sidewayz glory (6 page)

“What are you gonna do?” Tito asked as he handed over the key.

Kennin didn't answer. He let himself into the office and grabbed the first set of keys off the board. They were on a BMW fob.

“Are you frickin' crazy?” Tito gasped as Kennin came out of the office. “You know what's gonna happen if you get caught? Not only will you get fired, but you'll never get on the drifting team.”

At that moment Kennin's concerns were a lot more immediate than the drifting team.

“This is so wrong, dude,” Tito said as he followed Kennin into the valet area. “Forget what'll happen to you. If they find out I let you have the key I'll get fired too.”

There were half a dozen BMWs in the valet lot and Kennin didn't have time to try the keys on each one. He pressed the red panic button on the key fob. The lights on the silver 760Li started to flash and the alarm went off. Kennin quickly killed it and headed for the car.

“Oh no,” Tito groaned. “This I don't believe. Tell me this isn't happening!”

With the long, straight cast on, it wasn't easy for Kennin to get into the BMW. He tossed his crutches in the back, moved the seat back, tilted it, and got in.

Vrrrrooooooom!
The sedan started with a roar.

Screeech!
The wheels spun in reverse, leaving tread and smoke as Kennin backed it out of the parking spot, then shifted into forward. He stopped beside Tito and quickly lowered the window. “You coming?”

“Are you insane?!” gasped Tito.

Kennin started to bring the window back up.

“Wait!” Tito suddenly cried, and yanked open the passenger door.

the passenger seat, Kennin wheeled the big sedan out of the parking lot and onto the street, just in time to see the yellow 'vette turn a corner up ahead.

“What are we doing?” Tito asked, breathing hard.

“Following someone.” Kennin made the same turn as the 'vette. Inside the 760Li the instrument panel glowed orange and yellow.

“You know this thing has a V-12 engine?” Tito asked. “Know what this car costs? Hundred forty grand all in.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Kennin said. The 'vette was a block ahead, going through an intersection just as the light turned yellow. Kennin dropped the hammer and the big sedan's V-12 tapped into its 440 horses and shot forward like a rocket.

“Whoa!” Tito gasped next to him as they were both pressed back into the soft leather seats.

They sailed through the intersection just as the light turned red. Half a block ahead, the 'vette pulled into a parking lot in front of a dimly lit motel called the Time Out. A flickering red neon sign said
VACANCY.
It was the kind of place where rooms rented by the hour, and the doors opened directly into the parking lot so visitors could come and go without passing the front desk. Kennin killed the Beemer's lights and pulled up to the curb.

“That the guy we're following?” Tito asked, pointing at the 'vette.

Kennin nodded. He had a feeling things were about to go from bad to worse. “I wish I had a phone.”

“You're in luck.” Tito dug into his pocket and pulled out a shiny new silver flip phone. Kennin didn't have time to ask where Tito had gotten it, or how he could afford it after losing all his money, He found the slip of paper Leon had given him and quickly punched in the number. He could tell from the way Leon answered that he'd woken him. Kennin apologized and then quickly explained why he'd called. Leon said he'd see what he could do.

“Who's Leon?” Tito asked as Kennin tossed the phone back to him.

“Tell you later,” Kennin said. In the motel parking lot Jack got out of the 'vette and pulled open the passenger door.

“That's the guy?” Tito gasped.

“Yeah. Why? You know him?” Kennin asked.

“Uh, no, no, it's … just that he looks … I don't know, like someone you don't want to mess with.”

Jack leaned into the passenger side of the 'vette and said something to Shinchou. Kennin couldn't make out the words, but the tone was angry and forceful. When Shinchou wouldn't get out of the car, Jack reached in and yanked her out. It took every ounce of Kennin's self-control not to leap out of the BMW.

“Whoa! What's that about?” Tito asked.

Kennin watched with simmering anger as Jack held Shinchou's arm tightly and led her toward the motel. They stopped under a light while Jack knocked on a door. Shinchou hung her head. The door was opened by a fat guy in a sleeveless T-shirt. He gave Shinchou a quick once-over and then nodded. Jack pushed Kennin's sister into the room. The door closed. Jack lit a cigarette and strolled back to the 'vette.

“Number nine,” Kennin said.

“What?” said Tito.

“She went into room number nine.”

“Who is she?”

“My sister,” Kennin said.

Tito didn't answer. He and Kennin both had sisters, so he understood what Kennin must have been feeling at that moment.

“Here's what you're gonna do,” Kennin said. “As soon as the guy in the cowboy hat gets in the 'vette and takes off, you—”

“He doesn't look like he's taking off anywhere,” Tito said. Jack was leaning against the 'vette, smoking.

“Believe me, he will,” Kennin said. “And when that happens, you go to room number nine and knock hard and keep knocking until the fat guy opens the door.”

“Crap,” Tito muttered.

“When the guy opens the door, you tell him if he doesn't let my sister go right now you're gonna call the cops.”

