Chapter 10
Stellar Energy Group Corporate Offices - The Finance Unit
Lucy hadn’t said a single word the minute they stepped into Jane’s office. She looks calmer with her shoulders squared against the chair she’s sitting on. But the twiddling of her thumbs and the pounding of her left foot against the chair’s leg indicate she’s anything but calm. If the eyes are windows to one’s thoughts, Lucy’s probably racing a mile a minute because Kate can’t keep up with her darting gaze around the room. She catches them once or twice, and both times, Lucy rewards her with a lukewarm smile. Her uneven breathing does not escape Kate’s trained ears either.
Braced on the comfort of a bookshelf across from Lucy, Kate managed to slow down the ripples of shockwaves in her chest. The lazy hum of the AC in Jane’s office camouflaged the violent pulses under her skin. She silently grips the pocket linings of her pantsuit to keep her nails from biting her palms as she takes a mental journey that brought them here.
A few hours into a regular business day, Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Curtis and four other FBI agents escorted Lauren Rahimi out of the corporate offices. Kate watched as Lucy charged toward the men surrounding her sister. It took Kate ten seconds before she realized what was happening and sprang into action to partake in the commotion, only to be pinned in place by Curtis’s daggered looks. Good thing Jane was quick to grab Lucy and push her back as Curtis's unit marched on with Stellar’s executive chief of finance amidst a crowd of stunned employees.
Earlier, Lucy initiated a discussion on their ‘secret task’ as she picked on a detail that bothered her the day before.
“Have you seen it?” She recalled Lucy asked after ensuring Kate had taken enough sips of her caffeine fix.
“Seen what?”
“Charlie One.” Lucy hushed, dipping her head swiftly under Kate’s chin, enclosing them in a lingering fragrant sweet smell. “I didn’t see it in the ledger from 2016.”
Kate cleared her throat, shuffled back, and rounded behind her desk. She turned on the computer on her desk. “You do realize how thick these ledgers were working on, right?”
She followed behind Kate and perched at her desk. “I know,” she covers her mouth and yawns. “But the ledgers from 2012 to 2015 and 2019 to 2021 proved–” she yawns again, “Charlie One keeps getting approved for payment. Wa am I–” she lets out another yawn. “Sorry,” she wipes the tears gathered under her lids with the heels of her palms.
Kate chuckled and trailed the tears on Lucy’s cheeks with her thumb. “You were up all night analyzing this, didn’t you?” Lucy’s eyes widened for one full second. If the gesture took her aback, it surprised Kate even more. They were, after all, in public. Her desk at the corner may be a little obscured from gossip-schooled eyes, but it was still a formal space at work. The gesture was an unconscious reflex. One she doesn’t regret.
“No,” Lucy pouted, tipping her head to the side. “Not entirely. Took a little nap at some point.”
Kate can say the same. Between their ‘secret task’ and her official undercover for the FBI, Sandman was unsuccessful in putting her to sleep for days. The weight of her secrets finally caught up on her. It’s exhausting. But not the type that can put you slumbering peacefully in bed. Worst, she knows it will hurt by the end of all these. That, has weighed her down the most.
“I told you, I’m 100% committed to this.” Lucy winked at her. “I’m halfway through the ledger of 2018, and I haven’t seen it.”
“Halfway through? Did you take–” Her question was broken off when a panic-stricken Hina levels her line of sight.
“Ladies,” Hina jutted her thumb over her shoulder, unable to conceal her distress with her quick and shallow breathing.
They exchanged a confused look and followed a scampering Hina to the hallways, where employees crowded in a mutter as Curtis paraded a hand-cuffed Lauren and proudly recited, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present during any questioning.”
Not long after, the legal team was seen hastily making their way to the conference room for an emergency meeting with the company President. Lucy was close to tears, rambling questions to a clueless Jane.
A legal team member came back running to inform Jane the President summoned her to join them in the conference room. Jane eyes her a few inches away from Lucy. “Kate, can you walk her into my office, please?”
Kate nodded and immediately reached for Lucy’s elbows, catching her in time as her knees wobbled. On instinct, Kate wraps her arms around her for support. Lucy grasped the sides of her head with both hands and dropped her forehead on Kate’s chest. She was trembling. Her labored breathing hit the lapels of Kate’s blazer. They stood in place for a minute, then Kate murmured, “Let’s walk?” To which Lucy nodded in reply and started lugging aimlessly to Jane’s office.
