My Fiery Finish

I aimed the helmet camera at the fuel gauge, letting the shocking numbers come into full view.

The voice over the comms was unnervingly calm through the thick smoke.

“This car is the team’s Endurance King.

“The tank is twice the size of a standard race car, and a blast would be just as big.”

There was a pause in the breathing on the other end. Both of them clearly thought the same thing.

“You guys want to guess…

“How far can I push it before it blows?”

Next, Mandy Johnson shouted, “Jane! Don’t—don’t do this!”

Her warning had barely left her lips before my husband, Thomas Carter, laughed into the comms.

“Why panic? You think I don’t know her?

“She’d have nightmares for three days if she even hit a rat on the road. You really think she’d crash for real?!

“Just watch. Our Iron Racer is going to seal your promotion today!”

I didn’t respond to his taunts and kept my eyes glued to the coordinates blinking on the navigation screen.

“The commentary booth is thirty kilometers away. Current speed is at four hundred per hour, almost bullet-train pace.

“Do the math. How far can you really get before this rolling bomb reaches the finish line?”

As a racer herself, Mandy should have understood exactly what that meant.

Accounting for the speed of this car, combined with the full tank, even a few hundred meters away wouldn’t save anyone.

Moreover, my target was them.

Moments later, Mandy’s panicked voice broke through first.

“Jane, don’t misunderstand! It’s all for the show!”

“Thomas’ the commentator. He has to think about ratings…”

Thomas immediately jumped in, urgency lacing his voice. “Yeah, babe! The rescue team’s already on their way! Just stay put!”

For ratings?

The last trace of warmth in my chest drained away.

I questioned them deliberately, word by word. “You rigged the engine to overheat and explode, sabotaged the brake hydraulics, even locked the escape doors in advance… all for ratings?”

I had personally overhauled this car last night.

The cooling systems were perfect, the brakes responsive, and the escape doors designed for a three-second exit.

There was no way they could lock at the crucial moment.

They simply wanted me dead.

The comms went completely silent.

I didn’t need their answers anymore. I slammed the gas pedal to the floor.

“You’re only five minutes away.

“Decide now to call for help, or wait until we all go down together.”

After a brief silence, Thomas’s screams shattered the line.

“You’re insane! You’ll drag everyone down for your selfishness! How many families are you going to destroy?!

“Your daughter’s still at home waiting for her champion photo! Have you even thought—”

“Four minutes!” I shouted, cutting him off.

The background was chaos, with people in the commentator booth screaming and running.

Thomas’ voice devolved into hysterical curses.

However, I only stared at the roaring engine ahead and spat out coldly, “Three minutes.”

After a tense silence, Thomas finally sounded utterly defeated.

“That’s enough! Stop! The rescue team is already on the way!

“Just… go around, don’t come this way.”

I exhaled sharply and yanked the wheel, turning the car around.

I had gambled right.

However, moments of relief were immediately replaced by a wave of heat even stronger than before.

Smoke burned in my lungs, and all I could hear was the relentless crackling of the fire.

I fought to control the car, spinning through flames and smoke, gripping the wheel with every ounce of strength.

After what felt like forever, no rescue came.

Only Thomas’ mocking voice, saying, “So, what now, babe? All the nearest rescue teams ran. They’re pulling the fire brigade from the city.

“Even then, it’ll be at least half an hour. Might as well… keep racing?

“Go for it. We’re all waiting to watch you cross the finish line.”