So, my dear friends. You've waited long enough and now it's finally here. I'm excited to present the first chapter of the sequel. This chapter might be confusing but things will get clearer with time. I promise. I hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think about it!
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21st May 2019 - AUSTRIA
Driving on the narrow street in between the mountains, Mark couldn't deny that it was a beautiful place. The lush colours of the thriving plants, the clear blue of the freezing cold mountain lake. He understood why the choice fell to this place, even though he isn't even there yet. Finally arriving in a small village after hours of driving on the lone street, Mark tried to find the address he had scribbled down on a piece of paper as he finally found someone, who knew where this place was and that the Austrian was to be found there at the moment, even though he had been warned, that there was no guarantee to find her just because he had this address.
Stopping after checking each and every house which weren't much, he went back to the centre of the village where a little shop was located opposite the imposing church. It must have been the most open space he had seen since he arrived in this village. The houses seemed to be built into the mountain or at least on top of each other. The only thing which was separating the high mountain in which the village was craved, and the freezing mountain lake was the narrow street that had led Mark to this place. This place looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale.
Still, visiting this little mountain village wasn't the reason why Mark came all the way. To be honest, the Aussie wasn't sure why he made this journey. He had better things to do than searching for someone who didn't want to be found. Choosing this place for mourning was an enormous sign that she did leave her old life behind and that she won't look back.
Getting out of the car, he walked up to a couple of elderly people, sitting on the little bench in front of the church. He hoped they knew where this place was because it was surely not in this village and Mark already felt foolish enough for coming all this way to see someone, who most likely didn't even what to see him ever again.
"Excuse me, I'm searching for a place, you might know it?" Mark started to speak, but he could read in the eyes of the inhabitants of this place that they didn't understand a word he just said, causing him to exhale slowly. He was such a fool for coming all the way to the Austrian alps only to fail because he couldn't ask for directions due to the language barrier.
The man muttered something under his breath Mark couldn't understand which caused the woman to swat his shoulder, a disapproving scold on her face before she faced Mark again. She gestured for him to show her the paper he was holding with an encouraging smile, causing the Aussie to nearly stumble over his own two feet, handing her the paper with the address.
Reading it out loud for the man who was sitting next to her, Mark didn't even recognise the words he had written down himself coming from her mouth, but he was glad she had gestured for him to give her the paper because even when they would have understood English, they surely wouldn't have a clue where this place was, the way Mark pronounced it.
The man looked at Mark again, before pointing at the mountain, which was a terrible way to give people directions, which the man must have noticed seeing Mark's confused expression. Leaning back, he pulled the hat he was wearing over his face while crossing his legs at his ankles, causing the woman to roll her eyes, before she got up for the bench and Mark would have protested that there was no need for that, would he have been able to speak the language.
The old woman went into the shop only to gesture for Mark to follow her, what he did. He let his gaze wander through the small corner shop as the woman went behind the counter, looking for something at the back. Looking around, Mark noticed three little children, a girl with French braids and two boys watching him from the corner of the shop half-hidden behind the counter. The oldest boy said something which Mark didn't understand but it made the other two snicker at him, annoying him. He just got laughed at by some kids. His day just went so great.
Mark wasn't sure what to do, until the woman came back with a map in her hand, scaring the children away, who laughed as they went through the door which caused a little bell to sound. She put the map in front of Mark on the table and got a pen before circling the top of a mountain, before pointing at the paper she was holding causing Mark to nod. Smiling slightly, she circled another destination on the map, before following a street with her pen. Causing Mark to realise that this was the place he was at right now. Nodding again, the woman smiled again, before handing him the map and sending him off with a gesture of her hand, causing him to thank her, even though he knew she didn't understand him.
Walking back to the car, Mark saw the old man, who was sitting in front of the bench just before Mark had entered the small corner shop with the children on the shore of the lake fishing. Getting into the car again, Mark took another look at the map to make sure he knew the right direction before driving off.
"What is it with people running away and living on lone mountains?" Mark muttered under his breath, thinking about the other German native speaker he knew who preferred to live a hermit's life surrounded by mountains rather than interesting people in a metropole.
