Wham! The Mach 5 crashed into the logs.
Speed’s world went black. His car door flew open, and his limp body fell out of the race car.
Racer X stopped his car in time. He walked out into the rain and picked up Speed’s body. He carried Speed to his car. Then he radioed a service station and had them tow the Mach 5 back to the racetrack.
A few hours later, the rain had stopped. Speed was sleeping peacefully on a spare bed in Racer X’s house. He wasn’t hurt, but he hadn’t opened his eyes once since the crash.
Racer X hovered over Speed, a concerned look on his face. Stormy thoughts filled his mind.
It’s true that in every race I enter there are terrible crashes, Racer X thought. But people are wrong to think that I caused them. I am not an evil man. Someone is out to get me. I don’t know who it is. But every time I race, my mysterious enemy puts other racers in danger. That’s why I don’t want you in the Trans-Country Race, Speed. I don’t want you to get hurt. There is a good reason. I want to protect you.
Racer X closed his eyes as he thought of a day years ago, the day of his own first race. He opened his eyes and looked at Speed.
“You see, Speed, I am secretly your older brother, Rex Racer,” he said softly. “Years ago, when I had no experience in racing, I took the special racing car that Pops had built and I entered the top race at the Sunny Downs Track. I wanted to win more than anything. I wanted to be world’s champion.”
Racer X remembered the roar of the car’s engine, the feeling of pure energy that flowed through him as he raced around the track. For the first time in his life, he had felt truly alive.
Within seconds, that feeling changed to pure terror.
“I lost control of the car and crashed,” Racer X remembered. It all seemed like a bad dream now. “I was lucky to be alive, but I still wanted to race again. Pops was furious at me. It wasn’t just because I had wrecked his car. He was angry that I had raced without the experience and skill I needed to be a good driver. He told me I couldn’t race again. I argued with him, but he refused to change his mind.”
Racer X shook his head, remembering. The argument had been furious. Pops was always so stubborn. Racer X had stormed off, filled with a determination to race—with or without Pops’s approval.
“Finally, I had no choice,” Racer X continued. “I decided to go away to learn, to practice, and to compete until I could become the world’s champion race car driver. I vowed that no one would learn my identity until I achieved that goal. Until I do become the world champion, Speed, nobody will ever learn that I am really Rex Racer, your older brother. Not even you, Speed.”
Racer X turned and left the room.
Speed slept on. He had no idea that he had been saved by his long lost brother.
And if Racer X had his way, Speed might never know.
7
THE WRONG MAN
The next morning, Trixie drove her yellow convertible around town, looking for Speed. Spritle and Chim Chim sat in the backseat. Spritle was busy licking a vanilla ice-cream cone.
“I wonder where he could be,” Trixie said, frowning. “It’s not like Speed to disappear like this. I certainly hope nothing has happened to him.”
Spritle looked up at Trixie while she was talking. Chim Chim saw his chance and quickly gulped down Spritle’s ice cream.
“It’s strange, but the Mach 5 has disappeared, too,” Trixie remarked.
Spritle turned back to his ice cream. All that was left was the cone!
He leaned over the seat, giving Trixie his sweetest smile.
“I told you about the letter I gave him from the Masked Racer, so buy me some more ice cream!” Spritle said.
Trixie shook her head. “You’ve eaten so much, I may have to buy you some tummy medicine! ”
Trixie switched on her CB radio. Speed was always tuned to the same channel. She could usually reach him on the CB.
“Come in, Speed,” Trixie tried. “Speed, are you there?”
The only response was the static from the radio. Trixie was starting to really worry. She didn’t know what that letter from Racer X had said, but something told her it had something to do with Speed’s disappearance.
“I guess we’d better check with the Masked Racer himself,” Trixie reasoned. It was a good thing the news crews had followed the mysterious racer to his home last night. She knew just where to go.
Spritle grinned. “I’m glad I told you, Trixie. I know we’ll find Speed!
Speed opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed into the room.
