Racers

In a futuristic world messages and packages are delivered by teams of motorcycle riders. These teams are composed of 6 riders. The leader, the mechanic, two protectors and a "racer", a high-speed specialist and a replacement racer for if the original should be injured. These teams are highly regarded within society holding an honoured place in society for without them industry would grind to a halt as communications ceased.

I have tried to make this chapter longer for those readers following the story.

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Chevron pulled to the side of the road and stopped allowing Cheandra to climb from the back of his bike. She staggered as her injured leg took all of her weight.

"You alright?" Chevron asked concerned.

"Just a bit stiff." Cheandra brushed aside his concern.

Chevron kicked the stand down and got off his bike, he took his helmet off and caught Cheandra by the upper arm when she would have turned away, Cheandra looked at him warily as he stepped closer to put his arms around her. He felt her tense within his embrace as he gently placed his cheek against hers, he held the gesture of affection for a couple of seconds before releasing her and stepping back.

"Maybe you will come home with me another night and finish what we started tonight, you might like the privacy of my room next time."

Cheandra didn't let her surprise show as she met his level gaze.

"We will see what the future brings." She replied before turning and walking towards the pathway to her house, she paused at the fence line to look back at Chevron to find he was standing beside his bike watching her go.

Cheandra took a deep breath and mentally braced herself before opening the front door, the light in the main room was on but no one was there, she pulled her boots off and left them by her favourite chair before heading for the bathroom. She turned the shower on and adjusted the temperature before stripping and stepping beneath the warm stream, she washed quickly and efficiently before turning the water off and reaching for a towel which she wrapped around herself and tucked the end in the top. Her leather pants needed to be sent out for cleaning she decided with an annoyed look and her top was ruined, buttons lost and buttonholes ripped, only her jacket had escaped unscathed. Wrapped only in the towel and carrying her jacket she headed for her room, in the main room Tristis was heading towards his room with two bottles of drink.

"Your in for it, Ryker was madder than mad when Mace turned up without you." Tristis told her as he eyed the curves revealed by the damp towel.

Cheandra gave a grin and lifted one eyebrow "Does it look like I'm worried?"

Tristis shook his head and headed for the hallway to his room.

"Tris, did the girls get to go home?" Cheandra asked before he was out of sight..

"Shari is in my room and Mizty is in Mace's room with him and Ryker. She wasn't too interested in leaving once Ryker started getting real friendly with her." Tristis told her just before he was out of sight.

Cheandra frown as she went into her room and shut the door before removing the towel and reaching for the shorts and singlet top she usually slept in. Just what she needed she thought angrily, having to listen to the sounds of sex in the room next to hers while her body was still half aroused from her own interrupted pleasure earlier. As if on cue the soft sound of voices came from the other side of the wall beside her bed and a few moments later the rhythmic creaking of a mattress, Cheandra rolled her eyes in frustration as she sat on the side of her bed and turned on the bedside radio before laying down and stretching out on her back.

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Cheandra awoke the next morning with a dull throbbing headache from the noise of the radio while she had slept, she sat up with a groan and reached over turning the radio off. Her injured thigh protested as she swung her legs off the bed and stood up, between her leg and her head she decided on a hot shower to hopefully make her feel somewhat better.

The sounds of an argument in the kitchen greeted Cheandra as she stepped out of the shower and she groaned with dismay as she dried herself and hurriedly dressed.

"What is going on?" Cheandra demanded as she limped into the kitchen.

Tristis and Ryker turned to face her, Tristis had an anxious look to him and Ryker was angry.

"I want Shari to move in. If that's alright with you that is." Tristis said.

"Leave it until after the comps then move her in where ever you are." Ryker ordered angrily.

"Who are you to say who can move into my house?" Cheandra demanded as she glared at Ryker angrily.

"We have enough problems as it is without any outsiders making things more difficult!" Ryker snapped. "And where did you get to last night? You didn't come back home with Mace. Don't you give any consideration to his feelings?"

"Where I was is my business and there is no reason I have to worry about Mace. " Cheandra declared.