Letting out a huff, Mark just hoped he had enough fuel to reach this magical place that might or might not exist. Even though his annoyance grew with every vertical meter he had to overcome and as the street turned into a gravel path, he was ready to just turn around and never try again.
He simply could deny that he ever had tried to find her and live his life in peace, but Mark was stubborn, and this situation only reminded him of every time she was insufferable, arrogant and pushy. Every time she chose to take Seb's side just to pure some more fuel into the fire, just to see if Mark would break under the insufferable duo. Just to be a brat, just to be a little shit. But Mark would never let her win, even though this thought had its weak points because she had no clue, he was trying to find her.
Nevertheless, Mark kept on driving. Until he finally reached a clearing with a decent sized timber house which was half-built into or onto a cliff, Mark hadn't decided yet. Looking closer, he knew this must be the place he had been looking for. The house was futuristic, with big glass panels and elements of wood which made it harmonise with its surroundings better. It wasn't the top of the mountain, but that wouldn't have been far either.
Switching the engine off, Mark left the car only to walk up to the front porch of the house where a figure was sitting on a tree truck a basket of herbs in front of her and a black lamb sitting next to her as if this was a fucking commercial for a cough syrup with Alpine herbs.
"You know how hard it is to get a hold of you?" Mark said, which caused her to look up and all the Aussie could do was bite his lips.
Her angry but daring eyes focused on him right away and Mark felt as if he was back at Red Bull again with no clue in the world what was going to happen, which turn his life and career would take, but he wasn't here to finish an argument they had found unworthy of couniting all these many years ago.
Rolling her eyes, Joanna got up from the trunk she was sitting on only to lift the black lamp which was wearing a blue and white checkered neckerchief into her arms and walk up the few stairs which were carved into the stony ground. Joanna didn't turn around once, but she did stop, her hand already on the door handle.
"Go home, Mark. You're scaring the lamb." She said, before entering the house and slamming the door behind her. Actually, he hadn't expected another reaction from her, but it did annoy him that she didn't even greet him. Mark must have been the first person, who had bothered to come all the way only for her to shut the door into his face.
Exhaling slowly Mark walked back to his rental car, leaning against the side of it, while he got his phone from his pocket, dialling a familiar number. By God, he had no idea why he did that, why he was here. He hated them all, after all. No offer or a deal in the world should have ever caused him to do this.
"Mark, I take it you have news for me." The man on the other side of the line greeted Mark causing him to exhale slowly, he was tired and cranky. All Mark wanted to do was leave, but he couldn't.
"I found her," Mark said without any greeting. He was too tired for niceties and Alain knew him that much after all. There was no reason for that.
"That's great. What did she say?" The FIA president wanted to know. He thought Mark already told Joanna about his proposal for her and Mark will tell her about it. The moment she's willing to hear him out if he doesn't freeze to death first, it's getting cold up here.
"Alain, did it ever occur to you that she didn't want to be found because she doesn't want to come back?" Mark ignored Alain's question. Doubting the whole reason why he even came all this way. Joanna had chosen this place to hide away, with no interest in coming back, so why should she hear Mark out?
"She is not made to live on a lonely mountain. This isn't a place for a woman like Joanna. We need to bring her home." The Frenchman told Mark which caused him to huff. The Aussie had agreed as they spoke about this, both of them sitting in a warm office with Toto, who was terribly worried about his driver and friend, but now, he just believed this was stupid.
"You should have asked Seb for this favour," Mark argued after a moment, his eyes on the timber house illuminated by warm golden light.
None of them had expected that Niki's death would have hit Joanna that hard, but after breaking it up with Verstappen, who had found himself a Piquet to warm his bed right after their breakup, the Austrian was easily hurt and the death of the only person she considered her blood family made her finally snap.
"Sebastian would have joined her in hiding away from the world. It always needed to be you. Niki and you ... always the only ones...reach her." Alain said but was cut off, causing Mark to lift the phone away from his ear to look at it, before lifting it into the air to get a connection again while cursing Alain, Toto and Joanna and the world to be honest.
