Chapter 17

It was dark out. Night had quickly followed dusk and they were still on the road. Richard drove towards the Castle Rock Best Western on Genoa Way. They had found the right street and Katrina was now counting off numbers on buildings to find the hotel. It was located at 595, but in the dark it was difficult to see numbers on buildings that were not lighted in some way. They had taken back roads for the remainder of the day and it had helped them recharge, but it had also taken them much longer to arrive.

Aside from needing to leave the highway to recharge, she also knew that the police could be looking for them. Stunt driving on a small highway may have saved them from the other cars but it could have also attracted unwanted attention. She wondered how many 911 calls had been made after their getaway. The only bonus was that their car’s skin had not been burned, one less thing to worry about tonight.

Katrina felt so tired that she could easily fall asleep in the car, but she knew that Richard must be equally tired. She counted off another number, “487” before they stopped at another traffic light. There were no other cars at the intersection. Waiting at stop lights when there was no traffic infuriated Richard.

Then out of nowhere a young man ran up to the car and shouted at them. “Wait!”

Richard looked around cautiously.

Katrina recognized Frodes and said, “What the hell are you doing?”

Jenkins and Dillon approached the car and Frodes moved away from the window to allow Jenkins to speak to Katrina and Richard.

“Sorry to startle you but we needed to talk to you. We also need to take your phone. That’s how they’re tracking you.” Jenkins said to Katrina.

Without question Katrina produced her phone and handed it to him. Jenkins stood and tossed it to Dillon. “You know what to do.”

Dillon caught the phone and ran off.

The look on Katrina’s face was that of extreme incredulity. “What is going on?” She asked.

Jenkins began explaining the plan. “We’re trying to protect you. That’s why we’re stopping you before you get into the parking lot. When you get to the Best Western, park where you see a small white Toyota Corolla pulling out. Kristin is watching for you to enter. After you park, check in but don’t go to your room. There will be a cab waiting for you, have them take you to Olive Garden, there is only one in town. When you arrive, I’ll be waiting to fill you in. There is not enough time to explain more now, just go. And remember, do not go to your room.”

“But I’m tired, I need a shower, and I need to rest.” Richard whined.

Katrina added, “I really have to go to the bathroom.”

“I’m telling you, there is probably someone waiting for you in that room.” Jenkins said. “Just follow my instructions.”

Frodes ran around to the other side of the car to be at Richard’s window. He thrust his hand inside the cab in the customary handshake position. Richard took his hand apprehensively.

“Let me just say that your driving today was truly inspirational. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

Katrina’s mouth fell open. “You thought that was good? I almost died.”

“It was amazing.” Frodes insisted.

Katrina hit Richard. “Men!”

“Ouch! What did you do that for?”

Jenkins interrupted them. “Just go, we’ll see you at the restaurant.”

