ALICE Ch 57

Irina’s heels click on the concrete as she walks over to the assembled goddesses, who look on in silence with stoic expressions.

“Your crew,” she says.

“Jeepers,” Colby says under her breath. Alice gives her hand an encouraging squeeze.

Glynda looks at Colby, who wakes up.

“Um, there’s only six,” the little blonde notes, flustered. She’s trembling and blushing, overcome with nerves.

“I have replacements for everyone else. This is for hands-on with tires,” Glynda says, looking to Alice. Looking for what? Alice smiles hesitantly.

“Their English is good. They are familiar with your equipment. They have been practicing for months. Mercedes attempted to hire them,” Irina says proudly.

“Then how are we here?” Alice asks.

“I outbid them.” Irina struts over to them. “They are the best in the world. Skilled. Fast. Totally reliable. There will be no more issues.” She reaches out quite casually and rests her hand on the bulge of the nearest goddess. “And they are excellent company.”

Colby’s eyes are wide. She makes a little noise that Alice has never heard before.

“I’m not the one you have to sell them to,” Glynda tells Irina flatly. “Impress her.” She points at Colby.

“Show them what you can do,” Irina orders, clapping her hands.

The crew leaps into action. Alice watches spellbound as the six women don overalls in seconds. In a few seconds more, they’ve prepared a mock car for change. One of them holds a stopwatch and clicks it.

The difference in speed with proper F1 tire changes is so minuscule that to the untrained eye, a fast change and a slow one look identical. Alice’s eye is well-trained, and this crew is clearly performing at a level suitable to Formula One. They’re bigger, stronger, and faster than their predecessors. More than that, they move with a sense of military precision and discipline that FUTA’s old crew certainly did not have. They weren’t clowns by any means, but they certainly weren’t like this.

The crew runs drills for a solid fifteen minutes before Irina snaps her fingers. Despite all that fast movement and heavy lifting, the six women are barely winded, although they have worked up a sweat. It’s freezing outside this building, but stiflingly warm inside. Russia’s supposed to be cold; Alice is pretty sure she’s heard that somewhere.

“Well?” Glynda’s gaze is terrifying. Colby cowers.

“They look really good,” she says, trying to shrink away into nothing.

Glynda eyes her for a moment, then looks skeptically at the goddesses.

“Be thorough, Colby. Put them through their paces and be absolutely certain,” she orders.

“She will be,” Irina predicts confidently.

“Alice, let’s go.”

“Huh? Go?” Alice wakes up. “Go where?”

“Dinner. Irina wants to spend time with you.”

“Oh. Wait, we’re just leaving Colby here? With them?”