ALICE Ch 82

“Move, dickhead!”

Sometimes, Alice can be a little too in the zone. Her body and blood turn to ice for a moment and then she’s past Checo.

“That was very close, Alice,” Lora says. She’s probably trying to sound reproving, but really? What’s the alternative? Checo’s driving the finest Formula One car in the world. What’s Alice going to do, get past him in this bucket with room to spare? She’s lucky to be doing as well as she is.

She doesn’t say any of that. If she does and Glynda finds out, she’d be sure to get a verbal spanking.

“That’s P5, Alice. Nicely done.”

“Are you flirting with me?” Alice asks.

“What?”

“Never mind. I see Sainz.” As she’s saying it, she hears a slight intake of breath over the comms. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Alice.”

“It’s not nothing. Is it my engine? I feel fine.” There’s a slight vibration, but Alice can handle it.

“It’s not you at all. Faye’s lost another place. Stay focused.”

Alice winces, but she doesn’t need to be told to focus. She is wholly fixed on the bright red Ferrari in front of her.

“If you keep this up, finishing this race will become economical,” Lora warns, meaning Alice’s tires.

Alice narrows her eyes. Sainz seems conservative. He’s already being defensive; his tactician is telling him that Alice is coming. That’s not like him, not in that car.

“Something’s wrong with the car. Carlos is being too careful. We can push,” Alice says.

“Wait for Turn 6 to be sure.”

Lora’s caution is stifling, but Alice obeys. “How’s Checo?” she asks.

“Holding steady.”

“He knows. He wants to fight Sainz, not me. Red Bull just wants the points.”

“We all want points, Alice. Push now.”

Alice hurtles after Sainz, who gamely repositions to hold her back. But Alice isn’t shy about her tires, not this far into the race. She has strengths and weaknesses as a driver. One of her strengths is a good intuitive sense of the car as an extension of her body. That doesn’t make her faster on overdue tires, but it does make her less likely to crash.

“That’s close. Very close,” Lora warns, but Alice if listened to warnings she’d have ended up becoming a social worker or something. Sainz cedes the place a millisecond earlier than he normally would, confirming her suspicions about his car. That millisecond makes all the difference.

Alice comes out of the turn clean and fast.

“All right.” Lora’s trying not to sound shaken. “That’s P4, Alice. Let’s keep this pace.”

“What’s happening up there?”

“Lando’s fighting Valeria.”

“What about Max?”

“He’s pulling away.”

Damn. Alice wants to see Val beat him.

“And he’s got by. He’s got by Valeria,” Lora repeats.

“Great,” Alice mutters. “How many laps have I got to catch up to her?”

“Not enough. We have an engine problem.”

“Are you kidding me?” Alice explodes.

Lora’s voice stays calm. “You can still finish in P4, Alice. Keep it tidy. That’ll be good points and the best finish our team’s had yet. Oh,” she says, sounding worried.

Alice’s heart skips a beat. “Is it the engine?”

“No. No, it’s Norris. He’s taking a penalty.”

Alice’s brain processes that. “How much?”

“Enough. Alice, you’re functionally in P3. Keep it tight.”