Story: Nameless (all chapters)

Nameless: The White Cat

It was that time of the year again, and word had been going around the streets for weeks now. The cops on patrol witnessed a record low amount of crime as the month of March rolled in, so much so that even parking tickets were rare. The garages all around down town suddenly opened shop all night long as sounds of busy tinkling and hammering could be heard from within the heavily shut doors.

It was that time of the year again and the nervous lull could only mean one thing: Burn Out. Three days of all out, everything or nothing pedal to the metal, crash the carburetor racing. For three hundred and sixty two days of the year, the streets of Miami prepared for this one event, the biggest assembly of cars from all over the country. Vehicles of all models and types all enhanced and tweaked at every point to ensure the ultimate goal. Winning the top spot and going home with a collective pool of money worth more than a million dollars.

It all started in the late nineties when the cops began cracking heavily on street racing of any kind. The one dependable thing about the street was adaptability; people learned to fit their routines according to the whim of whichever commissioner was in charge at any given time. And so Burn Out was born; the three nights in the year when all and every serious racer put their lives and their vehicles on the line.

Lupe Martinez squinted into the sky and blew a breath from between her teeth. It was the typical Miami summer day; hot, humid and dank. Her tan tank top clung to her damp skin and beads of sweat formed around her collarbone, trickling down and collecting on the hem of the skimpy top.

"Damn it's hot"

She swore softly and turned back to the task of waxing the creamy white bonnet of her car. Not more than ten minutes ago Lupe had let the water from the hose run down her whole body, not caring that it would ruin her braid, not that it mattered. In Miami the one thing no one could escape was the heat. She squeezed the rag in her hand tighter and ground harder into the metal sheet, and was rewarded by the sharp glint of the sun over the vehicle. That was the third successive process of wash and wax the car had received that day and it showed.

"Oye Lupe, get your ass away from that junket and over here."

A male voice called from the front of the garage and she swore again.

"Pendejo"

Her brother Javier called again and she scowled, dropping the rag impatiently on the grass as she stalked out to the front to confront him.

"Que te quieres?"

Javier took one look at his sister's disheveled state, her wild black her hanging in damp clumps around her face, the too tight tank top that clung to every inch of skin on her body, not to mention the fact that her shorts were way beyond short, and every protective brotherly instinct in him reared up.

"You looked at yourself in the mirror lately, huh? You look like a piece of crap"

Of course that was not true and the roving eyes of his boys, the other members of his team confirmed that as they traveled appreciatively down his sister's body. Lupe rolled her eyes and folded her arms in defiance.

"I said what do you want?"

Javier scowled more heavily at her tone. Ever since she turned seventeen it was like no one could talk to her anymore in the house. She hung out at the garage more than normal, not to mention constantly causing trouble among the guys and him always having to punch some loser for staring too hard at his sister. He just couldn't understand why Lupe couldn't be like the other sisters in the block and be interested in makeup and looking pretty. No his own sister had to be the one to fiddle with junk cars and cuss and wear short shorts.

"First you go in and change that junk you're wearing- you're a girl for god sakes act like one -and then bring the box that they delivered here yesterday out"

Lupe scowled at her brother's words but obeyed; Javier was the boss of this outfit and he enforced that in every possible way. Plus there was the fact that he'd taken care of her since their mom passed away and with their dad doing time in jail, he was practically the only family she had. Except for the numerous annoying cousins that never seemed to go away.
She returned several long minutes later, ignoring the impatient look on her brother's face, and put down the box. It was heavy, but Lupe was used to lifting heavy things; her brother owned a garage after all.

"Good now here's the baby, the packets we'll need for the extra edge once the Burn Out starts tomorrow. These aren't the normal types, I got this top secret all the way from Taiwan and they're even better than nitrous"

Eighteen pairs of eyes widened at that, including Lupe's. To think what just one of those things would do to her car. Javier smiled and ripped open the box, tossing one of its contents in the air.

'But it's even more dangerous than nitrous and we're only gonna use it for the final day, when the losers and wannabees have been cut off"

But Lupe was no longer listening; she was already strapped to her car, standing at the white line and revving, eating up the exhaust as the other cars burned rubber. She was releasing the beast little by little, making it purr just so, and then losing all control and revving the roar out of her baby....

When she blinked back to focus, the guys were already breaking up for the night.