"Stupid mountain," Mark muttered again. "For god's sake, can't she hide in a beach resort, no! It has to be a fucking lonely mountain. The only thing missing now is snow or heavy rainstorms."
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Sitting on the couch in the house, Joanna watched the little lamb running around the living room, eager much to eat whatever plant the Austrian had decorated her father's refugium with. Smiling softly, her gaze wandered to the big window overlooking the valley as the sun started to set until she was disturbed by the little lamb. It had climbed onto to couch only to inspect what was inside of Joanna's cup of tea, before flopping down next to her on the warm sheets, causing the Austrian to smile again, before she stroked over the wool of the little animal.
"I know," Joanna told the lamb as it looked at her with big eyes, widening her eyes as well but not expecting the animal to react at all.
"But do we really want him in the house? We could let him freeze his ass out there. Check if he's stubborn enough to stay." The Lauda offered the little lamb, who looked at her before it bleated and climbed off the couch only to run over to the door.
Let someone say again that animals are no better than humans. Joanna thought as she went to the door, picking the little lamb up, the Lauda offspring took a look at Mark, who was leaning against his rental car, phone pressed to his ear while his other hand was slung around his body.
He looked miserable as he talked on the phone until he suddenly lifted the phone into the air and started to run around. The call must have disconnected.
God, Aussie or not. This man won't survive a night camping in his own garden, not even to mention this place. She was kind of intrigued to just let it happen and see how far he gets without her help, but in the end, the little lamb in her arms would make her feel back should she let Mark suffer too long.
Joanna unlocked the door and pushed it open which caused the door to crash into the wall of the house alerting Mark of the motion by the house before he saw Joanna's silhouette walking back into the house, but the door stayed open, which caused Mark to make his way over to the timber house as fast as he could with the darkness of the night settling over the clearing. He just hoped he wouldn't fall down some stupid cliff.
Entering the house, he was fast to close the door behind him again, before kicking off his shoes and walking into the open living room where a warm fire was burning in the fireplace. Walking over to it, Mark rubbed his hands together before moving the palms of his hands towards the fire while he crouched down, warming himself up.
"For a moment I believed you would let me freeze out there," Mark told Joanna, who laid on her side on the carpet in between the couch and the fireplace, her fingers stroking over the wool of the black lamb which had snuggled up to Joanna.
"We discussed it, but this one seems to like you." She replied which caused Mark to turn away from the fire only to look at her. She seemed content, but something was amiss, deep-down Joanna was too restless for a place like this. Up here, nothing ever happened, and it seemed to kill the light in Joanna's eyes.
"Thank fuck. Now I'm sorry that I might have eaten an uncle of yours or something." Mark said causing the Austrian to snort, before she reached for the pot of tea which was on the coffee table and purring Mark a cup, handing it over.
"Shut up." She told Mark in fake annoyance.
"Where have you even found a lamb?" Mark wanted to know, his eyes on the little back lamb, or more it's leg. It wore a bandage. Of course, Joanna would have saved some livestock and brought it with her to be her friend. She always had a weak spot for broken things and the unwanted.
"It was alone in the woods. Its foot got stuck in the spiked fence and its family left it to die. I couldn't do the same and after bandaging its foot, it's following me all around." Joanna told him with a shrug. Not looking up from the little lamb, rather brushing her fingers through its wool.
"You adopted the black sheep of the family." The Aussie wanted to know. His eyebrows raised while the corner of his mouth has raised in amusement.
"Shut up. Better tell me what you're doing here." Taking a sip of the herb brew, Mark gave Joanna a long look. She looked the same, but the light-heartedness Max had given her over the last few years was gone.
"You should be glad to see me, can't imagine a lot of people make the trip only to see your ungrateful face." Mark teased but Joanna didn't mock him back. She just accepted it.
"That is the whole point, Mark. Hardly anyone spends their time on a lonely mountain if they don't want to be alone." The Lauda offspring told him, while properly sitting up causing the little lamb to get up as well, stretching itself once, it gave Mark a curious look causing him to pull his eyebrows together.
"You can stay the night," Joanna told him suddenly, after getting up which caused Mark to pull his gaze from the lamb.
