The Prince and the Player

by Tia Louise

  “Feel good?” Cal asks, massaging my shoulder. “You look good.”

  “Once I’m ahead of him, I’ll be better.”

  The one-minute signal is shown, and Cal slaps my back before heading off the track. We start our formation lap, zigzagging back and forth, pumping the brakes. I’m heating up the tires, getting the engine hot, paying close attention to that right front.

  “How’s it feeling?” Cal’s in my helmet now, and we’ll communicate throughout the race.

  “So far so good,” I say, continuing to brake and rev the engine.

  “Your temps are good.”

  We’re back in the grid, and I pull into my space. We’re all watching the lights, and the tension is razor sharp. Everything slows, I feel my breath going in… and out.

  The lights disappear, and I hit the accelerator hard, shooting out as close on Fayed’s tail as I can get.

  “Great start!” Cal says in my helmet. “It’s a two-man race!”

  Seventy-eight laps to go, and it will be over. I’ve got ninety minutes to catch him, take the lead, then maintain my fastest time putting him far in my rearview mirror. After that, I can relax into the close.

  Zelda

  Blinking my crusty eyes, I try to orient myself to the time. No one has come to check on me since I was locked in this room. No noises come from the other side of the door. I haven’t gotten any food, and I drink water from the tap. At least I can use the bathroom. I push up to sit against the wall and wait, holding my fingers to my eyes, trying to think, trying not to cry.

  Hours pass at a glacial pace. I wonder what’s happening with Ava. Reggie texted her that I’m with Cal, which was sinister and genius. She won’t worry about me, and she probably won’t even call or text me back for fear of interrupting us. Fresh tears heat my eyes at the thought. I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to warn them.

  For the second time, I pull myself off the floor and try the doors. The rope is so tight around the handles, they don’t budge. I try to push them forward, and nothing happens. I try to pull them to me, and it’s the same. Dropping my hands, I beat my head against them as the hot tears line my cheeks.

  If I scream, Wade or Reggie might come. I don’t know if that finger threat was a scare tactic or if he would really cut me. I don’t want to find out.

  Leaning against the doors, I feel utterly defeated and completely desperate. Staggering back to the wall, I slide down to a sitting position and wait, my hope almost gone.

  My cheek is against the cold tile when I wake again. A high-pitched buzzing noise like an enormous swarm of bees fills the air. My forehead lines, and I try to get my bearings. I’m stiff all over as I move to sit up. Did I sleep all night? I reach for the light switch and turn it off. Sunlight shines through the cracks in the door, and I realize it must be Sunday.

  The buzzing doesn’t stop, and with a shuddering breath, I know what it is. The race has started.

  “Oh, god!” I whisper, pacing the small room. I wrap my arms around my waist and try to calm my shaking insides.

  The grand prix is less than two hours total. I have even less time to find a way out of here, to find a way to the track, to find Cal, and to get Rowan out of that car. Tears are in my eyes as I realize it’s impossible.

  “I’ll never make it,” I say in a broken whisper.

  No! I have to try. I press my ear to the door and listen. Other than the noise of the cars, I hear nothing from the room. Grasping the door handles, I pull and push them with all my strength.

  “Reggie?” I say it only a little louder than normal volume at first.

  No response.

  I pull the handles harder, forcing them to move as I call louder. “Reggie! I need your help! Reggie!”

  It’s a lie. I don’t want Reggie to come. I hope he’s gone. I hope he and Wade are both far from here, somewhere at the track where they can grow complacent, thinking their evil plan will succeed.

  I stop and wait, listening. Several more minutes of silence pass, and I’m convinced I’m the only one in this room. Bolstered by this conviction, I grasp the door handles as hard as I can and throw my weight against them. They don’t budge.

  “Fuck!” I scream, jerking them to me as I throw all my weight in the opposite direction. “Open you mother fuckers!” I scream, running at them with all my might. It’s like hitting a wall.

  I’m on my knees again, trembling and crying, still holding the door. I’m too weak, and I can’t get these damn doors open. I can’t help them. My fingers slip off the silver handles, and I collapse on all fours, my forehead pressed against my hands on the tile.