Outside, the utility vehicles of varying broadcasting networks and local news outfits from all over Texas pool around the building, hungrily awaiting the oil giant’s official statement.
Lucy rises from the chair and paces the room, crossing her arms around her chest or locking her fingers behind her. Kate quietly watches her in torment as she boxes in her own turmoil. The two-weeks-turned-into-two-days agreement, for sure, guarantees a discourse at The Garden as soon as she gets out of Stellar. Right now, Lucy needs her here.
“I’m sure the legal team will figure it out,” Kate offers, breaking the unbearable silence muffling the ached beats of her heart and Lucy’s muddled thoughts.
Lucy laughs dryly. “They took in the wrong Tara!”
“Lucy,” Kate looks on sincerely, at a loss for words. This is not what she had envisioned when she initially volunteered to go undercover. Her goal aligns with the operation’s objective then. That is to bring the Taras to their knees by hitting them exactly where it hurt them most: to take away their source of pride and honor. If she can help prove Stellar’s illegal financial activities and uncover the secret behind the SuperNova incident, she’s made Noah’s death meaningful.
But not this way. Not with Lucy wrecked in the wake of it all. Indeed, there’s someone in play within Stellar’s questionable ledgers. If it is a Tara or not is still unclear. Whoever the ‘player’ is, needs to answer to the law. Tara or not, they must be apprehended. Kate’s chest broke, not for the Tara who might have stolen from Stellar but for the Tara who stole her heart. Lucy. She has a lot of issues with her father and siblings, but she cares for them equally. Kate admires her more for that.
As for the truth behind the SuperNova incident, Kate has decided. She will file an appeal to re-investigate the case to get the Taras to cooperate. They owe her that much.
Agent Curtis is well-known for getting superb results in all the undercover operations he approves. His methods are brash and callous, but the outcomes are always positive. Kate was expecting this to happen. She wasn’t expecting it to happen this soon.
“Why are they after her? I am the one with a looming federal charge, not Lauren,” Lucy says, snapping Kate out of her thoughts.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with you.” She says out loud before realizing the implications of it.
Lucy’s baffled expression propels her forward to elucidate, but before she does, the door swings open, revealing a distraught Jane. “Good. Both of you are still here.” Jane pushed the door close and then padded her way through, pulling down the blinds in her office. She halts in her steps between them. “I’ve told the legal team you two are auditing the company ledgers from 2012. We will need those for Lauren’s case. Kate,” her lips in a tight smile as she looks at her top analyst, “I know you have a partial report prepared. The legal team is ready to listen to what you’ve got.”
“Case? What case?” Lucy blinks rapidly in confusion.
“Embezzlement.” A pained look is painted all over Jane’s face. “I can’t stay long and discuss everything. We’ll talk as soon as I get some things sorted out. When I left the conference room, the President and the legal team were preparing an appeal for Lauren’s bail. Lucy–”
A phone rings.
“That’s your phone, Lucy,” Kate affirms.
Lucy pats the pockets of her blazer. Jane grabs her shoulders, “That’s your dad.” Lucy squints at her boss. “Promise me you’ll think about it?” Jane implores before releasing her to fish out her phone.
Lucy’s forehead tightly creases as she reads the name of her caller. She nods at Jane and answers the call. “Dad… I’ll be right there.”
— — —
The Bluebonnet Garden - Fort Worth, TX
“I said two weeks, Holman! Not two days!” Kate roars before the secret walls of the shop fully shut behind her. Her veins strained against her skin. Her jaws hurt from holding back on smacking Kai in the face.
Kai raises his palms as he retreats behind Ernie’s seat. “It’s still on, Whistler. Curtis wants us to stay undercover and continue investigating the other Taras. Old man Tara and Lucy in particular.”
“Lucy?! Why Lucy?”
Kai’s face gets paler as she strides closer. “Curtis pointed out her coming home after losing in an illegal street race is too convenient not to suspect her financial activities.”
“What?! She came home for her brother’s wedding!”
Kai and Ernie recoil in place as she screams.
“She’s twice richer than any of her siblings,” beads of sweat forming on Kai’s forehead. “And the foundation that was named after the late Mrs. Tara? Curtis also wants us to look into the trail of Lucy’s finances there.”
“We’ve already established the truth on those! This is absurd!” She slammed her fist on Ernie’s desk, sending his keyboard flying.