"Hi baby"

Diana Vidal was standing at the entrance of the garage, amidst the catcalls and wolf whistles as the other boys filed out. But she only had eyes for Javier, who grinned and dropped the oil stained rag in his hand to embrace his girlfriend. She smelled so good, he mused, like coconut oil and something else he couldn't place. Her hair was done in a mass of telephone curls all around her face and her skirt wasn't the disgrace his sister insisted on wearing.
Diana smiled at the other girl just as her boyfriend scowled at her. Why can't Lupe act like his girlfriend for once? Get herself prettied up and stop acting like a thug?

"Javier I wanna talk to you"

"Not now"

He murmured as he brushed a kiss on his girlfriend's soft cheek.

"No now, loser, I wanna talk about the Burn Out"

Javier rolled his eyes, already expecting what she was about to say.

"No"

"Hey you didn't even let me talk!"

"I don't care, the answer is no. There's no way in hell I'm letting you take that piece of junk out on the streets."

Lupe shook her head in her car's defense.

"It's not a piece of junk"

"Yeah whatever, the junk doesn't even have a make or model. I swear I got ripped off buying that piece of shit"

Javier complained to his girlfriend plaintively.

"I popped the hood and it's like a frickin' pot luck. No two parts come from the same car, it's like someone just ripped apart a thousand cars and put all the junk in just one car. It doesn't even have a symbol on the front."

Lupe rolled her eyes and stepped closer.

"Screw you asshole, it has a name. I call it Nameless"

"Well there you go. Listen I'm not letting you and that's final"

Javier hugged Diana tight and she giggled softly.

"Come on babe, let her bring it. It's not like she can race with it or anything, all your cars have been registered"

Lupe didn't know whether to be grateful or angry at the other girl's intrusion, but it worked and her brother relented.

"Sure fine, but if I see you anywhere near a white line, you're dead"

She wrinkled her nose and fled to the back without responding.

"Yes!"

Finally, the chance to be in the Burn Out
-----------------------------------
It was the second night and the competition was higher than ever. Fifty-eight drivers had already been eliminated and there were twenty left to go. This year's race was taking place in a stretch of highway that was still in construction. Well still in construction because the crew had placed signs and obstructions on a perfectly functioning interstate road.

Loud music boomed from speakers in every corner, and from the backs of custom made sports car. Now and then a car would rev and shoot out jets of colored flames. Lupe stared to her hearts content at every single collection of steel carriage there was in the "lot". Cars painted in every single color imaginable, equipped with devices and appliances she'd never even dreamed of and that was impressive because her brother didn't run a simple establishment.

"Yo where've you been?"

Jose, yet another of the annoying cousins, appeared out of nowhere and she jumped.

"Idiota"

Lupe scowled and shook her head.

"Where does it look like? I've been touring the garages"

He shook his head at that.

"What! Get your ass back in the garage before Javier finds out"
She gave him the finger and walked away, quickly disappearing into the passing crowd. Lupe finally decided she'd had enough and turned back towards her brother's spot when she walked across yet another garage. There wasn't anything remarkable about it; no lights, no loud music, not even the usual entourage of people that hung around the racers. There was only one car in it; a black low slung sports car and at passing glance it looked like a regular old Koeningsegg GT, but then her eyes fell on the front symbol and Lupe realized that wasn't the usual symbol for a K. It was a silver grill with a crouched cat, definitely not the K. She frowned slightly and moved for a closer look, her eyes running around the sensuous curves of the black beast, squinting through the tinted windows inside.

The interior was done in bone white leather, which was odd because racers don't usually spend that much money on the seats. But Lupe got the sense that this wasn't just a vehicle for racing, race cars don't usually come with polished oak dashes, even though the usual equipment was fitted in but the owner was willing to forsake the passenger seat so as not to ruin the d‚cor. This was more than a race junket; this was the kind of car a person took care of like a lover. Lupe smiled, suddenly feeling a kinship with whoever owned this unusual car because it was just the way she felt about her patchwork nameless, the same feeling of more than just ownership but a close intimacy. Her fingers inched close to touch the cold smooth hood and she gave it a little pat.

"Good luck out there, not that it'll do you much good. My brother's going to win this thing"

"You sound so sure of that"

Lupe gasped and jerked around, nearly colliding with the girl standing behind her. She didn't even hear her approach. The other girl didn't seem to register Lupe's reaction but moved closer to rub an imaginary stain on the side of the car. She was wearing a black tee shirt over faded blue jeans and a baseball cap pulled over her eyes.