  It’s quiet outside this little prison. The buzzing of the engines continues like the running down of a giant timer. My heart aches as I think of Rowan, as I think of Ava if Rowan is killed. She’ll be devastated. They’re going to blame Cal. A cramp hits my stomach, and I ball my fists. I can’t let this happen!

  Climbing up slowly, I’m ready to start pulling and pushing again when something hits the door with a loud SMACK! I jump back with a cry, eyes wide. Are they here? I scramble to the back wall.

  “Reggie?” I call, my voice shaking. Fisting my hands, I shove them again under my arms. That Wade fucker will not cut off my fingers! My eyes fly around the room looking for anything I can use to defend myself. They cleaned everything out of here before locking me inside. I don’t even have a cup.

  My mind lights when I see the back of the toilet. Quietly, I lift the heavy ceramic cover from the tank and hold it like a bat over my shoulder. The doors continue to shake, moving back and forth, and I hear what sounds like sawing.

  “Reggie?” I say again, a little more confidence in my tone. “Is that you?”

  Moving carefully, I step to the side where I expect a head to appear. My only chance is to swing this slab of porcelain as hard as I can in the direction of his head.

  A loud thud lets me know the ropes have broken. My heart seizes in my chest, and my arms quiver with fear. It’s now or never. The doors fly open, and I scream as loud as I can while swinging the toilet lid with all my might.

  “Zelda!” A voice shouts, catching the side of the lid and deflecting it away.

  It flies from my hands and cracks into two large pieces on the floor tiles. I’m about to make a dive for one of them when my arm is jerked back roughly, and I turn to find myself face to face with…

  “Seth!” I whisper-shriek.

  “God dammit, Zelda!” He barks, pulling me out of the bathroom. “What the hell are you trying to do? Kill me?”

  “Yes!” I say, shaking all over. “I thought you were Reggie. Or Wade!”

  “Come on—we don’t have time.” He starts out of the bedroom, but I’m hesitant to follow him.

  “Why are you here?”

  He lunges back and grabs my arm, dragging me behind him as he runs into the living room of the empty suite and heads for the door.

  “I called you three times yesterday!” He opens the door a crack and peeks out only a moment before flinging it wide and charging us both through it.

  We’re running for the elevator as he continues. “When you didn’t answer, I decided to come here and investigate.”

  “W-why?” I’m trying to catch my breath.

  “You owe me five thousand dollars,” he barks, hitting the button for the lobby. “I’m not letting you skip town without paying.”

  “Oh my god.” I collapse against the walls of the elevator, my insides flooding with a mixture of relief and panic. “But… how did you find me?”

  He’s digging in his backpack. “I was on my way to your room when I spotted that French guy from Miami. Put these on.” He shoves a pair of Toms at me, and I slip my feet into them. “He was coming out of the room where I found you. Did that motherfucker beat you up?”

  I turn and let out a hissing sound when I see myself in the mirrored wall. My cheek is bluish-purple, my lip is split, and my teeth and knuckles are covered in blood.

  “It was his pa
rtner,” I say, carefully touching my cheek. “Wade Paxton.”

  “We’ll have to stop in the lobby bathroom—”

  “NO!” I shout, my panic growing fiercer. “We’ve got to get to the track!”

  “Are you crazy? It’s a fucking mob out there. We’ll never make it to the track. We’ve got to get to the airport.”

  “You don’t understand, Seth! We’ve got to stop that race!”

  “If the cops see you looking like this, they’ll arrest us.”

  That makes me think… The police could help us faster than anyone. They could stop the race! But Wade threatened to kill Ava if I did anything.

  “Where’s Ava?”

  “My guess is she’s at the race—most likely in the royal box based on the company she’s been keeping.”

  “Give me your phone!” We’re at the lobby, and the elevator doors open. A crowd of people fills the space, and the buzzing noise of the engines is louder than ever. I can barely hear myself think.

  “The course runs right in front of the hotel,” he shouts. “It’s the famous hairpin curve.”