Ernie quickly snatches his keyboard down. “Ok, Big Fed. Tie it down a notch. These are precious tactile switches.” He slowly stood from his ergonomic chair. “You’re upset. We all are. Like you, we also want to close this case immediately and head back home to DC.”
Kate rolls her shoulders to calm down and almost laughs at Ernie’s reminder. She’s not fuming over their now extended stay in Fort Worth. Quite the contrary, and she hadn’t thought of her place in DC for days.
Kai lets out a massive breath at her tentative change of mood. “I’m sorry, Kate. Those are the orders.”
Ernie drags a chair beside his. “I have something that might cheer you up.” He taps the chair's backrest, urging Kate to take a seat. “Please?” He says when she doesn’t inch a move.
She chews the walls of her inner cheek and sits on the proffered chair. Ernie clicks a button on his pointer to zoom in on a clip of two men huddled in a diner. She instantly recognizes Alistair seated on the right wearing an expensive three-piece business suit. He has an expensively maintained thick beard. His raven curls were tamed in a tapered haircut, and he has steel gray eyes that Kate finds challenging to read. He’s crouched in his seat, gripping the edge of the dining table between him and the man on the left of the screen. The unknown man across from Alistair is diminutive, even seated. His back is pressed arrogantly on the chair, with both arms hanging loose on the backrest. His lips pursed out of his goatee-clad chin. His salt and pepper hair fringed up to one side.
“Who’s the guy seated across from him?” Kate points at the man on the left.
“ ‘Tony Stark’ goatee dude is Rey Kash,” Ernie snorts, earning a chuckle from Kate for the uncanny nerdy insert. “He’s the former heir of the SuperNova refinery.”
Kate pinched her chin. “The name is familiar. But I can’t remember where.”
“I’ve seen him,” Kai chimes in. “He went to the President’s office once and demanded to see the old man. But Norman and Neil quickly escorted him out of Stellar.”
“What’s so cheery about this?”
“Patience, Big Fed.” Ernie clicks a button on his pointer again, projecting a financial statement of Vroom Zoom, Ltd. “This car shop is the recipient of significant money transfers from Al-Rah, LLC—Alistair’s old private accounting firm. The listed sole proprietor? Engr. Rey Kash.”
“Mr. Rahimi didn’t close his private gig after all these years,” Kai concludes.
“Why transfer money to a former heir? When did the transfers start?” This new information spurs Kate’s thinking cap.
“Ahh.. here’s the cheerful bit,” Ernie raises his index finger for dramatic effect. “Alistair accommodated a steady number of clients through the years. After his marriage to Lauren, he catered to Fort Worth’s select elite to keep his firm running. Why, you asked? Pre-nuptial agreement! He won’t get a dollar from everything Lauren had before they married.”
The analyst swivels his chair. “Mr. Kash here worked for the Operations unit when Stellar acquired SuperNova to expand its empire. Ybrrahim Tara agreed to absorb 85% of SuperNova’s employees as part of the deal. I traced the money transfers dating back to 2012, pausing in 2016. Right about the time, Alistair assumed the interim executive chief of finance post for Stellar. Then, transfers resume in 2019.”
“That’s it?” Kate asked disgruntledly. Something tells me there’s more.
— — —
Stellar Energy Group Corporate Offices - The President’s Office
Lucy rushes out of the elevator as it stops on the Presidential suite floor, surprised to see her father’s admin assistant alone outside the office. Two trusted bodyguards usually stand or pace in front of his door while the other roams the building or checks in with the corporate offices’ head of security. The door opens wide, throwing out Alistair.
“Get off me! I can walk myself out!” Alistair wriggles free from Norman and Neil's hold as they block the door from behind. He hurls a sharp glance at Lucy and stomps his way out.
Lucy raises her brows at Norman and Neil. “What’d I do?”
“Boss is waiting for you. Go on.” Neil dismisses her question with a slight shake of his head.
She finds her father looking outside the window. His tanned complexion is slightly darker as he twitches his mouth to loosen his tie. What transpired a few moments ago was undoubtedly intense to get her father this worked up. He stops fidgeting when he senses Lucy watching him close. He draws in a breath and then releases it. “Lucy habeebti,” the corner of his mouth lifts, pulling out crow's feet around his tired eyes. “Take a seat.” Ybrrahim motions for her to sit on the settee a few inches from his desk.
Lucy complies. “Haven’t heard that since Mom…”
“Because you’ve been skipping breakfast at home.” Ybrrahim removes his coat, walks to his desk, and hangs it behind his chair.
