looking at us through the blinds of the lobby."
"Tell that asshole he knocks Tetradze out in the first round and he'll be off my fucking shitlist."
"Okay," Albie said, his energy level not matching that of his boss.
"And if he loses, then he can cancel his summer plans because I'm gonna send his ass to Humboldt County to work on a pot farm. They're gonna make him trim marijuana buds with a comb."
"He'll probably try to steal pot."
"Then they'll use the comb to saw him in half and sell his organs!"
"I hear ya."
"I'll be there as soon as I can, bye."
"Bye."
A few minutes passed, and then the sound of an approaching vehicle drew everyone's attention, a Black Jaguar pulled into the gas station's parking lot and came to a halt. Everyone stared, waiting for the driver to emerge.
Ryan Quint had a serious look on his face, which was saying something as he was a man who took as little as possible seriously.
Except the driver didn't emerge, or even rol. His purpose in pulling up dramatically into the gas station was to announce "I'm here," and noew
Once the Jaguar started to drive away, Ryan Quint broke into a shit-eating grin. "Where the fuck you going asshole!?" he yelled, even though the driver very likely couldn't hear him.
He nodded in a satisfied sort of way, still choosing to believe his opponent forgoing a pre-race meeting was some sort of sign of timidness.
Albie walked up to Ryan, he stated the obvious "I think he's going to the starting line."
Ryan scowled at him and looked like he was thinking of something to say.
His attention was soon diverted to another arrival. A tournament judge drove up to Quint's group on a Harley-Davidson. He was one of the more familiar judges; one who wore biker leather, an American flag bandana, and sunglasses.
"It's time Quint," the Judge said.
Ryan Quint thought of something cool to say…And then he thought a little more.
"I think we're about to see what time it is," he eventually came up with.
This didn't seem to resonate with anyone, Ryan headed to his vehicle.
XX
2 Minutes Before Race
Yosemite National Park
Ben was sitting in his Jaguar at the designated starting line. Two orange traffic cones had been set up and a line of chalk drawn between them.
To the left of the highway was a steep slope of dirt, rock, and trees.
To the right was a small ravine with a river in it. Further past the river was more of the same, dirt rock, trees, and a steep slope.
Also near the starting line was a small wooden lodge type building, leaning against the lodge was one of the judges. Like the rest of them he was dressed in black clothes and had a Red "R" on his shirt, but he was also wearing an orange vest for visibility.
Ben noticed some scattered onlookers across the river
Ryan's Quint Mazda RX soon made the scene, thundering down the highway to a stop to the left of Ben's Jaguar.
Ryan rolled down the passenger window of his car, Ben did the same with the driver's window
Ryan did all of this just to smile and show him his middle finger, and then rolled up his car window.
Ben raised an eyebrow and raised his finger towards Quint's car in a gun motion.
"Gentleman!" the judge said loudly as strolled over.
Ben "shot" Quint's car with his finger gun, and then rolled up the driver's window.
"We are ready to begin!" the judge continued as he positioned himself between the Black Jaguar and Blue Mazda.
Veniamin "Ben" Tetradze made sure his MP3 and his car ready for action. It was time to go fast.
The judge raised his arms in the air.
Ben smiled. It was time to step on the gas.
The judge threw his hands down.
The Jaguar and Mazda both took off. The judge stood there like a statue as the two high-powered vehicles sped by on either side of him.
The race began the same time as Ben's music began playing
It's a Speedway, flowing in the veins
And I feel alive oh yeah!
When the pilots are, just about to cry
I drive faster
Ben's Jaguar and Ryan's Mazda remained close to each other as the began to make their way down the winding highway road. Neither of them was too keen on overtaking the other so early in the race, as they were worried this may jinx it, and/or expend all their effort so early on in the race.
Things changed once they arrived at a dirt road that was off the beaten path off the highway, it wasn't mandatory for them to take it, but Ryan Quint sped forward to be the first one on it.
Wanting to stay close to Quint, Ben followed behind him onto the dirt road.
The dirt road was less smooth and more treacherous than the highway, but both Ben and Quint had enough off-road driving experience to navigate it.
Near the end of the dirt road was an empty campsite full of spectators, the two vehicles past the campsite and under a wooden arch that led off the dirt road and back onto the highway. Quint's blue Mazda still kept the lead as the tires went from dirt back to asphalt.
"He's still behind me!" Quint thought jubilantly. "I'm actually gonna win this easily! It figures that nerd Tetradze can't actually race for crap! His whole rep is probably noise! Most reps are!"
