Taking the Chequered Flag Read Online Free PDF Page A

wrapped around her ear today. I think you need some fresh air.’
    They both stopped walking at the same time. In front of them, at the end of the aisle, was a whole display of lime-green gear. A motorbike—as green as the ear-piece on the girl’s ear—stood underneath. A pair of lime-green helmets, complete with Touring Talk lime-green microphones, sat on a display shelf above the bike.
    ‘If her dad owned the shop, then she could get a new ear-piece anytime she wanted,’ Hannah said.
    Gabby shook her head, pulling Hannah out the door. ‘It doesn’t mean anything.’
    ‘Well, I’m going to text Angus anyway. I’m sure he’d like to know who was on that bike.’
    Hannah put the green ear-piece back in her pocket, and they rode in silence to The Moon. It was too hot to speak while they were pedalling and even when Gabby stopped to wait for Hannah, she didn’t say anything. They finally arrived at the dusty grey mess that was the motorbike practice site. Despite the heat, riders, clad in protective racing gear, were taking on the hills fiercely, screaming up and down.
    ‘Look, there’s Mario’s trailer,’ said Gabby and slowly pedalled the last 20 metres.
    ‘Hi, girls,’ said Mario from where he was sitting in the shade on the back of the trailer. ‘You look like you need a drink. Help yourself to the soft drink in the esky.’
    Normally, because of her training regime, Gabby wouldn’t have had soft drink but the ice-cold cans were tempting. She took two without hesitation, handed one to Hannah, and drankhalf of hers before she spoke. ‘Thanks, Mario. It’s much hotter than I thought.’
    ‘And we rode five kilometres to get here,’ grumbled Hannah.
    ‘Well, I’ll take you home,’ said Mario, grinning. ‘Your bikes will fit in the trailer next to the boys’.’
    ‘Is Tony here as well?’ Gabby asked.
    Mario pointed. Zooming down a hill was a blue motocross bike—Tony. And after it came one that needed spray painting but was a sort of dirty brown—E.D. ‘They’ve been practising hard for an hour. Tony’s got a race on Saturday and he really needs to get to know this new bike. It’s more powerful than his old one.’
    The bikes went past them, leaving behind a grey cloud that wafted over the trailer, covering everyone. When the dust cleared, the bikes were out of sight over another mound. The girls settled on the back of the trailer next to Mario, taking another drink when he offered.
    ‘Hey, look.’ Hannah nudged Gabby. ‘Here comes trouble and her brother.’
    Another car, towing a trailer with two lime-green motorbikes on it, had pulled into the site. Two kids and a man got out of the car and started unfastening the bikes from their tethers.
    ‘I know those bikes,’ said Mario thoughtfully. ‘I’ve seen them here before. Didn’t one of them get into Emilio’s way last time?’
    Hannah shrugged. ‘We missed that. But it wouldn’t surprise me.’
    ‘Hannah thinks the girl chased Angus and King yesterday,’ Gabby explained to Mario. ‘It was someone on a green bike.’
    ‘Those bikes are the latest model.’ Mario looked a bit envious. ‘I was thinking about getting one myself—a bigger one, of course.’
    ‘They’re probably straight from the shop. The shopkeeper and the kids are related.’
    ‘Ah,’ said Mario. ‘He’s the one who owns Proctor’s Powerhouse. I heard about him from Reg at the garage. He was here about six months ago looking around to buy a business. Alan Proctor. He’s from Queensland. He used to race a lot himself and his kids are meant to be pretty good at it.’
    The boy climbed on his bike, started it easily, and roared away across the sand. When the other bikes came into view again, tightly bunched together, he was among them, racing along the tops of some hills. E.D. was in the lead, taking the bumps and mounds standing on his footpegs.
    ‘E.D.’s got the worst-looking bike, but he’s blitzing them,’ said Hannah.
    ‘E.D.’s alright.’