Since coming home for Liam’s wedding, they were never alone in a room. Lucy was too angry about their ‘business contract’ to initiate an adult conversation with him. She turned down all his invites for breakfast, preferring time trial practices at the speedway on weekends. All his calls were directed straight to her voicemail, and Lauren became their unwilling yet patient messenger.
He unbuttons his sleeves and rolls them over his elbows. “Jane told me of good things about your re-entry to her unit.” He reclines on the settee beside her. “I’m glad you didn’t ditch your trainer, Miss… Kate.”
“I know Jane told you about the ledgers. We were just doing the job.”
Ybrrahim drops his elbows on his knees. “You trust her that much? Never doubted her intentions to… Stellar?”
I trust ‘Miss Kate’ with all my heart. Lucy squints. What does it have to do with Stellar or Lauren? “I’m not following. What did you call me here for?” The muscles on her back grew tight.
He strokes his chin in thought. “I have reasons for forcing you to take a role here in Stellar. I’m thankful you stayed and gave it another try despite my demands.” He takes a deep breath and wraps his hands around Lucy’s. “I made the mistake of not asking you the first time, and now fate has a funny way of making me pay for that.”
“Dad…” Lucy probes on. Ybrrahim’s enormous hands dwarf hers as she waits for the other boot to drop.
He squeezes her hands tight. “Patience, my darling girl. I’m trying.”
“Just say it. How can I help? What do you want me to do?” Pictures of Lauren's time in jail are not a vision she wants to entertain. The cold walls. The poorly cushioned bed. It is uncomfortable for her sister, and the tiny Rahimi Lucy has yet to meet.
“Are you ready to take over for Lauren? I called an urgent meeting with the board of directors. My vote of confidence is always on my children actively working at Stellar.”
A bolt of tension runs through her spine. “A burly squad of agents just took the kindest soul in all of Texas.” Angry flames fan through her chest. “And you’ve been busy planning how to dispose of her from this company to which she dedicated most of her life to appease you.”
Here she is worried sick of her innocent sister, and their father has been busy securing the future of his company. Lucy came in ready to extend an olive branch. Shower her father with leaves of understanding, and he was worried about stakeholders and investors. She should have known better.
The other boot drops, and Lucy regrets offering help. A Tara needs to step up. But this is not the right time to think about that. Lucy watches a fascinating flicker of emotions on his father’s face. None of them says she is wrong. She braces herself for the war of words.
“How vile of a father you think am I, my darling?” Ybrrahim’s voice breaks. “I’ve been in this game all my life. Trust me when I say I’m prepared for things like these, and it never leaves me unbroken.”
Ybrrahim stands, gathers a binder on his desk, and thrusts it into Lucy’s hands. “I am a hundred steps ahead of whoever is out to get me through my children. I am not exhausting my wealth for a mediocre team of legal counsel. Lauren will be out on bail in forty-eight hours.”
That is not a surprise. Money speaks. The Taras' wealth is definitely in action. “Forty-eight hours? That’s long. Open all your vaults, Dad. It’s Lauren we're talking about here.” No doubt Alistair was furious.
Her father rubs his fingers down his cheeks. It’s a mannerism he does to calm himself. “It’s the best I can do.” He exhales extensively. “I wish your mom was here to word it better. She knew how to talk to you, kids.” He fixes her an earnest gaze. “These are trying times, Lucy, and I don’t have anyone to trust but you.”
The four of them were trained and prepared to take part in managing Stellar at some point in their adult life. Lucy was reluctant about stepping up. She was sure she would be last since three much older and much wiser Tara were in line before her. She has never seen this coming—at least not this early.
The responsibilities it requires are not to be taken lightly. It will have an impact on her life. Admittedly, Lucy needs to improve at making life decisions as big as this. What if a significant screw-up happens, and she can’t wiggle her way out of it?
“It’s not permanent,” her dad adds. “Jane will co-chair the unit with you until we get Lauren back or Lenny comes to his senses. I will coerce Liam too if I have to, but he's on honeymoon.” Ybrrahim encases her hands in his again. “Think about it, habeebti. Please?”
It’s rare to witness Ybrrahim Tara in his vulnerable state. He has always worn an unbreakable shield when faced with obstacles challenging his company and family. There was a period in her childhood Lucy thought her father was the man of steel. Not the superhero but a literal man of steel. Except for that day in Fort Worth Medical, when her dear mother breathed her final breath, it will take a great deal to make Ybrrahim Tara fall apart.
