Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

C olby yawned as she and Gonzo walked out into the garage.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. It’s barely three o’clock in the afternoon, and you’re already yawning?” Gonzo joked. “You’re aging right before my eyes.”

“Tired?” Colby pointed to herself. “Me? Never that. This is the best part of my day. I live to drive. Is the practice squad ready?”

“Yeah. They’ve been waiting on the track for about fifteen minutes. FYI...Cyrus moved Abby up from the practice squad again. She’ll be standing in for Chris.”

Colby nodded. “I didn’t talk to him this week. Is he going to be ready?”

“He says he is. Doc said his ankle should be good to go.”

“It makes me nervous that our last practice together will be once we get to Atlanta next week.”

“We know our assignments and can do them in our sleep.”

“True.” Colby was overthinking things. They’d had a lot of defensive practice together since their last race. “I just don’t want a repeat of Charlotte. We must be smarter than them.”

“We are smarter than them, and if everyone does their job, there’s no doubt we’ll win. And if there are any bullshit shenanigans, there are a couple of teams willing to stand in the gaps.” Gonzo helped Colby with her helmet and then helped her get into her car.

“That’s good to hear. It can sometimes feel lonely in this racket. Nice to know some folks are in my corner.” Colby started her engine, and it roared to life. She gave Gonzo the thumbs-up sign. “Let’s do this!”

He matched her energy. “Hell, yeah!”

By the time Colby pulled into position, five other cars were already lined up.

Abby teased Colby as she spoke into her headset. “Always making a dramatic entrance.”

Colby responded in kind. “That’s a mark of a champion, baby.” Colby gripped the steering wheel as she waited for Ben to drop the green flag.

Cyrus spoke into his headset. “Listen up, there are one hundred and twenty-five laps in this race. First one across that finish line gets a car wash from Colby.”

Raucous laughter, hoots, and hollering ensued from everyone except Colby and could be heard in their headgear.

Even Colby laughed as she protested. “Wait...what?! I disagree. Either way, I lose.”

Cyrus ignored her. “Follow the game plan, and you won’t have to worry about it. May the best driver win.”

V8 engines began to roar, taking her out of her thoughts and back onto the course. As if she had been waiting a lifetime, Colby finally heard the words to start the race.

At first, the race was going according to plan. Things got a little sticky when Colby went into turn three, moving at 151 mph, when suddenly her vision blurred. She blinked several times, trying to clear it, but it didn’t work.

I can’t see. Her heart began to beat at the same rate as her speedometer. She continued to feel a wave of dizziness wash over her. Again, Colby shook her head, trying to clear the fog that threatened to overwhelm her.

The track seemed to undulate beneath her. The cars started blurring into streaks of color as they raced ahead. Colby pushed harder, determined to catch up.

“Colby. What’s happening?” She could hear the faint voice of her father but couldn’t respond.

He turned to Ben. “Somethings wrong. Number 12. Come in.”

In Colby’s mind, she responded, but her voice didn’t work. As they approached the final turn, the roar of the engines seemed to merge into a single, deafening sound, and for a split second, Colby lost her bearings. The world around her spun slightly, and she squinted hard, trying to find her line.

“Turn! Turn!” she shouted to herself, or did she?

Dammit . She miscalculated her angle and braked too late. The car skidded, tires screeching as she realized she was losing control of her car. In a desperate attempt to correct, Colby oversteered, and suddenly, everything faded to black.

Cyrus watched in horror as Colby’s car launched off the ground, defying gravity in a breathtaking, horrifying moment. Time seemed to move in slow motion as her car came crashing down onto its roof, sliding along the track in a shower of sparks and debris. Metal crumpled, and the air was filled with the smell of burned rubber and fuel.

“Colby! Colby...” Cyrus yelled as he threw his headset onto the ground and ran out to her car.