Page 97 of Fast & Reckless
It didn’t matter, she told herself. Will was young. He had many years of racing ahead of him, and so many more opportunities to win this. If it didn’t happen this year, he’d just go for it again next year. He’d shown everyone in the sport that he was already a champion, with or without this win.
But it still didn’t stop her from wanting it. She wanted it so badly.
HE WAS SO CLOSEhe could taste it. Despite the penalty, Will had a great start, and he’d ruthlessly worked his way back onto the podium. Now the world championship dangled in front of him, so close and yet still just a little out of reach. He’d passed René. Now Liam O’Neill was the only one left between him and the win.
Up ahead, Liam’s gearbox taunted him as the laps ticked down. As they approached Turn Five, Tae delivered the good news. “Four laps to go. Reminder, you’re clear to use your overtake anytime until the end of the race.”
Great. Butwhereto use it? Because it wasn’t unlimited usage. If he took the classic dive bomb into Turn Six, it would give Liam the opportunity on the exit out of Turn Seven to retake. And if he somehow held Liam off, the DRS down to Turn Nine would be fatal to Will’s chances. Even worse, it would drain the battery and he’d lose time letting it recharge. So at best he had two shots to make it work before he ran out of time. As he rounded the painfully slow Turn Five he could see Liam’s car twitching on exit, a sure sign he was putting it absolutely on the limit. It was time to set the trap.
“I think my tires are going. I’m starting to lose the rears,” he told Tae in his headset.
“Affirm,” Tae replied, instantly catching on. “Let’s try to increase lift and coast into Turn Six.”
Every radio transmission was being monitored by everyone out on the track, so Liam and his team had just heard that. But there wasn’t exactly a rule against bluffing.
He engaged the DRS on the long run down to Turn Six. As they approached the braking zone, Liam braked a couple of meters earlier than he’d expected. Clearly his team had taken the bait and they were into “get it home in one piece” mode. He’d hooked him.
He barreled toward the turn with as much speed as the car could bear, using the grip he’d just told Tae his tires didn’t have. Liam, who’d been counting on Will’s worn-out tires, was stuck, forced off the racing line entering Turn Six and compromising his exit of Turn Seven. But with the inside Liam was able to maintain the lead, which was exactly what Will wanted. For now.
“Am I good to use overtake yet?” He knew the answer, but he prayed that Tae would still get what he was trying to do.
“You’re better off waiting until two laps from the end, Engine Eleven position six,” Tae said, fully on board with the bluff.
Time to roll the dice.
As he began closing the gap to Liam once again, he shifted slightly to the inside. Once again, Liam took the bait, moving to the inside to defend his position. Will made a show of following him to set the hook deep, and then when he was running at full speed into the turn, he swung fast to the outside, blasting past him. He’d left Liam no time to widen his turn and block him.
But it wasn’t over yet. Even though he’d pinned his rival to the inside, he was left fighting for his life around the outside,struggling to keep the car on the track. Liam was still there on his left. But if he could hang on through this turn, he’d have him. Just as he began to fear he’d asked too much of the car, it was done. The track straightened out ahead of him and all he had to do was accelerate, mashing the overtake button he’d been saving and burying the throttle.
“Got him!” Tae shouted in his ear as he nosed ahead of Liam.
That felt good, but this wasn’t over. He had to hold Liam off and grow that lead as much as he could in the remaining laps. He’d faked Liam out, but that wouldn’t work again. And he’d counted on Liam’s car being maxed out. There was always the possibility that Liam was faking, too.
“Three laps to go,” Tae said. “I believe you owe everyone on the pit wall a new pair of underwear.”
“I just need a list of their favorite colors. How am I for these laps?”
“You’re good on fuel to the end.”
“What’s the gap?”
“One point four.”
Just over a second between them with three more laps to go. Too close for comfort.
Paul suddenly broke into the channel. “Stellar job, son, let’s bring this home in one piece.”
Oh, so now he was “son”? Paul had thawed a lot since the nightmare of Monza, but he was still uncomfortable whenever he encountered a reminder of his daughter’s relationship. Maybe if Will won today, every last reservation Paul had would magically melt away.
“Just have champagne waiting for me in my hotel.”
“That’s what I like to hear from my world champion.”
He held Liam off for another lap, but only just. He was still nipping at his heels. The fucker might still manage to sneak around him in the last lap. Time to make that impossible.
“Gap?” he asked Tae.
“One point seven.”
