Friends (Rimba Racer Story)

CHAPTER 4: AN UNWELCOMED TASK

About five minutes riding on her motorbike, Tamira finally came to a stop in front of a warehouse garage with the door closed. She parked her bike nearby and got off, which prompted Axle to do the same. He frowned at the sight of the area, with the other warehouse lots looking more abandoned than the road that his car was at. He followed Tamira, feeling wary of the situation.

"You sure it's here? Everything looks closed," Axle asked her, feeling doubtful. Tamira glanced behind at him, with a hint of smugness on her face. It wasn't like she hadn't been here a million times.

"It's opened. Especially if you have some 'off-the-record' job you need done," Tamira explained as they approached the garage door.

"So, it's illegal?" Axle's eyes narrowed, wondering if he should just back away now.

"It's not if you don't get caught," Tamira looked back at him with a smile. It was fun to see someone who was new to this world react to everything. She knocked on the metal door a few times, as the noise rung through the alleyway. Axle was on alert, because the place was giving him a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

A couple of seconds later, the door is lifted up and a figure stood in front of them. He was an older, male wolverine, with dishevelled, grease-stained fur on his face and the rest of his body as well. He was wearing stained overalls, with a dirty shirt underneath to match. His expression completed the whole package, a grumpy sulk, as he gritted his sharp teeth. Axle was definitely taller than him, but even he was intimidated by this presence in front of him.

"Ah, Tamira. What brings you here in the middle of the night?" The guy grumbled as he walked back towards the inside of the workshop. Tamira walked and started to follow him. She waved her arm to Axle, asking him to come along as well, to which he hesitantly did.

"Jimmy, you're open. Don't try to act like your evening is disturbed," Tamira responded, rolling her eyes. The wolverine, whose name is apparently Jimmy or Jim, grumbled but didn't say anything comprehensible.

Axle looked around and saw that it was a surprisingly big workshop that had been busy for quite a bit. There were a few tool stations around, and a few cars with its hood opened in a section at the back. One of them actually seemed like a new model out on the market, but with some modifications done on the body as well as the engine, probably.

"I've got a flat tyre down by the 6th street in front of the pawn shop. Can you take care of that?" Tamira asked as Jim settled himself, leaning against a trolley with his tools on top.

"Gee, of course I won't," Jim muttered to which Tamira groaned in frustration. She honestly didn't want to be here tonight, because she knew Jim would bring up something that would be a pain in the neck for her.

"Oh come on, I told you I'd pay as soon as I get the money," Tamira exclaimed, throwing her hands to the air.

"Where's all that RGP cash, huh?" Jim snidely commented.

"I burned through it, okay? I'm kind of low right now," Tamira answered, feeling a little bit pushed back. Jim shook his head with a smile while Axle stood silently not knowing if he should pipe in or remain still as a statue.

"I'm not even asking for myself. It's my friend's car. Help him out," Tamira pleaded slightly, pointing to Axle who stood uncomfortably by her side. Jim glanced at Axle whose expression was unchanging. After a few seconds of just staring which eventually made Axle become a bit uneasy, he let out a scoff of amusement.

"I'm not doing any favours for you or your friends until your tab's clear," Jim stated bluntly, crossing his arms. Axle saw the opportunity to intervene and spoke out.

"If it helps, I'll pay for my car and... whatever she's got as well," Axle stepped forward, trying to diffuse the situation. Tamira turned her head to him fast with a baffled expression, feeling somewhat insulted for no reason and took a step towards him.

"I'll handle this," Tamira looked at Axle with ice cold look in her eyes, which caused him to think twice and refrain from saying anything else. She turned back to Jim, tired of his attitude.

"Well, is there anything I can do?" She asked. Jim stared at the ground momentarily, pondering in his mind on what things he could make her do. Then, he got an idea.

"There is something," he trailed off as he walked away towards somewhere else in the workshop.

He went over to a cabinet at the back and pulled out something from a drawer. It was a tracking device with a small screen and a photograph, which he walked over and slowly handed over to Tamira. She could only stare at them with confusion.

"It's a rock," she stated briefly, referring to the photograph. What was she supposed to do with this?

"It's a piece from a meteor rock a personal friend sent to me from the jungles of Zarona. Rare and expensive stuff. I was planning on selling it in the 'market' or find a buyer but someone broke in here the other day and stole it. Fortunately, I put a tracker on the rock. It's in the Ashton apartment by Juvie Street. Probably on the 23rd floor based on the tracker," Jim explained.

"So? What do you need me for? File a report to the police," Tamira asked, feeling more and more impatient. Jim snickered in delight, which irritated her more and more.

"You kidding? I take one step on the station and they'll start asking about my late night 'activities'. Nah, nah, if you want to clear your debt, then find that rock and return it to me. I'll get your friend's car and fix it up. But if you don't come back with the rock, I'm keeping the car," Jim suggested a deal.

Tamira and Axle looked at each other. He felt a little perplexed, seeing as he could just settle this without going through all the trouble, but for some reason, he didn't want to argue with her. Tamira on the other hand, just tried to look for answers in his eyes but came up with nothing. She eventually sighed, giving up on trying to find any other options and turned to Jim.

"Fine, I'll go. But the car had better be here when I get back," Tamira warned before taking off. After a few steps, she was reminded of why she was there in the first place. She turned around and saw Axle looking confused and blank as he stood there silently next to Jim.

"You can wait here, if you want," she told him in a shaky tone, feeling unsure.

Axle hesitated, his mind thinking of what to do and he looked over to Jim. He flashed a sharp toothy grin at him with an unsettling look in his eyes, which made Axle feel a creep going up his spine. He turned back to her with slightly fearful look in his eyes.

"I'll... go with you," Axle said reluctantly as he started walking towards Tamira, wanting to follow her out and be anywhere but there.