Hard and Fast

by Raven Scott

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he added. “That was a pretty close call.”

  “I’m fine,” she replied with an exasperated eye roll. “It was just a tire blowout. It happens. So, why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here?”

  Marco interrupted their conversation.

  “Alex really knows how to make a first impression, doesn’t she?” he said to Lucas, looking back and forth between them.

  Now that the emergency was over, with minimal damage, the excitement about their motor’s performance was obviously returning.

  “I try, Markie-Mark,” she replied to her boss, tapping his cheeks like he was a child. “Now, who is it that I’m making an impression on and why is he at our road test?”

  Marco laughed, not the least bit offended by her nickname or playful teasing. She could tell that he was flying high with adrenaline. She felt the exact same way.

  “This, Alexandria, is our security consultant, Lucas Johnson,” Marco stated as he dropped an arm around her shoulders. “Lucas, meet Alex Cotts, our lead engineer and inventor extraordinaire.”

  Alex closed her eyes in a long blink as all the pieces fit together.

  “We met last night, actually,” she told Marco, seeing no reason to pretend otherwise. “In the Metropolitan, at Shawn’s bachelor party.”

  Lucas Johnson looked back at her with those pretty eyes, rimmed with long, inky lashes. A trace of his flirty smile still lingered on his lips.

  “She makes a pretty good second impression, also,” he finally stated to Marco. “Nice to meet you, Alexandria.”

  “Alex, please,” she insisted on reflex.

  Still feeling uncomfortable about his presence in her “work” world, Alex turned back to the car and to business.

  “Did Randy and Niles share the data?” she asked Marco in a soft, discreet voice. “Zero to sixty in four-point-nine seconds, Markie! That’s just right out of the gate! Then Bobby got it to about one-sixty-two down that last stretch. Once we’ve cleaned it up a bit and dialed it in, I think we could hit one-eighty, no problem.”

  Even saying the words sent chills down her spine. One hundred and eighty miles per hour for a race car with a turbo-charged engine was noteworthy, but it was unheard of for an electric-drive hybrid.

  “Jesus, Alex! You don’t mess around, do you?” replied Marco, throwing his head back from the weight of her words. “That’s insane!”

  “I know,” she agreed.

  “Are you guys done here?” Marco asked.

  “Yeah. Once the tow truck has the car loaded in the race trailer, we’re going to head back to the shop,” she explained.

  “Okay. I’m going to head back now, but Lucas needs to get some information from you about the Cicada and your work with Adam,” explained Marco. “Can you meet with him when you get back?”

  “Sure,” Alex immediately replied. She completely understood the security concerns.

  “Good, thanks. I’ll have Norma order us some lunch to celebrate,” he added. “Great work, Alex. I always knew you could do it.”

  He gave her shoulders a tight squeeze as he made the last statement. Alex was touched by his words, but tried to make light of it.

  “I’m glad one of us did,” she shot back dismissively.

  This time, Marco rolled his eyes before walking back to where Lucas Johnson stood talking to Bobby Chiu, the youngest member of her team. She watched the two men talk briefly. Lucas looked relaxed and unaffected by what had happened, but Alex didn’t miss the way he routinely scanned the area around the track, or the very sharp diligence in his eyes. While it was an unsettling surprise to have him walk into her professional life, his presence as a security consultant made her feel a little more safe.

  “See you guys back at the shop,” Marco told her team a few minutes later as he and Lucas started across the asphalt toward Marco’s car.

  “See you in a bit, Alex,” Lucas said simply as he walked by her.

  She nodded, then got back to work. But it was very hard not to watch the tall, lean length of his body as the two men walked away.

  The tow truck for the speedway arrived a few minutes later. Alex asked Randy to supervise the transportation of the Mitsubishi Evo loaded with the Cicada back to their trailer, parked behind the racing pit, while she, Bobby, and Niles finished their notes from the test. While the Cicada had outperformed her early projections, there was still a lot of potential for improvement based on what they had observed. They were also brainstorming ways to tweak the drivetrain design that could create more speed.

