The next morning Garrett came to the garage early.
Owen was already there.
Garrett placed a cup of coffee on the workbench.
Owen looked at it.
"I don't drink coffee."
"You're eighteen."
"I know."
"Then start."
Owen smiled.
Garrett pulled out a chair.
"Sit."
Owen hesitated.
"Why?"
"Because I want to talk."
Owen sat.
Garrett leaned forward.
"You ever thought about working here full-time?"
Owen blinked.
"I already work here."
"Cleaning isn't working on motorcycles."
"I know."
"I'm offering you a mechanic position."
Owen stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because you're good."
"I don't have certification."
"We can handle that."
"I don't have experience."
Garrett laughed.
"You just fixed a bike three mechanics couldn't."
Owen looked down.
Garrett continued.
"And I don't care what you look like."
Owen looked up.
Garrett's voice became serious.
"I care what you can do."
For several seconds Owen said nothing.
Then he asked quietly:
"How much?"
Garrett smiled.
"Now you're thinking like a professional."
Owen laughed.
It was the first time Garrett had heard him laugh.
But the moment didn't last.
A black SUV pulled into the garage.
Three men stepped out.
The man in front wore an expensive gray suit.
He looked around at the motorcycles.
Then at Garrett.
"Garrett Steel?"
Garrett stood.
"Who's asking?"
"My name is Victor Kane."
He handed Garrett a business card.
Garrett glanced at it.
Kane Automotive Group.
Garrett's eyes narrowed.
"What do you want?"
Victor smiled.
"I'm interested in this property."
"It's not for sale."
"Everything has a price."
Garrett folded the card.
"Not this."
Victor's smile disappeared.
"We'll see."
He turned toward the exit.
Before leaving, he looked at Owen.
Then he smiled.
Not warmly.
Calculatingly.
Owen watched him go.
Garrett noticed.
"You know him?"
"No."
"You sure?"
Owen nodded.
"Yes."
But Owen's face had changed.
Garrett saw it.
And he knew immediately.
Owen was lying.
A Bigger Game
Three days later, Victor Kane returned.
This time he brought paperwork.
Garrett refused to sign.
Victor offered more money.
Garrett refused again.
Then came the threats.
Not direct threats.
The kind hidden inside polite sentences.
"The neighborhood is changing."
"Insurance premiums are going up."
"Old businesses sometimes become difficult to maintain."
"Regulations can become expensive."
Garrett understood.
Someone wanted Iron Rail.
And they wanted it badly.
That evening Garrett found Owen staring at the documents Victor had left behind.
"You understand any of that?"
Owen nodded.
"Most of it."
Garrett frowned.
"Most?"
Owen pointed at one paragraph.
"This clause is unusual."
"Why?"
"It gives them access to your property records if you refuse the offer."
Garrett stared.
"Can they do that?"
"Not legally, no."
Garrett looked at him.
"How do you know?"
Owen shrugged.
"I read."
Garrett smiled.
"You ever sleep?"
"Sometimes."
That night Owen searched the company.
Kane Automotive Group wasn't simply a dealership chain.
It was expanding into commercial real estate.
Several independent businesses had disappeared after Kane bought the surrounding properties.
Some had accepted money.
Others had been pushed out.
Owen printed everything.
The next morning he showed Garrett.
Garrett studied the papers.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because this place matters to you."
"That's not an answer."
Owen looked at him.
"It matters to me too."
Garrett paused.
Then nodded.
"Fair enough."
Meanwhile, Victor Kane was preparing something else.
He had heard about the five-thousand-dollar bet.
He knew Owen had fixed Garrett's motorcycle.
And he knew the kid had been asking questions.
So he made a phone call.
"Find out everything about Owen Carter."
Two hours later, he received a file.
The file contained almost nothing.
School records.
Employment history.
His father's death.
His mother's name.
Then Victor saw something unexpected.
Owen had won several national engineering competitions under a different school program.
He had also received a scholarship offer from a major technical university.
Victor smiled.
"So the mechanic isn't just a mechanic."
His assistant asked:
"What do you want us to do?"
Victor closed the file.
"Nothing."
"For now."
The Second Bet
Friday night arrived.
Iron Rail was crowded.
Music played from old speakers.
Motorcycles filled the parking lot.
Garrett stood near the entrance when Victor Kane walked inside.
Everyone noticed.
Victor wore a dark suit.
No tie.
He looked completely out of place.
He smiled.
"Garrett."
Garrett didn't answer.
Victor looked around.
"I hear there's another talented mechanic here."
Garrett's eyes narrowed.
"Owen."
Victor nodded.
"I'd like to make a proposition."
Owen looked up from the workbench.
Victor walked toward him.
"You fixed Garrett's motorcycle."
"Yes."
"I hear you're very good."
"I do my best."
Victor smiled.
"Let's test that."
The garage went quiet.
Victor placed a key on the table.
"There's a motorcycle outside."
Everyone looked through the open doors.
A brand-new machine sat beneath the lights.
Victor continued.
"It belongs to me."
Owen didn't move.
"It stopped running this morning."
Victor put a thick envelope beside the key.
"Ten thousand dollars."
Garrett stepped forward.
"Victor."
Victor ignored him.
"If you can diagnose and repair it in one hour, the money is yours."
Owen looked at the motorcycle.