Chapter 24 New Angeles
When Hector woke up, he was lying on a dirty mattress in the corner of the garage. His body ached, and his head throbbed with pain. He sat up slowly, trying to remember what had happened.
The memory came flooding back to him, and he looked down at the hyper chip on his wrist. He had never felt so powerful before, and he knew that he had to be careful with this newfound strength.
As he stood up, he noticed the letter lying on the floor. He picked it up and read it again
It was a race with some prize money but it was held in New Angeles where Zeke was. Zeke had a bounty on his head 25 million Dollars.
Hector thought to himself" now with that type of money I can buy a small shop in New Angeles" the letter had instructions that the race will be held tonight.
hector thought to himself "well if I don't win the race I could at least get some more info on zeke"
Hector drives to New Angeles as he pulls into the track a group of cars are lined up. He saw flags from different gangs and some flags from out of country.
A tall lady walked up to him and asked if he was racing. He said yes and she put a chip in his neck. He was suddenly able to understand everyone speaking. It was a babel chip. a chip that allows you to speak and understand every language.
He saw Zeke talking in a group of people. Hector wanted to get closer but was stopped by man
Who was wearing shorts and a shirt with a black and white smiley face with two Xs for eyes. The man said "who are you?" My name is Hector. He looked at the man and asked who are you? The man who answered my name is Hiroshi Nakamura!!! He yelled loud and proud. He said he was from japan. Two other men showed up with the same shirts and asked if Hiroshi was ok? He said he was fine. Then he looked at Hector so you race? Hector looked at him and smiled and said yeah and you? Of course the yakuza love to race. Said Hiroshi.
Hector then tried to get out of the conversion and get back to focus on zeke. Hiroshi looks at Hector and asks do you know him? Hector looked at Hiroshi Smiled and said kinda. We raced once? Hector now asked Hiroshi what about yourself do you Know Zeke? Hiroshi laughed "that man has been working for us for a long time. He's our best "clean up"but he messed up a few months back and now the whole USA wants him.
Hiroshi looked at him but this time he asked him" what do you want?" The 2 men behind Hector pulled their guns out and pointed them at him. Hiroshi said "don't make me ask again."
Hector said "I'm just here to race."
Zeke sees Hector talking to Hiroshi and tells him that he is fine that Hector is a racer then Zeke says sorry about Hiroshi he is a bit paranoid. Then he asked Hector if he got his gift. Hector said "you sent the masked men!" Zeke smiled and laughed, "I sure did, I sent my weakest men just to give you the invite and a hyper chip."he laughed and asked, "Did you have fun? " Hector said that" killing or hurting your men was not fun."
Zeke smirked and said, "Oh come on, Hector, it's all part of the game. You can't win if you don't play dirty." He walked closer to Hector, his eyes full of smugness. "And besides, you should be grateful for the hyper chip. It's what gave you the strength to take down my men and earn your place in this race."
Hector gritted his teeth, feeling anger and disgust rise within him. Zeke was the epitome of a narcissist, always thinking that he was the center of the universe and that everyone else was beneath him. Hector knew that he couldn't let himself get caught up in Zeke's mind games.
Ignoring Zeke's words, Hector turned to leave. But Zeke grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "You're not going anywhere, Hector. You're in my territory now, and you play by my rules."
Hector yanked his arm away from Zeke's grasp. "I'm not afraid of you, Zeke. And I'm certainly not going to let you dictate what I do."
Zeke's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to Hector. "You should be afraid, Hector. Because if you don't win this race, you'll be joining the rest of the losers in the underground fight club." He grinned wickedly. "And trust me, you don't want to end up there."
Hector felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard rumors about the underground fight club, where the losers of the illegal races were forced to fight to the death for entertainment. He knew that he had to win this race, not just to get the prize money, but to stay alive.
With a steely determination, Hector pushed past Zeke and headed towards his car. He had to focus on the race, on winning, and on staying alive. He couldn't let Zeke's mind games get to him. Zeke smiled Ear to Ear "Have Fun and break a leg" he laughed as he saw Hector walk away.
Hector saw his name on the betting board. A total of 5 names on the board #1 Mike #2Jae-sung #3 Kazuma #4 Hector #5 Yichen
One name stood and and it was #2. Jae-sung looked at Hector.
"You Were there when the black dragons fell for grace, you were there when Hae-seong was killed." Jae-sung looked at Hector with hatred and with tears in his eyes you and your friend are the reason Hae-seong was killed. You allowed Ho-Seok to get close to him." Hector looked at Jae-sung and said " I'm sorry." Jae-sung looked at Him and nodded and walked away saying "hwaiting" which meant goodluck.
Hector got in his car and prepared for the race.
Chapter 25 Driving crazy
As Hector revved his engine, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his stomach. The race was about to begin, and he knew that it wasn't just about winning anymore. It was a matter of life and death.
The sound of screeching tires filled the air as the cars took off, speeding down the deserted streets of the city. Hector pushed his car to the limit, weaving in and out of traffic, trying to keep up with the other racers.
As he rounded a corner, he saw Mike's car spin out of control and crash into a nearby building. Hector swerved to avoid the debris, narrowly missing the flaming wreckage. He knew that he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
The other racers were closing in on him, but Hector was determined to stay ahead. He pushed his car even harder, feeling the adrenaline surge through his veins. But just as he thought he had secured the lead, he heard the sound of gunshots.
Bullets whizzed past his car, and he swerved to avoid them. He saw Kazuma's car take a direct hit, and it spun out of control, crashing into a parked car. Hector knew that he couldn't let himself be the next target.
He spotted Yichen's car in his rearview mirror, and he knew that he had to act fast. He slammed on the brakes, causing Yichen to rear-end him. Hector then spun his car around, slamming into Yichen's car, sending it careening into a nearby alley.
As Hector emerged from the alley, he saw Jae-sung's car approaching him at full speed. He remembered the look of hatred on Jae-sung's face.Hector's heart raced as he tried to outmaneuver Jae-sung's car, but it was no use. Jae-sung was skilled, and Hector could feel his car starting to give out.
Just as he thought it was over, he saw a glint of light in the distance. It was the finish line. Hector pushed his car to its absolute limit, hoping to make it across before Jae-sung caught up to him.
With a final burst of speed, Hector crossed the finish line, narrowly beating Jae-sung's car. He couldn't believe that he had made it out alive. As he stepped out of his car, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. But that feeling was short-lived.
Out of nowhere, a group of masked men appeared, surrounding Hector. He recognized them as Zeke's men.
As Hector lay on the ground, dazed and injured, he saw Zeke emerge from the shadows, a smirk on his face. "Looks like you didn't win, Hector," he said. "But don't worry, I've got a nice little spot reserved for you in the underground fight club."
He heard the sound of footsteps behind him.
He turned around and saw Jae-sung, holding a gun. His eyes were filled with rage, and Hector knew that he was in trouble. "You killed Hae-seong," Jae-sung spat, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Hector held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I didn't mean for him to get hurt," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm sorry, Jae-sung. Please don't do this."
Jae-sung yelled " for the Black Dragons!"
He pulled the trigger, and Hector felt a searing pain in his side. He stumbled
The crowd cheered, but Hector could barely hear them. He collapsed onto the pavement, feeling the blood seeping out of his wounds. He knew that he was dying.
The mask men dragged him away, to an unknown location.
As he was thrown into a dimly-lit room, Hector saw a figure emerge from the shadows. It was Zeke. He smirked at Hector and said, "I told you that you should have played by my rules." Hector passed out from the pain.