<b>Chapter </b><b>15 </b>
“Holy shit…”
The Uber driver who’d dropped me off earlier stood with his jaw hanging open. His eyes were <b>fixed </b>on the Explorer I’d just driven across the finish line, dust still settling around the tires.
Chase jumped down from his custom Jeep Wrangler, his perfectly styled hair now disheveled, <b>face </b>contorted in disbelief. He stared at me, then at the rental Explorer, then back at me–as if trying to solve an impossible equation.
“That’s not possible,” one of Chase’s friends muttered, running a hand through his hair. A fucking rental against an $87,000 Wrangler with custom suspension? No way.”
The crowd of rich kids stood frozen, their designer outdoor gear suddenly looking ridiculous in the cloud of dust I’d left behind. I stepped out of the Explorer, brushing dirt from my jeans. T had performed better than expected, though I’d definitely voided whatever insurance the po driver had on it.
Without a word, I pulled a small notepad from my pocket, scribbled my bank ount details, and walked toward Chase. When I reached him, I held out the paper.
“A hundred grand,” I said, my voice even. “Transfer it to my ount.”
Chase’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched. When he didn’t immediately take the paper, I pped it against the hood of his precious Jeep and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Chase called, his voice carrying over the murmurs of the crowd. “Care for another challenge?”
I paused mid–step but didn’t turn around.
“Two hundred grand this time,” he continued<b>, </b>a new edge to his voice.
Now that got my attention. I turned slowly, measuring him with my eyes. “What’s <b>the </b>catch<b>? </b>
Chase’s confident smile returned. “You drive my Jeep. My friend drives his Raptor. I ride shotgun with you.”
Interesting proposition.
“Well?” he pressed when I didn’t immediately respond. “Unless you’re scared?”
<b>174 </b>
6:56 Tue, Sep 16
I shrugged, “Lead the way.”
At the starting line, Chase handed me the keys to his Jeep, studying me carefully as I adjusted the seat and mirrors with practiced movements.
“You know how to handle a vehicle like this?” he asked, sliding into the passenger seat. “It’s not exactly economy ss.”
“I don’t need a tutorial,” I replied, familiarizing myself with the controls. “I’ve got two of these in my
garage.”
He nced at me with skepticism. “You said you have two of these? This exact model?” He tapped the armrest andughed. “That’s one hell of a im. What are you, part of the Haxton family or something?”
I didn’t bother responding, simply waiting for the race to begin.
Chase studied me with growing intensity. “I’m Chase Astor. What’s your name? That school <b>uniform </b>-you still in high school? What year? You should apply to Princeton when you graduate. That’s where I go. We could race like this all the time.” He paused briefly. “Hey, want to exchange numbers after this? I could look you up next time I’m…”
As Sterling dropped his arm, Chase’s friend’s Raptor shot forward, engine roaring. I remained perfectly still.
<i>“</i>Go! The race started! What are you waiting for?” Chase urged, pointing anxiously at the disappearing truck.
“No rush,” I replied calmly. “Giving him twenty seconds won’t make a difference. Your two hundred grand is as good as mine.”
“That’s my friend’s fully upgraded Raptor out there,” Chase said, pointing at the dust cloud disappearing around the bend. “It’s got-”
“A 3.5–liter high–output EcoBoost V6 with 450 horsepower and FOX Racing shocks, I finished for him. “I know what it has.”
Chase’s eyebrows shot up. “How do you-”
6:56 Tue, Sep 16
:
<b>I </b>cut him off by finally hitting the gas. The Jeep surged forward, and I took a line through the terrain that minimized resistance while maintaining maximum speed. Within moments, we were gaining on
the Raptor.
The first section of the course was rocky terrain with steep inclines. I navigated through it as if I’d memorized every rock, taking the perfect racing line where most would see only obstacles.
“Jesus,” Chase muttered, gripping the roll bar as we cleared a rise that momentarily sent <b>us </b>airborne. “Where did you learn to drive like this?”
I didn’t answer, focusing instead on the approaching mud pit where the Raptor was struggling for traction. The driver had chosen a poor line, getting bogged down in the deepest section.
Instead of following his path, I swung wide, finding firmer ground at the edges where vegetation roots provided better traction. We swept past the struggling Raptor, Chase’s friend’s face a perfect picture of shock as we glided by.
As we approached a muddy stream crossing, I could see the best route wasn’t the obvious one.
“Slow down,” Chase warned. “That section gets deep-”
Instead of slowing, I elerated.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Chase yelled, grabbing the roll cage as we hit the water at speed.
I aimed for a specific entry point and kept the throttle steady. The Jeep pushed through the deeper section, water spraying in magnificent arcs around us. For a moment, we were practically surfing on mud and water.
When we emerged on the other side, Chase’s knuckles were white from gripping the roll cage. “This is fucking insane!” he shouted, a mix of terror and exhration in his voice.
The trail narrowed into a dense forest section. Branches whipped past us as I navigated between trees with only inches to spare on either side.
“There’s a huge fallen tree up ahead,” Chase warned as we approached a massive log blocking part of the path.
Most drivers would navigate around it. I elerated directly toward it.
6:56 Tue, Sep 16
“Are you crazy?‘ Chase screamed as we hit a natural ramp just before the log.
The Jeep went airborne. Chase’s yell transformed into a whoop of excitement as we soared over the obstacle andnded perfectly on the other side, suspensionpressing then extending smoothly,
“No one’s ever taken this route before,” Chase said, his voice quieter now, almost reverent. “How did you know it was here?”
“I didn’t,” I replied. “I saw it and decided it would work.”
Chase fell silent, watching me drive with an intensity I could feel like physical pressure.
We burst from the forest edge into the final stretch–a rocky decline leading to the finish line. The Raptor was nowhere in sight. I navigated down carefully but quickly, protecting the vehicle’s undercarriage while maintaining speed.
As we crossed the finish line, I executed a perfect handbrake turn, bringing the Jeep to a st cloud of dust. Chase’s friends were just arriving in their vehicles, having taken the observer. shortcut route to the finish line.
“Jesus Christ,” Chase whispered, his legs visibly shaky as he stepped out. “That was… I don’t even have words.‘
I slid out of the driver’s seat and handed him back his keys. “Three hundred grand,” I said. “Don’t forget to transfer it.”
Without waiting for a response, I walked toward my waiting Uber, leaving Chase staring after me.
“Who is she?” I heard Chase ask Sterling as they watched my Uber pull away.
“No idea,” Sterling replied. “All I know is she was wearing a Cloud City High School uniform.”
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