"It's too dark to make the journey down for someone who doesn't know the terrain." The Austrian had dumbed another blanket from a cupboard on the couch in the meantime.
"I won't complain when you're gone when I weak up." She added as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Watching as the little lamb moved to sleep in its basket close by the fire even though it was still watching Mark closely. Ignoring the lamb, Mark got up from the carpet as well, facing Joanna, who was already walking up the stairs.
"Alain and Toto asked me to find you. They want you to come back. Toto needs his current reigning world champion." Mark told her and this was surely not the way Toto nor Alain wanted him to approach this topic, but he knew that Joanna wouldn't listen.
"I'm not a set of tires, I'm not coming alive again after being gone once. Tell him to take one of the next generation." Joanna answered before she was gone, and Mark was alone. Well, fuck. This didn't work out the way any of them wanted it to be, but what did he expect.
Joanna had decided that she needed some time to herself to wrap her head around everything which had happened last year. They hadn't even given her a week before they send Mark up here. The race in Monaco was in five days after all and Joanna couldn't miss it if she wanted to stay the current reigning champion but something told Mark that the Austrian couldn't care less right now.
Laying down on the couch, Mark wrestled the blanket over his body, before he exhaled heavily causing the lamb to lift its head again, before settling down once more now starring at Mark. This would be a long night, he already knew that before closing his eyes for the first time.
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For Joanna, this place had something intriguing. It was her father's most loved possession. A house made of wood, glass and a little bit of steel. Actually, it was nothing special, just a futuristic interpretation of a timber house, but for Niki, it was so much more. He had a connection to this place. Most of his important decisions were made in this house. Joanna could understand why.
Letting her fingers wander over the selves a thin layer of dust had settled. People would expect trophies to decorate the whole house, but not even one had ever made the way up the mountains. For Niki, everything a trophy was was a waste of metal, an empty cup, nothing of importance. In this way Joanna didn't come after her father, she was proud of the things she achieved just like Niki, but she also liked to decorate her house with the trophies she had won. She agreed that it was a waste of material but for her, it wasn't just that. For Joanna, these trophies were a reminder of a memory.
The trophy in her office at home was a reminder of her first win. The ones in the hallway were each special for a different reason. A very tense battle, tricky weather conditions, a terrible start but a grand finally. The ones in the living room behind the couch presented her with her championships. But not only first place trophies decorated her home, but the ones with the biggest meanings. Good or bad memories, Joanna liked them all equally because they were a constant reminder of who she was and what she did for a living. Why people started to whisper to each other when she passed them.
Letting her fingers dance over the shelves, Joanna lifted her other hand, which was tightly holding the neck of a bottle, before taking a big sip. In this house, she felt a connection to her father she was always scared to feel. Joanna didn't want to relate to her father, she didn't want to understand why he did the things he did.
Rolling her eyes, Joanna took a step back and sat down in the chair behind her father's office desk. If he would still be alive, she wouldn't survive doing such a thing, but there was no need to worry about these kinds of things any longer. Joanna felt as if she was the last Lauda. Of course, there were some more half-siblings, but none of them ever came even close to being anything like their father. Matthias resembled him in the looks, but Joanna was like a copy of the one and only Niki Lauda. She hated everything about this thought.
Taking another sip, Joanna spun around in the chair, until she accidentally knocked something over. Stopping the chair, Joanna noticed the picture which was now laying between broken glass and wood. Gently tugging the picture free, Joanna looked at herself. Nearly 20 years younger and smiling brightly at the camera, next to her kart. That had been her first kart race ever, the Austrian realised.
Wondering why her father had a picture of her standing on his work desk when the whole house was free of every possible reminder of his family. Flipping the picture over, Joanna saw her father's neat handwriting.
It is a cruel certainty that those who shine the brightest burn out faster than those who have never shone as bright.
Reading the text again, Joanna flopped the picture over, before throwing it into the pile of shattered glass and broken wood. Was the fault with her if she wasn't afraid to shine brighter than everyone else? Better to touch the sun once and perish than never see the light. The shadows were her companions for too long already.