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“We’re just lucky the officials took those in the lead group as the winners,” Chase added.
“That’s because there’s no time for any more races other than the final,” Grant reminded him.
The mention of the hour made me look out the window. The sun had peeked over the horizon only an hour or two earlier. “But there’s still a lot of hours until then.”
“The officials have called for an inspection of the thunders two hours before race time,” Grant informed me as he shook his head. “With that little time we’d be lucky to be able to push it to the inspection line.”
I winced. “So what do we do?”
Ben looked past them and at the door. “I have a plan, but I’m expecting one more in this company before I tell-ah. I think I hear something.”
His ears were right as footsteps sounded on the hallway boards. They had an uneven gait, and I wasn’t surprised to see Peter appear in the doorway.
“Peter!” Aria spoke up.
He smiled at her and pushed past the trio to where she stood. The two embraced and had a quick kiss before he drew back to look her over. “You look as lovely now as the first time I met you.”
She snorted and swatted his chest. “You know I was covered in ink the first time we met.”
“And you couldn’t have looked lovelier,” he teased before he turned to us and his smile faded. “I wish we were meeting on a happier occasion.”
“What news do you bring from the tract?” Ben asked him.
Peter reluctantly stepped out of Aria’s hug and turned to face our group. “The news I have isn’t from the tract, per se. I spoke with a few of my acquaintances in the betting rings. Apparently, only a few people have made bets on Dinari. It’s a sure thing that something will happen to ensure the doctor wins his bet should it look like Dinari won’t win.”
“Do you know the name of the betters?” Ben asked him.
Peter shook his head. “None of them were Dr. Myer, if that’s what you were hoping.”
“Dr. Myer!” The shout was made by all three of the thunder drivers in unison.
A dark cloud settled on Grant’s brow as he frowned at us. “What’s that wreck got to do with this?”
“I believe everything,” Ben informed him as he shifted his weight. I tried to get up, but he held tight to me. “Millie and I met the ‘good doctor’ in the capital recently, and he happened to use an elemental spell against us to ensure his escape.”
“Like the elemental stuff we’ve been seeing at the tract?” Chase guessed.
“Our guess is just that,” Ben confirmed.
Mouse rubbed his hands together. “So what’s the plan to stop the mad doctor from wrecking our fun to fill his pockets?”
“Someone will run Bashful in the race.”
The room fell into silence, and Grant’s mouth dropped open. “Run Bashful-that is, the prototype?”
“You have the blueprints, don’t you?” Ben countered.
Chase leaned from foot to foot. “Yeah, but it’s all we’ve got.”
“We have to force the doctor to use the elements so we can find him, and Bashful is our best chance at taking the lead.”
Mouse looked around the room. “But who’s going to drive her?”
Ben raised a hand. “I volunteer.”
“No!” came the resounding reply from both Sofia and me.
Ben grinned at us. “I couldn’t exactly risk anyone else’s life without offering my own.”