Unbeknownst to him, Ben was intentionally keeping his distance and saving the abilities of himself and his vehicle until the critical moment. Biding his time, "Play it cool. Stick to the plan," Ben kept thinking.
XX
Kim was waiting around, which was one of her least favorite things. A cold breeze made her shiver, but she didn't mind much. It got plenty cold in Middleton.
She thought she heard something and looked behind her, drawing her Glock pistol as she did so…There was no one there.
She cleared her throat and tried to swallow the jittery feelings she was feeling. Looking down at the road below, she thought about how she'd never seen Ben race. Therefore, she had no notion of how good he was. Nearly all the time spent in Ben's car had him driving normally and obeying the speed limit.
Ben seemed confident he would win, but it also seemed confidence came naturally to him. As capable and intelligent as Ben was, there was always room for error.
It's like she realized earlier, she hadn't known him that long. What if she had merely seem at his best? And therefore didn't know what his worst looked like?
What would happen if Ben lost? She was here to watch his back while he raced. If Quint won, and Ben was out of the tournament, then was there a plan B? Would they even need Kim for that Plan B?...
Kim froze as she suddenly realized she wasn't alone.
Kim spun her Glock at her new arrival.
It was Rhonda Govea, she was sitting on a rock with her legs crossed and had an aloof and distant look on her face, all of which seem to invoke a meditating monk.
"You better not miss," Rhonda said coolly.
"W-what?" Kim stammered dumbly, still shocked by Rhonda's sudden appearance.
"The last guy to shoot me and miss has lost the use of one of his arms and is brain damaged…Although I don't think he was that smart to begin with."
Rhonda wore a dress last night at the party, but today she was dressed in a olive green army jacket worn over a dark green flannel shirt, dark gray pants, and a pair of thoroughly used looking hiking boots…Kim noticed there were bullet holes in the army jacket and flannel shirt (at least she suspected that's what they were.)
"Akima, right?"
Kim paused as she remembered Ben had introduced her to Rhonda as 'Akima Posobilova'
"What…What do you want?" Kim said uncertainly.
"Hmm…The things I want, you can't give me," Rhonda pondered. "But perhaps that will change at some point in time."
Kim just blinked, looking at a complete loss something to say or do.
"You don't have to be afraid of me,"
Kim felt her opinion towards Rhonda soften. "Why? You don't hurt kids?"
Kim had expected the answer to be "No, I don't hurt kids."
But that wasn't the answer…
"Oh I've hurt kids," Rhonda said, as if she were talking about what she had for breakfast. "I've hurt adults too: Men, women, and old people."
This answer put Kim on edge. Rhonda said she wasn't going to hurt Kim but confessed to having hurt kids in the past.
"Should I be scared of you?"
Rhonda regarded her quietly for a few moments "Everyone's scared of me. I'm scared of myself. Why should you be different?"
"So you hurt kids, and I should be scared of you…" Kim said a bit uneasily. "But you're not gonna hurt me though?"
Rhonda shrugged "You haven't given me a reason, and I don't want to…So I won't."
The way she said this suggested Rhonda thought there were reasons to hurt children, suggested that wanting to hurt a child factored in to whether she would or not.
It wasn't "evil" or "wrong" to hurt children, it was just some decision on her part.
Kim was only twelve, but she was able to discern that Rhonda…Rhonda didn't function morally the same way other people did.
She may as well have been some stray animal that Kim needed to make sure not to provoke.
Rhonda reached into the pockets of her hoodie,
"What are you doing?" Kim said, raising her Glock again.
Rhonda continued to be eerily calm "I have something for you. Let me show you first, and then decide whether you should pull the trigger or not."
Kim was paralyzed for a few moments, wondering what on earth Rhonda would have for her.
"Would you like a Nutri-Grain?"
Kim looked at the Apple Cinnamon cereal bar in Rhonda's hand…Yeah, there was no way she was eating anything Rhonda gave her.
"Uh…I'm okay, but thanks."
Rhonda pocketed the Nutri-Grain and gave an understanding nod. "I wouldn't have taken it either…For the record though, there was nothing wrong with it. You would've been fine."
"Oh, I'm sure I would've," Kim said with a smile. "Still though, no thanks."
XX
I got the fire of the Grand Prix
Grippin' my steering wheel so tight
It's gonna be a lucky Grand Prix
Ready to cross the line in the end
Ben had Eurobeat songs playing on loop, it would keep him going until the end of the race. The Blue Mazda maintained its lead as they climbed further into the mountains.
