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The Moon Run
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: Finley Clarke would never get used to hurling across the desert at hundreds of miles an hour in a small metal tube. Most people saw her ship with its faded red paint flying toward the city and thought she was a talented pilot, especially because she stayed in first place for the entire race. Finley never bothered to tell anyone that in the last few minutes of every race, she had barely any control of the ship. Even now the joystick vibrated violently in her hands as she pushed it forward, surrounded by the endless buttons and knobs she’d meticulously memorized. Just a little bit more. Behind her in the navigation chair sat her copilot, Cayne. He faced backwards, his attention on the many monitors in front of him. They took up the entirety of the back of the small ship so that he needed to crane his neck to see every screen. Every so often, he would type something to check on the ship or the location of the other racers. “We’ve got one coming up behind us.” “I’m not worried about it. We’re too far ahead of the others for someone else to take first place now,” Finley said, but she kept an eye on her radar as the small dot behind them grew closer. “Don’t get too cocky, Fin. It’s Garis,” Cayne cautioned. Finley smirked. “Don’t worry about him. Just worry about who’s buying the first round once we win.” Cayne laughed. “It’ll be me. Always me.” “That does seem to be the case, doesn’t it?” She’d been paired with Cayne a few years into her racing career, and their winning streak hadn’t stopped since. Finley knew Cayne was responsible for most of her wins. There was no one else she wanted as her copilot. A third voice came over the communicators. Deep and gravelly. “Don’t spend money you haven’t won yet.” Cayne laughed. “How about joining us, Bhizin? Our agent needs to celebrate with us once in a while.” “I prefer to swim in my money instead of spending it on drinks.” Finley sighed as her eyes narrowed on the flat, sandy terrain before her. “Later, guys. I need to concentrate.” The small outline of the city grew closer. She pictured the crowd waiting for the ships to come roaring through the finish line. Her and Cayne climbing out of their ship to cheers as the president of The Moon Run handed them a trophy while they wore first place medals. The next few days would be filled with the flash of cameras, the shaking of hands, and multiple interviews. And then, just like that, they would start it all over again as they entered their next race. But they weren’t there yet. “Hang tight. Garis coming up on your left,” Cayne said. “It doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand how he’s caught up to us so fast.” Out the left side of the cockpit window, another ship the same size as theirs steadily made its way past. It kicked up a cloud of dust, making it nearly impossible to see anything. Somehow, Finley’s grip tightened even more on the joystick. “Why is it always Garis?” “You’re both evenly skilled. A good rivalry makes for good races and more bets,” Cayne said matter-of-factly. “I still haven’t forgiven him for that last race in Keveka,” she yelled over the rumbling of the cockpit. “We should have won.” “Point three seconds is point three seconds,” Cayne said, mimicking Bhizin. Finley held in her groan as she eyed a small switch on the dashboard. One quick push and it would give them a small burst of speed. “Easy there,” Cayne said. “How did you know I was thinking of using it?” “Whenever the sprint to the finish line is between you and Garis, you always want to use it.” “Well, you did say to only use it for emergencies, and this is as good a time as any.” Finley flipped up the case covering the switch. “Hang on.” “I don’t know if this is a good idea.” “It’s this or lose.” With a satisfying click, she pushed the switch down. The ship rattled and shot forward, pushing Finley back into her seat. They flew through the sand cloud, past Garis’ ship, and back into the lead. She risked taking her eyes away from the window to look at him as they passed. Garis sat in his cockpit with his head down. The visor on his helmet obscured his face, so she couldn’t be sure if he saw them or not. Finley waved anyway before focusing back on the race. “Are you happy with yourself?” Cayne asked. “Of course,” she answered. “How much farther to the finish line?” Before Cayne could answer, Garis’ ship pulled up next to them. Red light filled the tiny cabin as an alarm sounded in the cockpit. “He’s way too close. You need to take evasive maneuvers, Fin,” Cayne yelled. 
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