And Ybrrahim Tara does not plead! But he just did. And right now, the gears of her Camaro on asphalt sound way more fun than all these.
— — —
Texas Motor Speedway - Fort Worth, TX
-Lucy-
It’s been five minutes since she pulled up in front of Kate’s apartment, minus the three minutes she allowed her car to cool down. The AC is switched off, and the sleeves of her shirt are sticking to her skin. She exhales a long breath to rein in the racing of her pulse. Who asks a pretty girl on a first date at the Speedway?! She was lucky Kate said yes.
She was tempted to cancel it with everything that was happening at Stellar, but if she did, there was no way of telling when she could ask Kate on a date again. She needs this day with Kate—something she can hold onto before plunging into a more significant scene in the corporate world. In two weeks, she and Jane will be co-chiefs of the Finance Unit.
She gained most of the board’s vote of confidence for the position after asking his father to hire one of its members to fill the post of assistant executive chief. “For transparency. So the FBI can cool down on us,” Lucy recalls suggesting it to her father. She has a week to arrange some documents for Boone’s Café that will give Stellar’s HR and the legal team a little breathing room for a smooth transition. She wants to spend time with Lauren too. Who chose to stay home with their dad when she was granted bail.
She stares at the bouquet of flowers set on the passenger seat. Roses in red, pink, and white with a few purple stargazers in between. Perfect. She nods in approval. She booked a private spot at the Starlight Dining room for today to make up for her non-glamorous invite. It’s not as elegant as the fine-dining restaurants at Sundance Square, but it boasts a floor-to-ceiling window that is good for watching the sunset later in the afternoon.
Lucy raises her left arm to check the time. Her eyes catch Kate in sight, wristwatch sliding down her arm as she adjusts her glasses. Kate, in casual attire, still takes her breath away. She’s garbed in a soft, white sleeveless top tucked in slim straight jeans and running shoes. A green hoodie is tied around her waist, and she’s wearing her hair down. Lucy closes her slackened mouth before pulling down her window.
“An E-class for the new chief?” Kate smiles playfully.
Lucy's eyebrows shoot to her hairline. “Pretty, and she knows her cars.” She opens the door carefully and lifts off her seat.
Kate’s smile widens at the compliment. “Noah was a car enthusiast too.”
“Good. Good,” Lucy bobs her head slowly. “My bumblebee carries bad first impressions. I don’t like any of those for a first date.” She opens the passenger’s door for Kate and picks up the flowers on the seat. “As promised, a prettier bouquet.” Her eyes glide over Kate as she smells the roses and mumbles a ‘thank you’. Lucy steps aside to make way for Kate, closes the door, and circles back to the driver’s side as Kate buckles up.
Lucy twists to her right. “Thank you for this. I know it’s a strange place for a first date–”
“It’s a side of you only a few are invited to see.” Kate grasps her hand. “I’m grateful. So… Let’s keep going?”
Lucy starts the car and speeds off. The growl of the engine muted all her worries.
-Kate-
They arrived earlier than anticipated. Kate is not surprised. Lucy throttled the accelerator too much for her liking. The Speedway was not boisterous as she expected. There’s a clanging of steel and metal as wind gusts above them. The smell of grease is not overpowering, and scant oil spills are visible in the tracks. It’s a weekend, but she can count the number of guests in the area. Lucy opens the passenger’s door for her. “You can leave the flowers on the backseat.” Lucy pops the trunk and lifts off a duffel bag and her helmet.
“The tournament has moved on to a different location.” Lucy confers, shedding light on her perplexity. “And I booked my practice on the track early, so I don’t get to fight for it later in the day. I’m not trying out for LeMans, anyway.”
No LeMans! Kate slaps her back on the side of the car and tucks her chin. Too late to conceal her grin.
The morning after Curtis took Lauren, Lucy was in her ‘hide and seek’ mood. She consented to Lucy’s silent request for space beyond her own concern. But when she saw Lucy’s empty desk after the break, she caved into her worries and placed her a call. It went straight to voicemail. She checked with Jane, who picked up in the middle of a busy schedule.
“The stairwells by the fire exit,” Jane answered, unenthused, and she was right. Lucy was seated in her usual spot, sleeves rolled up, deep in thought and rubbing her palms as if in prayer.