  “I can look at other generators. There were a few in the catalog that could work,” Niles suggested. He had been assigned to build a mechanism that converts methanol gas power to the electrical power stored on high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.

  “But they were heavier, right?” Alex recalled. “I don’t know if we can afford the extra weight.”

  “We could if we made the combustion engine smaller,” Bobby proposed. “We only need enough gas to recharge the battery for ten to fifteen minutes when the batteries run low.”

  “Or maybe we try various configurations in the drivetrain to maximize power output and save weight elsewhere,” Alex threw in.

  “Like on the body of the Evo?” asked Bobby.

  “Yeah,” she confirmed. “Let’s assume that whatever we add to the mechanics can be saved elsewhere.”

  The three looked at each other, brains working.

  “Hey, guys,” Randy interrupted as he ran up to them. “The car’s packed.”

  “Randy, you did some work with carbon fiber panels in your last job, right?” Alex asked him.

  “CF? Yeah. It’s amazing stuff but insanely expensive,” he replied.

  “We might need to add weight to the power unit to get more speed. Could we do that by replacing parts of the body with CF?” she quizzed.

  “Sure,” confirmed Randy, crossing his arms across his rounded chest. “But it’ll shoot your budget to shit.”

  Alex let out a deep breath and looked at the ground.

  “Okay, let’s head back to the shop and get everything in the system.” She started walking back to the pit stop area and her team followed. “Then we’ll run some models to improve the power-to-weight ratio.”

  They loaded everything into the truck cabin and trailer, then headed back into the city. While Bobby drove and Randy rode shotgun, Alex sat in the backseat of the truck with Niles. They had gone to the University of Waterloo together, and he was the first person she had hired last year for the Cicada project.

  “So, what do you think?” she asked, studying his expression. “Am I in over my head?”

  Niles opened his mouth a few times, clearly trying to find the right words.

  “It’s ambitious, Alex,” he finally replied. “When you revealed the final design this morning, with all the pieces we’ve been working on put together, I have to admit, I was skeptical. A series design hybrid hasn’t ever seriously been considered in passenger cars, never mind for racing. The typical electric motor just doesn’t generate enough sustainable power.”

  “I know,” she conceded. “Which is why I started from scratch. Nothing on the market was going to work, right?”

  “Exactly. It’s your motor that makes it work, Alex,” finished Niles. “So, no. You’re not in over your head. Even if we don’t get to the Sea-to-Sky Highway race with this design, you’ve already had a huge accomplishment. There’s nothing more to prove.”

  She let out a big sigh before giving her friend a grateful smile.

  “Thanks, Niles. I know it was awkward for you guys to be in the dark for so long. But it was essential before we filed the patent,” Alex explained. “Marco was really worried about the motor design ending up in the wrong hands. We still are.”

  Nile waved his hand dismissively.

  “You guys were very clear about the situation from the get-go. I don’t know about the others, but I’ve been too busy building the regenerative braking sys
tem and diagnostic controls to really worry about anything else.”

  “Good. That makes me feel better. But I’m really glad to have you guys in the know so I can pick your brains.”

  “That’s all we’re worth to you? Brain-picking?” Niles shot back with a big laugh. “In that case, I might be overpaid.”

  Alex playfully punched him in the shoulder.

  CHAPTER 5

  Alex and her team arrived back at the Magnus building shortly after two o’clock in the afternoon. Once the damaged race car was securely parked back inside the shop, ready for the required repairs, they went to get lunch. As promised, Norma had ordered pizza from a local bistro and had the now lukewarm pies laid out in the largest conference room, across from Alex’s office. Half the food was already gone, presumably eaten by the other mechanics.

  The Cicada team grabbed slices of cheesy pizza laden with a variety of traditional toppings. Alex placed two pepperoni wedges on her paper plate, then ate them while making notes on her iPad. The other engineers were talking about the damage to the Mitsubishi, listing the body repairs need to the backend.