However, Ben also noticed that the increase in heights had led to a change in the Mazda's driving, Ryan Quint wasn't used to racing at such a high elevation.
Ben had driven in the mountains before. Not only that, but he had the mountains in his blood. The Caucasus Mountains of his Georgia.
And they were coming up on the important turn. Soon Ben Tetradze was going to knock Ryan Quint off his high horse.
XX
Kim and Rhonda were quiet and awkward for a little while. This was until the sound of approaching vehicles got their attention.
Kim leaned across the stonewall, looking at the highway for a sign of a car and hoping it was Ben's car. Rhonda got off her rock perch and went over to watch with Kim.
The sound of tires screeching against asphalt filled the air, punctuated by bursts of engine noise that reverberated off nearby cliffs. The ancient and natural wonder of Yosemite was by the soundings of two approaching vehicles, one black and one blue.
Kim was dismayed to see the Blue Mazda was in the lead but saw the Black Jaguar closing the distance as it increased in speed.
As both cars approached the sharp turn in the highway, the Mazda moderated its speed to make the turn, but the Jaguar only kept going faster and sailed past the Mazda.
Kim also panicked because it looked like Ben was going too fast and was about to crash into the railing…But then Ben's car did something. It was something that Ben had described to her, but she hadn't understood it until she saw it for herself.
The Jaguar was maintaining a high speed, but instead of going straight, it was sliding sideways along the road. It almost looked to Kim like it was rotating. Ben had used his cars' high speed, loss of traction, and steering power to pull off this move, allowing him to navigate the turn without slowing down or colliding into the outer barriers of the road.
The Jaguar then transitioned out of its sliding position, pulling back on the speed and straightening out. It returned to its normal driving position and then carried on its way down the mountain highway. The Blue Mazda followed behind, its driver not expecting his opponent's maneuver, and lacking the
Kim waited before the cars were out of sight before speaking her mind "What was that!?"
"That was a drift," Rhonda stated, her hands arms folded in front of her.
XX
"What the FUCK!?" Ryan roared inside his Mazda.
The inside of Ben's Jaguar was filled simultaneously with the sound of Eurobeat music and the sound of him laughing.
XX
"Oh my God!" Kim shouted with joy. "He did it! His strategy worked."
"Quint is a flashy club racer, he only really knows how to race the city," Rhonda proclaimed, sounding a little less excited. "He's pampered bourgeois scum, a strawberry. To race here in the wild demands a more impressive specimen."
Kim might've asked Rhonda why she called Ryan Quint a 'strawberry,' "So Ben will definitely win now, right?"
The Witch of the East Bay looked down at Kim imperiously "She of little faith. Did you doubt him?"
Kim felt flustered and self-conscious, both by how Rhonda was looking at her, and the idea that she underestimated Ben's abilities.
She thought of what to say. "I guess I haven't known him for that long," she said sheepishly.
XX
The rest of the race was uneventful, Ryan Quint didn't regain the initiative and was probably shocked and demoralized by what just happened.
Another two traffic cones and a line of chalk marked the finish line. As Ben sped across the finish line, he passed a scenic overlook that was filled with a crowd of over twenty spectators who applauded at the sight of him. Ben slowed down so they could get a look at his car, but he didn't stop and instead took off in the direction of Yosemite's easternmost gates.
Ben wasn't doing any of this for validation. He was doing this because to put the hurt on Calvin Shepherd and his gang…Okay, and because it was fun.
Thanks to his efforts, Ryan Quint had just been knocked out and the chance of a Con-Quest Motor Club member winning the tournament had just gone down.
As he drove out of the mountains, he kept an eye for the Blue Mazda in his rearview mirror. He didn't put it past Ryan Quint to try something.
No sign of him though.
XX
"So have you ever raced Ben before?" Kim asked Rhonda.
Rhonda made a face "Hmm…No. Benito and I have only known each other professionally. I don't think I've ever seen him off duty."
Kim found herself wanting to know more about Ben and saw Rhonda as someone who could perhaps give her this information. "Do you know what his life is like outside of the ATF?"
Rhonda cocked her head "Do you assume that I'm close to him?"
Kim thought about it "Um…I don't know. He didn't really say. Just that he knew you."
"Sometimes when someone doesn't say, they're saying a lot more than you think."