“Where am I?” Speed asked groggily. “I don’t remember a thing.”
Speed sat up. He was in bed, wearing a bathrobe over his clothes. He looked around the room. The modern-looking apartment was filled with racing trophies, photos of race cars, and books about racing. Curious, Speed climbed out of bed.
A table against the wall held a vase filled with white roses. Speed walked to them and sniffed the flowers.
White roses, Speed mused. These are Mom’s favorite flowers.
Then something caught Speed’s eye. There was a white racing uniform draped over an orange armchair in the room. Next to the uniform was a black mask.
Speed picked up the mask. He gasped.
“This belongs to the Masked Racer! ” he cried.
The events of the night before came flooding back to Speed. The logs had come tumbling down the mountain ... the Mach 5 had slammed into them ...
Racer X must have saved me, Speed realized. He’s brought me to his house.
Speed could hear the patter of water in a shower in the next room. The Masked Racer was in there ... without his mask.
“Now I can find out who he is,” Speed said.
Speed looked at the mask in his hands. He was filled with curiosity. What was it like to be the Masked Racer? He put the mask over his face.
For a second, Speed imagined what it would be like to be behind the wheels of a race car. To race without anyone knowing who you were ...
The Masked Racer’s identity was a real mystery. But Speed had a rare chance to learn the truth. With the mask still on, he tiptoed toward the shower door.
Creeeeak.
Speed heard a noise behind him. Startled, he turned around. A man wearing a trenchcoat, hat, and sunglasses stood there. Before Speed could cry out, the man raised his arm ...
Bam! Speed didn’t know what hit him. He fell to the floor, groaning.
Another man in a trenchcoat appeared. Speed was out cold. They carried him outside and shoved him in the backseat of a white convertible car, where two more thugs waited.
“We got Racer X!” one of the men announced.
Of course, the criminals didn’t know it, but the man they had captured wasn’t the Masked Racer. It was Speed, wearing Racer X’s mask!
The two kidnappers climbed into the front seat and revved the engine. Just then, Trixie pulled up.
Spritle pointed to the man he thought was Racer X in the car.
“There’s the Masked Racer! ” he yelled.
Trixie got out of the car and walked over to the white convertible..
“Have you seen Speed Racer?” she asked.
“Sorry, girlie, but we haven’t seen him,” said the first man. “So long!”
Trixie frowned. Why was the Masked Racer ignoring her on purpose? And what was he doing with these rude men, anyway?
“I thought he might be with the Masked Racer,” Trixie said hopefully.
“Well, he’s not!” the thug snapped. Then he sped away.
Trixie was annoyed. “The Masked Racer pretends to be asleep. What kind of man would do that?”
She turned back to her yellow car and saw that backseat was now empty.
“Now where did Spritle and Chim Chim disappear to?” she wondered.
An alarming thought crossed her mind. She quickly looked back at the white convertible as it headed down the road. Spritle and Chim Chim peeked out of the trunk. Then they shut it.
“Oh, no!” Trixi
e cried. Those two were always getting into trouble. They must have been suspicious of the Masked Racer and his friends, Trixie guessed. But why?
She sighed and ran to her car. It was bad enough that Speed was missing. Now she had to chase after Spritle and Chim Chim!
8
CAUGHT!
Up ahead, the white car turned off of the road into the woods. There was a click, and a new license plate slid down over the car’s original license plate. Then one of the men got out of the car and began to peel away at the white covering on the car. It wasn’t white paint at all, but a clever disguise! Underneath, the car was a bright red.
The man jumped back in the car, and the driver brought the car back on the road. Trixie was just catching up. She blinked when she saw the red car.
“That’s strange,” Trixie said. The car she’d been chasing was white. Had she lost it?
While Trixie puzzled over this, the red car took a turn down another wooded road. It stopped in front of a fancy-looking house. The goons dragged Speed inside and tied him to a chair. Two thugs stood on either side of Speed. Spritle and Chim Chim watched the scene through a window.