  “It’s almost two thirty,” stated Alex after her lunch was finished. “Are you guys good with what we need to do with all the files related to the Cicada? I promised Markie that they would be all cleaned up by the end of the day.”

  Niles, Bobby, and Randy nodded, still working their way through the food.

  “I’ve already set up folders for each of your projects, so just store everything you need on the portal. Delete everything else,” she continued. “Then tomorrow, we can start tweaking the powertrain for the Cicada in the Mitsubishi.”

  “What about the body damage?” Bobby asked. “We’ll need to get the repairs on the schedule with Dale’s team so the car is ready for testing. Do you want me to talk to him?”

  Dale Winters managed the Magnus auto shop and the team of eight mechanics. They were really good at doing any basic work on the racing cars when needed.

  “Sure, that would be great,” Alex agreed as she pushed back her chair to stand up, grabbing her cell phone, iPad, and a diet cola from the table. “I’m going to be with the security guy for a little bit. But send me a message if you need me.”

  The guys waved her off fondly, their mouths still full.

  Alex walked down the hall to the small meeting room near Marco’s office where Lucas Johnson had set up shop. The door was open and she could hear the low, smooth pitch of his voice as she approached. There was a tingle in her stomach that caught her by surprise, causing her to pause outside the entrance for a few seconds. She took a deep breath and straightened her back, thinking well-worn work overalls weren’t exactly what she had fantasized wearing if she ever saw him again.

  “I won’t bite.”

  Lucas was now standing in the doorway with that charming smile on his lips and a teasing twinkle in his eyes. His cell phone was held up near his ear. He pressed what she assumed was the mute button and he went back to his conversation without missing a beat. Alex clenched her teeth with annoyance as she followed him into the room and closed the door behind her.

  “I’ll meet Ned, Lance, and Michael at the airport tomorrow,” he stated into the phone, but his eyes were watching her every move. “Let’s leave Raymond on his current assignments. I can complete the system update.”

  Alex unlocked her cell phone and scrolled through e-mails, but her attention was unwillingly fixed on Lucas. He walked two paces along the back wall, behind the round conference table, then back two paces. She scrolled through the same list of messages again.

  “’K, call me if you need anything.”

  Lucas put the phone on the table next to his laptop, and there was a small pause before she looked up. He wasn’t exactly smiling, but his eyes still seemed to be making fun of her. It made her stomach clench again.

  “So, Alexandria Cotts, why don’t you have a seat.”

  He pulled out the chair next to where she was standing, then sat in the one beside it. Alex wanted to refuse, but couldn’t find a justifiable reason. That only made her feel petty, and even more annoyed. She sat down in the chair offered, working to keep a neutral expression.

  “So, is it Alex or just Lex?” he finally asked.

  Of course Alex knew the question would eventually come but was still caught unprepared for how uncomfortable it made her.

  “Alex,” she stated simply.

  One of his eyebrows quirked up.

  “Alex,” he repeated, as though testing it out. “Are you familiar with Fortis and our work for Magnus over the last nine months?”

  His professional focus was both confusing and a relief. She put her things on the table and sat back.

  “You installed our new computer network, right?” Alex summarized.

  Lucas looked amused by her statement, though she could not imagine what was so funny.

  “Yes, we did. But we’ve also monitored and administered it,” he added. “That’s how we discovered the attempt to access files last week.”

  She nodded, recalling her meeting with Marco on Friday afternoon.

  “So, how can I help you?” Alex asked, getting impatient.

  “What’s your relationship with Adam North?”

  His tone was still smooth and his posture relaxed, yet Alex felt an accusation in the question. She sat forward, with her arms crossed on the table.

  “What do you mean, my relationship? We brought Adam on to provide the new battery technology for the Cicada,” she explained, sounding a little more defensive that she intended.

  “How were you introduced to him?”

  “Why?” she shot back, knowing there was more to the questions than idle curiosity.

