Read Online Quick by Steve Worland - Free Book Online
Authors: Steve Worland
Tags: thriller
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have a choice?’
‘Not at all.’ Marcellus turns to Billy and speaks in English. ‘So, if there was a job on offer, would you be interested? If it works out, it could mean an ongoing roll within the organisation.’
The Australian’s face lights up. ‘When do I start?’
Marcellus grins. ‘Ten seconds ago.’
~ * ~
5
Before Marcellus dispatched Billy and Claude to Sepang, Malaysia, site of the second Formula One race of the year, he furnished the Australian with a number of items. The first was a tracking app installed on his iPhone that would allow him to locate Claude, and vice versa. The second was a wallet that contained a load of cash, his ‘walking around money’, a credit card and his Interpol credentials, which looked a lot like his driver’s licence but was way cooler. The third was his weapon, a Glock 17 nine-millimetre handgun, similar to the pistol he used on the force back in Oz.
The drive from the airport to the Sepang International Circuit is, to say the least, awkward. He and the Frenchman have exchanged barely ten words since they left France. Strangely the guy has yet to apologise for his bumbling arrest attempt in the Interpol lobby.
The map app on Billy’s phone tells him the racetrack is only forty minutes from the airport. Unfortunately the Frenchman’s driving is as slow as molasses during ski season so they’ve been on the road for thirty minutes and they’re barely halfway there. Billy doesn’t want to say anything, in the spirit of harmony, so he just stares out at the lush countryside and takes in a vividly green hinterland often hydrated by monsoonal rains. Still, it’s difficult to hold his tongue. The guy has been five klicks under the speed limit the whole way. If they keep travelling at this pace they’re going to miss the qualifying session.
Billy knows pretty well everything about the schedule of a Formula One race weekend. It’s not that hard to remember. They are uniform across all races—except Monaco. Monaco is different, and special, the blue ribbon event of the season, and for good reason. It’s the most watched race, the most talked about and, nowadays, the most tweeted about. It’s also the oldest.
On the Friday of a race weekend there are two practice sessions of an hour and a half each, with a three-hour break between. This is when the teams put their cars through their paces for the first time and test new parts. Very occasionally a reserve driver will get to run in one of the sessions, to be evaluated or for experience behind the wheel of a Formula One car.
On the Saturday there’s a third sixty-minute practice session, during which the teams tweak the setup of their car, everything from ride height to suspension settings to the ratios in the gearbox to the pressure in the tyres. The ability to balance so many different, adjustable elements is the difference between a slow car and a quick car. After the third session there’s a break, then a one-hour qualifying session. This determines where on the grid the cars will start, which is often, but not always, a guide to how well the car will perform in the race. Pole position is the goal, not just for bragging rights but for track position at the beginning of the Grand Prix.
Sunday is race day. In Malaysia it runs late in the afternoon, which always makes it a bit of a lottery as that’s when those monsoonal rains often turn up, though a four o’clock deluge midway through the race can often spice up the action. Rain is a great equaliser in Formula One. The power of the engine and the efficiency of the car’s aerodynamics often mean less when the track is wet and the speeds are lower.
Billy glances at his iPhone again. The map app is open and the blue dot that represents their rental car, a Hyundai i30, pulses on the screen. It has barely moved since the last time he looked. Why did he let this guy drive? Because he’s
‘Not at all.’ Marcellus turns to Billy and speaks in English. ‘So, if there was a job on offer, would you be interested? If it works out, it could mean an ongoing roll within the organisation.’
The Australian’s face lights up. ‘When do I start?’
Marcellus grins. ‘Ten seconds ago.’
~ * ~
5
Before Marcellus dispatched Billy and Claude to Sepang, Malaysia, site of the second Formula One race of the year, he furnished the Australian with a number of items. The first was a tracking app installed on his iPhone that would allow him to locate Claude, and vice versa. The second was a wallet that contained a load of cash, his ‘walking around money’, a credit card and his Interpol credentials, which looked a lot like his driver’s licence but was way cooler. The third was his weapon, a Glock 17 nine-millimetre handgun, similar to the pistol he used on the force back in Oz.
The drive from the airport to the Sepang International Circuit is, to say the least, awkward. He and the Frenchman have exchanged barely ten words since they left France. Strangely the guy has yet to apologise for his bumbling arrest attempt in the Interpol lobby.
The map app on Billy’s phone tells him the racetrack is only forty minutes from the airport. Unfortunately the Frenchman’s driving is as slow as molasses during ski season so they’ve been on the road for thirty minutes and they’re barely halfway there. Billy doesn’t want to say anything, in the spirit of harmony, so he just stares out at the lush countryside and takes in a vividly green hinterland often hydrated by monsoonal rains. Still, it’s difficult to hold his tongue. The guy has been five klicks under the speed limit the whole way. If they keep travelling at this pace they’re going to miss the qualifying session.
Billy knows pretty well everything about the schedule of a Formula One race weekend. It’s not that hard to remember. They are uniform across all races—except Monaco. Monaco is different, and special, the blue ribbon event of the season, and for good reason. It’s the most watched race, the most talked about and, nowadays, the most tweeted about. It’s also the oldest.
On the Friday of a race weekend there are two practice sessions of an hour and a half each, with a three-hour break between. This is when the teams put their cars through their paces for the first time and test new parts. Very occasionally a reserve driver will get to run in one of the sessions, to be evaluated or for experience behind the wheel of a Formula One car.
On the Saturday there’s a third sixty-minute practice session, during which the teams tweak the setup of their car, everything from ride height to suspension settings to the ratios in the gearbox to the pressure in the tyres. The ability to balance so many different, adjustable elements is the difference between a slow car and a quick car. After the third session there’s a break, then a one-hour qualifying session. This determines where on the grid the cars will start, which is often, but not always, a guide to how well the car will perform in the race. Pole position is the goal, not just for bragging rights but for track position at the beginning of the Grand Prix.
Sunday is race day. In Malaysia it runs late in the afternoon, which always makes it a bit of a lottery as that’s when those monsoonal rains often turn up, though a four o’clock deluge midway through the race can often spice up the action. Rain is a great equaliser in Formula One. The power of the engine and the efficiency of the car’s aerodynamics often mean less when the track is wet and the speeds are lower.
Billy glances at his iPhone again. The map app is open and the blue dot that represents their rental car, a Hyundai i30, pulses on the screen. It has barely moved since the last time he looked. Why did he let this guy drive? Because he’s
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