Cars 2(11)
“Oh!” Darrell Cartrip said into his microphone. “Miguel Camino has blown an engine.”
“That’s very unusual, Darrell,” one of the announcers said. “He’s been so consistent all year.”
Grem watched the burned-out car roll into the pits. Then something caught his eye. “You gotta be kidding me,” Grem said.
“What? What is it?” Acer asked him.
“It’s that tow truck from the bathroom,” Grem said, spotting Mater. “The one the American agent passed the device to. He’s in the pits!”
“Not for long,” Acer replied as the two took off in Mater’s direction.
Holley picked up the movement right away. “I think I’ve got something,” she said to Finn.
“The camera?” he asked anxiously.
“No,” Holly replied.
Holly swiftly ran a computer check. Finally, she found the information she wanted: “The Pacer from the party last evening,” she said to Finn. “I’m cross-referencing with the photos from the oil derrick. His VIN numbers match!”
Holley ran a search for known associates.
“Hang on,” she said to Finn as the computer pulled up a long list—too long. “He’s not the only one. Three…five…Gremlins and Pacers. They’re everywhere! And they’re all closing in on—Oh, no!” Holley gasped as Mater’s smiling face filled her screen. She turned to tell Finn, but he was already gone.
The next time Holley heard Finn’s voice, it was over her radio. He was dashing to intercept Professor Z’s cars before they could get to Mater.
“Get him out of the pits!” Finn radioed Holley. “Now!” The situation was urgent.
Within minutes, Mater heard a voice coming through the radio crackle. “Can you hear me? Over?”
“Huh? What?” Mater answered.
“Get out of the pits now! Do you hear me?” Holley urged Mater, desperately trying to move him away from danger.
Mater grinned. It was the pretty car from last night’s party! He had no idea who she really was!
Just then, another car suddenly began burning black smoke. It skidded off the track.
“Another blown engine!” the announcer said. “This is the second one tonight!”
Meanwhile, Mater had not budged from the Team Lightning McQueen pit.
“Get out now!” Holley repeated to him.
“All right, then,” Mater replied, and turned to drive into the pit’s access tunnel. “You know, I usually like to have a proper detailing done before I meet a lady friend.”
As Mater moved through the tunnel, Finn intercepted Acer with another Pacer from the oil derrick. Acer recognized the British agent.
“Finn McMissile!” Acer cried. He and the other Pacers and Gremlins had thought the secret agent had disappeared forever after leaping off Professor Z’s oil derrick.
Finn used the element of surprise to spray them with a fire extinguisher before speeding away. Blinded for only a second, the two Pacers zoomed after him.
Finn dashed to a side street. He needed to get a fix on Mater’s location.
“Miss Shiftwell?” he called over his radio.
“I’ve got him in the back alleys east of the garages,” she said as she stared at her computer monitor. “Multiple assailants are closing in quickly!”
“Keep him moving,” Finn replied to Holley. “I’m on my way.”
Mater bumbled around the backstreets of Tokyo, looking for his date. He was still wearing his headset for the racetrack.
“Hey, new lady friend?” he said into his radio. He had spotted a flower shop. “You like flowers?”
From the track, Lightning responded with a startled “What?” He had no idea that Holley had tapped into Mater’s headset. He could not hear Holley. He only heard Mater!
“No!” Holley said to Mater. “Don’t go in anywhere.”
“Stay outside. Gotcha,” Mater radioed back.
“Outside?” Lightning asked. Trusting his buddy, he overrode his better judgment and cut to the outside of the track. It was just enough of an opening for Francesco to sail into the lead.
“Grazie and arrivederci!” Francesco said as he sped past Lightning. Lightning groaned in disbelief. Why had Mater told him to stay outside?
“I can’t believe what I just saw!” Darrell Cartrip said to Brent Mustangburger. “You don’t open up the inside like that!”
“And it just might have cost Lightning McQueen first place,” Brent said.
Meanwhile, in the back alleys of Tokyo, Finn was still trying to divert Professor Z’s cars away from Mater. But a gang of Pacers was herding Finn in Acer’s direction. They were trying to surround him! Acer still had some fire retardant on him, but this time he wasn’t going to be surprised by Finn McMissile. He had a flamethrower ready.