  He didn’t immediately respond as he looked back at her with an unreadable expression. Alex deliberately raised her brows to remind him she was waiting for his response. He smiled, as though her attitude amused him. She tried not to glower back.

  “Marco hired Fortis to protect the new technology you’ve been developing,” he stated simply. “Until your new engine was built, we focused on the intellectual assets. The ideas, design schematics, and related notes. Anything that could be stolen and used by one of your competitors.”

  “I know that,” Alex interjected. “But what does that have to do with Adam?”

  “My team confirmed that the network intrusion we detected last week was done through North’s computer.”

  “What? That can’t be true. Why would Adam try to access our network?” she objected. “You must be mistaken. How do you know that?”

  That look of tolerant amusement was back on his face.

  “We know it for a fact,” he replied calmly and simply. “But I didn’t say that North did it. Someone used his computer for the encrypted access to your file-sharing server and planted a bug, or Trojan horse program on the Magnus system. We detected it and shut it down.”

  “So Adam had nothing to do with it?” she confirmed, feeling relieved. His work was too vital to the success of the Cicada design for Alex to imagine not trusting his motives.

  “No. We’re fairly certain he was unaware of what happened. But someone knew enough about his work with you and Magnus, then took the time and effort to hack his system. With some sophistication, I might add,” explained Lucas. “Which is why I need to understand your relationship with North. How were you introduced to him and his technology?”

  Alex looked down at her fingers, resenting the necessity to reveal details about her personal life to this frustratingly attractive man who was practically a stranger.

  “I first met him a couple of years ago, at a racing event. We were introduced by a friend,” she explained.

  “A friend?”

  Alex swallowed.

  “Yes, Jean Renaud.”

  “You’re friends with Jean Renaud?” Lucas asked sitting a little higher in his chair. “French Indy car driver, Renaud?”

  She shrugged.

  “The racing world is small.”


  “Go on,” he urged.

  “Adam was a research professor of physics at the University of Illinois. We talked a bit at the event, and he told me a little about his work with high-capacity lithium-ion battery power,” Alex told him. “After some research, it got me thinking about car applications, like in a hybrid or electric engine. So, I arranged to meet Adam again at another event last year and asked him to design a battery for the Cicada.”

  Lucas just listened intently, brushing an index finger slowly over his silky-looking lips. He made no attempt to make notes. Alex wanted to shift uncomfortably in her chair, but she resisted. The physical effect he had on her was very distracting.

  “How do Renaud and North know each other?” he finally asked.

  “I’m not sure,” she replied honestly. “But Adam is a big Indy car fan, so I assume they met in the industry.”

  Lucas nodded, as though getting the details he needed.

  “Lex, I need you to tell me what exactly your Cicada is,” he stated firmly. “From what I know about hybrid vehicle technology, what I saw today on the track was pretty incredible.”

  Alex felt a swell of pride at his words, though she was certain he intended it as a statement of fact, not as a compliment.

  “It’s Alex,” she pointed out.

  He shrugged.

  “The Cicada,” he repeated.

  She sighed loudly, resenting his high-handedness.

  “It’s a hybrid design, just more simple than currently used by the big car manufactures,” she explained. “There is a small gas-powered engine that’s used only for battery charging, while the electric motor powers the wheels.”

  “Show me,” Lucas instructed, pointing to the large dry-erase board mounted on the far wall of the room.

  “All right.”

  Alex stood up and grabbed a black erasable marker from the small container mounted to the wall. At the whiteboard, she drew a simple diagram of the drivetrain mechanism behind her design.

  “Almost all successful hybrids use both the gas and electric motors to run the car, switching as needed when the electric battery runs out,” she explained. “But that’s because the electric batteries are so heavy, and have limited range per charge. The best on the market can go four hundred, maybe five hundred miles, max, then need hours to charge. So dual-powered drivetrains are a good compromise, providing a longer driving range than pure electric cars, and more fuel efficiency than gas cars.