Go For The Gap [ONC 2023]

[ONC Shortlister - 4x Featured] Professional thief and smuggler, Nio Barn, lives by one rule: break them all.
When his criminal past finally catches up to him, he's faced with a choice: win the world's most dangerous racing competition in exchange for freedom or face a lifetime in an overcrowded prison cell.

As he enters a world of high-speed thrills, deception and betrayal, Nio realises that life in the Speed Sprint races is far from easy. Forced into a fake relationship with his teammate to keep the money flowing, Nio instead feels more drawn to his fiercest competitor, Ruben Vincuña.

With ten races across ten different countries, the stakes are high and the tension is palpable. Only one can be crowned champion. Only one can be free. Death is but a corner away.

Written for the Open Novella Contest 2023, based on the prompts:

69 - I had a marvellous time ruining everything - Taylor Swift
49 - Master the rules of the game until you play it better than they can - Michael Scott

Four times featured:
Romance - Rainbow of Love
Dystopian & Apocalypse - Rebellion: Against The System
Speculative Fiction - A Crack In The System
Science Fiction - Punk Fiction