"Is it necessary to start fighting this early in the morning?" Zack asked as he and Burtie walked into the kitchen bleary eyed with sleep.

"You'd better go ask her permission before you start complaining in her house!" Ryker said sarcastically with a pointed look at Cheandra.

The throb of her headache deepened slightly and Cheandra broke off eye contact with Ryker as she limped to the fridge and opened the door.

"Who wants breakfast?" she asked as she began placing eggs and steak on the kitchen counter.

"You doing potato hash with that?" Burtie asked hopefully.

"Can do. Who else wants hash?" Cheandra asked as she glanced from one man to the next.

"Yeah, me." Both Tristis and Zack were quick to say.

Cheandra quickly and efficiently got steak and potato hash cooking with eggs waiting close by for last minute cooking.

"I want flapjacks."

Cheandra stopped what she was doing to turn around and look at Ryker with disbelief.

"Flapjacks? I'm cooking everyone else steak an hash and you want flapjacks?"

"Part of your responsibilities with the house is looking after your team isn't it?"

Cheandra gave him a disbelieving look before turning away.

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Mace could feel the tension as soon as he walked into the kitchen. The other five were sitting down eating breakfast and Cheandra looked up with a stormy expression at the sound of his footsteps.

"What do you want, steak, hash an eggs or flapjacks?" She positively snarled the last word with a glare at Ryker.

"What ever is easiest for you." Mace answered as he noticed that the majority of Ryker's flapjacks were burnt around the edges.

Cheandra rose from the table and dished up cooked steak and hash, placed the plate in front of Mace, then set about frying several eggs for him. She carried her food over to the counter by the stove and ate as she watched the eggs cooking.

"What time did you get back this morning?" Mace asked her between mouthfuls of food.

"About two I think." Cheandra answered tightly.

"Two-thirty." Tristis supplied.

Mace looked at her raised eyebrows, he knew she had expected to stay out all night.

"Tell me about your little friend." Cheandra directed at Tristis.

"She's eighteen. Her father is a local merchant, owns his own store. She has two older brothers and a younger sister, her mother works for one of the local bakeries. She can ride a bike fairly good for a girl, she may be interested in riding in a team." Tristis supplied the information.

"Useful connections." Mace commented and glanced at Cheandra, it was solely up to her if another woman was allowed in the house and mostly up to her if a woman was to stay there and Tristis had mentioned earlier that morning that he wanted his girl to move into the house with him.

"Which store and which bakery?" Cheandra asked sounding slightly annoyed but trying to stifle it.

"West Street Place, Cordell & Smit Bakery."

"Your leg bothering you?" Mace asked when he noticed she was limping and received a glare for his concern.

"I been hurt worse." She snapped.

"I'm having a look when your finished in here." Ryker ordered.

Cheandra glared at him but there was really no way she could object, if she was injured it could effect the entire team. She checked that the eggs were cooked and reached for Mace's plate.

"Just be a moment." She told him as she turned away and dished the eggs onto his plate before returning it to its former place. She remained standing as she finished her meal, she placed the plate on the sink and glanced at the table to see if anyone else had finished as well.

Once all the men had finished eating all but Mace left the room while Cheandra cleaned up, Mace continued to sit at the table watching her.

"You were expecting to stay out all night last night, what changed your mind?"

Cheandra remained silent as she worked, she had no intention of talking about what had happened between her and Chevron with Mace. When there was no reply from her Mace knodded to himself before leaning back in the chair best he could.

"Looks like young Tristis is getting serious about this girl." He commented.

Cheandra didn't do more then knod as she began wiping the table clean, once she was finished that Mace got to his feet and attempted to take her by the upper arm.

"Back off!" Cheandra fairly growled as she pulled away from him.

"You had best let Ryker check that leg out." Mace urged in a soothing tone.

"Anyone would think that I am incapable of telling if I have been hurt or not the way you two are carrying on. All I need is a day or two taking it easy. But no, you's are determined to make a major case out of it!" Cheandra complained as she limped into the lounge room and found Ryker waiting there for her. She took one look at the hard look on his face and pushed the loose sweat pants off her hips and turned sideways so he could see the side of her leg where she got hit by the other bike the previous day.

