Asin
Everything was ready.
In three hours, I needed to be back on the yacht... and then I had to let Marie mentally drown me in the harbor waters.
I felt genuinely bad for misleading her. But tonight was just one of three planned races, and I intended to use our massive fight, resulting from tonight's deception, as a convenient excuse for my absence during the others.
It was a messed-up plan, but short of coming completely clean about the entire operation—which was impossible right now—it was my next best idea.
We were on the yacht, and I was about to execute my escape. Oliver would follow me fifteen minutes later.
The plan was simple: I'd swim to shore where the cars were already waiting. Oliver, who couldn't swim that well, would be picked up by a quiet rowboat, manned by Kol—his first official task as a recruit. After that, it was basically routine.
"Alright." I put my empty cup down. "I'll return soon. Don't forget to order my dessert, dear."
Marie had a strange, knowing smile. "Absolutely. Don't stay too long."
She waved as I walked away. Strange woman.
Oliver gave me a quick, shared look, and I was gone.
I grabbed my backpack, filled with my essentials: comfortable racing clothes, my lucky shoes, water, the dried watermelon I ate before my first race, and a keychain with my family picture. Essentials.
I climbed down the rail and slipped into the cold water. I felt the adrenaline kick in.
Come on, Asin. Reach.
---
Oliver
The plan had been progressing perfectly. Marie and Ayshe were over the moon, happy with the quiet night, and Asin was probably reaching the shore by now. We had asked the captain to stop at a specific point to simplify the transfer.
"What dessert will you have?" Ayshe's question pulled me back into the moment.
"Strawberry cheesecake should hit the spot. What about you guys?"
Marie kept taking glances toward where Asin had disappeared—the woman was truly obsessed.
"I'll take the lemon cheesecake. Marie, order for your husband."
She looked at the menu one last time.
Just in time for the signal to arrive: three subsequent flashes of light from a flashlight. Kol was on the water.
I had exactly seven minutes.
"I think I'll check on Asin," I said, getting up quickly.
Ayshe's hand stopped me instantly. "Wait. I'm sure he's fine. Let us chat... until he returns." She smiled—it was a little scary.
"Sit down, Oliver," Marie commanded, her voice suddenly devoid of any playful teasing.
Seeing the resolute certainty in their faces and their eyes, I felt the strength leaving my legs. I sank back down into the chair.
Asin... they know!
~
The next five minutes passed in excruciating silence. They asked nothing. My time was literally up.
What now? Make a run for it? Let Leyla handle tonight? I couldn't even text her; my phone was in the backpack, waiting for me in the captain's cabin.
"You seem nervous, Oliver. Is there a reason?" Marie wore a deeply satisfied smile.
"I'm... I'm just thinking about what's up with you two. Is there something..."
"We know about G.O.D!" Ayshe screamed. I jumped; my heart completely skipped a beat.
"...The deity or the racing..." I tried one last, desperate joke.
"Stop it, Oliver!" Marie leaped up and walked around the table. "Now I'm going to check the men's toilet and see for myself! What is the truth!"
She stormed away, and I felt myself physically sinking into the chair.
And then...
"Pampam! Hey, talk to me!"
Kol and four guys from the crew burst onto the yacht, wearing what I can only describe as ninja outfits.
The silence was choking the life out of me. In the chaos of the complete exposure, I figured: Well, it's lost already. Might as well take charge and own it.
"Alright, everyone! Kol, you take the boys and head back home. Tell Leyla I'll be late, but don't let them miss a single beat. Asin CAN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS! Understand!?"
"Y-yes... yes!"
Kol turned around and disappeared into the night... like ninjas. Lord God help us.
"O-Oliver..." Ayshe walked up behind me, a little scared by my sudden seriousness.
"Listen, I don't have time. But since it has come to this, I will tell you what I can. A little later. Now, sit down and do what I tell you."
To my surprise, they both gave a synchronized nod and sat down.
I went and talked to the captain. Tonight was going to be an even more interesting one than anticipated.
---
Marie
"What was that!? Who were the ninja-looking guys!?"
I couldn't answer her because I was too busy marveling that our plan had worked, and, more importantly, we seemed to be completely right.
When Asin told me his plan to "make up" with us, I knew he was up to something. He thought I didn't pay attention, but I saw more than he imagined. Sudden little things—the quick change in his eyes, his facial expressions, the tiny hesitation when he lied. He was good, but I saw him!
