Enjoy :)

Chapter Quote:
"So if you don't drift to win, what do you drift for?"
~Sean, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
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Chapter 10

Jason

It hurt putting on my clothes in the morning, but at least it was my left arm and since I was right handed, I could still do most things. Dom picked me up so he could drive me back to his house. From there we hopped the back fence into the neighbor's yard. In the front of the house was Toyota Silverado. Dom told me to get in the back and lay down. I did as I was told.

"Welcome to the party," a voice said. I jumped, letting out a short 'Ahhh!' I heard Brandon snickering under a black blanket.

"Don't scare him. No one can know we're under here," Ember snapped from underneath a different blanket.

"What are we doing?" I asked.

"Going to a safe house. Our cars are waiting for us there. Now grab a blanket and cover yourself up. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

I lay down in the back of the truck bed and threw a blanket over me. On the ride to wherever our destination was, Ember explained that my suitcase was packed and at the destination. My car was there too, but unfortunately, I was having to leave that behind. Ember promised me that it'd be safe though. I would be riding in the car with Ember and Brandon. Mia would be driving Gina. Dom and Letty had their own cars. Roman would be driving Tej. Hobbs would meet us down in Rio at a later date.

Time passed slowly and I swear we'd been driving for an hour but it'd actually only been twenty minutes. A door was raised and then went back down.

"You three can come out now," Dom said. I threw the blanket off of me and looked around. We were in a very familiar garage. It took me a second to actually register where though.

"We're in your dad's garage?" I queried.

"You've been here?!" Brandon exclaimed.

"Yeah, Ember drove me here a few times. Which car are you taking?"

"The Chevy Impala. It's the only one that can fit all three of us comfortably. Besides, it has a lot of upgrades. It's pretty much the one I've been upgrading since I started racing. It needed the most. Now it could take on any of the cars in here with the chance of winning."

"All depends on the driver," Dom said, giving his niece a small smile.

At that moment, the garage door went up. Hobbs walked in. After shutting the door, he had us gather around a table. He took out six GPSs.

"Okay, listen up. There are two different routes. Dom and Ember, you two are taking the shortest route to get to Rio as soon as possible so you can get everything set up. I'll meet you down there with my team. Letty, Roman, and Mia, you three are taking the longer route. We're splitting up in case Lynch and his crew go after us. It's easier to take them separately than as one. They're stronger together; you guys are strong no matter what the situation." Hobbs handed each driver a GPS. "Rico and Tego will meet you down there as well. Dom, just give them a call once you arrive. Now, drive safe, drive fast, and I'll see you down south. And Ember?"

"Yes?"

"Try not to piss off any more psycho racers."

She smiled. "Yes sir."

"Let's move out! Dome leaves first, then Ember, then Letty, then Mia, then Roman. Wait ten minutes after the person before you leaves before you leave yourself." Hobbs eyed Roman. "Tej, watch him. Make sure he listens."

"Why does he gotta watch me?" Roman asked, looking slightly annoyed and confused at the same time.

"Because you don't listen well," Tej countered.

"I don't listen?! You still have Martin Luther King's car!"

"Says that guy that refuses to get rid of Rick James' jacket," Tej countered.

I leaned over to Brandon and questioned, "What are they arguing about?"

"Some inside joke they've had since the last time they were in Rio or something. This is like the eightieth time they've had this conversation. Come on. You get the front. There's more room up there."

"Thanks man." I slid into the passenger seat. Ember was propping up the GPS on her dash.

"Hey, we'll be driving for a while so you should get some rest. I'm sure you're still tired from last night."

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. I have enough caffeine in the back seat to keep me going for hours. You relax. Brandon and I will switch when we stop for gas next and you can take the backseat when that happens. Then we can have a little rotation."

"I can drive after Brandon."

"Are you sure about that? With your arm and all?"

"I'll be fine."

"All right. Well get some rest while you can." I nodded and lay my head back, falling asleep almost instantly.

I woke up periodically throughout the drive, once when Ember was ordering food through a drive-thru (I woke up to eat), once to her and Brandon talking about things but I didn't want to eavesdrop and I was tired nonetheless so I fell back asleep practically right after I woke up, once to Ember talking on the phone to who I believe was Dom, and once to her singing softly to the radio. The fifth time I woke up, we were at a gas station, far, far away from our starting destination.

"Hey," Ember said, popping her head into the car. "I'm going to go get some sustenance from the gas station. Want anything?"