She had said this as if she wasn't sure Kim would know what it even meant…But Kim did understand…Ben was forthcoming with her about everything, he was so happy to have someone to talk to and share things with.
This made it all the more noticeable when he wasn't forthcoming.
"Hey!"
Kim and Rhonda turned to look at their new arrival, Deputy U.S. Marshal Melanie Pollard had her sidearm drawn and aimed at Rhonda.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Rhonda looked thoroughly unintimidated. "Akima, tell her about the last man who missed."
Kim felt she should diffuse the situation. "It's fine Mel, her and I are just talking."
Mel looked aggravated and confused at the same time. "But…Who are you?"
"My mother seemed to think my name was Rhonda, but why should I take her word for it?"
The name "Rhonda" stirred some recognition in Mel. Her piercing eyes narrowed, and then it hit her.
"You're Rhonda Govea?" she exclaimed, looking and sounding stupefied. Even then, Kim could tell Mel was keeping her cool and was much more shocked than she was letting on. It may as well have been Charles Manson standing there hanging out with Kim,
"Until I decide not to be," Rhonda said, apparently never lost for something strange or ominous to say.
"I…Um…" Marshal Mel said, taking a few moments to slide her brain back into place. "Right, I got a call confirming that Ben won his race."
"He did?" Kim exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. "That's great!"
"We're gonna walk to my car and meet him at the rendezvous point."
"Guess it's time for you get off this mountain," Rhonda said. "Tell Benito, I said 'congratulations.'"
"Sure thing, bye Rhonda."
Kim and Mel walked off into the t, leaving Rhonda to her own devices, which apparently consisted back to sitting cross-legged on the rock. Mel kept casting cautious glances back at Rhond as they left.
One they were far away enough, Mel began to speak her mind "Kim, she shouldn't have been able to sneak up on you."
Kim suspected that Rhonda did a lot of things she wasn't supposed to do but wasn't about to argue that point with Marshal Mel.
"What did she want?"
"Um…I don't think she wanted anything," Kim said uncertainly.
"She's not harmless Kim."
"I can tell…But I kind of think she likes me."
Mel gave her a concerned look.
"Don't worry, I'm not dumb enough to go into her house made of candy."
This got a laugh out of Mel.
"Should we tell Ben about this?" Kim asked.
"I feel like he'll be as blase about as you're being. He and Rhonda have a history."
This got Kim's full undivided attention "What kind of history?"
Kim anticipated this question would get a response from the Deputy U.S. Marshal…But she wasn't expecting that response to be such a grim and reluctant look from.
"Um…Maybe you should ask him yourself,"
They were quiet after that, leaving Kim to seriously consider what "history" Ben and Rhonda had.
XX
Lee Vining, California
One of the first signs of civilization you came to when leaving Yosemite from the east was Lee Vining, a former mining camp turned highway town.
Ben had his Jaguar parked in a gas station and was wiping his car down when Marshal Mel's black sedan pulled into the parking lot.
Kim was out the door of the car before it had even stopped moving and dashed up to where
"Ben! You were amazing!" she exclaimed, nearly jumping in the air as she did so. "The turn worked just like you said it would!"
The two friends exchanged a high five. "I trust you had as much fun watching it as much as I did pulling it off."
Marshal Mel walked over "Any idea where Quint went off to?"
Ben gave a slight shake of his head. "I was worried he might be a sore loser, but I saw no sign of him after the race. Nor anyone else who looked like they were worth worrying about."
Mel looked around the small town they were in. "We should probably keep moving."
"Where are we going now?" Kim asked.
"You and Ben can go wherever you want," Mel answered. "But I need to know where to relocate the equipment and personnel we have in Groveland."
Ben stroked his chin "I suggest returning to Sacramento, either that or head to Carson City. As for me, I'll need to get information about the quarterfinals from the tournament people."
"I also plan to make a request just like Ryan Quint did."
This immediately piqued Kim's interest "Wait, really? You're going to tell them who you want to race next?"
"Yes, I've received confirmation Calvin Shepherd and Nicholas Nowicki won their races. I plan to knock Nowicki out next."
"Nowicki is the one called 'Night Devil,' right?" Mel asked, a distasteful look on her face.
Kim remembered the things Ben told her about Night Devil, and suddenly her excitement faded as she started to understand what came with Ben winning the first round. The farther he got into the tournament, the more serious his opponents would be, the more urgently Shepherd's gang would try to stop him.
"It sounds like he's something worth worrying about…Even more than Ryan."