  He takes my hand, leading me to the back entrance. We’re facing the ocean, and the noises are like zippers going high to low as car after car goes from full speed to near stopping as they negotiate the 180-degree turn.

  “Your phone!” I shout. “Give me your phone!”

  “Those guys will kill you, Zee. We’ve got to get out of the country.”

  “Ava’s in danger! GIVE ME YOUR PHONE!”

  Finally, he shoves the device in my hand, and I dial her number. I’m pacing, trembling all over as it rings and rings. “Answer the phone, Ava!” I shout.

  Pressing the end button, I immediately try again. Same result. “Dammit, Ava!” Then I realize.

  Switching to text, I quickly type: It’s me, Zee! Answer the phone! I need you to hurry! Rowan’s in danger! 911! 911!

  Immediately the phone rings in my hand. “Ava!” I cry.

  “Zee!” Her voice is frantic. “Where are you? What’s happening?”

  “Stop talking and listen to me. Where are you?”

  “I got your text, and since I was alone, I decided to walk around the streets. I ran into Felicity, and she has a pit pass. Only I didn’t want to bother Rowan—”

  “That’s good! Can you get in touch with him?”

  “I don’t think so. He’s in the race. I missed his call last night—”

  “Ava, listen to me! You have to get to him. It’s life or death!”

  “What’s happening, Zee?” Her voice is tight. “What’s going on?”

  Blinking hard, I scrub my forehead, thinking. I need my damn phone! “Is Felicity there? Ask her if she has Cal’s number!”

  Her phone moves away, and I hear her speaking to Felicity. “Five five four, eight two seven seven.”

  “I’ll call you right back.” Hitting end, my fingers shake as I enter the digits for Cal’s phone. Again, it rings and rings, and I immediately end the call, knowing I’ve got to text him.

  Again, I send the same 911 message I sent to Ava, but this time the phone doesn’t ring back immediately. “Come on, Cal… Come on!” I’m pacing, shaking the phone. Seth is watching me, frowning and rubbing his chin.

  “What’s going on, Zee?” His voice calmer. “Let me help you.”

  I send the same text to Cal again, and as I hit send, I tell him. “Reggie—the French guy—brought us here to do a con on the crown prince. Only the con was on us. He used us to get him back in the country so he could do his own deal. They’ve sabotaged Rowan’s car…” My voice cracks, and I feel the tears coming. “They’re trying to kill him!”

  As I’m saying the words, the phone vibrates in my hand. I do a little shriek as I press the green button. “Cal!” I cry, covering my face with my hand.

  “Zee, where are you? I was worried—”

  “Is Rowan okay? Can you get to him?”

  “He’s on the track…”

  “You’ve got to stop the race, Cal! You’ve got to get Rowan out of that car!”

  “What?” I hear the disbelief in his tone, and I almost lose it. “He’s in the lead, Zee. He’s going to win it!”

  “He’s going to die!” I’m screaming. “Reggie’s working with Wade Paxton! They sabotaged Rowan’s car! You’ve got to get him out of it!”

  “Zelda… I checked the car myself. It’s all good.”

  “You’ve got to believe me, Cal! They’re going to blame you for it!”

  Silence fills the line. The noise of the cars is louder than ever, and with every rip of an engine, my heart shudders.

  “Please, Cal,” I say, my voice breaking. “Just trust me!’

  “Let me see what I can do.”

  The line goes dead, and I collapse to a sitting position on the back steps of the hotel. My face is in my hands, and I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Glancing up, I see Seth returning from the water. I vaguely remember him walking away while I talked to Cal. Now he’s back, carrying a damp tee.

  “I might be able to get us to the track.”

  Blinking up, my eyes go round. “How?”

  He hands me the wet shirt. “Clean your face. I’ll call Lara Westingroot.”

  “The lady from the yacht?” I frown. “Why would she help us?”

  “Not us, me.” He gives me a wink. “How do you think I even got on that yacht?”

  “I never thought about it.” Seth has always had a knack for getting into any venue he wanted. Anyway, that night on the yacht had taken so many unexpected turns.