Richard drove off with Katrina once again searching for the motel’s entrance.

~~~

The last of the dedicated workers in the FBI office had shut down their computers and were preparing to call it a day. There were only three of them left, the others had gone home hours ago. There was no end to the work before any of them but at some point they had to admit defeat so that a hot meal and a night’s sleep could attempt to rejuvenate them sufficiently to begin a new day. These three were young and filled with drive. Alcohol and cigarettes had not yet replaced the hot meal and sleep that they required.

Two men and one woman, all professionally dressed, approached the elevator at the same time while speaking very little, their backs still slightly hunched from their fourteen hour day. They were part of a much larger team that worked mob activity over many upper mid-western states. Their office was in Detroit, Michigan; the most central state of the five that they covered. The elevator took forever to climb the meager six stories to collect them, but the images in their minds kept them focused on work that had been left for tomorrow.

            Their floor supervisor was still ensconced behind his desk trying to finish a report before the next day’s scheduled meeting. He typed feverishly. His was very focused at that moment and he knew that if he could continue uninterrupted he could finish the report in fifteen minutes, tops.

Of course when all things in the universe are aligned and clarity is absolute, the phone will ring, and it did.

Finn Cosgrove took a deep breath, trying to get his sanity back. His report was long and detailed. Weeks of preparation had gone into its design and voice. This phone call was just one of many interruptions during his attempt to write. But it was after hours, did he have to answer? He grimaced and picked up the call. “Cosgrove.”

“You have three agents that are about to leave. Quick, grab them before they catch the elevator. I need to see all four of you, now. Your report is going to have a completely different ending.”

Cosgrove looked out of his open office door and saw the three agents waiting for the elevator. “Yes, sir,” he said with obvious surprise.

Finn thought about his almost 200 page report, wondering what could possibly need to be changed. Then, as he had been ordered, he stood and called out to the agents.

As their heads turned they could see their supervisor waving them back toward his office just as the sound of the elevator called to them. Deep measured breaths tried to cover up their tired demeanors but didn’t cover their growling stomachs as they looked at each other and walked slowly back into the room away from the open elevator.

“Brockton, Weaver, Colliste, we just got called up.” Finn said. “Let’s go.” He turned his head back to the phone receiver he was still holding and asked “We’re all here, what do you need?”

“You need to pick up Mac Killington. We have video of him confessing to several murders. He’s holding a woman hostage here in Detroit. And we know where they are.”

~~~

In the Castle Rock, Colorado, Best Western, two men sat waiting in room 238. One of the men checked his watch. He was dressed nicely for a thug. His partner for this assignment was a short balding man in baggy jeans and a rumpled shirt who was currently lying on the bed staring at the ceiling.

“Can’t we at least turn on the game?” he asked. “We’ve been waiting for hours. I have money on this one.”

“No, I told you we can’t, now shut up, we need to be quiet.”

“You’re talking.” The balding man returned.

The better dressed man jumped from his chair and slapped the other man as he lay on the bed. They looked like brothers who had been forced to share a bedroom though they couldn’t stand each other.

~~~

Richard drove the racecar into the Best Western parking lot. A white Corolla began to back out of a parking space that was partially hidden by shrubs on two sides. He waited for her to finish backing up then drove into the space. He and Katrina dragged themselves out of the windows. Wearily they made their way to the front desk.

Dillon watched Katrina and Richard walk across the lot from his hiding spot among the bushes. He picked up his two way radio and said, “Lock down in process.”

Kristin walked across the parking lot and disappeared with Dillon into the shadows.

~~~

The portly gentleman at the front desk gave Richard and Katrina’s racing uniforms a raised eyebrow. He would never have asked why they were wearing such outfits, but he had also just started his shift and had missed the other racecar drivers that had arrived earlier. The time was nine-thirty. When the check-in process was completed he handed them their room keys.

“Have a pleasant night’s stay.” he said automatically.

Richard turned towards the elevator but Katrina grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“You can’t,” she reminded him.

“Listen, I’m tired and I have to pee so bad I’m going to pop.” Richard said. “You go to the restaurant and listen to what Jenkins has to say. I need to lay down.”

Katrina pulled him outside angrily.

The desk attendant looked at them quizzically.

“You can’t go to the room.”

Their cab pulled up and Frodes rolled down the front passenger window.

“Quick, get in,” he said.

Katrina pushed Richard into the car and climbed in after him. The cab drove off in an instant.

Frodes turned to face them. “We’re going to a different hotel room so you’ll both be safe. And we have people guarding the car. We had to bring food to the motel though; Olive Garden was winding down for the night. I hope you don’t mind Subway.”

Richard sighed. “Subway again?”

Five minutes later the cab stopped at the Sunny Top Motel. Frodes led them into room ten and locked the door behind them. Richard wasted no time running for the bathroom. Katrina had to go too but she felt she could wait so she checked out the room as Jenkins began to speak.

“I’m sorry to say that you have to share a room tonight. All the other rooms are taken. Frodes and I will be working so we don’t need one.”

Richard walked out of the bathroom looking very relieved. Katrina jumped at the chance to take her turn.