"Some water and chocolate please."

"Any chocolate in particular?"

"Any and all."

"All it is. Why don't you hop in the backseat? You can stretch out your legs a little more. How are you feeling?"

"Not bad, why?"

"Just making sure. You've been sleeping for hours without waking up except to eat. I want to make sure we didn't take you out of the hospital too soon."

"It's going to take more than a bullet to kill me."

Ember smiled. "All right. I'll be back."

She headed into the gas station. I crawled over into the back seat, stretching out. Brandon plopped into the driver's seat. Neither of us said anything. He was looking at the GPS and I was trying to fall asleep again.

"Jace, we got company," Brandon said. "Jackson found us."

I jerked up. "What?!"

"He's going to go for Ember. We need to get her."

"I'll go. You go slash his tires. Stop them from getting us after we make our escape."

"What are you going to do?!"

"No idea." I opened the car door and threw my jacket hood up. Keeping my head low, I entered the gas station. Ember had about thirty different snacks and drinks in her basket. She was grabbing a bag of pretzels when I walked up to her.

"Everything okay?" Ember asked.

"Jackson found us. He's here."

"Where's Brandon?"

"Slashing his tires."

"Which is not appreciated," Jackson remarked, walking in nonchalantly. "Those things were expensive you know."

"You again," Ember said in distaste.

"Please, contain your excitement," Jackson countered.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"To tell you there's a mole working with your friend Hobbs. There's a tracker in your GPS so Lynch knows you're going to Rio."

"Why are you telling us this?"

"It's not the first time he's told us information. He did tell us that Lynch was planning on killing my family to get to me when Brandon and I were leaving your place," Ember said.

"He what?!"

"I'm trying to protect her here," Jackson said.

"Why are you trying to protect her? You don't even know her!" I exclaimed angrily.

Ember placed her hand on my shoulder in an attempt to placate me. Jackson seemed unaffected by my remark. "I've already said that I'm helping her because I don't want her involved with what Lynch does. I'm trying to stop this just as much as you are but if Lynch catches on, he'll kill me and you're not the only ones in danger here that I'm protecting."

"You're not the kind of guy that protects random people. You race for an illegal group of people! You do illegal heists! You run by Lynch's code, not your own."

Jackson's nostrils flared. "I run by Lynch's rules, but I have my own damn code so don't tell me what I do and what I don't and what kind of man I am. You have no idea what I've seen, what I've gone through. I'm trying to save your girlfriend's life here!"

"He's not my boyfriend," Ember said.

"Semantics. He loves you like one."

Ember cocked her head. "We're just friends."

"Okay, so maybe I don't know what you've been through," I interjected before Jackson could say anymore on the 'dating Ember' situation. "But you're not just protecting her because you don't want her in the life. You're doing it for a different reason."

"Then please enlighten me about what that reason is."

"I don't know what it is, but I'm going to find out."

"Okay, let's stop talking about this before is escalates. Jackson, I appreciate you telling us about the GPS and I'll alert my family," Ember said.

"Let me see your phone," Jackson requested, holding out his hand. Ember didn't budge. He sighed. "I'm not going to put a bug in it if that's what you're worried about. I want to give you my number."

"You planning on dating her something?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

"Jace," Ember hissed, hitting me in the stomach.

"No, I'm not planning on dating her. I'm giving it to her in case she gets in trouble and can't get to one of you guys. Do you have pen or paper?"

"Tell me your number, I'll put it in," Ember said. Jackson repeated it to her. "There. It's saved. Now we need to go before we get too far behind. Don't follow us or I will shoot you."

"Can't follow you with slashed tires," Jackson pointed out with a shrug. If I wasn't mistaken, I saw a ghost of a smile appeared on Ember's lips. She liked him. Not as a crush, but his personality. But I knew why. What I found so endearing and enrapturing about Ember was the same thing I found so annoying and irritating in Jackson. They were two sides of the same coin, they complemented each other. Somehow, I think they both knew that.

"Take care of yourself, Ember. And your boyfriend and brother too. If you'll excuse me, I need to go make a call to get some new tires. Watch yourselves out there." Jackson started to walk out of the gas station.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Ember called out.

Semi-turning around, a smirk appearing on his face, he laughed, "Ride or die, Em. Ride or die."

