The rider who completed the most laps in the twenty-four-hour period won.The race began with the riders running four hundred yards to their bikes. Once they were in the saddle, a three-mile fire trail ascended the mountain before the course turned to seven miles of twisting, turning single track before another three miles of flat trail led back to the starting point. Each rider was fitted with a GPS so that race officials knew exactly where every rider was at all times. The round trip was thirteen miles, providing the riders plenty of time to spread out the pack.In the eight years the event had been held at the park, no rider,
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male or female, had ridden the course for the entire twenty-four hours.
Riders were able to stop and start at their leisure, riding as many laps as they could with any number of rest breaks in between. There were no limitations.
The race started at four p.m. Last year, due to her injury, Caroline was unable to compete at full throttle throughout this race. She finished fifty-sixth. Respectable, considering her injury, but it was a heartbreaking finish nonetheless. This year Caroline knew how she was going to attack the course. She was going to complete five laps then take a ten-minute break. She would repeat this sequence for the first three hours then increase her break time by five minutes in each sequential three-hour block. The race was similar to a marathon in which runners ran 26.2 miles. The first half of the race, generally speaking, was pretty easy for most runners. It was the second half that was more difficult, and the seasoned runners knew that it was the last six miles that made the difference between winning the race or not.
The terrain was a combination of dirt, sand, rocks, pea gravel, boulders, and washboard roads that would rattle the fillings out of any unsuspecting rider’s teeth. It wasn’t unheard of that after the first ten hours of the race, half of the contestants had either voluntarily withdrawn or involuntarily withdrawn due to a fall or a mechanical breakdown they couldn’t repair. When the mental and physical fatigue set in was when mistakes began. Hands went numb from their tenuous grip on the handlebars. Fingers started to blister from the constant pressure from squeezing the brake levers. Toes tingled from the continuing pressure of pushing down on the pedals. Leg muscles quivered from the sliding back in the saddle on the descent, pushing on the ascent, and absorbing all the shock on the way down.
If the riders didn’t rest, rehydrate, and refuel they would find themselves in the dirt. Sometimes they would be able to pick themselves up and continue, but more often than not, they would be seriously injured with a broken arm, broken collarbone, or worse. Caroline knew that this would be a test not only of her physical stamina but of her mental stamina as well.
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Caroline had intentionally kept an eye out for Shannon in the airport, hotel lobby, and here in Canberra. She knew she couldn’t avoid her for long, but the longer she did delayed the inevitable.
She felt like a fool, or an idiot. She wasn’t sure which. How stupid of her to think that Shannon wanted something from her other than a quickie trip down memory lane. The sex between them had always been more than unbelievable.
The scene with Shannon and her father two mornings ago was still fresh in her mind. She needed to put it in its proper place and devote her full concentration on preparing for this race. The races in this series had been won and lost in tenths of a second. This race would be determined by much more than that.
v
Shannon finally cornered Caroline three days later. She had knocked on Caroline’s hotel door until her knuckles bled, staked out the practice runs, and roamed the park grounds desperately searching for her. It was as if she had not arrived, but Shannon knew better. The Bellow trailer was there and showed signs of constant activity. But no matter what she did, or where she went, she was never able to connect with Caroline.
She wanted to see Caroline again. Needed to see her again. Shannon had to reinforce the connection they shared because it didn’t seem real.
She thought she didn’t have any residual feelings for Caroline, but one touch, one kiss, and she knew she had been lying to herself all these years. The feelings intensified as she finally saw Caroline walking across the expo grounds.
Shannon slipped behind the giant tent to cut off Caroline’s access to her sponsor trailer. She stepped out from behind a stack of boxes and gently grabbed Caroline’s hand and pulled her back into the area away from the prying eyes of others. Before Caroline had a chance to react, Shannon covered her mouth in a searing kiss. Shannon’s head spun from the contact and she was left hanging when Caroline pushed her away.
“Don’t touch me.” Caroline’s voice was harsh.
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“What?” Shannon was dizzy from the kiss and Caroline’s rejection.
She hadn’t expected this reaction.
“You heard me.” Her voice was like ice.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know damn good and well what I’m talking about. If you think for one minute I’m going to stand for that, to be treated like another one of your biker babes, you have another think coming. Get out of my way.”
Caroline started to brush by but Shannon grabbed her arm and stopped her. She had no idea what Caroline was talking about and was not going to let her walk away again. Before she had the chance to say anything else, Caroline slapped her. Hard.
“I said don’t touch me.” Shannon had never seen such flames of anger in Caroline’s eyes. “Not after her. Now get out of my way.”
Caroline enunciated each word. Shannon was too stunned to do anything but let her walk away.
Frowning, Shannon shook her head trying to clear it. What in the hell just happened? What was Caroline talking about? Her who? Those and several other questions pounded in her head as she walked back in the direction she had just come. With each step Shannon relived every moment after their night together searching for something, anything, that would give her a clue to what Caroline was talking about.
Shannon stopped suddenly and her stomach lurched, pushing bile into her throat. Nikki. It had to be. Somehow, Caroline must have seen Nikki with her and assumed the worst. It couldn’t be anything other than that. She had barely spoken to anyone after the race, and certainly not in a way that would lead Caroline to believe she had been with anyone else. She pivoted and ran after Caroline.
“Caroline, wait. It’s not what you’re thinking,” Shannon shouted when she was still yards away from her retreating form. “Caroline, let me explain,” she added finally alongside, hurrying to keep up with Caroline.
Caroline didn’t respond or even acknowledge that she knew Shannon was at her elbow. “Caroline, please.” She was not above begging. Caroline stopped so suddenly Shannon ended three steps ahead of her.
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“Let me make this perfectly clear. Leave me alone. Don’t talk to me, try to see me, or even look at me. That night was a mistake. A very bad mistake. And it will never happen again.” Caroline walked away leaving Shannon breathless with fear.