Favourite. chapter 5 part one

This novel is fictional, you should not look for intersections with historical events. This is a continuation of Nikita Savelyev’s Racing Action Movie, first published on F1News.ru…

chapter 5 part one

Gradually, but the viscous darkness receded, the dim headlights already cut not through the hopeless inky haze, but through the torn, muddy shreds of the morning mist. Neville breathed a sigh of relief, the hardest part of the journey behind him. Not only is it not easy to keep up in the dark, but you also have to make sure you don’t get lost in the intricacies of the web of country roads.

– They did not notice, but meanwhile it is morning! Neville encouraged his companion.

“Finally,” Sidney found the strength to smile. The mechanic in the passenger seat is not sweet either, at least Neville is always busy with the road.

They took part in the famous road marathon of sports cars “Thousand Leagues”, one and a half thousand kilometers away, almost four hundred participants, twelve hours behind the wheel, three hundred horsepower under the hood. Many athletes preferred to race alone, but Neville took the traditional approach: he resorted to the services of a mechanic, who is also a co-driver. You never know what will happen on a long and treacherous route, turns on ordinary roads are somehow not adapted to crash into them at a speed of two hundred.

“Now to the right,” Sidney said.

‘The fog is too thick,’ Marcel grumbled. – Signs are almost invisible.

“Looks like it’s been raining here.

“Okay, he didn’t reach us. Can you imagine, night, wet job?

And they became silent again, and what else to talk about? We didn’t go on a picnic with a girl to admire the dawn. Neville listened to the car – well, what do you say, girlfriend? During the race he bottomed a few times, in a sharp turn he almost kissed a log, the radiator grille bent, the suspension rattled plaintively, something clanked in the trunk, but the car still pulled well. Naturally, all participants started more than once, so the winner was determined by the shortest time to cover the distance. And after the final check stop, their result inspired serious optimism.

The windshield was immediately covered with moisture – a milky suspension hung in the air, did not let go of their car, Marcel turned on the wipers, and he leaned out of the side window.

“It’s a straight now,” Sidney said.

– For a long time?

– Twenty kilometers, no less.

We must break out of this gray veil. Neville accelerated and the bored engine roared with pleasure. There is not a soul around: no spectators, no rivals, not even nature wants to wake up, no rustling of leaves, no chirping of birds. They only have a few hours left. If you don’t lose momentum, there are excellent chances for first place. How tempting will it be to wipe the noses of the French and Italians in a race where they are traditionally strong.

– Turn! cried Sidney suddenly.

Foot off the gas, steer sharply left! Skid car! The front wheels lost traction on the asphalt, Neville frantically turned the steering wheel, but the car had already gotten out of control, they were blown off the road, and at high speed the car inevitably flew down the slope. She was thrown up mercilessly, just so as not to roll over! All four wheels were off the ground. Hard Landing! And then the brain exploded in a bundle of bright sparks.

Itching pain first woke up, then vision returned, for some reason in one eye, and then all the other sensations. In addition, a mean ringing in the head was added. Neville thought of nothing and stared blankly for a few seconds, maybe minutes. The pain did not go away and now merged with the whooshing, somewhere in the back of the head. Feeling – he is in a metal bell. How uncomfortable.

Yes, wake up already – Marcel ordered himself. The consciousness, smeared in the back streets, finally gathered into one whole – he is still sitting on the chair, only the environment around him is ridiculously sloping. Why does the other eye see nothing? Cautiously, with fear, Neville felt his head, his fingers tripped with a shiver over something sticky and nasty. Is he blind?! A hand felt frantically over his face. No, not everything is so gloomy. He cut deep into his eyebrow, the blood flowed all right, poured down the floor of his face.

It seems that the initial shock is over. True, the car flew a little way and crashed into a tree with all its strength. That’s right – a mighty bark is visible behind the windshield, no matter how close it is. The hood was crushed into a shell. Finally Neville thought to look around. And Sydney? Where is he?! The navigator’s seat is empty. The left door is open, dangling helplessly on its hinges. Neville tried to get out, but as luck would have it, the handle got stuck on his side. Or just not strong enough?

After several disembodied attempts, Neville barely moved to the next chair and there it was a stone’s throw to the exit. The body aches mercilessly, as if taken from a meat grinder. Marcel tried to inhale, the oxygen barely got into his lungs in small sips. Does it look like he has broken ribs? Eventually Marcel got out, or even fell outside.

The cool air brought him back to life a little. Marcel raised his head – the road is there. Well, they flew by. Unfortunately the slope is very steep. The faint sound of the engine reaches the ears, the race continues. And no one even noticed how they jumped off the track. We have to get out and give a signal.

Neville shook his head frantically. “Sydney nowhere to be seen?” Not a soul around. Flew out on the way? Neville took a few steps upstairs and almost fell forward, dizzy. He crawled up the slope on all fours, helping himself with his hands like a squid. The body is like someone else’s. He overcame a few meters and it seems that he climbed Mount Everest. We must come together. A bit more! Otherwise, don’t wait for help.

About halfway up the slope he found Sidney. The faithful mechanic lay sprawled on the grass, his arms outstretched.

“Sidney, friend, how are you?” Neville sighed happily.

The mechanic did not answer.

– Hi?!

Neville thought of turning the body over and immediately flinched. Instead of one eye, Sydney had a huge creepy crimson hole.

Neville let out a muffled beep as he frantically shook Sidney as he muttered something unrelated to him. The man is dead. Brain asked emotionlessly. They won’t survive with an injury like that. And here a huge cobblestone sticks out of the ground. In the fall, Sidney bumped his head forward. Bad luck.

== To be continued…