Christopher Sherlock Eye of the Cobra (epub)

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.‘You will join Jack and myself for dinner tonight?’‘Thank you, but no.I have to be at the circuit.The last- minute preparation is critical.But I’ll see you at the start tomorrow - and I look forward to bringing you victory.’Bruce watched Aito disappear into the hotel, and then the chauffeur pulled off and headed towards the circuit.It was time to get down to the real business of racing.Wyatt sat in the pits, enjoying the coolness now that the sun had gone down.He could feel himself tensing up.He tried not to think about the race, but it was impossible.Memories came flooding back.He had been here in 1978, for the Grand Prix at the then brand-new circuit.It had been hot then; his father had been at the front of the grid, and was tipped to win the race by a wide margin.The day itself had been sweltering, and the Brazilians wild with excitement.James had led the field for twenty devastatingly fast laps.Then, without warning, his car had careered off the circuit and into a barrier of tyres.When they dragged him out, he was a wreck.The incredible heat had caused him to black out.He was lucky to be alive.Wyatt could understand his father a lot better now, understand the constant tension he’d been under in those days.He looked across at Reg.He could see the excitement in his eyes, and could feel it mirrored in his own.Here, competing in the intense world of Formula One, this was living.Reg met his stare.‘Relax, Wyatt, you’re at the front of the grid.’‘I want to be first over the finish-line - it’s sixty-one laps, it’s hot, and it’s hard on the car.Relaxed is the last thing I am.’‘I was there when your father went off as well - forget about it.The Shadow isn’t as cramped as his machine was, you won’t get as hot.’Bruce walked in and looked around.His eyes lighted on Wyatt.‘You should be resting.’He was right.‘All right.I’m turning in.’‘You’re confident?’‘I feel in my gut I can do it.’‘You can.’Wyatt walked out into the darkness.What happened tomorrow would determine his future.It was four in the morning.Bruce sat next to the two cars and looked across at his mechanics.Everything was in place.‘Let’s call it a day, gentlemen.’Everyone filed out, dog-tired, leaving the garage empty except for Bruce and Mickey.‘Now it’s up to Ricardo and Wyatt,’ Mickey said.‘I know who I’ll be putting my money on.’Bruce sat down on a tool-box next to the machine.‘You’re letting your heart influence your mind, Mickey.You know as well as I do how much experience counts for in this business.’Bruce didn’t want to admit that he also rated Wyatt higher than Ricardo.He remembered Ricardo years before - Ricardo had been better then, less cocky and a lot more professional.Still, a couple of poor finishes and the Italian would be back fighting.And of course, if Wyatt was out in front, Ricardo wouldn’t be far behind.‘Do you know Ricardo’s got the better car?’Bruce swung round to face Mickey.Yes, he knew that the latest Shadow was the more refined car, the one in which they’d been able to incorporate every single thing they’d learned from Wyatt’s testing work.Theoretically better,’ Bruce said.‘She hasn’t been put through her paces yet.’There was a noise from the entrance to the garage, and they both looked up.It was Reg.‘Worried about something, Reg?’‘No.I didn’t realise it was you two in here, I thought it might be someone snooping.It’s pitch-black out there.The McCabe lads are looking tatty - they’re still hard at work.’Bruce was surprised.McCabe were obviously having problems.‘They must be worried about the new engine,’ he said, voicing the thoughts of all of them.‘Well, they’re certainly sweating.It’s as hot as Hades.’ Bruce thought fast.They were experiencing a heat-wave.Perhaps McCabe weren’t so disorganised after all; perhaps they were making some useful modifications to their engine.If it was this hot at four in the morning, when the race was run in the early afternoon tomorrow, the track would be a furnace.He cast his mind back to the time when they were still testing at Kyalami.Wyatt’s car had blown up from overheating.At the time he thought they’d solved the problem more than adequately.He turned to Mickey.‘I’m worried.Reg has made a good point.Maybe McCabe are improving their cooling-system.’ Mickey had got up and was examining the ventilation ducts that directed air into the cooling-system of the car.‘I know what yer thinking,’ he said slowly.‘But I think we should leave things as they are.’Reg glanced apprehensively at Bruce.They were both mechanics by training, and they both knew the dangers of changing things at the last minute.Generally such changes weren’t properly thought through, and caused other faults during the race.It was Reg who broke the agonised silence.‘What about modifying just one of the cars? Ricardo and Wyatt are both bloody good drivers.It’d be a fifty-fifty gamble.Then if one grinds to a halt, at least the other’s in with a chance.’Bruce knew he would have to decide whose car they would make the modification to.‘Give me a minute.I’m going to take a walk.'He got up and went out into the blackness.It was even hotter than he’d realised.Hell, he must have raced here every year for the past nine years, but it had never been this hot before.Both cars could be out of the race because of severe overheating.Reg was right, you couldn’t see a thing out here.He walked into a parked car and cursed silently.Should he pray? He was, in a quiet way, a religious man.What was fair, that was the question? In the end it was a gamble.Mickey’s modification would have been fine two days before the race - then they could have checked it out, refined it.Wyatt deserved a good car for his first race, but he was the number two driver.An initial win for Ricardo would put the champion in great form for the rest of the season.And Wyatt drove hard, whereas Ricardo was smoother; Ricardo wouldn’t hammer his car as hard.After a few more minutes he walked back into the pits.Both Reg and Mickey were staring at him intently as he returned.‘So, what’s it ter be?’ asked Mickey, keen to get to work.‘It’s in the hands of Lady Luck.’Bruce pulled a coin out of his pocket, spun it in the air and caught it on the back of his wrist.Then he stared at Reg.‘Heads or tails?’‘Tails.’‘OK, we do it.It’ll be Wyatt’s car we modify.Gentlemen, let’s get to work.’They finished at seven in the morning [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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