"Yeah, cos it's true. My brother is the best out here, has been for three years straight"

The other girl smiled slowly at that and shrugged.

"Well there's always a first time for everything"

She pulled out a rag from the back pocket of her faded jeans and extricated a small can of wax. Lupe watched as she began rubbing the top of the car in slow small circles, her arm working closer and farther and closer again until the top was covered in whitish cream, and then she brought out another rag and began wiping it off in short movements. It was as if the rest of the world shifted into the background the way the girl worked, her complete attention focused on the smooth black metal before her and Lupe could almost feel those hands working the top of the car as if it were her own skin.

It wasn't until she was done that the other turned to Lupe and smiled again.

"There, all prettied up"

She wiped her hands on her jeans and gave a contented sigh.
"The race begins in an hour"

Lupe nodded and leaned casually over the side of the car, its owner saw this but said nothing.

"Think you got a chance?"

The other girl looked down at her hands and so Lupe looked at them too. They were big and slightly calloused, with slender fingers that looked strong as well. There were patches of white wax around the knuckles but it didn't matter. Lupe stared fascinated by those hands as she remembered how they worked the top of the car and wondered how they would feel on her bare skin. She felt a warm flush all over at that thought and wrested hr eyes away. The other girl shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm winning this thing"

Lupe stiffened at the casual assurance in her voice and moved away from the car to give it another glance. She smiled and looked back up at the other girl and their eyes met. Lupe found herself staring into the darkest, hottest eyes she'd ever seen. She simply couldn't look away from them, they seemed to sear into hers with an invisible flame, ripping apart the veils and bringing out to the open her deepest secrets and darkest desires.

"Oye Lupe, get your ass over here"

She jerked away with a gasp and turned to her belligerent brother, who was glaring at the other girl and her car. Lupe gave a half apologetic smile, though she didn't know what she was apologizing for, and stepped back.

"I gotta go- good luck in there"

"Thanks, not that I'll be needing it"

---------------------
"Okay people, this is the second round of the drive off and it's getting hot in there"

The Mc Gabriel yelled into his speaker and the crowd cheered in response.

"The money pot stands right now at three mil and twelve hombres are about to be shaved off like that"

He snapped his fingers for effect and the crowd yelled again. Lupe climbed over the shoulders of the nearest cousin to perch right beside a post, the elevated height giving her a bird's view of the area. Six cars immediately lined up as people scrambled to give way; no one wanted to be at the business end of a flaming exhaust. The starter girls, both dressed in white halters and extra short shorts, walked from opposite sides of the white line and waved their white hankies to the crowd. The air was quickly filled with smoke and the smell of burning rubber as the cars revved and charged. The girls let go of their hankies in tandem and six metal beasts leaped forward. Lupe held on to the post for safety as they flew past her, sending up a cloud of dust in their wake.

The highway circuit would take exactly four minutes to cover and only the first three would qualify for the next round of eliminations. By tomorrow night there would be only six racers left for the winner take all race, the main event that most people had come here for in the first place. And there were already a few names lined up; Javier's crew was a favorite, but so were the Ortiz brothers and Chrome. Lupe thought about the girl with the mysterious car and wondered whether she would be any competition. It seemed doubtful, her car had only the minimum equipment and her challengers were all sure to bring something extra. She thought about her reaction to the other girl back in the garage and felt her face heat up, luckily the roar of incoming cars distracted Lupe from any other thought but check listing the first three.

Another batch of six lined up to race and she spotted two of her brother's three cars among them. A tense smile tugged at her lips for a moment but Lupe shrugged it off. There was no way Javier wouldn't have at least two cars in the top six, not with the way he'd been on the crew's back for almost the whole year now. Not with the amount of time and care they'd all put into crafting the best machines and fitting them to specific drivers. All six flew once more out of the lot and Lupe waited a tad anxiously for their return. She was not disappointed to find that her brother's car came in both second and third places to qualify. The next batch of six also had one of her brothers in it, but this time it came in at a close fourth.

Lupe chewed her lip, wondering who was going to get it from Javier the next day but there was no time to ruminate because the last six soon lined up. She spotted her brother's last car as well as the black K that wasn't a K. Lupe found her self sitting up straighter in anticipation of this race; girl drivers weren't very common, in fact there were probably only five of them in the whole drive out. She wanted to see if the girl was everything she made herself to be. The cars roared out of the lot once more but this time Lupe trained her eyes squarely to their return path. The minutes seemed to be interminable and the din of the crowd suddenly became infuriating. Finally the gleam of light on glass signaled their approach and Lupe leaned out eagerly.

