Taking the Chequered Flag Read Free Page A

a jolt, Gabby realised that Tony hadn’t even looked at her once the whole time they’d been loading the trailer.
    ‘Here he is.’ Angus pointed to E.D. who was riding his bike across the grey sand. He pulled up beside the trailer and cut the bike.
    ‘Going alright?’ Tony asked.
    ‘Yeah, pretty good.’
    ‘You’ll be doing the Graveyard next.’ Tony grinned, and turned back to the business of fixing his bike.
    ‘Yeah, right .’
    ‘What’s the Graveyard?’ said Angus, leaning over King’s neck.
    ‘A sort of race that only idiots ride.’
    ‘E.D.,’ called Tony. ‘You want to put your bike on with mine? Mario’s driving me back.’
    ‘No, I think I’ll ride home. I’ll go the back way through the bush.’ E.D. looked up at Angus. ‘You going home that way?’
    ‘Yeah, I’ll go with you.’
    ‘What about you, Hannah?’ said Tony.
    ‘Gabby and I rode our bikes. Push bikes. We’ll be okay.’
    Tony lifted his hand in farewell and got in thecar with Mario. They drove away noisily and E.D. shook his head. ‘Need to get that exhaust fixed.’
    ‘I’m going,’ said Gabby. ‘This place is all dust and noise.’
    ‘Don’t forget me,’ said Hannah but Gabby had already gone. ‘What’s up with her?’
    E.D. shrugged. ‘Who would know? But you’d better hurry if you’re going to catch her.’
    Hannah mumbled something that no one else could hear and headed after her friend.
    King fidgeted sideways as some bikes roared past.
    ‘I think I’d better get this horse out of here,’ said Angus, and swung King around. ‘Coming, E.D.?’ He didn’t wait for an answer but started off down the rough bush road that led to the back of their home town, Teasdale. King was eager to get away and pulled on the reins until Angus let him break into a canter. He could hear E.D. behind him, following at a safe distance, and turned in the saddle to see where he was. Suddenly, he felt his horse tense. Angus turned back in time to see a motorbike cross the path in front of him. He pulled King up quickly but the motorbike had stopped. The rider didn’t seem to have seen him but was looking back at another bike parked on the side of the road, its rider casually leaning against it.
    ‘It’s been okay for you!’ screamed the first rider, a girl. ‘But things are going to change. You promised! From now on, things are back to normal. Okay?’
    The stationary rider just shrugged, which seemed to make the girl angrier. E.D. pulled up beside King just as the first bike took off in a scream of dirt and rocks. ‘What was that about?’ he yelled at Angus.
    Angus told E.D. what he’d heard. E.D. looked over at the rider standing on the side of the track but he couldn’t see who he was. But the bike gave him away—it was one of the twin Kawasakis.
    Angus let King trot on and E.D. paused before going after him. The rider leaning against his bike hadn’t moved but E.D. could feel him watching. I’ve got a strong feeling, he thought, that this guy’s trouble.

Chapter 3
King and the Mystery Rider
Monday, 10 January
    The noise was deafening but Gabby kept going. Inside, the garage was gloomy and smelt strongly of oil. She walked past a car covered in an old sheet and finally found E.D. kneeling beside his bike, revving it hard and listening intently.
    ‘Hi,’ Gabby yelled over the noise.
    E.D. lifted his head and noticed Gabby but didn’t say anything. He looked like he was thinking of something far away. Gabby waved a hand in his face and he let the throttle go. The noise died away.
    ‘Sounds better, doesn’t it?’ he said.
    Gabby looked around. ‘Better than what?’
    ‘Than it did before. I changed the spark plug. It’s heaps better now.’
    Gabby smiled uncertainly. ‘Well, that’s nice. It’s got to sound right, hasn’t it?’
    E.D. looked at her and stood up. ‘It’s got to sound beautiful .’ He paused. ‘What are you doing here, anyway?’
    Gabby crossed her arms over her chest. ‘Thanks, E.D.