He cast his eyes around the room to check out the accommodations “This place is a dump,” he said.

Jenkins took a good long swallow of beer before he spoke. “It’s a good thing you’re going to be asleep for most of the time you’re here, isn’t it.”

Richard threw himself on the bed and stretched out to rest his back. Katrina exited the bathroom and sat across from her mentor. “So what’s going on?” she asked.

“We figured out how you were being tracked. We have your phone at the other hotel and we’re watching the car,” Jenkins said as he opened up one of wrapped sandwiches on the table. “Dillon is going to stay near the hotel and use your phone to make a few phone calls. It’ll keep Killington at bay for a little while.”

Richard sat up and said, “Who’s Killington?”

“He’s the guy that was hired to stop you from finishing the race. He’s a mob boss based in Detroit. We also think he’s the one who sent that maroon Ford Explorer out to shut you down the first day.”

At once Katrina’s expression changed at the mention of the accident that she had caused.

“I’m very sure he will try again, which is why you can’t stay in your room at the Best Western, and why you can’t keep your phone on you anymore,” Jenkins said after another long pull from his beer. “Since there are so few racecars left it’s a pretty safe bet that their efforts to hunt you guys down will only increase. The motel would have been one of the easiest ways to find you. They knew that all the drivers would be staying there tonight.

“Tomorrow is the beginning of the end. After you leave in the morning either you will be attacked by other drivers trying to disable you, or the mob will be trying to find you on the road. At least we’ll have Dillon and Kristin running interference for you. Then there’s your driving, Richard.”

Katrina became concerned and interrupted Jenkins. “Wait, what are Dillon and Kristin going to be doing?”

“Don’t worry about them. We have a lot of different plans running to help keep you guys safe.”

Richard became indignant. “What about my driving?”

Jenkins smiled. “Your driving ability has proved to be just as effective as the weapon that Katrina designed. The combination makes you two the most hated driving team of the race, and the greatest threat against any other team. So my assumption is that after the green flag drops tomorrow morning, you will be very busy right up until the end. At last count, there are only six teams left.”

No one spoke as Katrina and Richard tried to absorb what had been said. Jenkins ate his sandwich. For many minutes the silence hung. Frodes sucked on a beer. Finally Jenkins raised a hand towards Frodes as though he had forgotten to mention something.

Frodes stood to speak. “Oh yeah, after we watched your fantastic driving earlier…”

Richard smiled large. “It was good, wasn’t it?”

Katrina threw a sandwich at Richard, hitting him in the head.

Richard put his hands in the air. “At least someone recognizes my efforts.” He threw the sandwich back at Katrina and missed, but his dirty look didn’t.

Frodes continued with a smile. “After we watched your stunt driving earlier, we came to several conclusions. First, your tires must be totaled so we’ve ordered another set of tires.” Frodes said with an even larger smile. “I’ll call you when they’re ready. You’ll have to go get them but it isn’t too far out of the way and they will only take about five minutes to install. We chose a more aggressive tread to cover your driving through the desert, but they may be a little loud on the pavement.

“We also picked up burn phones to keep in touch with you. If we tell you dump the phone, it’s because we found out you’re being tracked again so throw them out the window, and we’ll find a way to get you another one. Also we got you some paper maps. The best advice we can give you is to stay off the grid, take secondary roads and don’t use any electronics that can be traced back to you. The remaining racecars are the best of the best but they still may not be able to keep up with your driving skills Richard.”

Richard smiled and Katrina frowned.

“Their cars’ technology is first rate though, and can probably almost keep up with your car in energy usage. You can’t count on the fact that our car will always be able to out-pace them in speed for a longer period of time.”

Jenkins finished eating and popped open another beer. “Vincent is right. In short stints our engine might be able to outrun everyone if we were on a track, but this isn’t that kind of race. Your goal must still be to reserve power when you can, otherwise you may be in a position of low power under the wrong circumstances.” ��~t⌶

Next Chapter: Chapter 18