They were all going at breakneck speed but as she ticked them off as they whizzed by; right in the front was a camero with the Ortiz brother's symbol with the black K right at its tail. The next two flashed by and it took a moment for her to realize that her brother's wasn't one of them. It seemed like Javier would only have two riders in the semi-finals after all. Lupe watched the crowd stream to their favorites, noticing that the black K quietly eased out of the main lot and toward the garage. She frowned softly at that; the other girl had come second place, surely she deserved to gloat a little.

"Yo Lupe, get off from there"

She looked down sharply, ready to blast whoever was speaking and then noticed it was Diana. The other girl chuckled as her boyfriend's sister scrambled from the tall post and shook her head.

"Javier's sent people to look for you, good thing no one thought to check here"

They returned to an uproarious garage, with her brother both congratulating and castigating the winners and losers. He stopped when the girls approached and frowned at his sister.

"Where you've been?"

The latter shrugged vaguely and gestured toward the still cooling cars.
Javier followed her gaze and returned to his train of thought.

"So now it's crunch time for the semis, now we need the packet"

While he spoke, Lupe inched toward the driver in the last race and nudged him.

"You came in fourth"

He nodded and scowled heavily.

"Those guys were crazy as shit man, the way they were driving. I was lucky to come out alive"

"That bad?"

Lupe murmured sympathetically and he nodded.

"Listen, there was one black Koenig in your set-"

She didn't need to say anymore because his face tightened even further.

"That bitch is crazy as hell, you should have seen the way she kept weaving lanes. That aint no K, that's for sure, she didn't even boost up or anything"

At that moment Javier called all his drivers together and Lupe left the garage. Apparently she was wrong about the other girl after all.
----------------------------

It was night three and excitement was at a fever pitch. The six finalists were preparing for the main drive off, which would begin in a few minutes. Javier had decided to drive one of the two cars that got to the finals and was making a final check of things.

"Okay we got the packet ready, engine system is clean. Mario did you watch that gasket like I told you to?"

Lupe's eyes drifted to the other cars in the lot, mentally sizing up the possible competition. The Ortiz brothers and Chrome had moved on to the final six and so had the rider of the black car. Whereas people and admirers surrounded the others, she was largely alone, leaning casually on the hood of the car. She had
Changed from her jeans and tee to black pants over a black top. Her baseball cap was gone and Lupe could see her face better. She was pretty in a subtle way; her features were not exactly striking, except for her eyes, which were literally burning with energy. She looked up and their eyes met, Lupe quickly dropped hers and turned to her brother.

"Not that it means anything to you, but watch out for that black K."

He scanned the cars and his eyes locked on the vehicle in question, calmly assessing it's form and rider.

"That isn't a K"

"I know"

Javier shrugged and got to his feet.

"I don't know what it is but now's not the time to start thinking about that. Hopefully she'll piss someone enough in the race and get pushed out."

Lupe hesitated and looked down, not wanting to say any more. She couldn't exactly place the feeling but something told her not to underestimate the rider, not like her brother just did. But he was the one driving and there was nothing she could do.
Finally the boom sounded for the drivers to take their positions. Javier rolled into his spot amidst a volley of flashes and loud noises. The cars began their usual round of revving as drivers tried so psyche each other out, not that it worked at this point. Only the best of the best could have gotten to this level.
Mc Gabriel took the mike and crowed out loud.

"This is it people, the moment we've all been waiting for. Now
Let's remember that the jackpot is three million American dollares and it's winner take all. That's right, no room for second place and third place can go home. Cos Saben que? It's all about the top spot."

The pillars beside the white line suddenly lit ablaze with fire and the crowd cheered wildly. The cars lined up and Gabriel moved to the front of the white line. He withdrew two red hankies from his pocket and waved them around.

"One..."

Lupe quickly moved to her former spot and held on, eyes trained on the highway ahead with bated breath.

"Two"

The drivers could barely restrain themselves at this point and the crowd was egging them on.

"Go!"

Gabriel dropped the hankies and all six vehicles sprang forward. No one could really tell who got to the line first, that was how close the race was.

"There they go!"

