hapter 17
Modifying cars was pretty common, and there was an annual inspection for it. But some folks took it too far.
E
Every night on Riverside Avenue, a group of thrill–seekers revved up for street racing in heavily modified cars–often without any permits. Ken mulled it over for days and finally decided he needed to put a stop to it.
“Stop the cars,” he shouted as a line of loud, flashy sports cars approached. A crowd quickly formed, blocking their path. Inside, a bunch of spoiled young men with colorful hair and girls in skimpy outfits laughed loudly.
One girl, standing confidently among them; batted her eyelashes and said playfully, “Mr. Officer, we’re not doing anything
wrong.
“What’s the problem?”
“Seriously, we haven’t broken any laws. Move aside, or I’ll have my dad complain about you all.”
“Hey officer, are you just trying to have some fun with us?”
Some spoke up after the girl had finished, clearly drunk. Ken frowned and said to his partner nearby. “Go check their alcohol levels,”
Those guys shouldn’t even require Lenore’s intervention. Ken marched over himself and confronted them. “You’ve modified your exhaust pipes. It’s the middle of the night. Can’t you see you’re bothering everyone?”
“So what? Do you know who my dad is?”
“I’m the heir to the Duncan family.”
“If you dare to arrest me or tow my car. I’ll have your director fire you by tomorrow.”
The young men carried on, refusing to take the breath test, flaunting their family connections while drunk. They thought they were above the law, not caring about the traffic cops.
Ken
otted at their empty threats. He signaled to his team and commanded, “Take them all in to sober up and tow the can.” A tow truck arrived right away, hauling away the noisy group.
Turning to the remaining cars that seemed suspicious, Ken waved Lenore over. She strolled up casually, hands in her pockets, inspecting each vehicle with a keen eye.
“The spoiler’s modified,” she noted.
The engine and brakes have been changed,” she continued.
The frame and headlights…”
“The wheel hub…”
Ken, busy issuing tickets and organizing the tow, ended up getting more than a dozen cars towed that night.
One newcomer muttered, “Have traffic laws really gotten this strict? Even if it’s just a headlight change, they don’t let it go.” He looked frustrated, questioning if they could really catch everyone making modifications like that.
shut it,” an older cop snapped, giving him a kick to keep quiet. Those who had been on the force with Ken for a while knew
20:24 Wed, Feb 5
Chapter 17
the story–thro
years ago, he’d lost his only daughter in a tragic accident linked to street racing.
||
54
Ken despised the illegal street racers. After the loss, he had transferred to traffic enforcement, hoping one day he would see that car again–the one that had taken his daughter from him.
‘But who would still drive the car that had caused such a tragedy? It was probably destroyed long ago. Still, his stubborn will wouldn’t let him give up, the older cop thought to himself.
In the distance, a Porsche Cayenne cruised toward them. As it neared the roadblocks, Chuck frowned, “Looks like they’re checking cars up ahead.” He thought, ‘Seriously, do they still have checkpoints like this in this day and age?
Wayne, casually flicking ash from his cigarette out the window, replied, “With a car like this, even if they found something. no one would dare to tow it.”
In the back seat, Silas sat relaxed, legs crossed and a laptop in his lap, completely unfazed by the noise around him. “Stop the car,” Ken called out. When the vehicle finally halted, he squinted at the stunning face in the passenger seat. “Mr.
Garcia…
Wayne popped his head out of the window, looking confused. “What’s going on?”
“This car’s been completely modified.” Before Ken could finish, cool and relaxed female voice interrupted him.
Ken blinked, speechless. The three people in the car exchanged glances.
The voice sounded familiar. Wayne leaned out a bit more, his blue hair and matching blue earrings catching the light.
Outside, Lenore, dressed entirely in black, stood confidently, her mask covering most of her face and her cap pulled low, obscuring her features. But the long hair flowing from under her baseball cap gave away that she was definitely a girl.
With hands in her pockets, she strolled forward with an edgy swagger, radiating a rebellious vibe that felt oddly familiar. Wayne hesitated and cautiously asked, “Lenore?”
At that moment, the rear window rolled down, revealing a calm profile of Silas sitting in the back seat. Under the dim yellow streetlights, his eyes glimmered subtly in the shadows.
E