A short, fat man in a suit stepped in front of the room. It was Mr. Wiley, the secret owner of the Alpha Team!
“Welcome, Masked Racer, to my humble mansion,” Wiley said, grinning like a snake. “Make yourself comfortable. You’ll be staying here until the Trans-Country Race is over.”
Speed was just starting to wake up. He quickly figured out what was happening. Wiley wanted the Masked Racer out of the race for some reason. He thought Speed was the Masked Racer. That’s why he had been kidnapped and tied up.
Better keep my mouth shut, Speed told himself. /‘// make my move when the time comes.
“You think you’re so clever, keeping your identity secret,” Wiley bellowed. He poked Speed with his walking stick. “Your secret is over now, Masked Racer. I’m about to find out who you really are.”
Wiley nodded to the thugs. “Remove the mask!” he demanded.
“Yes, sir! ” said one of the men.
He pulled off the mask, revealing Speed’s face.
“What!” Wiley sputtered.
“It’s my brother!” Spritle cried from the window.
Speed pushed off the ropes and threw the bathrobe to the ground.
The thug next to Speed looked angry. “You put on the Masked Racer’s mask to make fools of us, huh?”
“You’re wrong,” Speed shot back. “I was trying on the mask when somebody sneaked up behind me and hit me. It’s not my fault that you made a mistake.”
Speed glared at his captors. “It makes sense to me now. Everyone thinks the Masked Racer causes crashes in his races. But he’s innocent. You and your men are sabotaging him, aren’t you?”
Wiley laughed. “Don’t get excited, kid. That’s none of your business.”
“So don’t waste your time trying to find out the truth! ” the thug added.
Outside the window, Spritle looked worried.
“We’d better find Trixie! ” he said.
He turned to run—and bumped right into Mr. Fixer, Wiley’s right-hand man! The thin man grabbed Spritle and Chim Chim by the straps of their red overalls. Then he carried them inside the. house.
“I caught these two snooping outside,” Fixer told the men.
“Spritle!” Speed cried.
“How come you let these men take you here, Speed?” Spritle asked. “Don’t you know they are part of the Alpha Team?”
Speed was startled. “What?”
“I recognize this guy,” Spritle said, nodding up toward Fixer. “He’s the same man who offered Pops a bunch of money for you to join the Alpha Team for the big race.”
Speed turned to Wiley. “So that’s why you tried to capture the Masked Racer!” he realized. “You’re afraid he’ll be able to beat your team.”
“It’s too bad you’ve discovered my plans for the Trans-Country Race,” Wiley said darkly.
Before Speed could react, Wiley’s four thugs lunged forward and grabbed Speed. He tried to break away, but the four musclemen had him in a tight grip.
Speed couldn’t get away, but Chim Chim had other ideas. He swung up and bit Mr. Fixer in the arm!
“Ow!” Mr. Fixer yelled.
He let go of his grip on Chim Chim. The little chimpanzee ran out of the door as fast as he could. Then he jumped up to the nearest tree. He used his powerful arms to swing from tree to tree.
Fixer started to give chase, but Mr. Wiley stopped him.
“Let him get away,” Wiley said, chuckling. “Monkeys can’t talk.”
Then he nodded to his thugs. “Take Speed Racer to the cellar and tie him up. Make sure the ropes are tight this time,” he said. “Bring the kid, too.”
Speed’s blue eyes burned with anger as the thugs ushered him and Spritle downstairs. It hurt him to see Spritle’s scared face.
Don’t worry, Spritle, Speed promised silently. I’ll get us out of here.
Chim Chim soon reached the highway and jumped down to the road. He was good at swinging on trees, but he needed a faster way to get to Trixie. Luckily, a farm truck came rumbling past. He jumped onto the back of the truck and perched on top of a hay bale.
But the truck wasn’t going fast enough for Chim Chim. He leaped off the truck onto the roof of a blue sports car. Wind whipped through his fur as the car tore down the road. That was more like it!