Ember bristled before walking up to the counter and buying the snacks. She said nothing except a thank you to the cashier. We walked outside to our car. Jackson was on the phone. From what I could hear, he actually was trying to find a way to get new tires. Brandon leaned against the Impala, arms crossed.

"What'd our friend want?" Brandon questioned, giving Jackson the death glare. Jackson saw, giving my friend a wave.

"A warning. Brandon, use your tech genius to find a bug in the GPS. I need to call Dom, let him know what's going on," Ember replied.

"What exactly is going on?"

"Someone is a mole on Hobbs team working for Lynch and whoever it is apparently bugged our GPSs. Get in and let's get going."

The three of us hopped into the car. Brandon took the wheel. I took the backseat. Ember immediately called Dom. I could hear how pissed off he was on the phone. When she was talking about Jackson, it almost sounded like she was defending him. I wasn't the only one who picked up on it. The second Ember hung up, Brandon pounced on her.

"Jackson's gotten to you. Why?" he asked.

"It's probably nothing. I'll let you know when I figure it out."

"Em, you're putting up walls."

"I'm not putting up walls."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not. And even if I was, how would you know if I was?"

"Because I've grown up with you my whole life and I've been through everything with you."

"Not everything."

"Look, you're practically my little sister Ember so-"

"Brandon drop it. I don't want to talk about it."

"Stop-"

"What's is the big deal? So I'm not telling you something?"

"Because it has to do with a guy being involved in a group that wants you doing illegal heists and wanting to kill our family! And last time one of our family got close to Lynch, they ended up-"

"Don't," Ember interrupted. Her voice trembled as she said, "Don't you dare bring that up right now. That's way out of line. This has nothing to do with that."

Brandon went silent. Ember slouched down in the seat, resting her head against the window and closing her eyes. She fell asleep pretty quickly, but I waited for about thirty more minutes before I asked, "What does the 'Ride or Die' thing mean? Jackson said it when he left. Ember bristled at the mention of it. You happen to know why?"

Brandon sighed. "That's what I was grilling her about. He said the same thing to us when we left your place last night. The 'Ride or Die' is a motto in our family. Only in our family. No one outside of our family is supposed to know it. The only people that do is you and Hobbs. Or so we thought until Jackson came along."

"You suspect something?"

"I do. Two theories actually. Both are long shots though."

"What are they?"

"Theory number one, the most improbable: somehow, some way, Brian survived the crash and was taken prisoner by Lynch and has been kept all these years and he's probably been beaten, tortured... must've slipped our saying. Theory number two, a little more plausible, is that Jackson is our family."

"I'm not following."

"Theory two is that Jackson isn't Jackson at all, but Jack O'Connor. He was kidnapped at a young age but he was old enough that he would remember certain things about us. Problem is, if it was Jack, then wouldn't he have told us it was him?"

"Not necessarily. Maybe if people knew it was him, they'd get more daring and bold and make errors in trying to get to him which would put those people in danger, possibly people he cares about. Do you think Ember suspects the same thing you do?"

"That's what I was trying to get her to admit. When Brian died, she got really bad. I know she told you she was hit really hard-"

"Yeah, she said she barely ate, slept, or went outside."

"That's not all. She barely spoke. If we got her to speak, it was in short answers. She never said any more than she had to. She threw herself into work and school. I barely saw her. Ember's like her uncle with her temper. She rarely loses her cool but when she does... she lost her cool more times than I care to admit during that year. It was never violent but she could shut you down with a single word. It was like I didn't even know her. Ember used to be open about what she was feeling but that changed when her dad died. It was like she compartmentalized her emotions, bottling them up and telling no one, not even her mom or Dom or me, the three people she was closest with. I'm worried that if she gets too caught up in thinking Jack might be alive, that Jack might be Jackson, she's going to slip back into-"

"How she was after her dad died," I finished. I paused for a few moments before adding, "It would help my theory seem more plausible."

"What's your theory?"

"Jackson claimed he was helping her because he didn't want her in the life he had."

"He said something similar to us as well, saying he didn't have a choice in the matter but she did."

"Now that you say he might be Jack, if that's the case and he knows he's Jack O'Connor, then he's helping Ember to protect his little sister."

"That makes my theory seem more credible as well. Ember suspects the same thing we do, we just need her to open up to us about it."

"Why's that?"

"So we can help her figure it out. Not only does she need her brother back, but I want my best friend back too."
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What do you think? Is Jackson 'Jack' or is he protecting Ember for the reason he says he is? Let me know in a review :)