A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2) (24 page)

“Dad?”

“You’re going to miss Thanksgiving?”

“Of course not.  I’m leaving on Black Friday and I’ll be back Sunday evening.”

Smart boy.  He wasn’t stealing his little girl for the holiday.

“He says Raleigh misses you.  She won’t admit it of course, LIKE YOU, but she does.”

“We’re not talking about this.”

“You don’t have to, but I’m not giving up.”

“I’m sure you won’t.”

*****

“Up to second place, I told you Tom.  Have faith.”  She passed him her helmet.  Day two was complete and they’d come back from the rear with a vengeance.

“You’re a wildcard, Raleigh.”  Tom helped her out of the car. 

“Good job Lacie.”  Raleigh reached across the hood and shook her hand.

“You too.”

“Press.”  Raleigh nodded to the reporters standing behind a gate.

Lacie let out a nervous sigh.  She still hadn’t adjusted to the amount of press the duo received.

The last day of the rally was upon them.  The time gap between her and Matsuka was minimal and she knew she could close it.  This race was theirs to win.

“Go!”  Lacie shouted and off they screamed. 

Left, right, straight, chicane, straight, hard left.  The course was challenging and not boring for one moment.  The two worked as one and they closed the gap little by little.  Lacie and her clicked, the first co-driver out of her previous dozen she’d felt a connection with.  It all seemed right.   

“Deer!”  Lacie shouted.  That was one comment that wasn’t on the pace notes. 

“Shit!”  Raleigh yelled.  She had two options to consider quickly.  Swerve and try to avoid the deer, pray she could keep control, and finish the race.  Or continue straight, hit the deer, and take the chance that her car wouldn’t be too damaged to continue.  Raleigh opted for the first option.  A bold, stupid move.

*****

“We’re charging Jason with reckless endangerment and leaving the scene.  I wish we had more.”  Ben spun around in the office chair.  “Of course I’m going to throw in some trumped charges to scare him, the D.A will drop them anyway.”

Jason and his parents sat in a conference room across the hall.

“Don’t charge him.”

“That kid left you for dead.”

Mike thought about what he wanted. 

“We’ll work out a plea deal with the DA.  I’ll be happy if he gets community service and loss of his license.”

“The kid should be put behind bars for life.”

“Everyone deserves a second chance.  Seems like a good kid.”  Mike looked into the conference room where Jason and his parents sat.  “He was scared.”

“You’ve turned into a softie.  Bring the hardass back.  The Mike that would say the kid belongs in jail where he can be someone’s bitch.”

Mike’s lips hitched up. 

“Plea.”

*****

“Where is she?”  Tom asked Aiden impatiently.  Aiden scanned the cameras.  They were all focused on Matsuka. 

“Pan!  Pan your damn cameras.  Come on!”  Tom yelled. 

“There she is.”  Aiden pointed.

Aiden, Tom, and the team watched for the next minute breathless.  It was over.

“Irving équipe pour la victoire!”  The voice rang over the PA.

“She did it!”  Tom threw his fists in the air.

“Of course she did.”  Aiden patted his back.  “She always does.”

Raleigh slammed the car into park and bailed out.  “Lacie!” 

Lacie ran around the front of the car and they embraced tightly.  The crowd around them went crazy with energy.  The moment they were in, that was what racing was about.

“I’m glad you joined our team!”  Raleigh shouted over the cheers.

“Me too.” 

They celebrated boisterously as did the crowd with them, pushing through the barriers onto to finish line.

*****

“Dad, turn it on the Speed channel!”  Cass said hyperventilating.  “I just, I just heard.”

“I’m just walking through the door now, give me a few minutes.”

“No!  Now!”  Cass called from her dorm room after receiving a panicked call from Aiden.

“What channel is the Speed channel?”

“Two fif-fity two.”

“Did she win?  Why are you so excited?”

“I can’t—I can’t.”  Cass stumbled.

Mike clicked the remote to the
Speed Channel
.

“It’s advertising.”

“Wait—a minute.”  She couldn’t get control of her breathing.

“Cass, what’s going on?  Did Raleigh win the race in France?”

“Yeah, but, but that’s—”

“Where’s your inhaler?”  Mike asked concerned.  Cass had well controlled asthma, but whatever happened spun her out of control.

“I—I can’t—” 

“Get your inhaler.”  Mike said calmly.

“Okay.”  She conceded.  Mike heard a blast of air come from the opposite end of the line.

“And we’re back to the Rallye de France-Alsace.  Team Dawson-Acosta took the win an hour ago, but the celebration was short lived and we’re back with continued coverage.”

“Dad—”  Cass’s breathing barely slowed.

