The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Nine

Kade received a message from Mr. Chu informing him that his gear had arrived. He walked across the street and met Mr. Chu in front of his shop.

"That was fast," Kade said.

"What did I tell you? I can get you anything."

"The bike came in?" Kade asked as they made their way into the back.

"Wait till you see this thing."

"What did you get?"

"You'll see," Mr. Chu teased.

When they entered the back loading bay, Kade nearly lost his mind. In front of him was a mint Suicide 1200x — all black with thick treads. The bike was the fastest and most expensive bike ever produced.

"I can't believe it," Kade said, approaching the bike in awe. He studied every inch of it and ran his hands over all the surfaces. "I have only read about these things. How did you get this?"

"Mind you, this bike is no ordinary 1200x," Mr. Chu said with a satisfied smile. "No, this is no stock bike. It has every mod you can imagine. Suped-up motor with turbo boost, reinforced suspension, Kevlar-armoured panels, ultra-grip tires, carbon fibre frame, extra storage for your long-distance trip."

"Mr. Chu, this is incredible. Seriously, I can't believe you got me this."

Mr. Chu and Kade continued to circle the bike. Mr. Chu then put his thumb on a hidden sensor, which caused four panels to open, each had a small gun protrude. He pressed the sensor again and the guns retracted and the panels sealed up inconspicuously.

"Whoa! That was incredible," Kade said. The smile never left his face.

"There's a sensor right here," Mr. Chu explained. "Just put your thumb here. You can also open through a voice command in your helmet. But that's not even the best part. The guns are automated so all you have to do is drive and they do the rest. You set the target and they will lock on."

"That's so cool."

"Wait, there's more," Mr. Chu said, leading Kade to the rear of the bike. "See this compartment? Inside is a Midnight Raven Drone — top of the line. Deploy it at will and see the visuals pop-up in the display of your helmet."

"Does it have guns on it too?"

"No, but it can carry heavy loads, which may come in handy."

"Good to know. This thing is amazing, Mr. Chu."

"There's one other thing. This bike can drive itself. It has sensors that make thousands of decisions per second, far better than a human driver. No offense."

"None taken."

"To activate it, just press this button and then you can use your voice to command it."

"Incredible," Kade said, truly astonished. It made his bike seem like it belonged in a museum.

"Now, let me show you the guns I got for you."

Kade was overwhelmed and quite excited to test out his new gear. After Mr. Chu showed him the guns and how to use everything, they had an important discussion about price. Kade was almost afraid to ask. However, seeing the bike and all its capabilities, he knew he couldn't make the trip without it.

"So, Mr. Chu, for the bike, the weapons, and all the other gear, what are we talking?"

"For now, they are my gift to you," Mr. Chu said.

"What do you mean, 'for now'? I don't want to have some impossible debt to pay when I come back."

"You don't have to take the deal, it's up to you."

Kade was trapped and knew that without the bike and weapons, he was dead man. Whatever debt he had to settle in the future was best not to think about at this time. Mr. Chu had a reputation of being fair and straightforward, so he bowed to him and told him he would accept the deal.

"Good luck, Kade."

"Thank you, Mr. Chu... for everything."