The police.
Their headlights pierced the darkness, two black-and-white patrol cars skidding into position just ahead, blocking off the road beyond the finish line.
"Shit!" Leo cursed through his window as he slammed the brakes, his Subaru's tires skidding violently.
Ghost reacted instantly, yanking his handbrake, sending his 350Z into a tight slide before darting into a side alley.
Kai barely had a second to think.
The cops were here.
And there was no way in hell they were getting caught.
Instinct took over.
Kai jammed the brakes just enough to shift the weight forward, cutting left toward an open gap between two rusted shipping containers. The Corvette jerked sideways, rear tires spinning as he threaded the needle through the tight space.
Behind him, Leo was scrambling for an escape route, but his AWD setup was slower to rotate. He tried following Ghost but hesitated, and in that split second—
The cops were on him.
Red and blue lights washed over the WRX, a spotlight locking onto the Subaru as an officer's voice boomed through a loudspeaker.
"Pull over immediately! Hands where we can see them!"
Leo had no choice. He cursed, slamming his fist against the wheel as he cut his engine and rolled to a stop.
Kai didn't look back.
He was still moving, still searching for an exit, tires screaming against rough asphalt as he fought to keep control.
A sharp right. Then a left.
Every corner looked the same—old warehouses, abandoned loading docks, stacks of forgotten shipping containers.
No clear way out.
The sound of screeching tires came from behind him.
Dominic's AMG was still in play.
Kai caught a glimpse of red headlights in his mirror, the supercharged V8 howling as the German muscle car powered through a side street, trying to find another exit.
Ghost was gone.
Leo was caught.
That left only two.
And the cops were still hunting.
A spotlight cut across the alley.
Kai cursed under his breath and slammed third gear, the Corvette roaring as it launched forward, skimming inches past an abandoned forklift. A glance in his rearview mirror showed one of the patrol cars skidding into the alley behind him, tires screeching as it fought for traction.
They weren't just setting up roadblocks.
They were chasing now.
Kai gritted his teeth. He knew these streets, but the cops knew them better.
They weren't going to stop.
Not unless he lost them.
A hard left was coming up—a blind turn leading back onto an open stretch.
Kai took it without hesitation.
The rear end of the C5 slid wide, back tires struggling for grip before finally hooking up. His fingers danced on the shifter, upshifting just as the tachometer kissed the redline.
He blasted back onto a straight.
And slammed his foot down.
The patrol car behind him was fast, but Kai had the power advantage on an open road. The Corvette's V8 roared with fury, each shift pushing him further ahead, widening the gap.
For a second, he thought he was clear.
Then, from the right, another patrol car lurched out of a side street.
Kai's heart jumped into his throat.
No time to brake.
No time to turn.
He yanked the wheel left, sending the Corvette into a desperate drift.
The car slid across all four tires, barely skimming past the police cruiser's front bumper before snapping back straight.
Too close.
Way too close.
He pushed the gas again, tires screeching as he bolted through the open stretch, his only hope now to find a real escape route.
Then—headlights flashed ahead.
A car. No—two.
Kai's mind registered them instantly.
Not cops.
Ghost's 350Z, leading.
And right behind him—
Ryo's GR Supra.
For a split second, Kai didn't understand.
Then it clicked.
They had planned a getaway route.
Ghost must've known the cops were coming, and Ryo had already set up an exit.
Now they were here—waiting.
Kai didn't hesitate.
He fell in line right behind them, pushing the C5 to keep pace.
Ryo's Supra led the way, Ghost's 350Z in second, and Kai in third, all three of them flying down an unmarked access road behind the warehouses.
The police were still following, but the layout was tight, full of blind spots and unexpected turns.
This wasn't just an escape.
It was a test.
Kai knew what Ryo was doing.
Seeing if he could keep up.
A sharp right came up.
Ryo took it first, the Supra's rear tires spinning just enough to keep traction before powering out.
Ghost followed, his 350Z dancing through the turn with smooth precision.
Kai's turn.
The C5 was heavier, trickier to rotate. He flicked the wheel just right, the rear tires barely kissing the edge of the turn before hooking up again.
No mistakes.
No hesitation.
Ryo glanced at him through his side mirror.
A smirk.
Then, just like that, the road opened up.
Ahead, an unfinished highway ramp loomed in the distance, cutting across the back of the industrial zone.
Ryo hit the gas.
Ghost followed.
Kai didn't ask questions.
He floored it.
One after another, they hit the steep incline, rocketing up the unfinished section of road—a perfect hiding spot, out of sight.
The moment Kai's rear tires left the street below, the sirens faded.
They were gone.
Safe.
Kai exhaled sharply, gripping the wheel as his car rolled to a stop beside the others.
Ghost leaned back in his seat, taking a slow breath.
Ryo climbed out, stretching. "Damn. That was fun."
Kai shut off his engine. His hands were still shaking. He let out a breathless laugh. "That's your definition of fun?"
Ryo smirked. "Could've left you back there, you know. But I figured you'd keep up."
Kai met his gaze. "And if I didn't?"
Ryo shrugged. "Then you wouldn't be worth talking to."
Silence.
Then, after a beat, Ryo leaned against his Supra. "You got talent, rookie. But talent's not enough in this city."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What is?"
Ryo's smirk widened.
"A crew."
Kai exhaled.
He knew what was coming.
"Join the Black Widows," Ryo said, voice calm but firm. "You won't just survive. You'll own this city."
Kai leaned back against his C5, staring up at the dark sky.
He had survived another race.
Escaped the cops.
And now?
Now he had a choice to make.