Michael revved the Foxbody, carefully deciding to hold it 4000 RPM to ensure the optimal balance between power and traction for launch. He stared intently at Kalinda, waiting for the signal to go.

She threw her arms down.

Michael dumped the clutch and floored the accelerator, and the Foxbody surged forward, gaining speed, the force of the acceleration shoving him back in his seat.

The parking lot ended, and the race transitioned on time the train line, Michael steering the Mustang on to the center line between the two tracks, the bumpy gravel working the Foxbody's rebuilt suspension through it's paces.

The Mercury was already slightly pulling ahead from it's superior traction at launch. Michael waited until the Mustang's engine reached it's mechanical crescendo, then rapidly upshifted into second gear.

"Nitrous NOW!" Michael heard Amelia shout in his ear.

Michael quickly tapped the red button with his right thumb.

There was a faint hissing noise, and suddenly the engine snarled louder than it had ever had, it's sound echoing through his skull Michael's skull.

Blue flames erupted from the exhaust pipes of the Foxbody, as the car suddenly broke traction.

Michael briefly panicked, but deftly counter steered, and the Foxbody accelerated like a rocket, blasting several car lengths ahead of the Mercury.

The shear force of the acceleration pinned Michael in his seat. The Foxbody was now briefly making 700 horsepower.

He focused on shifting, rapidly skipping third gear and putting the car in 4th as the car easily crested 120 miles per hour.

Michael grinned as the round yellow headlights began to shrink in his rearview mirror.

He focused on the road, and the gravel transitioned to concrete as the race began to near the tunnel.

"You got this man!" Nick shouted.

The Mustang hit 150 miles per hour, and a sharp bang notified Michael that the Nitrous had deactivated.

The Foxbody's acceleration immediately slowed to a crawl, the speedometer shakily inching forward.

Michael kept his foot on the gas and entered the murky darkness of the tunnel, illuminating the tunnel with his single working headlight. He swerved the Foxbody over the train tracks to move to the inside line.

The sudden bump of the train rails upset the rear of the car, and it skidded out wide.

Michael counter steered and let off the throttle, and barely caught the slide, loosing a ton of momentum. He had no choice but to let off the throttle to wrestle the car under control, and the Mustang slowed to just over 100 miles per hour.

Soon, the yellowish headlights are of the Mercury began to close in on the Foxbody, and Michael hugged the inside line of the corner, getting as close to the wall as he could as the Mercury slotted in behind him.

Suddenly, Michael's vision was illuminated by a blinding white light from behind.

A train.

Time slowed to a crawl. Michael realized it was coming from the inside line, so he swerved to the outside line, the Mercury following his lead, but skidding out wide from it's body roll and dropping further back.

The AutoTrain was a high speed passenger model, and blasted pass the racers on the inside rails at 120+ miles per hour, the wind from it buffeting the cars and pushing them closer to hitting wall.

Michael immediately had an idea.

He jerked the steering towards the inside line, as just as the whole train was passed, and pulled into it's massive slipstream, allowing it to pull the Foxbody along and accelerate to past 130 miles per hour and actually start to gain on it as his the tunnel straightened out.

The Mercury began to gain closely on the Foxbody, being pulled along by the slipstream of both him and the train, in addition to it's superior horsepower.

Michael moved the Foxbody over to the center lane in preparation to pass the train just as they exited the tunnel into a then short metal bridge.

The Mercury pulled alongside the Foxbody, on the left train track, millimeters from coming in contact with it.

Suddenly, on the other end of the bridge, another train coming the opposite direction to them came flying towards them on the left track, it's LED lights blinding Michael.

It was a game of chicken now.

One of them would have to yield to the other, in order for them to slow down and get behind the train on the right side and avoid death.

Michael remembered what he promised Amelia.

But if he let off here, he would loose the race and his car!

Michael kept his right foot on the gas, and his left hovering over the brake just in case.

Riley would have to yield.

He knew she would.

Except instead she had kept her foot down, and used her cars superior straight line speed to inch ahead of the Foxbody.

Time slowed down as the oncoming trains closed in, this train a rusty unmanned freight locomotive.

Riley pulled fully ahead of Michael and swerved over to try and get ahead...

But it was too late.

The front left quarter panel of the Mercury sideswiped the incoming train as Michael hit the brakes and swerved behind the right train...

The Mercury spun out of control and bounced off the other, left, train before slamming into the right guardrail and stopping, just as the oncoming train passed by. It lay in a crumpled heap, smokie pouring from its hood.

Michael immediately slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the left side of the bridge, stopping in the middle of the left side train tracks.

He couldn't just leave her there in a wrecked car on the train tracks!

Michael kicked open the door to the Foxbody and sprinted out, ignoring the shouts of his teammate wondering what the hell he was doing.

Michael ran faster than he ever had in his life.

He wasn't going to let another person die on his watch. No matter how annoying or childish they were.

Michael sprinted over to the wreck, peering through the broken glass of the Mercury, and saw Riley's small helmet-less face buried in an aftermarket airbag. She seemed unconscious but relatively unharmed.

Michael grabbed the door handle and pulled as hard as he could, and just as he felt like his arm was going to fall off, the door came clean off it's hinges, flew out of his hands and off the bridge, and he quickly unbuckled Riley from her seat, carefully cradling her frail body in his arms, moving as fast as he dared towards the Foxbody.

This was his fault. He should have just hit the brakes. Then no one would've gotten hurt.

Michael reached the open door of the Foxbody, and carefully placed Riley's unconscious body in the passenger's seat, then hoped in and started the Foxbody.

The engine turned over... And abruptly coughed to a stop.

"Dammit not now!" He shouted.

Blinding LED lights appeared in the tunnel behind...

Michael pumped the throttle, and the Foxbody refused to start once more.

The train was reaching the end of the tunnel, revealing itself to be on the left track, exactly where the Mustang was stricken.

"Come on you piece of shit!" Michael yelled.

The train was getting closer and closer.

Michael was starting to panic. For a moment he was considering getting out of the car and saving himself, but no, he wasn't going to let anyone die for the sake of his survival.

He tried one final time, and the Foxbody snarled to life.

He hit the gas and immediately steered to the right, and the Foxbody swerved out of the way just as a high speed gas tanker train blasted past, tearing the Foxbody's left mirror off.

Michael accelerated the car to the end of the bridge and through the second train yard, carefully guiding the Foxbody through the hole in the fence and on to the the empty city block.

He drove briskly but carefully, as not to risk an accident.

He slammed on the brakes as the Foxbody crossed the finish line. He had won.

But none of that mattered. Someone had been hurt because of him.

He immediately kicked the door open, shouting to the crowd of spectators,

"WE NEED A MEDIC OVER HERE!!!"

*********

Hopefully it was worth the wait. Also, let me know if you'd like me to add music to the rest of the story.