Page 58 of Revv

“Goddammit, Revel.”

The rear is moving more now, loose on corner exit, but it’s still giving me plenty of warning. I know what I have left. Ajax doesn’t.

That’s the difference.

“Final lap.”

Andre says it once, and then the comms go quiet.

Ajax protects the inside through the technical section, expecting me to force the pass there.

I don’t.

I stay wide, carry more speed, and wait until the last heavy braking zone.

He moves across early.

Too early.

I show him the inside, then switch back out before he can close it. He reacts late and drifts toward me, trying to squeeze the space down.

There’s barely enough room.

I take it anyway.

The front starts to chatter under braking, the rear lifting just enough to get light, and for half a second the whole bike feels like it wants to throw me over the bars.

Andre shouts my name.

I hold it.

Ajax is still beside me.

I release the brake, tip in, and let the bike run all the way to the edge of the curb. His shoulder is close enough that I could reach out and touch it.

One twitch from either of us and we’re both done.

I get the bike upright first.

That’s all it takes.

I drive out harder, the rear spinning once before hooking up, and pull half a bike ahead by the time we hit the final straight.

Ajax stays on me, but he’s out of tire and out of room.

The checkered flag drops and I cross first.

Behind me, Ajax crosses less than half a second later.

The comms explode.

Echo yelling.

Reign laughing. “You crazy fucking bastard”

Andre cutting through all of it. “What the fuck was that?”

“A pass.”