The scream of rubber on tarmac rent the air long after the cars had left eye view. There was nothing else to do now than wait for their return. Lupe began nervously scanning the horizon for any sign of the cars even though she knew it was too early for that. It was only that there was so much riding on this race; the combined money of every crew and driver than signed up, and there were already needs lined up for the money. Javier wanted to boost his holdings and he had to pay the guys, plus there was Diana and Lupe knew her brother was thinking about getting married.

"Here they come!"

She leaned dangerously close to the edge and squinted into the half blackness. The cars were on their way, the sonic boom that heralded them could rip a building apart. Lupe felt her heart leap into her throat when she recognized the first three cars. Right in front, blazing the path for the others was the black Koenigsegg, the nearest competition was not even five feet away and it was Javier's car.

"What the hell!"

The worlds flew out of her mouth, laced with utter disbelief. There was no way a plain old K without even Nitro could be outstripping her brother's enhanced vehicle. But there was no mistaking it.

The black car peeled past her and she felt the air push her backward into the wall. Javier zoomed past and Lupe could see the emotion on his face. Theirs wasn't going to be a merry camp that night. She watched as he disembarked from the smoking car and slammed the door hard enough to dislodge it from the hinges. The door of the black K opened and its rider stepped out, she waited patiently by the door until Mc Gabriel approached with the moneybag in hand. Lupe didn't know whether to be surprised or angry at the outcome of the race, but somehow she'd expected it. She watched with interest as an argument broke out between the girl and Mc Gabriel as the latter continually thrust the bag into her hand only for her to push it back.

"Call me crazy but she's refusing the money."

Lupe muttered with disbelief; this evening had been nothing but surprises so far. Mc Gabriel gestured harshly and pointed to Javier's garage and the girl shrugged and walked away. Mc Gabriel hesitated for a moment, but then reached for his mike.
"People, our numero uno has refused the jackpot. Well the spot goes by default to our numero dos!"

Lupe watched with stupefaction as Mc Gabriel handed the money to an even more surprised Javier. She watched the other girl's retreat until she blended into the darkness and then got down from her platform. For all intents and purposes, it seemed there would be a celebration in her brother's garage after all.
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It was late, probably even early the next morning but the celebration was still going on in full swing. Still Lupe couldn't handle the noise any more; it was giving her a headache and she felt queasy from the smell of beer and cigarettes in the packaged garage. She decided to go out for a walk and sneaked a glance over at her brother, but he was too involved in a drinking game with his friends to notice her departure.

Lupe stepped into the refreshingly cool early morning air, knowing fully well that it would be baking not in a matter of hours, and began her slow walk along what passed for the main street. Most of the other garages were already closed, some as far as packed up and dismantled, but a few were still open. She wondered distantly whether the girl from the night before was still around and decided to have a look. Lupe got there just in time to see her swinging down the doors and bolting them shut in preparation to leave.

'So you're heading out?"

The other girl turned around sharply but then relaxed upon recognizing her. She shrugged and stuffed her hands in her jeans' pockets.

"Well I only rented the space for three days and my rent's up come six o'clock. Not like there's anything else to be doing here."

Lupe nodded and moved closer, leaning lightly against the trunk of the mysterious Koenningsegg look alike while its owner leaned against the outer pole in front of the garage.

"Well you won."

"Well I said I would."

"You didn't take the prize money"

"I don't need the prize money, that's not what I came here for."

She looked sharply to the taller girl but there was no arrogance in her words, merely calm confidence. Lupe wasn't sure what to make of it all, so she held her peace and took in a few gulps of air.

"No offense against your brother, I mean he's good but he didn't stand a chance. None of them did actually."

"So you think you're all that?"

The petite brunette challenged with a raised eyebrow and she nodded.

"Mmm-hmm, and a bag of chips too."

Lupe couldn't help but laugh and she shook her head; the way the racer said it was incongruous, as if she didn't normally say things like that. It sounded like one of those preppies trying to sound street. She felt relaxed around the other girl but at the same time couldn't deny there was a tension between and around them. Perhaps it was her quiet confidence in her ability or the crackling energy that reflected in her eyes but for whatever reason, Lupe couldn't help stealing glances at the other girl as she looked up contemplatively into the dusky blue sky.

Then she looked down and their eyes met before Lupe could look away, a soft flush stealing over her features at the knowing smile the other girl gave her. Discomfited but not sure why, she cast about for something to begin a conversation with and remembered the little debate over the car.

"Nice ride you got here, what is it, a K?"

It's owner shrugged vaguely and pushed off the pole.