“What if the guy wants to kick the shit out of me?” Tito asked.

“He won't,” Kennin said.

“How do you know?” Tito asked.

“I know.”

Tito wasn't buying it. “I'd really like to help you, dude, but there's no way I'm getting involved in this. It just ain't my problem.”

The seconds were ticking past and Shinchou was in that room. Kennin didn't have time to argue. He held Tito steadily with his eyes. “Tito, I know why that wheel came off your sister's car the night I crashed. Someone loosened the lug nuts, and I'm pretty sure I know who did it.”

Tito's eyes went wide and his face grew pale. “I—I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Yes, you do,” said Kennin. He gestured toward Jack, who was still leaning against the 'vette, smoking. “Maybe we should go ask him. And then we could go talk to Angelita.”

Tito crossed his arms unhappily and slid down in the BMW's seat. “Dude, you don't know what happened.”

“Tell me later.” Kennin pointed at the motel. “Right now you're going in there and getting my sister. Wait for me back at the intersection.”

Without a word, Tito opened the door and got out of the BMW.

“Hey.” Kennin pointed at an empty beer bottle lying beside the curb. “Give me that, will you?”

Tito scowled and handed him the bottle. “Why?”

“It'll come in handy.”

Jack was still leaning against the car, smoking. Kennin steered the BMW about fifty feet past the motel entrance, then stopped. With the motor running, he braced himself in the doorway, clutching the beer bottle in his right hand. Jack didn't notice him. Kennin hurled the bottle at the 'vette's windshield. He was sliding back into the BMW when he heard the sound of breaking glass.

“Hey!” Jack shouted.

By now Kennin was behind the wheel in the BMW, confident that Jack hadn't seen him. In the rearview mirror he watched as Jack jumped into the 'vette. Kennin gunned the big sedan and left a long strip of rubber and smoke.

The race was on.

The BMW had a 438 hp V-12 engine compared to the Corvette's 400 hp V-8, but the 'vette was lighter and quicker. Kennin knew he had to lose Jack in the turns. And why not
have some fun, too? The BMW might have been an automatic, but with some deft heel and toe work Kennin could slide the car around corners with control and power. Tires squealing, he turned right at the next corner and sped down a dark street. In the rearview mirror, the 'vette skidded around the same corner, the rear end swinging too far around, almost doing a donut. Kennin swung left at the next corner and Jack followed, again oversteering and almost spinning out. Kennin actually had to slow down to wait for him to straighten the Vette out before making the next right and flooring it. About halfway down the block he passed a row of plastic garbage cans and had an idea.

He quickly led Jack in the 'vette around the block again, and this time, when the garbage cans appeared in the Beemer's headlights, Kennin punched the accelerator hard. Just past the garbage cans he cut the wheel and yanked the e-brake, doing a 180 just as the 'vette came around the corner.

Kennin floored the BMW. Only now he was heading straight back at the 'vette.

left side of the Beemer's front bumper toward the left front fender of the 'vette. With less than fifty feet between the two speeding cars, Jack had a split-second choice: go head-on into the BMW or veer to the right.

The result was an explosion of garbage cans and white plastic garbage bags flying through the air as the 'vette plowed into them.

It was a small reward compared to what Jack had done to Shinchou, but Kennin could feel a smile creep across his lips. He quickly drove back to the intersection where he'd told Tito to wait with Shinchou. They were there, standing under a streetlight. Kennin skidded to a stop and pushed open the passenger-side door for his sister.

“Get in,” he said.

His sister frowned. “Where'd you get this?”

“Tell you later,” Kennin said. “Now get in fast before Jack gets here.”

Tito got in the back while Shinchou got in the front. Kennin took off. Shinchou opened her bag and took out a cigarette.

“Better not,” Kennin said. “Don't want the owner to know we borrowed his car.”

Shinchou slid the cigarette back into the pack. “How'd you know I was there?”

“Just lucky,” Kennin said.

Kennin's sister slid down in the seat and raked her fingers through her long black hair. Kennin glanced at Tito in the rearview mirror. “How'd it go?”

“Like you said,” Tito said. “The guy was totally freaked. As we left he said something about his money.”

“Guess he'll have to work that out with Jack,” Kennin said.

Shinchou gave him a sour look. “Don't think you're doing me a favor. As soon as Jack finds me, I'm going to get it bad.”

“Then he better not find you,” Kennin said as he drove toward the south side of town.

Shinchou straightened slightly and became more alert. “What do you mean? Where are we going?”

“Someplace where Jack won't find you,” her brother said.

“Maybe I
want
Jack to find me,” Shinchou said.

Kennin glanced at his sister. She looked thin and pale, and the makeup around her eyes was smudged. Before she got involved with Jack, she'd never looked this bad. For a moment Kennin didn't understand why she'd want Jack to find her. Then he did. The crystal meth. He had what she craved.