Ryker frowned as he saw the multi coloured bruise that mottled the smooth skin of her thigh, just by looking at it he could tell it was very sore and probably not a little stiff. He stalked over to her when he saw the bruises on the side of her upper hip and recognised them as marks let by a bruising grip, most likely done during sex and clearly new, probably only from the night before.

"Is the soreness from the bruise or from whoever fucked you last night?" Ryker demanded angrily as he plunged a hand between her upper thighs and his fingers sort to slip beneath the edge of her underwear. Cheandra gasped in outraged surprise and went to slap his face but Ryker caught her upraised hand with his free hand then her second hand with his other hand when she tried to hit him a second time.

"Stop it you pair!" Mace snapped as he grabbed Cheandra from behind and pulled her away from Ryker. He knew them both well enough to know that neither would back down from the other and a physical confrontation between the two of them would upset the harmony of the team while working. He restrained Cheandra when she would have struggled to get free and it took nearly a minute before she calmed down enough for him to let her go knowing that she wouldn't try to slap Ryker for the insult he had dealt her. He was aware of the other three younger men having walked into the room and eased Cheandra further away from everyone else.

"Straighten up your clothes." Mace said quietly.

Cheandra glanced up at him angrily but did as he said.

"Zack, your running the package next run." Ryker said as he watched Cheandra for a reaction.

Determined not to give him the satisfaction of showing just how much he had pissed her off Cheandra kept her facial expressions under control as she watched Ryker silently. Zack looked from Cheandra to Ryker and then back to Cheandra, he swallowed nervously and gave a slight knod.

"How about we go for a ride into town?" Mace asked her quietly.

Cheandra gave a curt knod and headed for her room. Several minutes later she limped back into the main room in riding gear, she ignored the others as she headed outside. She was standing beside Mace's motorbike waiting for him when he came outside.

"Shall we go check out how well Tristis's girls family store is doing?" Mace asked her as she put her helmet on.

"Go to the bakery where her mother works so I can check things out there." Cheandra replied.

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Mace could tell that Cheandra was still angry as they stood outside of the Smit Bakery, she headed inside without a word and left him to follow behind her.

"What dessert pies do you have today?" Cheandra was asking the woman behind the counter when Mace walked in.

"We have Apricot, Apple, Apple and Cinnamon or Brambleberry pies today. Deep dish or regular." The woman said with a pleasant smile. "Would you like to try some?" She asked and motioned towards a serving plate with a clear lid on it.

"I wouldn't mind trying the Apricot pie." Mace said.

"You're always hungry." Cheandra laughed softly but she reached for a piece of the offered samples.

"That's the Apple and Cinnamon. All pies were made fresh this morning."

Cheandra thought she noticed a resemblance to Shari around the woman's eyes.

"Mmmm, good." Cheandra said with relish. "Did you make this one?" Cheandra waved her hand towards the sample plate.

"I make all the pies with help from my two daughters. Are you interested in savoury pies as well? We have some very nice Curried Chicken pies today." The woman said and indicated a tray of hot pies on display.

"You got Beef pies as well?" Mace asked.

"I would have to check if they're ready yet." The woman said and disappeared into the room behind her, she returned followed by a girl pushing a trolley loaded with hot pies, she bore a strong resemblance to Shari. The girl would only be a year or two younger than her sister.

"I'll take eight Beef pies and a dozen of the Curried Chicken pies. A deep dish Apple Cinnamon and an Apricot pie." Cheandra decided.

Mace pulled his wallet out and glanced at Cheandra.

"We can pick them up on the way home." Cheandra told him and moved away to look at the cakes and pastries on display while Mace paid and arranged to pick the pies up later.

"Well what do you think?" Mace asked once they were out of the shop and well out of hearing range.

"Doesn't matter either way what I think does it?" Cheandra said dryly.

"Your decision if the girl moves in or not." Mace mentioned.

"Are we going to the other store or not?" Cheandra asked sharply.

Mace took a deep breath and headed towards his bike, obviously Cheandra was still in a bad mood and he had no intention of being on the receiving end of her displeasure.