“I'm watching.”  He said his full attention on the television.

“The World Rally Organization isn’t allowing replay of the video at this time.” 
The reporter himself appeared disturbed by the incident. 
“Unfortunately we can describe what we saw from these seats.” 
The camera panned out the window. 

“The crowd of onlookers pushed through the barriers behind us and rushed both Dawson and Acosta.  To describe what we saw—it was a riot and security was overwhelmed.  Dawson was—” 
The reporter considered his words. 
“For lack of a better way to describe it, barraged by the out of control crowd and though unintentional from our view, was trampled by the massive crowd.”

“
It was horrible sight,” a
nother reporter chimed in. 
“Dawson was rushed by ambulance once the crowd was under control.  We have not received any official word regarding her condition, we were told by bystanders she was unconscious and the fear is serious internal injuries.” 
The second reporter stopped.

“Two support members from the team were also taken to the hospital with what has been described as minor injuries.  Acosta was checked by onsite medical staff and cleared.”

“Dawson hasn’t had an easy year, Bill, and it appears it won’t get any easier.  Raleigh and all of team Dawson-Acosta are in our thoughts and prayers.  We turn it back over to you.”

Mike stared at the television blankly.

“She was trampled?”  Mike said in shock.  One would anticipate an accident in the racing world, but stomped like the running of the bulls?

“I talked to Aiden, he’s a mess.  He’s at the hospital with her.”

“How is she?”

“He’s still waiting for news.  He said she’s bad.”  She sucked in a deep breath.  “Have you ever seen those clips where soccer fans mob the field?  He said that’s what happened.”

Mike sat down on his couch as his stomach did flips.  Helpless.  That’s how he felt.  The first thing that he wanted to do was jump on a plane to France and be there with her.  But she’d made it clear, she didn’t want him.”

“Go, Dad.”

“Go?”  Mike came back to reality from his inner thoughts.

“Go to her.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Yes, it is.  You care for her.  Fight for her.”

“I have to go, Cass.  Call me when Aiden gives you an update.”

“No, you need to go there!”

“I need catch up on paperwork.  I’ll talk to you later.”

The phone line went silent, then clicked.  She hung up on him.  What was he supposed to do?  Drop everything and fly to France?  He did that once already in North Carolina.  That didn’t work out so well for him.  What would be the point of flying to France to see her lying in a hospital bed not wanting to see him?  Again.  If she lived.   That thought made him nauseous. 
What if she doesn’t live?  Unconscious...serious condition...Aiden’s a mess.

Mike paced to his office and laid his laptop on the desk.  He’d busy himself with reports.  Something, anything to take his mind off of her. 

“What am I supposed to do?”  Mike said under his breath.  The terms the newscasters used replayed over and over in his head. 
Unconscious
and
serious condition
.  Mike blankly stared at the desk. 
She’s bad.  Aiden’s a mess. 
Cass’s words further haunted him.  In one frustrated swipe, Mike wiped the stacks of neatly piled and sorted paperwork off of his desk.  Sheets of white paper decorated the carpet like confetti. 

“She can’t die.”  He gripped the top of the chair, knelt down, and leaned his head forward. 

*****

“Blood fucking aye, you must have news by now.  It’s been two bloody fucking hours.  Does anyone is this shit hole establishment know anything?”  Aiden’s people skills flew out the window an hour prior. The nurse Aiden accosted looked at him angrily.

“Aller te faire foutre.”

“Fuck you too nasty hag.” 

The nurse’s eyes bugged out and her face turned rouge.

“Aiden, cool off.  You’re going to get kicked out.”  Tom warned.

Aiden paced back and forth.

“Je suis désolé, mon ami est blessé et je suis très peur pour elle.”  Aiden said to her.

The nurse stalked away.

“
That better have meant sorry.”

“It did.”  Aiden collapsed into a chair.  “We’ve heard nothing in two hours.  It’s quite ridiculous.  They should know something by now, like she’s going to live, or she’s…”  Aiden didn’t finish.  “This shouldn’t have happened.  It’s shit.”

“Did you get ahold of her family?”

“They are flying out on the first flight they can get.”

“She avoids a deer only to get crushed by the damn crowd.  Raleigh has the worst luck of anyone I’ve known in my life.”  One of the crew members chimed in.

Lacie returned with drinks from the cafeteria for Tom and Aiden.  A small contingent of their support staff were there along with police protection following the scene. 

“She’s going to be okay,” Tom tried to console the crew.

“Don’t feed us bullshit, we are an intelligent lot Tom.”

“She’s will be, Aiden.”  Lacie put her hand on Aiden’s shoulder, but he pulled away.