AVENGE

CHAPTER SIX - SHANE SHAW

6.

SHANE SHAW

The sound of falling rain was amplified by the garage roof, drowning out the radio. Shane was bent over the engine of a Honda Civic. God damn the fucking rain, he thought. He placed his tools on the engine block and stood up straight then took the rag hanging from his back pocket as he walked over to the radio.

After wiping most of the grease from his fingers he turned the volume up until he could hear it again then walked back to the Civic. It belonged to one of his friends. The friend had already spent nine grand on engine modifications and a further five on the bodywork. It was one of the fastest cars in the area and it looked it.

"YOU NEARLY DONE WITH THAT SHANE," called his boss - Patrick McPherson.

"JUST NEED FIVE MINUTES BOSS," he yelled back. "BLOODY WEATHER."

"THAT'S GOOD SHANE. I'VE GOT A MONDEO COMING IN. COULD YOU DEAL WITH THAT?"

"SURE THING BOSS. WHAT'S THE SYMPTOMS?"

"MRS TRESCOTT'S SAYING IT KEEPS LOSING POWER. IT'S PROBABLY HER DRIVING THOUGH."

Shane smiled. There was always something wrong with her car. Most of it was in her head though. Shane thought the real reason she kept visiting was because she liked Patrick and he constantly teased him about it.

"WHAT SHE REALLY WANTS IS FOR YOU TO SERVICE HER."

Patrick laughed and dismissed the idea with a wave of his arm before disappearing inside his office.

Shane looked round at the sound of three, highly tuned, engines approaching. A blue Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX screeched to a stop followed by the red/gold combination of a Honda Integra Type R and a heavily modded Vauxhall Vectra which had had a body-kit fitted - nineteen inch alloys - about five grands worth of work under the bonnet (fitted by Shane) and, to finish off, it had been resprayed pearlescent purple.

Two males and two females climbed out of the Mitsubishi and his other two friends exited their respective vehicles. The rain seemed to have abated a little so Shane turned the radio back down.

"Yo Shane - what ya done to the weather man? You bin singing," said Peter, the male passenger of the Lancer, as he waved his arms around. They high-fived and briefly hugged.

"No man. You here for your baby?" said Shane.

"Yeah. Is she fine?"

"There's not much else can be done to her Pete. I just need another five minutes then she'll be finished."

"Talk and work then man - talk and work," said Peter.

Shane bent back over the Civic's engine to finish his work.

"You rollin with us later?"

Without looking up, "I do miss it Pete. I do miss it. But I can't. I'm going straight now. I can't be seen with you guys any more."

"Why did you do it mate?"

Shane stood up again and looked Peter in the eye, "You mean the fall?"

"Yes. We were all involved but you took the fall on your own."

"No sense in you all going down."

"I'll never be able to thank you enough mate."

"You know how you can repay me Pete."

"Anything man. Anything."

"Don't keep trying to involve me in your activities. I'm legit now. Learning a business."