"I guess...you could call it a real vintage."

"Sure, vintage that somehow manages to blow nitrous in the dust."

Lupe murmured with sarcasm and the other girl chuckled and took a few steps closer.

"Well any good racer will tell you that it ain't half about what's under the hood."

Now they were standing toe to toe and Lupe was once again staring dazedly into those hot black eyes. She felt a warm shiver at the slow, lazy smile the other girl gave her and suddenly felt her pulse quicken.

"But it's always all about the person behind the wheels."

She found herself inching up until their lips brushed, oh so slowly, and her eyes fluttered closed. Lupe unconsciously leaned in for more but felt only air and her eyes snapped back open to find that the other girl was now standing several feet from her, eyes glimmering with mischief and amusement. Lupe chided herself for being so easy and wordlessly began exiting the garage when she was held back by a surprisingly strong grip.

"Need a ride?"

She looked up again and their eyes met, this time the humor was gone and replaced by seriousness, even apology and Lupe didn't want to say no.

"But, there's no room in your car."

"Sure there is"

The other girl challenged and slid into the driver's seat, parting her legs wide to create space in the middle. Lupe looked from the space to the driver, and raised an expressive eyebrow.
Riding to the garage on the lap of a girl, who just happened to be the person who defeated him, what on earth was her brother going to say?

"Sure"

It would be worth the look on Javier's face. She slid in and sat gingerly on the small seat, very aware of the slim thighs pressing either side of her and sighed with relief when the car engine finally started.

As she kicked the gear into D, the driver murmured rather conversationally.

"By the way I never did get your name, mine is Dusty."

Lupe looked up and their eyes met through the rearview mirror.

"Lupe"

The drive was a quiet one and all too soon the car stopped in front of her brother's garage.

"Well, here we are"

Lupe looked through the passenger window to the raucous scene beyond, the shouts of laughter and whistles and suddenly didn't want to leave. Dusty must have sensed her hesitation because she murmured.

"Or we could just drive around for a while, I've got time to spare."

"Yes, let's do that"

She nodded and floored the accelerator, and the car peeled out with a feline yowl. In a matter of seconds they reached a major road but Dusty was still going at dangerous speeds for that part of town, even though it was early morning and there were few cars out on the road. She looked up to meet Lupe's eyes and the desire to escape was written all too clearly in them, so she acquiesced and fed the car more speed. They shot through the darkness almost too fast for the eye to see and linked in to the nearest highway, which surprisingly was devoid of police troopers.

Lupe found herself taking a glance down at the speedometer and felt her stomach clench with the rapidly whipping needle...80...100...120...140...they were reaching breakneck speeds now and she couldn't believe it, but the needle kept descending.

160...180...200... They were riding two to a seat without seatbelts. Any collision now would be certain death for the two of them.

220...240... 260...her eyes widened at the readings...it was not possible, cars didn't come equipped with those...in fact there was only one other car she'd ever known with such a weird speedometer and it was hers.

Dusty felt the tension in her spine and murmured.

"Scared?"

The other girl looked up to meet her eyes and she raised an eyebrow in askance and Lupe felt a primal thrill of excitement. She couldn't believe the volatile energy that spilled from the other girl's eyes; she seemed to be feeding on the very tangible danger they were in, the fact that their lives could be snuffed out with the slightest wrong move. As Lupe stared into those eyes, she felt the excitement in her grow until it became an almost uncomfortable pressure spreading up and down her body from her midriff. Her hands seemed to move on their own, curling around Dusty's and resting on the hands either side of the steering wheel. She felt her spine slacken and relax against the other girl's body, molding until it seemed like they were one.

Yes it was dangerous, yes her sanity probably should be questioned, but Lupe had to admit that it felt good. Living on the edge felt so exhilarating...no wonder her brother always refused to let her race. She would nearly kill herself on the tracks just to be able to feel such breath taking speed, the flush of knowing her life rested completely in her own hands and that it was all or nothing. Any mistake right then and the car would careen out of control...but that was it. The only real way to ever be in control in their fast paced life was to lose control; to lose all reason and live solely on feeling. And it felt wonderful.

280...300...320... as the needle rose, Lupe felt a sudden tightening feeling deep in her groin. She gasped and quivered from the sudden spark of electricity that shot through her system, a low moan tearing from deep in her throat. Her eyes festooned upon the needle as if it was a matter of life and death, willing it to keep on rising and rise it did.

