Heated Nights

Chapter 9 : Newer than New

Nikki was discharged from the hospital a few weeks after her crash in Detroit. She returned to Chicago with the others and the remains of her car. She saw the Totalled Lamborghini in the garage and broke into tears. Victor tried to calm her down since everyone else was out of the house. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"I haven't seen my father since i was six years old." She said to Victor.
"It was the only thing I've ever gotten from him, he was proud of me." She Told him.
"I understand how much this meant to you, but you shouldn't cry." Victor replies.
"Nikki, your dad will always be proud of you." He told her.
"You don't need a car to see that." He said to her.

"Thanks for that, but i still need a car to compete." Nikki said to him.
"I can help you out with that." Victor replies. Victor drove Nikki to an import dealer near the port to get her a new Vehicle.  Outside of the shop were a few Nissans and Subarus parked up. Inside the shop had a few more cars but only one caught Nikki's eye.

It was a white BMW M4 coupe parked near a silver Mercedes. They purchased the car, brought it back to the house and parked it in the driveway.
"So, what do we do now?" Nikki asked Victor.
"Well, we're behind by a few weeks in the single races, but there's a new team division that started last week." He told her.
"You believe that we stand a chance in that league?" She asks him.

"There's only one way to find out, the races are every Friday night." Victor replies.
"Well if the cash prizes are good then let's try it out." Nikki responds. The group formed an official team and began to make up for lost time. Each member got to compete and were successful in each of their events. They quickly built up their reputation as a team and earned a large amount of money after a few weeks.

Their next race was about to begin in a few moments. They were facing a man named Johnny and his team called 'streets of gold'.
"Alright chumps, here are the rules." Johnny said to them.
"Both members of your team need to cross the line before the other team, for the win to count." He explained. "There will be no dirty driving or trading of paint, so keep it clean." Johnny told them.

"Do you have a plan for this guy?" Nikki asked.
"You take care of the performante, its just a tuned version  your old car." Victor told her.
" If anyone would know how to beat him its you." He said.
"Say no more, let's race." Nikki replies. The drivers line up in a two by two formation and raced off the line. Johnny's Lamborghini performante helped him get an early lead in the race from the start.

Nikki stayed as close as she could get to Johnny in her M4 and waited for an opening. Victor was behind her battling against a Lamborghini Diablo Sv. The Diablo pulled away quickly on the Straight roads but Victor was able to catch up through the turns. Nikki watched how much Johnny's car slowed down through the corners and had an idea. The racers reach the halfway point then turn back the way they came.

Nikki drafts Johnny into a turn then Drifts pass him through the corner as his car understeers.
"No way!" Johnny yells. Nikki holds the lead and crosses the line with Johnny close behind. The Mercury Cougar squeezes pass the Diablo on the inside then used his Nitrous to fly ahead. He crosses the line in first but blows his engine in the process.

"You've got to be Joking!" Johnny cried.
"We lost to a group of nobodies in High end Super cars!" He said with both hands on his head.
"Aw, Someone's a sore loser." Nikki smiled at him.
"Tonight was just a minor inconvenience." Johnny said to her. "We'll be back for you, and we won't lose again." He says to Nikki.

One of the Spectators walks out of the crowd and confronts the winning team.
"Tough break, I bet that was expensive."  Said the Spectator.
"I'm Helen, I own a garage and might be able to help you with your engine problem." She told them.
"Thanks, that's great, what do we owe you?" Victor asks her.
"Your skills, i need some good drivers to help promote the shop." She responded.

"Think of it as a sponsorship, help with that and I upgrade your vehicles free of charge." Helen told them.
"I'll even give you a car to race with to sweeten the deal. " She continued. "What kind of car?" Walter asked her. "Are you a fan of the Evolution Vii?" She responded.