I felt immense satisfaction, mingled with sheer terror.
"Marie? Are you okay, sis?"
"I'm fine... don't wor—"
We suddenly stopped moving, and the boat crew began busy docking procedures.
Oliver soon came back with a backpack on his shoulder. "Now, follow me and limit your questions. We are late."
I almost asked, Late for what? But I kept it in.
Ayshe was practically running; she was so excited. Looking at my own shaking hands, I knew we both were.
We were led toward a large bus. He ushered us in and followed. "Don't worry, Jiee, they're with me. Take us there... hurry if you can."
With that, we were away. I let the silence settle before we attacked him with questions.
He opened his backpack, took out a water bottle, and swallowed a few pills—probably aspirin. "Okay. One shock per person for now," he said, before taking the pills.
Ayshe was faster. "Are you two part of G.O.D?"
Oliver slowly nodded. "We are G.O.D."
I was lost for words. They weren't just part of it. It meant...
"Asin is the masked driver?" I asked, barely a whisper.
"He is." He looked undeniably proud.
The car remained silent for a few long minutes.
We pulled into an old part of the city. Hundreds of warehouses. The sign read: 9th Ward Warehouse District.
Suddenly, I saw people all in black strategically placed around one of the smaller warehouses.
"Drone operators," Oliver spoke up.
Drone operators? Look at that.
"You use them to scout around... in case..." Ayshe started.
Oliver cut her off. "Yes. For protection. Come on, and don't say a word or stop for anything."
He got out and made his way toward one of the abandoned property. We followed closely as the large steel door slowly opened, revealing a scene straight out of a movie.
The place looked desolate from the outside, but the inside was more like a space station, with people running around with tablets and a group wearing VR goggles, all looking intensely busy.
"Mr. Aster!?"
I saw the girl from that night—Leyla, the personal assistant—run down the stairs leading to what looked like an office.
I looked at my sister and saw the same realization in her eyes.
"Asin?" Oliver asked Leyla.
I paid attention as Leyla's face filled with the memory of our earlier encounter, but she quickly focused. "Leading... comfortably, Sir. These ladies..."
"Later, Leyla. Everybody back to work!"
He reminded those who had stopped and were staring at us. They quickly recovered and moved along. He made his way upstairs, almost running, with the three of us close behind.
The office was small but highly efficient. Three guys were sitting in the corner, watching a large screen. It showed the masked driver—Asin. He was ahead of a pack of supercars.
Oliver sat down, opened his laptop, and took the tablet Leyla offered him.
"The purse? The police?" he asked Leyla.
"Ninety thousand for the purse, and the RAMs haven't been let loose. In fact, the police are suspiciously quiet, even after our call."
She explained, looking at us occasionally.
"RAMs... Marie, I think they're talking about the specialized police cars," Ayshe whispered, more shocked than I was if she thought I couldn't follow that.
I looked back at the screen on the wall. His masked form now seemed transparent. His arms, the subtle movements of his neck, the way he shifted in the seat—I could even see his smile under that mask. They were all familiar.
"...This is worrying," Oliver muttered.
I looked back at Oliver, studying his tablet. I walked straight behind him, but understood nothing of the data spikes I saw.
"Oliver, what's happening?" Ayshe asked.
He put the tablet down and looked at the screen. "The police report came in—from us and the public as well. But... they haven't sent their best yet... Wait. What the hell?"
I understood little of what he said, but just as I turned my head back to the screen, the scene changed. It went from Asin and the other drivers to specialized police cars.
"Oh my God. Are those the police cars?" Leyla wondered out loud.
"...They are now," Oliver said, immediately dialing his phone. "Brother, listen. They have enough horsepower to catch up. What?... Hello? Asin! Damn it."
He smiled and put the phone away.
"Sir?" Leyla asked.
"He doesn't care," Oliver shrugged and sat down.
What was even worse was that Leyla just nodded comfortably.
"Oliver..." I started, but he cut me off.
"Sit down, Sister Marie. Don't worry. Listen..."
We all did, and heard the people downstairs shouting and chanting, "G.O.D... G.O.D..."
"Do we look or sound worried?" he asked.
I shook my head and turned back to the race.
---
Asin
I ended the call and was immediately back in it.
