Page 175 of Bend

A beat.

“Trying.”

I put my pen down, because fingers just stop working.

Andre’s voice changes, all the earlier irritation stripped out of it.

“Talk to me about the bike.”

“Bike’s fine.” Wolfe takes a hard breath. “Just lost the line.”

The words should help.

The motorcycle is fine. Nothing failed.

Nothing I touched failed.

But none of that matters when I hear the strain underneath his breathing.

Draygon comes through next. “What’ve you got?”

“Wall left. Drop on the right.” Wolfe’s breathing is heavier now. “Not much room.”

My hand closes around the edge of the workbench.

There are still other racers out there behind them, not just our guys. Wolfe can’t simply get off the throttle and stop in the road without turning himself into something another rider could hit at speed.

Andre’s voice stays calm. “Keep it moving. Scrub what you can without making yourself unpredictable.”

“I know.”

The engine note changes through the comm, then Wolfe swears.

“Rear’s starting to come around.”

“Easy,” Draygon says. “Let it settle.”

“I’m trying.”

For a few seconds, all we hear is wind, engine and Wolfe’s breathing while he fights to keep the bike underneath him.

Then, quieter—

“Shit.”

My stomach drops.

Andre looks up sharply. “Wolfe?”

“I’m here.”

Something in his voice has changed.

He isn’t panicking though, which is somehow worse.

Andre’s eyes stay fixed on the course map. “You see anywhere to put it?”

A long pause.