Chapter 4

Fatigue drenched Johnny as he shut his trailer door and leaned against it. He listened closely to the soft rumble of the '67 Chrysler Imperial, the sound of the tires crunch over the gravel as Agent Nadim finally pulled away, leaving him well alone with the weight of all that had been revealed, with the decision to pivot into a new kind of career right on the eve of his retirement from the old one.

He let out a deep sigh and combed his fingers through his hair as he felt a headache forming. The absence of ‘The Ballistic’ and the memories it provoked allowed other noises to come to the forefront. His trailer was a simple space, an old fridge from his last decade humming in the corner, barely noticeable as he fell into the creaky chair beside it.

He kicked the door open and considered having a beer before deciding against it and instead grabbed a water. His hands still buzzed from the rush of the day and night; his final survival against Brandon, the Shadow Wolf of Banzai Bangers, the celebration of his quite legendary victory and the drive around with Agent Nadim. The adrenaline was quickly wearing off though and he could feel growing pangs of pain around his back and legs from his unconventional escape from death.

Who knew creating a crater with your body would hurt. Johnny thought with a snort as he retrieved a pill sachet from the small medicine box cluttered atop the fridge with his shot glass and dirty plate. Like most things from DRIFTERS the medicine was special, he’d been on it for some years already. He tested it for them as part of their veterans medical outreach events and it was a much needed relief to many injuries he’d sustained during his service.

Johnny popped another blue pill with the DRIFTERS insignia on and swallowed with a gulp of water, breathing out a sigh of gratified pleasure as the tension in his muscles released almost instantaneously.

Still, the aftertaste of his final race lingered, especially as he returned to his trailer which he’d have to say goodbye to as well as it was the last, bittersweet reminder of the competition and the people who had once stood by him. Brent, Conner… Like him, they would see retirement but unlike him theirs wouldn’t be celebrated with such fanfare.

Slouched in his chair, Johnny’s eyes drifted to the dusty shelf near the back of the trailer and almost reluctantly, he dragged himself over to it. Trophies lined the edge, some gathering more dust than others, but all were packed with memories of triumphs that still felt fresh despite his two decades at Banzai Bangers and inbetweeens as a stunt driver for movies. Johnny laughed at the picture with the star of Days of Destruction, it was odd how similar looking they were.

Feels like yesterday I got signed to Banzai Bangers and now…its all over. He gulped down more of his water and set the empty bottle as he briefly fantasized of his future. Maybe I could get into acting now? The Deadly and Destructive franchise was still ongoing last he checked and he could do his own stunts too.

Johnny sighed, smiling at the silly thought as he ran his fingers ran slick across the dusty surface and came up against one plaque in particular. He stared at it for a moment but his eyes quickly caught the framed photograph resting beside it, tucked amongst the collections of awards and photos. This one was different. It was one of the many victorious races he’d experienced but it wasn’t the finish line or his champions cup he saw in the photo, but the faces of those standing beside him.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Charles…Quite the young man then he flashed a bright grin at the camera and clutched the winners flowers like there wasn’t a sordid among of chaos and smoke from the derby he’d won alongside his partner, Brandon. The Shadow Wolf smiled almost as brightly as Charles did and though back then, the violent legend that birthed his moniker had yet to truly begin, Brandon still had a fire burning bright in those early days. His grin was merely toothy rather than menacing as it is now.

He hadn’t crossed the line into madness. Johnny thought, staring at the three young men who barely knew what would happen in the next couple of years and races. Brandon’s intensity would only grow with each violent end to their races and he would become the Shadow Wolf in truth when Johnny saved Charles from a wreck during one of their races.

Frankly, Johnny couldn’t understand why Brandon was so mad about that incident, he did what he could to save Charles but Brandon…he didn’t care. Johnny set the photo down and ran a finger over the scar on his forehead. It was a deep gash Brandon’s claws had dug in when he violently pushed Johnny away from helping out anymore than he could’ve, desperate to be at Charles side.

Johnny brushed his hair over the scar and set those heavy thoughts aside. He had long accepted that Brandon blamed him for the incident, even though it was entirely an accident and he sacrificed his position in the race to help. Among other things, that incident likely motivated Brandon’s mindless violence against him in the final race. If I hadn’t had DRIFTERS tech with me, Brandon would have killed me for sure. I wonder if he would’ve been satisfied then.

Johnny shook his head, it was probably unlikely that he would. Back then, even Charles understood it was all an accident, that Johnny had saved his life and he’d tried to bridge the broken bond between them, the three top racers at Banzai Bangers at the time even as he was forced to retire early. However, it was no use, Brandon was set in his hatred and now, all that was left was the Shadow Wolf.

Johnny smiled wistfully, recalling the bond they had shared back then—so tight, so pure. Johnny couldn’t shake the question that haunted him for years after the accident. If Charles hadn’t gotten hurt, would things have turned out differently? Would they have all continued at the top of Banzai Bangers? Would they be retiring together now like he is, looking for a fresh start? Maybe they would have found something else, something bigger. Maybe they would have worked on the DRIFTERS tech, or something entirely new. What would they be doing now?

The weight of it all, what could have been and what is pressed down on him as he walked away from the trophies and sank into a couch, staring at the ceiling of his trailer. Now matter how hard he wished or fantasized, that part of his life was gone now and the new was about to begin.

A car that can transform into any vehicle, that can space travel and rival the Convar monopoly. It was a large thought to swallow and a great risk to move against the Convar Regime, but if Johnny was going to do anything else with his life now, he’d want it to be useful to others, not just violent entertainment filled with death and loss. Agent Nadim might be right, this is…this is a great opportunity.

Johnny rolled over and turned off the lamp next to the bed. The darkness enveloped him, his thoughts drifting like smoke in the quiet room. He closed his eyes, his mind still racing with those old memories, those what-ifs. And in the silence, he fell asleep, the image of Charles and Brandon standing beside him, forever a part of his past, lingering in his dreams.