Ben gave her a solemn look and nodded, but he also looked rather pleased with himself. "Just know this Kim...Nicholas Nowicki may be the Night Devil…But I wanna be the night."
XX
Somewhere near the California/Nevada border.
Albie was driving his Dodge Challenger down an empty road through the high desert of East California.
After losing, Ryan had been unable to face anyone and just took off into the endless expanse that existed east of Yosemite. It had been Albie's job to follow him and make sure he didn't try to start some shit. Fortunately, there was hardly anyone or anything out here to start shit with.
He lost him a few times, but Calvin had trackers on both of their cars and kept paging Albie instructions.
Eventually Calvin just called him himself.
"He's up ahead of you, just before the border."
"Okay, I'll sit on him till you get there."
Quint's Mazda was parked before a "Welcome to Nevada" sign. He was pacing around his car, looking agitated. Albie parked behind him and began to assess his surroundings.
This section of the state line looked like it was rangeland for cattle. Across the road was a cattle guard, and on either side of the road was wire fencing that together with the cattle guard formed the outer edges of the area set aside for cattle.
To their left was a full-on wooden fence, and sure enough, behind the fence were a dozen or so cows: Standing around, grazing, some of them laying down. They were obviously Albie's first clue this was rangeland.
Nearly all the cows were all looking over at him and Ryan and their loud cars.
"What do you want Albie!?" Ryan snarled out of the corner of his mouth as he saw his fellow club member approaching.
"Cal told me to follow you, see where you went."
"Goddammit! I had him! I fucking had him!"
"It's not your car's fault."
"Do you want me to kick your ass!?"
"I'm sure that'll show Tetradze."
The arrival of a familiar Mitsubishi Lancer and Nissan Silvia made them go quiet. Calvin and Night Devil parked their cars on the same side of the road as Ryan and Albie's cars, so that there were four cars parked in a row.
As Calvin and Night Devil approached, Ryan saw that he didn't looked angry or even disappointed, more like he had been mildly annoyed. Ryan thought of his own father.
"Calvin…" Ryan stammered, wondering what to say. "I didn't…"
"Albie, you're in charge of him," Shepherd said in authoritative manner
This broke Ryan of his stammer and instead filled him with indignation "Forrest Gump is in charge of me!?"
"The two of you just switched places in the pecking order! Congratulations Al, you have seniority now!"
"I hate that movie," Albie declared.
"He got knocked out too! So how the fuck does he have seniority?!"
"He lost to Rhonda Govea. He gets credit for not being dead."
And with that Calvin had nothing else to say, he turned around and began walking back towards his car. "Devil!" he called.
Night Devil had been eyeballing the cows defiantly, seeming to take issue with being stared at by them. The sound of Calvin's voice commanded his attention.
Ryan irately watched Calvin and Night Devil leave, before jerking his head in the direction of Albie "What fucking movie!?" he snapped.
"Forrest Gump, the one you just mentioned dumbass."
"Shut the fuck up Albie!"
Calvin was about open, when he
"How confidant are you we're gonna win?"
Shepherd looked crossly at Devil.
"What kind of talk is that? Since when does anything scare you?"
"It's got nothing to do with being scared," Devil said clearheadedly. "Tetradze has already beaten one of us."
"He beat Ryan, you and I are better than that lummox."
They both looked back at Ryan, he had opened the doors to Albie's Dodge Challenger and was tossing fistfuls of dirt inside.
Albie came running across the road with a handful of cow shit and threw it at Ryan's Mazda.
Calvin laughed at them. Night Devil rubbed the back of his head "I just thought you'd be more worried."
The Con-Quest Motorhead leader gave Night Devil a grin. It was the grin of a thug, the grin of a person who was used to getting their way. "Don't worry about a thing Old Nick, there's two kinds of winning, and I'm fine with either one."
One by one, the four bandits got into their cars and went back west. The first round of the Redwood Cup had ended.
Patriot44 Notes
I devoted an inordinate amount of effort to figuring out what song Ryan Quint was going to be listening to.
Completing the first race is a major milestone for this story, and if need be I'll come back and make edits.
I wanted to update this sooner, but 2024 was an eventful year for me. I also have a book published, which I'll link in my profile at some point.
Tetradze's Playlist
"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
"Police Truck" by Dead Kennedys
"Unforgiven" by Metallica
"Speedway" by Niko
"Grand Prix" by Mega NRG Man
Ryan Quint's Song
"Sabotage" by Beastie Boys