AVA

About an hour after I talked to Anastasia and Svetlana, I pulled up in front of the bar. After heading inside a couple of minutes later, I looked around and didn’t see any sign of Dyson.

Frustrated, I walked out through a side entrance to clear my head. Somehow I had to find Dyson and make him understand how close he was to being dismissed from the team. At the same time, I began to wonder if my own future with the team hinged on being able to pull that off.

As I exited, I exhaled and dropped my head.

Think, Ava think. There has to be a way. You know this is something you can handle.

And then, in the midst of that thought, something caught my attention out of my peripheral vision. I turned, and covered my mouth at the sight. On the ground, dirty and bloodied, Marco and Dyson lay side-by-side, unconscious.

“Oh my God!” I gasped, rushing towards them.

Within seconds, I knelt between the racers, looking from one to the other to try and figure out what happened. Without any clear evidence, I assumed they’d been in a fight. But with whom? Each other? Some random people in the bar?

Right away, I realized it didn’t really matter, because if it was discovered Dyson had been in a situation like this, I had no doubt he’d be off the team.

Over the next few minutes I did my best to try and wake them up. Eventually, they both stirred to awareness. When they did, I leaned away, covering my nose.

Both of them reeked of alcohol.

“Ohhh… Oh no,” I muttered.

The two men managed to get into semi-seated positions.

“Dyson,” I began, clapping my hands together to get his attention. “Dyson! What happened?”

He waved me off, wincing and holding his head in his hand. I turned my attention to Marco and asked him the same question. While I spoke, Marco attempted to stand.

“Marco,” I began, reaching out to try and support him. “Wait, don’t, that’s not a good idea.”

Before I could help him, Marco’s legs wobbled, and he tumbled backwards, falling into a row of trash cans. The impact made a terrific noise. He groaned and cussed, struggling to free himself of the mountain of garbage he’d fallen into. I scrambled to my feet, rushing towards him. Reaching for Marco’s forearm, I grabbed hold of it and leaned in the other direction.

“Can you get up?” I asked.

I was far too small and light to pull Marco up on my own. After two failed attempts, I sensed Dyson’s presence behind me. Turning my head towards him, I looked up. He moved me aside and reached a hand for his teammate, at last pulling him out of the debris. Still trying to wrap my head around what happened, I looked at both of them.

“Why are you out here? Whose blood is that? Yours? Someone else’s?”

Neither one of them managed a word. With Marco’s arm draped over his shoulder, Dyson waved me off. “Let’s just… We’ve got to get out of here.”

Realizing what was at stake, I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, yes we do. Let’s go. My car is parked right around the front.”

The three of us began to make our way around the side of the building when a sudden impediment blocked our path. Frozen in place, we looked straight ahead. Gunter, his entourage, Darren, and Dieter all stood in front of us.

Dieter spoke first. “Dyson, what’s the meaning of this?”

Dyson, still half-delirious, chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about? Marco and I had a little bit too much to drink, and we fell into the trash cans behind the bar. Ava found us.”

Gunter stepped between us and them, pointing at Dyson.

“He started a fight in the bar, Dieter. I’ve got witnesses—proof.”

Dyson spit in Gunter’s direction. “You don’t have jack shit. Gunter, why don’t you go fuck yourself?”

Gunter snapped his head towards Dyson. “I’m telling you right now…”

“Enough!” Dieter yelled. He pointed at Dyson. “As of this minute you’re suspended from the team. Not only for fighting with Gunter, but also for putting Marco in the middle of everything.”

Before Dyson could say a word, Dieter turned to Darren and said, “Take Marco, and get out of here.”

“Yes sir, right away.”

Almost before I realized it, Darren disappeared with Marco, walking around the corner and vanishing from sight. Afterward, I turned my attention to Dieter. He stepped a bit closer to us.

“Dyson, you know I’ve treated you like a son. Whatever is going on with you, you need to get help. This is the only chance I’m going to give you. Take this suspension, and make something of it.”

Dyson struggled to stay upright.

Dieter turned and looked at me. “Ava, take him back to his motor coach. Put him to bed.”

I nodded and steadied Dyson, helping him to begin walking. After a drive across town, we arrived back at his bus. It had just begun to get dark outside.

I parked my car and walked around to Dyson’s side, glancing in the direction of the motor coach. There were lights on inside. I swallowed, readying myself for the inevitable confrontation I’d have with Anastasia and Svetlana. Opening the car door, I reached inside to help Dyson, but he swatted my hand away.

“I got it,” he grumbled.

A few moments later, he unlocked the door to the bus and walked inside. Following behind, I entered immediately afterward. I glanced around, expecting to see the girls, but no one was there. Dyson seemed completely unsurprised.

He walked towards the refrigerator and grabbed another beer.

“I think you’ve had enough to drink for one night, Dyson. Don’t you?”

Dyson scoffed, opened the bottle and tossed the cap aside. It bounced across the counter, making a series of clinking noises before falling to the ground and rattling to a stop. I turned my attention towards him. By the time I did, he’d already taken several large gulps.

I shook my head at him. “Why are you acting like this?”

He didn’t answer, but instead lifted the bottle to his lips and drank again.

“You’re suspended, Dyson. You can’t drive. When do you stop acting like this? What are you trying to prove, anyway?”

Dyson cleared his throat and placed the bottle down on the counter.

“You’re free to go.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere. If this was just about you, Dyson, believe me, I would have no problem walking out that door. But my job is on the line as well.”

Dyson frowned and turned away from me, walking back towards the bedroom. Biting my lip, I followed right behind him. A few seconds later, he collapsed on top of the bed, closing his eyes.

With any luck, he would pass out and not be able to do any more damage. As much as I wanted to scream and slap some sense into him, I thought better of it. However, there was one more question I needed answered before he blacked out.

“Dyson,” I began, crossing my arms at my chest. “Dyson, look at me.”

He glanced up in my direction.

“I just need you to be honest with me. Before I found you and Marco at the bar, I stopped by here. Anastasia and Svetlana were hanging around. I’ll just be direct with you. Are you still sleeping with them?”

He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

“No,” he muttered.

“Do you mind me asking what they were doing here?”

I looked down at him and noticed his breathing had changed. It was deep and rhythmic.

“Dyson,” I said again. “Can you hear me? Dyson?”

He’d passed out. I exhaled and shook my head. Turning to leave, I switched off the light in his bedroom and closed the door. A few minutes later, I’d left and was in my car on my way back to my hotel room.

For now I’d done all I could to help Dyson.

As far as Anastasia and Svetlana were concerned, I had no choice but to believe him when he said he wasn’t having sex with them. Even so, I had to put all that out of my mind. I had a final meeting with Simon’s school administration scheduled. It was the last chance I’d have to keep him there and nothing mattered more to me.