Debutant. Chapter 3. New hope. Part 1

This novel is fictional; there is no need to look for intersections with historical events. This is a continuation of “Debutant” by Nikita Savelyev, the first readers of which were readers of F1News.ru…

Chapter 3. New hope. Part One

The spectators in the stands were frankly bored: they fell into a sweet semi-sleep, from which they emerged only occasionally at the sound of a roaring engine. Cars cut through the darkness with bright headlights, speeding past and immediately disappearing into the distance. The race started before dark, but those lucky enough to make it to the finish will see the checkered flag in the deep darkness.

The mechanics in the pits don’t have time to sleep. Just at night the equipment gets tired, the pilots lose concentration, the mechanisms work to the limit, and every minute they will have to fix the malfunction, so they stand tensely at their boxes, until it hurts their eyes , and they peer inside. the darkness to see if any familiar silhouettes appear.

This is exactly what Henry himself did, even though he didn’t really care about the outcome of the race. Let’s get out of here as quickly as possible. The previous day and a half passed quietly, Henry kept his eyes open, but did not notice any suspicious movement from the police on the track. One day he laughed and walked to the dear tent, but it was not there, what that meant – one can only guess. He curled up on a thin mattress in the garage, where he spent the nights. And how many nerve cells have burned out during these days, how many thoughts I have changed my mind – I cannot count.

Heels clicked close – Sandra appeared in a man’s coat thrown over her shoulders, shivering in the cold. She gracefully lit a cigarette. Iron woman. The team’s second rider, the Frenchman Georges, immediately emerged from the darkness. A tall, thin, middle-aged man with a perpetually dissatisfied face. In fact, he turned out to be a fairly well-known European pilot, having competed in the world championship since the 1950s, Georges even briefly mentioned that he had won the “big prize” stages. But it seems that now things were clearly not going well for the Frenchman, otherwise he would not have decided on a questionable voyage across the ocean. But Henry tactfully kept these considerations to himself.

– What’s there? – Georges interrupted the long silence.

“It’s hard to see, but Mr. Baker seems to be hanging in there,” Henry shrugged.

– Should I go to the timekeepers? – asked Sandra.

– What’s the point? – Georges sighed. – Closer to the stop, so as not to run around again.

-Didn’t you sleep at all? – Sandra asked worriedly.

– I will bear it, it is better to be ready.

– It is up to you.

And so the dialogue dried up. Small talk is inappropriate at this time. And about what? Overall, his new employers reacted differently to the unexpectedly acquired mechanic: Edward Baker (the brains and financial engine of the team) was extremely cordial; it seemed that this good-natured man did not know how to be angry at all. The beautiful Sandra seemed wary at first, it seems, because she did not believe in the legend tailored to a living thread, but when her husband was convinced that Henry knew his trade, her gaze warmed. Georges showed extreme indifference. First of all, the Frenchman was concerned about the speed of the car, and the newly hired mechanic could not do anything about it. Besides, they could have bought something more powerful. They preferred to fly abroad rather than take the young ladies through the village on a tractor.

However, Henry didn’t care much about the opinions of these random people and their concerns – they were just an excellent screen and the farewell would come soon. But there are completely different problems. Throw yourself at your uncle’s feet? Therefore, he will be incredibly happy with a good-for-nothing relative with a criminal tail. What kind of secluded corner should I find? Who knows how far Manuel’s abilities extend? Is he a local gangster or a federal gangster? Will he have enough resources to find the fugitive, for example in distant, cold Minnesota, where Henry comes from?

They stepped aside – the leader, the red Monetti, rushed past his mechanics, at the very last moment, impetuously slowing down, braked the car in exactly the right place.

‘Jean-Luc Dubois,’ Georges looked at the car. – I started as a simple tester, but I found my way, look. I couldn’t find him in Monetti anymore.

– Did you play for the Italians? – Henry was surprised.

– Of course, I told you.

Where can you remember all your stories when unpleasant images of Manuel and Osvaldo constantly appear before your eyes?

“It must be admitted that the Italians are unsurpassed masters when it comes to racing,” something of joy appeared on Georges’ usually sour face. “They regularly win both the world championship and the sports car championship. And their head, Mario Monetti himself, created racing cars in the 1930s, as sports director of an Italian car manufacturer. Now his brand is a real legend. If you win here, it will only be with Monetti.

“I had to keep up with them while chasing them,” Sandra smiled.

Georges looked fiercely at the director’s wife, who smiled sweetly in response.

The awkward silence was interrupted by Edward: he turned straight from the start towards the pits, the car chugged past a few meters and stopped. The team boss quickly stepped out of the cockpit; even in the inky darkness you could see how excited his eyes glowed behind the eyepieces of his glasses. Mr. Baker is very pleased with himself: he successfully completed his segment, saved his car and did not get into trouble.

After the training, Henry perfectly understood the difference in level of the two pilots. Georges is a professional racer, although it appears he is at the end of his career, and Baker is nothing more than an amateur, albeit a very experienced one. Yes, Edward himself did not hide their tactics – he takes care of the car, carefully passes the distance, and Georges tries to overtake him. Naturally, it is very vulnerable to the latter’s pride to play such a role. But apparently whoever pays decides the tune.

Yes, with this approach, on an outdated car and with only one mechanic, there is no chance of a decent result, not only in the general classification, but even in their class. Fly to America, rent, maintain and transport a car. How much money goes down the drain? And what did Edward expect? But at one time Henry and Phil also seemed to have a great plan, but it all burst like a flat tire. Tyres!

Henry rushed to the car – everything seemed fine, no punctures were visible, we were not going to change the tires. Moreover, it is still a pleasure for one person. A quick inspection and the car with the co-pilot at the wheel returned to the track. They are almost the last among those still in the distance, but now Georges, refreshed after rest, will try to improve his position at least a little. There’s not much left until the end. Even just finishing in such a serious race is still prestigious.

== To be continued…