Chim Chim kept an eye out for Trixie. He didn’t have to wait long. Up ahead, he saw Trixie’s yellow car at a gas station.
The blue car came to a stop at a traffic light. Chim Chim tumbled off of the roof and onto the hood of the car. The startled driver screamed.
Chim Chim didn’t have time to apologize. He ran up to Trixie. She was talking to the station attendant.
“It was a big, white convertible—mean a big, red convertible,” she was saying. “Anyway, it was a convertible and it changed color. I didn’t know it was the same car until I stopped following it. Did you see it?”
The attendant scratched his head. He had no idea what Trixie was talking about.
Chim Chim tugged on Trixie’s skirt. She looked down and gasped.
“Where did you come from? And where’s Spritle?” she asked.
Chim Chim jumped on the trunk of Trixie’s car. He began to jump up and down, waving his arms.
“What are you saying, Chim Chim?” Trixie asked. “Are you trying to tell me that Speed and Spritle are in trouble? And that you’ll show me where they are?”
Chim Chim nodded. The attendant shook his head. These were the strangest customers he’d had all day!
Trixie jumped into her car. “Let’s go!” she told Chim Chim. He jumped in the car behind her.
Trixie pealed out of the gas station and hurried down the road.
She had to help Speed and Spritle!
9
FIRE!
Speed looked around the basement of Wiley’s mansion. The dark, damp space was filled with oil drums and old gas cans. The only light came from a flickering gas-powered lantern perched on a rickety shelf.
He tried to stay calm. The men had tied ropes around his waist and arms. They’d done the same to Spritle, too. One thug had been left in the basement to guard both of them. Speed could probably run if he had the chance. But he couldn’t leave Spritle behind.
I’ve got to figure out a way to get out of here, Speed thought. I’ve got to warn everybody about the plans these crooks have to win the Trans-Country Race.
Then the sound of a police siren pierced the air.
“The police are coming!” Spritle cried.
“Huh?” The nervous thug turned to look. Speed saw his chance.
Bam! Speed jumped up and kicked the oil drum the goon was sitting on. The surprised man fell to the floor.
“Come on, Spritle!” Speed yelled. His little brother jumped up and ran after Speed.
“I’ll get you!” the thug roared as he scrambled to get to his
feet. But he slipped in the oil pouring from the drum and fell once more.
As Speed and Spritle tried to escape, the oil drum rolled across the floor and knocked over the rickety shelf. The gas lantern toppled over, onto the floor.
“Hurry!” Speed urged Spritle. They charged up the stairs. Fear made Speed run faster than he’d ever run before. Once the flames from the lamp hit the spilled oil—
BOOM! The fiery explosion rocked the basement. The flames burst through the floor of the mansion and then began to spread throughout Wiley’s house.
Trixie and Chim Chim pulled up right when the explosion hit. She screamed in horror.
“Speed! Spritle!”
She ran toward the house. If they were in there, Trixie had to save them. Chim Chim followed behind her. A searing heat hit her face as she neared the front of the house. Then she heard a mighty groan as one of the front walls toppled forward.
A strong hand pulled her back just in time. Trixie turned to see the Masked Racer.
“Racer X!” Trixie cried.
“Stay here, Trixie,” the Masked Racer said calmly. “I’ll go after Spritle and Speed!”
Racer X bravely ran into the burning house. The orange flames grew stronger and higher with each moment. Trixie held her breath. What if the Masked Racer couldn’t find them in time?
But Racer X ran out seconds later. He carried Spritle in his arms, and Speed rested on his left shoulder. He brought them away from the house and laid them on the ground.
Down below, they saw a car drive down the road, away from the mansion. The car held Wiley, Fixer, and the rest of the thugs. They had all escaped the flames.
“Thanks for saving our lives, Masked Racer,” Speed said gratefully. “Those goons from the Alpha Team tried to capture you so you wouldn’t be able to compete in the Trans-Country Race. But they got me instead.”
Challenge of the Masked Racer Page 3