“There you are,” She handed her two mini almond bars from her blazer’s pocket and sat beside Lucy. “Why are you hiding here?”
“Stepped away. Not hiding.” Lucy fake opened a pack of almond bars. “Got anything better than these?” She frowns.
“Huh! Those are not just a lump of sugar. They’re healthy, and you’re welcome.” Lucy’s laughter was mirthless. Kate tilted her head to the side, chasing Lucy’s eyes. “How are you?”
“My stomach is churning non-stop, and I’m not even hungry.” Lucy meets her eyes. “I hope I don’t scare you when a hole starts showing here,” chuckling as she rubbed her belly with her free hand. “Several dust devils are swirling in my head. They scare me.”
“Can’t be scarier than a strongly worded email.” She smirked and lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. They fell into a fit of laughter.
“Lauren will be back tomorrow—pending trial. Her post at the unit is up for grabs, and the ‘mountain lions’ lurk around. It’s like 2016 all over again. But this time, I don’t get to watch. I am being watched.”
“So, the rumors are true? You’re taking over from her?”
“Not if I can help it.”
“How come? You know and understand the business better than anyone else.”
“Yeah. Sure, I do. But I’m not the best person for that kind of responsibility.”
“You’re good enough. Give yourself some credit, Lucy. You’ve come a long way from being a reluctant trainee. Twice.”
Lucy’s eyes came to life as her cheeks pulled up. All white teeth are on full display.
A peck on her cheek startled Kate back into the present. “Keep smiling like that, and I’ll never make it to practice today,” Lucy whispers on tiptoes. Kate’s cheeks burn. She rolls her lips in as Lucy tugs at her to follow. “Come on. I’ll give you a little tour before I change into my racing gear.”
Lucy brings her to the top of the pit stall first. It’s a box where the crew chief, who acts as the driver’s extra pair of eyes, gets a close-up view of the car on the track. It houses several flat-screen monitors and satellite receivers used to keep an eye on the weather and track conditions. “That reminds me,” Lucy zips her duffel bag open and pulls out two wireless headsets with a tiny camera.
She knits her brows.
Lucy pairs the device and waves one to her. “I rarely talk while driving in practice. But I’m not risking you getting bored. You can use this if you want to talk to me. Tell me a story, or sing while I’m on the track.” She winks and snatches the other headset. “You will watch me from here.” She extends her arms out and gestures around the pit box.
“An up close view for me?” Her chest expands in awe.
“Mhhm…” Lucy reaches up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I know someone who knows someone and have these all set up for today.” Her eyes glide down Kate’s lips, her fingers tracing her cheek as she retrieves her hand back.
“Oh. Thank you.” Kate shivers at the touch. “Uhmm... Where is the washroom? I need to use one right now. ”
Lucy clears her throat, nods, and releases a sigh. “Near the lockers. That’s where we're heading. Then I’ll show you the garage where my practice car is waiting.”
They climb down from the pit box. Lucy leads the way and checks her phone while they walk. “Weird… Looks like my mechanic is not here yet.” She informs her when they reach the washroom. “I’ll get changed in the lockers while you’re in here. Meet you in ten?”
She can’t remember how long her mouth is open as Lucy struts out of the locker rooms ten minutes later. Lucy’s in her element, wearing her black and white racing suit. Her hair was secured in a low bun behind her neck. One hand grips her helmet by the chin vents.
“You ok?” Lucy stifles her giggles. “Where’s your headset?”
She draws out the piece from her hoodie’s right pocket. Lucy takes it, clips it on the collar of her hoodie, and powers it on.
“Mine’s here.” She raises her helmet to level Kate’s glasses, with the headset firmly attached to the rim near the jaw. She turns the headset on. “Keep them on. So we don’t lose the pairing. When you’re back at the pit box, press the top button nearest the camera so we can start talking and recording some clips as I drive. Now all I need is a final inspection of my car. Then, I’ll let Sawyer guide you back to the pit box.”
The garage is a fusion of a repair shop and a storage unit. It’s a small area housing spare tires in a rack. Cans of oil and bottles of lubricants. Different sizes of containers for bolts and nuts are stacked from largest to smallest. There are lightweight jacks, extension poles, steel cabinets that store duct tapes, hammers, a saw, and a baseball bat. A mechanical lifter sits right at the center, and varying tools—screwdrivers, wrenches, air guns, and pliers are scattered on the floor.