We sped through an abandoned property on the outskirts of the city. It was a sprint. Driving at breakneck speeds, feeling the gravity push you inside the seat—it was exhilarating.
But, as with all these types of feelings, they ended fast.
2 minutes, 23 seconds. The first race was down.
I took the left on instinct as the navigation system delivered the location of the next race. Once it loaded, I allowed myself a little rest. But I was the unlucky one this time.
The new police models, which looked like souped-up Formula racing cars, were not only keeping up with the bottom feeders, but one had managed to come right after me.
Now we're talking.
I released my instincts and let the neon lights of the city pass me by. My phone was ringing; I knew it was Oliver.
Sorry, brother. Whatever you see on screen, I'm experiencing it first.
I narrowly took a right, allowed my momentum to throw me into place before I stepped on the acceleration again and released the manual brake. I smiled, seeing the fake Formula racer slip out as he couldn't quite take the turn, slamming violently into a pole.
That must have hurt. That car was fast but lacked any sort of safety. I hoped the driver was okay.
Soon, some of the other racers who followed me on this route went into a single file line behind me, and we made our way together toward the next race: The Circuit.
---
Ayshe
My brother-in-law is a crazy son of a...
He made Marie tear out chunks of her hair until I stopped her.
The cars the police sent were fast, but the drivers mattered. Asin took a turn that was downright magic, narrowly avoiding a post that split his opposition almost in half. It was a scene straight out of an action movie.
"Sir, these numbers are incredible! Twenty million streaming and counting. Twenty-one. Twenty-four. Twenty-six..."
"Yes, Leyla, I get it." Oliver was calm, at least on the outside.
The people downstairs were screaming encouragement at Asin as he led four drivers on the freeway toward the next location.
"Unbelievable. I'm going to break his hands and then we'll see..." My sister was lost in her threats.
"Let's keep a better eye on the police. If you spot those... new ones... yes, stay there," Oliver finished calling someone, and his phone rang immediately.
He ignored it at first but then looked back and got up. "Girls, I need to take this."
He walked outside, and we were left with her assistant, the girl who started it all. To her credit, she looked scared when she met my eyes. Thanks to her, my sister was chosen.
I looked at Marie. She was standing ten inches from the screen that showed Asin, looking like he was having a nice, relaxing drive.
"Khm... Sorry."
I looked at Leyla. "Just doing... Oliver's bidding?" I got straight to the point.
Her silence was taken as a yes.
Funnily enough, this small news didn't even make the top five things I was concerned about tonight.
Oliver came back and sat down, looking years older.
"You okay?" I walked closer.
"...It's quite a night. You guys are handling it..." He glanced at Marie, still watching the screen. "...Well enough."
If "well enough" meant pushing the limits of our sanity, sure, we handled it fine. I still couldn't wrap my mind around it. All these people, the equipment—it was an insanely large operation. They had a small army.
Leyla kept repeating numbers. They used their own cryptocurrency called GOD coin or GC. It had appeared a year ago and had been on a steady rise with their activities. Now, each coin was worth a few hundred dollars. They were making millions here.
It was too unbelievable to think two people barely over twenty could run such a criminal empire. Yet here we were, standing in the middle of it.
"Ayshe?"
Oliver was talking to me, and it took five seconds for the words to register. I was literally lagging.
"I'm here. Sorry, repeat that?"
He took a deep breath. "The second race is about to start."
I looked at the screen, and the cars were in racing positions. The location was in the middle of the desert surrounding the city. Drones worked around the clock, giving the viewers the best look from every angle. Funnily, all the other drivers used similar masks now, like Asin's. I'd watched these videos before, and this was the first time I noticed that.
"It's called a circuit. Two identical laps. First one wins the lot," Oliver walked forward. "Leyla, start the bets."
"Yes, Mr. Aster."
They obviously controlled the betting, but I had never paid much attention. Now, hearing the numbers, doing simple math, these boys here were probably richer than some oligarchs.
The streaming website started stuttering, making the people downstairs voice their dissatisfaction.
"Leyla!"
She disappeared, probably working on a fix.
The three people in suits were just as interested in the race as the rest of us.
"Who are they?" I asked Oliver.
"The CCTV team. They're responsible for the exit. Turning off public cameras, hacking into systems to make sure Asin can disappear without a trace," he explained, seeing my confusion.
