Fast and Furious: Future (editing and adding to)

Chapter 6: Race Wars

'Whydon't you see today?' I asked.

Hestared at me, tapping on the brakes lightly so we stopped. 'What?'

'He'shere, isn't he? With his car. Race him.' It didn't seem a bigdeal to me.

Tohim, it was ludicrous. 'Hell, no. Are you kidding? My uncle hasspent years on that car. He crashed it once but when Letty did it upwith him, it was even faster.'

Ichuckled. 'Okay then. How fast is it?'

'Ina quarter mile... nine seconds flat.' He paused, I fell silent.'Even you can figure out the odds of me beating him. Like a millionto one.'

'Wow.That's amazing. What engine is it?'

'Ninehundred brake horsepower. Vee eight Chrysler engine with asupercharger. It still scares him to drive it and the sound it makesis just ear-battering.'

Myeyes were wide and I blinked once. 'Sounds insane. Bet it's akiller on fuel.' He nodded. We were back at our spot on the field.

'Howabout that race now?'

Ismirked, keys in hand. 'Sure. Are we staking it?'

Hegave a thoughtful pout. 'Nah, I'll just give you the chance totry and beat me again.'

Igot out, refusing to give in to his comment. My car was fairly hotnow as midday approached so I would be glad to get this race overwith soon. Sitting in the driver's seat, I waited a few minutesbefore turning the key. Jack waited just off from the end of thequeue and I waved to him so he could join up with me. I was prettyexcited by the time we were second in line but I did not let it show.Not an inch of my face gave way to my emotions which had now drivenup my adrenaline. One hand on top of the steering wheel and the otherloosely clasping my shift stick, I waited for the car in front of meto race off before I took their place.

Therace starter now faced us and pointed to each of us to turn to makesure we were ready. I nodded my head when he pointed at me and hebegan to shake his arms like he did with each pair of racers before.Things seemed to go in slow motion at that point. His knees began tobend and my right foot pushed down on the pedal. My car jolted tolife and the wheels span off the line. I wasn't alone of course;Jack kept up with me just as he had with André.

Myeyes glanced between the runway, the speedo and the rev meter. Theneedle just touched the redline and I instantly shifted up to second.For a split second, though it felt like a minute, I was a few inchesahead of my opponent until he too shifted up and took the lead fromme. I didn't fall behind; from a distance you probably wouldn'tbe able to tell he was ahead. I refused to turn my head or shift myeyes to glance at him; I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Onemore shift and the three hundred yards counter zoomed past. Iprobably wouldn't hit fifth gear but fourth was the next and thatwas all I focused on. I was scared to use my own Nos button in casehe thought I felt in doubt I could beat him. Then I remembered thathe had used his against André and I wouldn't make the mistake myfriend had. Then I saw the two hundred marker and my thumb presseddown hard on the small red button. The Subaru seemed to roar to lifelike I hadn't felt before and I pressed my back into my seat,making sure to shift up as the rev needle whizzed round clockwise tothe limiter mark. I had lost all focus in where Jack was in relationto me; it had now turned to how close I was to the finishing line.The flags were bright orange so you couldn't miss them and then,they vanished from sight.

Thatwas it. That was the end of our race and I didn't even know if I'dbeat him or not. I slowly pressed on the brakes so not to roll thecar on the smooth tarmac and gradually steered the car to the left. Iwas about halfway back to the huge pit stop (as it sort of was) whenI decided to stop. My lungs gasped for air and it was only then Irealised I had held my breath since the finish line. My heart wasracing and the skin all over my body was buzzing. I closed my eyestight shut and just breathed. My car's rumbling was joined byJack's and that was the first time I looked at him since meetinghim at the queue. I couldn't read his expression even as we bothrolled our windows down.

'Lookup,' was all he said to me.

Aroundthe pit stop section of the airfield, had been setup enormous flatscreens which portrayed live action races and replays. It took amoment for the images to sink in. The two cars the raced across thescreen were our own cars; my Subaru and Jack's purple Honda. Idon't know how many times they replayed it but it soon also sunk inthat it had been a photo finish. The zoomed in version of the raceshowed the front lip of my bumper only an inch or two ahead of theHonda's. My breathing seemed to stop as I thought about it.

Itwas obvious but I simply couldn't understand 'Ella!' I turnedmy head first and then my eyes. 'Follow me, yeh?' I did as heasked though there was little else I could do at this point.

AsI cut the engine, my senses had returned to me and I was grinninglike crazy as I hopped out of the driver's door. 'Ha! I had you,'I squeaked.

'Byan inch. But well done.' Even though he had lost, there was a smallsmugness to his smile. 'You know what my uncle says?' I shook myhead. 'Winning is winning no matter how far you win by.'

'OhI'm sure he came up with that when he became unbeatable. Surely heused to lose when he was younger.'

'Yaknow, I've never asked him.'