  Seth chuckles. “Let’s just say she barks like a baby seal when she comes.”

  My nose wrinkles. “Too much information.” I hand his phone back, and he starts dialing, motioning for me to follow him.

  Running

  Rowan

  A bead of sweat rolls from my temple down the side of my face. My arms are exhausted, and that fucking right wheel is pulling again. I’m not as far ahead of Fayed as I need to be to make a pit stop. He’ll retake the lead, and we’ve only four laps to go. Everything is focused on these final laps. One mistake could cost me the race.

  “Ro, we have an issue,” Cal is in my helmet. “It’s possible your car has been sabotaged. I need you to bring it in.”

  “What? NO!” I can’t come off the track at this point. “You checked it yourself!”

  “I don’t know how. It’s possibly what’s causing the cornering problem.”

  I feel a jerk to the right as I’m flying down the straight, and a quick look in my mirror shows Fayed right behind me. “I’m almost finished. I can make it.”

  Downshifting quickly, I hit the brakes as we take a tight corner. The wheel jerks in my hands and I hear a ping. No, I think straightening out of the turn and slamming the throttle down. We shoot into the straight, the tunnel looming just ahead. Plunge into blackness; blinding white on the other side. The stands pass so fast, they’re a blur of color, and all I can think is I’m there. I’m hitting the top speeds. I’ve completed seventy-four laps, and I’m not quitting now. Victory is in my grasp.

  Flying through the starting line, I don’t hesitate. I pass the pit starting the seventy-fifth lap. Cal’s in my ear again.

  “Ro! I need you to bring it in NOW!”

  Reaching up, my hand hovers over my headpiece. I don’t turn it off, but I don’t respond either. I’m coming up on the first of nineteen corners. Another downshift, another slam on the brakes, another groan from the front chassis. Only three more laps.

  My speed drops from four hundred kilometers per hour all the way down to forty through the hairpin. One more curve, and I feel a slip in control. I feel the frame starting to give.

  “Rowan?” The voice in my head now is not Cal’s. My chest tightens when I hear her. I’ve been dreaming about her all night. “Ro, it’s Ava. Please come in. Please.”

  “Where are you?” I say, easing off the accelerator as I take the next curve. Again the wheel vibrates hard.


  “I’m in the pit. Felicity gave me her pass.”

  Shit. I’m on the straight, and the pedal is to the floor. My speed tops out at two ninety-three then plunge into darkness. The wheel shakes again. The car jerks to the right, and I’m dangerously close to the wall. Blinding white light hits me as I try to correct. My muscles flex as I fight with the steering column. I’m off the track, my speed goes all the way down.

  Fuck! Shifting, I guide the car back onto the lanes. I’m one curve away from the pit, and I know I have to bring it in. I have to do it for Ava.

  Fayed’s coming out of the tunnel as I pull back onto the asphalt. He flies past, and my chest tightens. We have to move at lightening speed if I’m going to catch him again.

  I’m around the curve and pulling into the pit, the crew surrounds me in a swarm. Tires off, they check the chassis. Cal’s right with them, and I see the moment his face pales.

  His head drops against his forearm, then he looks up at me. “The front arm is completely severed.”

  I’m out of the cockpit in seconds, running to see what he’s seeing. He points to the damaged suspension. “Looks like it was bashed with a club. It’s been a time bomb waiting to go off. You could’ve been killed.”

  “It’s over.” My shoulders fall, and I scrub my fingers over my brow. “FUCK!” I shout, slamming my helmet into the cockpit. Fists on my forehead, I blink out at the cars roaring past. Only two laps to go…

  Cal walks around to where I’m standing, his brow lined. “This happened after qualifying. Who had access to the parc fermé?”

  We both look to the crew. One person is missing. “Heinrick’s guy?”

  “Impossible. Heinrick wouldn’t send someone to hurt you.”

  “Maybe he didn’t know.” I’m still looking toward the crew when I spot the one person able to bring me back, green eyes full of worry—Ava.

  Leaving Cal beside the car, I cross the space. She’s out of the gated area and running to me, her navy sleeveless dress moves in the breeze.