Need For Speed Tri City Stories

Chapter 13 - The secrets about the past and a betrayal

Safehouse. "Hey Branden are you in there?" Ellie asked as she knocked on the door. "Yeah I'm here, come in." I answered. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. It's about the past." Ellie said as she opened the door and sat with me on the bed. "What past though?" I asked. "The night you had against the 3 bosses and driving the Blue Toyota Supra." Ellie explained. "I remember now. What about it?" I asked. "Why did you take off and left Palmont?" Ellie asked. "Things went crazy. I was close to the finish line and the three bosses I felt them breathing down my neck like I am being hunted, however. The three cars were stunned by electromagnetic pulse guns and I was the only one left. I could've got stunned but then I was lucky I survived. I turned around and I saw cops everywhere, even behind the cars. I felt scared that I was gonna get arrested, I had to do donuts and then I stopped the car. Cordelia was gonna give the bag to me but then she got arrested. A white Chrysler 300C reverses and let's me drive into the alleyway. I mean, why would he do that for a second. When I was driving, I opened the bag and I was trying to look for the cash prize. But it turned out that it was newspaper scraps and I figured that she mistook the bag or someone swapped it. I wanted to get her and my mom out of the city but then Cordelia got arrested and I chose to get out of the city with my mom and head off to the Tri City Bay." I explained. "Are you okay?" Ellie asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired." I answered. "Can I sleep with you for the night to help you feel better?" Ellie asked. "Yes please. I'd appreciate it, thank you." I replied as I opened the blanket and I laid down on the bed. Ellie climbed on the bed and laid down on it with me. She was on the left and I was on the right. "Ellie, thank you for helping me feel better. I would do the same to return the favor to you." I said. "You're welcome and that's very sweet of you. Good night Branden." Ellie replied. "Good night." I said as I turned off the lamp, pulled up the blankets, closed my eyes and went to sleep. The next day. Kempton. 5:45 p.m. I stopped my car and I saw Cordelia walking up to the car, opening the door and getting in the car. "Drive." Cordelia commanded. I nodded my head and I drove up to the area. Minutes later. We got out of the car. "So, what did you remember Cordelia?" I asked. "I remember. I was standing over there." Cordelia answered as she looked at the spot she stood at. *flashback* "It's so close, I knew you were gonna win the race... but things were crazy. *panics* This guy knocked me over, I...I tried to get up but he held me down. I thought he was protecting me. I couldn't make it so I gave you the bag." *switches back to the present. "If what you're saying is true and the bag was switched then, I don't know how it could have happened." Cordelia explained. "I would say the guy may have switched it because some member from TFK told me that you got the same bag but then it was different from how he tackled you and then swapped it." I replied. "Why didn't you ever tell me about the missing money? If the bag was switched, then that's where it happened." Cordelia asked. "When I looked at the bag. The actual bag you had was the money, but then when I looked at it. It had newspaper scraps which was revealed to be the swapped bag." I answered. "Heads up, we got company." I said as I looked at a Corvette which belongs to Cross. "Right, let's get out of here." Cordelia commanded as she and I got in the car. Cross saw me pass by him. Downtown Palmont. Safehouse. "Hello?" I called. "Hey Branden. This is Josh called." Josh called. "Did you want me for something?" I asked. "I need you for something? You didn't disappoint me dude. And now we've got the whole city locked up. That deserves a reward, let's meet up at the old courthouse." Josh answered. I hung up the phone. "What does that mean? Crap... I have a bad feeling about this that he is gonna lead me to a trap." I said in my mind as I drove to the old courthouse. Old Courthouse. "So, this sleuth has figured out everything out. You just couldn't leave good enough alone, could you?" Josh asked. "What do you want?" I asked. "We were making bundles of cash, you were clearing your name, what more could you want? Well, things have progressed a little further now than I thought possible and I am gonna have to cash you out. Mr. Crawl." Josh called. "Son of a bitch. I knew what you were gonna do to me. I knew it, you traitor. All along you were using me and my crew to get you some cash. Now you betrayed me and you lead me to get arrested. You're gonna pay for it punk." I replied as I barked back. "C'mon. I didn't let you take my money the first time. What makes you think this is any different? You actually thought I would front you the cash to save you from this loser?" Josh asked. "You know, I earned the money from how much I have been racing and it's my money. You thought I would, no I didn't." I answered again as I barked back. "Then sit around while you were encroaching on my territory? Greed's always been your problem." Josh said. "You know, we conquered those turfs and it's ours. We are not greedy at all, it's just the fact you can't beat us cause we're too good. It's just the fact that's what's ours is ours." I replied back. "You got a lot to learn from the big times, slow kid. This city is mine and it's time for you to disappear again." Josh snickered. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. It will be ours and soon enough you'll kiss your ass goodbye if you lose cause I ain't slow and I'm not a good loser. And if you want me to do your little bullshit right? Before I end up in the ocean, fucking good luck with that." I said as I barked back. "It's Cross." Cross replied as he knocked me to the ground and he puts my hands behind my back and handcuffs me. He tosses my car keys to Josh. Cordelia arrives at the scene and I hear how car's engine. "Cordelia, please help me..." I sobbed in my mind. She gets out of the car and Josh walks up to her. "Take his ride to my place. This show is over." Josh commanded as he got in the car. She walks up Cross and he gives her my car keys. "Thank you so much, I'm glad you changed your mind." Cordelia said. "Just a bounty hunter and I always get paid. Just make sure I do." Cross replied as he released me free and he walked to the ZO6 and drove off. Cordelia looked down on me and she grabbed my hand and I got up. "Are you okay Branden?" Cordelia asked. "I'm fine, I'm just a little upset." I answered. "To be honest, Branden. I hate to say when people know that I told you so. Seems that some of your team was there that night you left and some of your them including your friends knows about it. And they tell a different story than the one I've been hearing from Darius. Thing is, their stories seem to add up. Somebody tipped off the cops, somebody let you escape, and somebody switched the bag. And now I know who that somebody was." Cordelia explained. "I know who that is." I replied. "Josh likes to pull the strings. Now there's something he doesn't know about and what you should know about. Part of the deal with Cross is that I race with you and your team, I can also be your mother's mechanic too. Do you think that you can handle that? You're not the only kid with a score to settle. Now, let's get outta here. We got a lot of ground to catch up." Cordelia commanded. Safehouse. "What? You're kidding, right? Josh was using us?" Jordan asked. "All along, he ditched the cops, let's me escape and one of his henchmen switched the bag. Which is why he betrayed us, but don't worry. We'll get our revenge on him because this city will soon be ours." I answered. "Exactly, we are not gonna let any jerks betray us or insult us. We're gonna take them down." Ellie replied. "So who's with me? Put your hands in the middle." I replied as I put my hand in the middle and the crew puts their hands in the middle on top of my hand. "As a crew, which ever is our turf. We're not gonna lose to them and we're gonna defend it. Palmont will soon be ours and we are gonna win. We are in this together." I commanded. "Yeah!" The crew exclaimed.