"Can he disappear?"
We both looked at Marie. Her eyes were not pretty.
"W-well, yes... obviously. We work around..."
"Listen here!" She grabbed his jacket and shook him a little. "And if you fail, huh!?"
"Marie! Marie, please!" I tried to pull her off him.
One of the CCTV guys walked up. "Khm. Mrs. Martell? Hello."
She immediately regained her composure, noticing the man. "Go on," she demanded.
Marie. She really did love being called Mrs.
"My name is Michael, and I'm the Head of the Close Circuit team. I can guarantee we take our jobs very seriously. The boss is in good hands."
He talked with the kind of confidence that only came with the skills to back it up.
"Thanks." Even Marie was convinced, or at least she let go of Oliver.
Just in time for Leyla to return. "We fixed the latency issue, Sir."
"Good. Close the bets."
Oliver seemed experienced and had the right people in place. Suddenly, he dialed the phone.
"Asin?" I asked.
"Hmm, forgot to call him. Hello? Talk to me, brother..."
He pointed at his mouth, looking at Marie, who dramatically closed her mouth with an imagined zipper.
"Good. Nice turn... I sound fine. Don't know what you mean," he lied smoothly. "We'll talk after we win tonight. Good luck."
He quickly ended the call, banging his hand against his forehead. "He will kill me."
"Pfft. He won't," I laughed.
He kept shaking his head. "He will. And leave my ashes somewhere awful that I hate." He laughed, though it was strained.
"Don't be ridiculous. You're about to win a huge one, and the first double race." I tried to calm him.
"One of three nights..."
"W-what?"
He looked up desperately. "This is just the first night. Tomorrow and Sunday, too. I don't feel so good." He leaned back.
"Two-minute warning, Mr. Aster."
"Thank you. You have to talk to Marie," he turned to me.
"What about?" I whispered.
"To soften the blow when he arrives." He grabbed my hand.
I looked at Marie. She was still listening to the stories told by the CCTV team, hungry to hear someone who was there when the races happened. She was quickly becoming a GOD fan now that her husband was running the show.
"I will. She'll be fine since... you know, ammunition," I said it plainly.
"Ammunition?"
"Yes. Don't worry," I said slowly.
He kept nodding without truly understanding, but I knew my sister. She would use tonight to regain the control she felt she lost that night I spurred her on.
Oliver didn't know it, but this secret, I believed, would finally build the bridge she felt was missing between them.
"The race countdown begins..."
We followed Leyla's words and looked at the screen.
---
Marie
Throughout the race, I heard a bunch of nonsensical numbers I didn't understand, but people were celebrating like lottery winners. And my husband won that circuit with ease.
It was hard not to be impressed. Driving wasn't easy, but to drive against people who were making careers out of it? Asin had a God-given talent.
Oliver was so happy he hugged my sister, spinning her around. Then they both came over and buried me in an awkward hug.
"What now?" I asked, looking back at the screen.
"Now it's our turn, Mrs. Martell."
That man named Michael gave a confident smile, and all three of the CCTV guys got glued to their screens, their fingers typing furiously.
"Marie, don't worry. We've been doing this for a long time now," Oliver started. "And Asin is a pro at getting away."
He went and called him again. As much as I wanted to unload on him over the phone, it just wouldn't do it for me. It had to be in person, the way it was going to happen. Seeing him disappearing into the desert night gave me a strange comfort.
"He is coming here. Listen, girls. I need you to take it easy on him." Oliver came over, practically pleading.
I wanted to retaliate immediately, but the noises from downstairs became increasingly louder.
"Are you not afraid someone will hear you guys?" I asked to break the sudden silence.
"Don't worry. We use materials that are soundproof. Also, we have lookouts for miles." He was suddenly very accommodating, afraid and wanting to make good with me so I wouldn't explode when Asin arrived.
Oddly, I felt great. The worrying had given way to infinite relief, fueled by adrenaline, and I let it wash over me. He was fine. It was over.
But I might as well get something out of him.
"Oliver, listen, I won't unleash hell on him... but from now on, you will tell me about these in advance. Even if he..."
"Deal."
He came over and offered his hand. I shook it before he could change his mind, securing my win.
The sounds of celebration downstairs reached a peak; it was ear-bursting.
Oliver went pale.
My husband—the secret illegal racing champion—arrived.