340...360...she felt the little sparks begin to shoot through her now, gathering up for one big one. The pressure in her lower regions becoming near unbearable. Lupe didn't know which felt better, the speed rush or her own body's reactions...

360...380...surely they had to be going at the speed of light now; everything was moving by in an indecipherable blur.
380...400

"Yes! Yes! Faster! Faster!"

She screamed out deafeningly as the orgasm ripped and roared through her system, sending her hips bucking and her butt grinding wantonly between the other girl's legs. Dusty only chuckled and held on tight as Lupe began riding her harder and harder, lost in the throes of her pleasure. With the way the other girl was gyrating, they could lose control of the car at any moment. Lupe's arms began jerking, twisting the steering wheel this way and that and it took the driver everything to keep in one lane.

"Aaaaahh"

She gave one final groan and slumped back into the seat, still quivering from the aftershocks of the explosion. Dusty wordlessly began easing off the accelerator and in slow degrees they joined the rest of the world. Only when the car came to a stop by the side of the road did the two turn to look at each other, Lupe brimming with embarrassment while the other girl chuckled with humor.

"I can honestly say I've seen a lot of things in this world, and that definitely took the cake."

"Shut up"

She muttered, face flaming with the memory of her actions and Dusty shrugged.

"Hey, you didn't hear me complaining. In fact I'd take it as a compliment."

Lupe rolled her eyes and settled back in her "seat", gazing more critically at the demented speedometer now that she was in her senses.

"What the hell kind of speed gauge you got in this car?"

Dusty shrugged lightly and pushed the seat back to give them more room.

"Got a problem with it?"

"Well its readings were off the scale, and I mean off the scale."
"There's nothing wrong with its readings."

She muttered lowly and Lupe stiffened.

"You're telling me your car can go 400 mph?"

Dusty looked up at the ceiling of the car before replying.

"Actually it can go a lot faster"

"How much faster?"

The other girl challenged and she chuckled.

"Well let's say you'd have been screaming for a while longer."

Lupe assimilated that piece of information without a word. No wonder she didn't need any more juice...no wonder no one else had been able to touch her. She realized that Dusty had probably been holding back throughout the elimination rounds just to lull the others. This was a dangerous driver, someone to watch out for in the future.

The other girl must have read her expression because she shrugged and murmured.

"Actually there's just one other car that can come to similar speeds."

That revelation jolted Lupe out of her thoughts and she remembered the irregular speedometer on her Nameless.

"Oh? What car is that?"

Dusty looked out of the window, a faraway expression in her eyes.

"I wish I knew, all I know is that it's out there and I'm sure the person who owns it probably doesn't even know what it can do. Wanna hear a story?"

"Sure"

Lupe was quickly coming to a conclusion and she trembled from the implications of it.

"Well it was way before I was even born, cos it's even a legend in some parts of the country. They say there were these two cars, looked just like regular old cars, except even the best-juiced sports car couldn't touch them in a race. Their drivers were best friends, Willie and Walker, and they made a lot of money from big time racing events. They became very famous and then suddenly they disappeared. No one really knows what happened to them, but I hear it was because of them Nitrous became so popular because everyone that really raced wanted to match their speeds."

Dusty's voice became distant and steadily decreased in volume until it was a hushed whisper.

"How did you get your hands on this one then?"

Lupe murmured, trying to hide her skepticism and the other girl blinked back to focus.

"Actually my dad is into vintage cars, he doesn't even know I brought this one out. It's just that when he told me that this was the fastest car ever and about the other one, I wanted to find out for myself. I've been coming to big races like this looking for the other one, hoping it got into the hands of a racer."

"But you don't even know what it looks like, how can you tell even if you did find it?"

Dusty shrugged and opened the door, gesturing for the other girl to get up.

"I don't know why I'm showing you this but-"

They both walked to the front of the car and she opened the hood. Lupe gasped softly when her eyes ran over the engine parts. There were no two alike, as if it was made from a composite of many other cars' parts...just like her Nameless.

"This car doesn't ride like any other car and neither would the other one. I don't know how but they were made like patchwork, from the best cars ever created. What I want to know is why the cheap finishing?"

Dusty chuckled at her own joke and closed the hood, leaning back against it with folded arms.

"That plus the other thing I know is that the car doesn't have a symbol in front. It's just bare."

She half glanced at Lupe but the other girl was staring into nothing.

"Wow"

"Come on, let's get you back before your brother goes dia del muerto on me."

