Race For Love

Chapter 20

"Jessie's still nowhere to be found!" Carmen told the team. "Carmen, you'll need to fill Jessie's spot for the job" Dom said as the sky turned dark. "Dom that's not--" Leon tried to protest, but Dom was too focused on planning the heist to listen. "Dom, this isn't a good idea" Mia said. "We'll be fine," her brother stubbornly insisted.. "Dom, I'm serious! This doesn't feel right! Not without Jessie!" Mia said again. "Carmen will take his place! It'll be fine!" Dom insisted again. "You said that the last time she helped you and she almost died!" Mia shouted. "Dom, your sister's right. I don't like Carmen being a part of this" Leon said. From the corner of his eye, he could see how scared Carmen was. "She won't have to get on the truck this time. We'll be fine. Now everyone go get ready" Dom said. "Dom!" Mia shouted as he walked away with the team.

Pulling up to the station, everyone began to switch cars and grab their gear. "Mia's right about this. It doesn't feel right, man" Vince told Dom. "Stop that," Dom told him. "Leon... I-I can't do this. We shouldn't be doing this" Carmen shakily told him. "Aye, look at me" Leon calmly said as he tilted her chin up. "Take a deep breath for me" he told her. Carmen took a few deep breaths as Leon soothingly rubbed her arms. "After this we can go wherever we want. We won't have to do this anymore and it'll just be us. One last job. We've done this before and we'll be fine now. Okay?" he told her. "Okay" she shakily agreed. "I love you, Carmen," Leon told her as he gripped her hand. "I love you too, Leon. Let's do this" Carmen said as she pecked his lips before sliding into Jessie's car.

"Alright the truck's in sight!" Leon said through the walkies. "Everyone into position!!" Dom said as he and Vince drove up in front of the semi truck. Carmen stayed behind the truck with Leon and Letty as her cousin and Vince shot the grapple hook, attaching Vince to the semi truck. "VINCE!!" Carmen screamed as the semi truck driver began to swerve, using his rifle to shoot as Vince was caught on the wire. "DOM!!" she screamed again as the semi truck driver shot a bullet through his driver's side window. "We gotta get Vince off that truck!!" Letty shouted into the walkie. "What do you suggest we do!?" Carmen shouted into her walkie. "Carmen drive up and distract the driver!! I'll go help Dom get Vince!!" Letty told her. "Got it!!" Carmen replied as she shifted her gears and sped up to the front of the truck. "Alright c'mon buddy, look at me.." Carmen muttered to herself as she tried to grab the driver's attention. "Ah! You son of a bitch!" Carmen shouted as he shot a bullet through her rearview window. "Carmen!! Get outta there!!" Leon shouted through the walkie. "Hang on! She's almost got Vince!!" Carmen shouted back. "AHHH!!" she screamed as another bullet hit her car, flipping it over sideways into the ditch. "CARMEN!!" Leon and Dom shouted through the walkie's as her car stopped rolling and landed upside down, the engine catching fire. "LEON!! GET HER OUTTA THERE!!" Dom screamed into the walkie as he and Letty continued to try and rescue Vince. "Already on it!!" Leon shouted as he slammed on his breaks to turn the car around.

Carmen frantically tried to undo her seatbelt as the car got hotter. Her vision started to blur from the large gash along her hairline. Blood dribbled along the side of her face as she hung upside down in the totaled car. "Please, please come on!" she cried as she frantically tugged at the belt. "Aghhhh!!" she cried in frustration as she pounded on the buckle. Hearing the release, Carmen rolled toward her shattered window, attempting to pull herself out. "CARMEN!!" she heard her boyfriend scream in the distance. "H-Help!!" she hoarsely called out. "Carmen, oh my god, I'm coming baby!!" he desperately shouted as he rushed down to grab her hands to pull her out. "A-Ahaa-ah!!" Carmen cried as some of the shattered glass dug into her skin. "Oh my god, baby you're alive!!" Leon breathed out as he pulled her close into his chest. "C'mon we gotta go!!" he added as he picked her up bridal style.

Leon once again pulled the car over as he raced to pull Letty out of her wrecked car, guiding her into the backseat with Carmen. "Letty, are you okay?" Carmen horsley asked. "Nothing bad" Letty coughed as she wiped away some of the blood that dribbled down her face. "I knew this was a bad idea! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" Leon shouted as he slammed his fists on his steering wheel. "Aye, calm down" Letty told him. "No! I will not calm down! Carmen almost died and so did you! We should have waited!" he shouted again. "Babe calm down, please" Carmen begged him before going into a coughing fit. "Is that... is that Brian?" Letty asked as a bright orange car sped past them. Buster to the rescue, Carmen thought as she tried not to think about the pain that her body was in.