Mastermind

Circuit of the Americas, October 23rd 2022

Lewis's POV

The hallway echoed with the slam of my feet as I raced towards the stairwell. My heart thudded against my chest so hard I could hear it in my ears. This is a feeling I should be used to. You'd think after driving cars around a track at around two hundred kilometers per hour this feeling wouldn't affect me as much. But, watching my sister lie on the hotel room floor shaking, and not being able to do anything about it had to be the most concerning feeling of all.

I knew when she'd gone still during the movie that something was wrong. Her phone light illuminated the expression of pure fear that marked her face. She hadn't looked that terrified since she'd woken up in that hospital in Monaco.

"Oh thank god," I had been in that chair next to her bed all night. I plastered on a brave smile as she turned to look at me. "You scared us all half to death. Do you remember anything from last night?" A barrage of emotions flashed across my sister's face. Panic won out as she tried to remember how she'd ended up here.

"I remember getting back to the hotel, then I went to shower and after that...this is the first thing. Where's mum and dad?" She sat up and groaned as a hand flew to her abdomen.

"They left last night...after the doctors had to pump your stomach." I forced my eyes to the floor. I couldn't sit here and look at her suffer in this kind of pain.

"Oh." We sat in silence a moment longer then the door to her room swung open and shouts followed. I whipped my head to the entrance and found Lando Norris. His face held an expression of pure anger and some instinct told me to get up. I flew from the chair and strode to where my sister's friend stood.

"What the fuck happened?" Lando yelled. His voice held more pain than anger and that's when I noticed his misty eyes.

"Lando-"

"No Lewis, why didn't you tell me she was here? What happened to her?"

"He doesn't have to tell you anything." Both Lando and I turned our attention to Evie who had finally found her voice.

"Like hell he doesn't!" Lando began moving towards the bed again and calmly I raised my hand. He was angry about being kept in the dark. Slowly, I placed my palm flatley on Lando's heaving chest.

"You need to take a second. She just woke up Norris. Go take a walk." I watched as Lando's gaze softened as he ran a hand through his hair. Lando didn't try to fight back as I guided him out of the room.

Lando! He could help. He had been there that day, he had to know some way to help her. I kept one eye on Evie as I grabbed for my phone. My hands trembled as I searched through the contacts until Lando's name was on the screen. It only rang twice before the younger man's confused tone filled my ear.

"Lewis? What's going on man, you never call this late." I racked my brain for the best way to tell him.

"Lando, hey it's Lewis I need you to get down here."

"Woah, Lewis slow down! It's okay what's goin–"

"Land–Lando I need you to listen...it's Eva. Something bad just got released and she's...I think she's having a panic attack." My voice was shaking just as bad as my hands and silence filled the room. The line went dead and I stared at the phone in confusion thinking Evie's best friend just hung up on me. One or two more minutes passed, which felt like an eternity, then the hotel room door was flung open. Lando wore that same frantic look he had in Monaco,

"Norris!" Confusion filled his gaze as he looked at me then around the room searching for Eva. When he spotted her lying on the floor he hurried to my side.