The drive back home was a quiet one, the two girls contemplating on different things. Lupe kept playing back the whole conversation in her head. To think that her one bit piece of junk was more than it looked, that it was one of the fastest cars ever was mind blowing. Oh Javier would just kill himself when he found out the true worth of what he'd so dismissively shunt his sister's way.

They were back in the lot sooner than she realized and Dusty killed the engine.

"Well here we are, safe home."

She waited for her passenger to move off but the other girl seemed to be hesitating.

"Something wrong Lupe?"

Lupe turned around and shook her head, then nodded and shook her head again.

"I want you to see something."

She told Dusty to start the engines and follow her directions and the other girl obeyed, perplexed but willing to go with her. Lupe led them back to her home and they made their way through a back street to the rear garage.

"I want you to see this."

She pulled the sheet of Nameless and popped the hood. Dusty's eyes widened with shock when she looked in and she shook her head.

" I feel like kicking myself in the rear end now, gone and told you the very thing to beat me with."

Lupe chuckled and shut the bonnet, sitting possessively atop her car.

"My brother was pissed when he looked into the hood, he thought he'd been ripped off for it and let me have it. Everyone used to make fun of how patched up it is but I didn't mind, I guess now I know why."

Dusty nodded and grinned with mischief.

"So I guess you're my competition then, seeing as you have the only other car that can come close to mine."

Lupe thought back to the wild drive before, the control and precision with which the other girl handled the unbelievable speed her car made. There was no way she could even come close, not in a lifetime.

"Nah, probably Javier will handle this better"

She hated to admit it but Nameless had suddenly become out of her league and she didn't feel confident enough to race with it. It wasn't that she was a bad driver, she just didn't have the kind of drive her brother had. Dusty sighed and shook her head.

"It's a shame though, cos I don't think it'll do as well with Javier. Cars can be like that sometimes, they work differently with different drivers and no matter how much juice you give some, like I said it isn't half as important as the person behind the wheels."

Lupe thought about those words for a moment and shrugged silently.

"And I'd for once like to have real competition out there."

Dusty murmured almost as an afterthought and slid back into her own car, starting the engine and giving it a few revs. Lupe walked closer and leaned in from the window.

"So, will I be seeing you around?"

The other girl smiled and shrugged.

"Maybe, will you take my challenge?"

She sighed and frowned slightly, thinking about what it would take to even be ready for something like this.

"I will have to rumble with Javier, not to mention train every day..."

Dusty shrugged and clicked on her seatbelt, eliciting an ironic look from the other girl.

"Well get to it, you have a whole year to get ready."

She leaned closer and gave Lupe a swift kiss before switching gears and gunning it out of the alley.
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"Oye Lupita! Go get the fricking mail"

Lupe swore under her breath as her brother's voice came wafting through the air but walked nonetheless to the rickety mailbox.
Bills, more bills, timeshare offers, more bills...she skimmed through the list and threw out the others into the kitchen trash and dumped the important ones on the table.

She was back in the back yard when Javier's accursed voice came roaring again.

"Lupe, get your ass here for a second"

"Oy vey, madre de dios"

She stalked through the screen door and scowled at him.

"Oh te odio, suelta me por dios! What the hell do you want this time?"

He ignored her tirade and threw a package at her, rolling his eyes when it bounced out of her hands and on the floor.

"That just came for you, what I wanna know is who's sending you deliveries first class."

She ignored him and escaped outside and into her car just for privacy. The box was for her, but in care of her brother...who the hell would be sending her stuff anyway? It wasn't like she knew anybody...

Her hands made short work of the packaging and she withdrew the small envelope inside. There was something small and hard in it and Lupe gingerly tore it open, starting when the metallic object slid unto her lap. She picked it up and examined it in the light. It was a symbol of some sort, a side cut of a wolf's head with fang bared in a snarl. Lupe frowned at the strange gift and looked inside the package again, noticing with surprise that it came with a note.

"I guess it's time this went in its proper place. DW"

DW...it couldn't be. She turned the box around in search of a return address and indeed it was from a Dusty Walker, living somewhere in El Paso Texas. Walker ... Lupe remembered the story the other girl had spun for her. Willie and Walker...did it mean that Dusty was somehow related to the Walker who once rode the fake K? But then that meant...

She looked at the wolf head again, turning it all sides in the light and felt a thrill of pleasure. Her Nameless finally had a name.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2