They find Lucy’s mechanic under the practice car on the lifter.
“Hey, Sawyer! Get up here for a minute. I want you to meet my date.” Lucy pounds the door on the driver’s side and then sets her helmet on the car's roof. A guy in a mechanic overalls wheels out on a crawler, monkey wrench on hand, and smirks at them. Lucy’s eyes bug out. “Well, you’re not Sawyer!”
“You’re early.” The guy swings his feet against the length of the crawler. “Very punctual of you, chief. Senior analyst here rubbing off on you, huh.”
Kate freezes momentarily on her feet, recognizing the ‘Tony Stark goatee’ dude sitting on a crawler across from them. Rey Kash. Former heir of SuperNova. Rey Kash. The engineer Lucy caught in the rental car fiasco! That’s why the name is familiar!
Her pulse rises to a higher beat as she spots the blades of a red bolt cutter peeking from behind Rey. She glances at Lucy, judging from the rapid pulsing of her neck, she knows she’s scared.
Think, Whistler!
She clutches down her collar to take deep, calming breaths, grasping at the headset Lucy clipped on a few minutes ago. Top button near the camera. She was hesitant to turn it on when Lucy mentioned recording some clips. Who knew she would need it this soon or need it at all? She pulls the sleeves of her hoodie up to her elbows and discreetly presses a button on the side of her watch.
“Who are you? And what are those bolt cutters for?” Lucy is furious, and Kate hopes Rey is falling for Lucy’s false bravado to buy her some time.
Think, Whistler!
“You wound me, chief.” He pouts as he lays a hand mockingly over his chest. “Who am I kidding? It’s typical among Taras to forget who they use as they climb the ladder of success.” He turns his head slowly towards Kate as he strokes his goatee down his chin. “Not your brother, though,” he smiles menacingly, “he was always nice to me. Great trainer too! Made me regret fiddling with the thumper.”
Fire ignites in Kate’s chest, spreading through her tense shoulders. Her veins violently pulsed under her skin, making her muscles quiver. She curls both hands into fists. Plants both feet firmly on the ground. She glances back at Lucy and then at Rey.
Lucy must have noticed how red she is. “Hey, buddy! I’m sorry. But I don’t remember meeting you. Where’s Sawyer?!”
Rey’s eyes went cold. “Wrong answer!” He throws the monkey wrench toward Kate, hitting her square in the forehead. Blood gushes out of her throbbing temples. Her eyes blur on everything around her as she thuds on the concrete floor. She hears a strangled call of her name, scuffling, cursing, screaming, slapping, then a body being pushed on metal.
“You should have stayed in Tokyo, chief!” Kate hears Rey scream through her fuzzy ears. “Alistair is almost finished emptying your father’s vault! You meddling with the ledgers got your sister in jail, and for that, my brother suddenly grew a conscience and wants to change our plans!”
Lucy. Kate winced as sharp pain coursed through her head. The overwhelming smell of grease and motor oil stirred her to her senses. She forced her eyes open. Rey pins Lucy against the wall, choking her with the bolt cutter. Panic in her eyes as she thrusts a palm up Rey’s nose, enraging him further.
Get up, Whistler!
Kate wills herself to stand, then quietly raises to her feet. She eyes a pipe wrench nearby and picks it up. And when she gathers enough stability on her knees, she lunges at Rey and whacks him twice with the wrench. One on the back and one to the head, releasing his clutch on Lucy and knocking him out cold.
Lucy coughs to catch her breath as she hits the floor. The terror in her eyes reflected Kate’s. It’s over. Kate rushes to Lucy, scooping her in her arms. “It’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore.” She whispers, kissing the crown of her head as tears dampen her lashes. It’s over. She pulls back enough to look at Lucy’s bruised face. She plants choked kisses on her temples and holds her tightly.
It’s over. Reality dawns on her.
Kate squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, kissed Lucy on the forehead one last time, and then let go. For now. She doesn’t want to. Not this way. Not ever. But she has to do what she has to do. Her chest hurts anew. And she knows it’s the start of a ruin.
Shaken by the brutal ache in her chest, Kate steps back. She bites her trembling lips at Lucy, a million question glistening in her eyes. Kate pulls her phone out of her hoodie’s left pocket and punches the call button to a number she never wanted to call with Lucy just a foot away.
“This is agent Kate Whistler… Male suspect down. Requesting an ambulance at 3545 Lone Star Circle.”
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