DRIVER 88 (The Death Race Saga).

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1. The War Zone Unleashed

The engines roared like beasts caged for too long. The starting lights blinked red, counting down. Jaxon tightened his grip on the wheel, feeling his pulse drum in sync with the growing tension.

He glanced across the track. Viper sat behind the wheel of a modified muscle car, its frame reinforced with spiked armor. Next to him was Wraith, the legend himself, his vehicle a sleek, low-riding nightmare with mounted turrets. Bishop, silent as ever, flexed his fingers over the dashboard of his armored truck, which looked more like a tank than a race car.

Six elite racers. One mission.

Kill Jaxon Cole.

Jaxon inhaled deeply. He had come too far to fall now. He wasn't here just to survive anymore.

He was here to win.

The final light turned green.

The Devil's Gambit had begun.

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2. The First Strike

Jaxon's tires screeched as he launched forward. He knew hesitation meant death. The first few seconds of any death race were pure chaos, and today was no different.

Viper immediately slammed into another racer's side, sending their car spinning into a concrete barrier. The impact exploded in a violent shower of fire and metal.

Wraith took a different approach. His vehicle's turrets clicked, locking onto Jaxon.

Jaxon reacted instinctively, jerking the wheel as bullets riddled the track beside him. A sharp turn sent him skidding between two wrecks, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

Behind him, Bishop's truck accelerated, its massive grill aimed directly at Jaxon's rear bumper.

The kill order was in full effect.

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3. The Maze of Death

The track twisted into a darkened tunnel, filled with jagged debris and rusted-out carcasses of previous races. Jaxon navigated it with precision, his mind calculating every turn before it arrived.

Then, the tunnel split. Two paths. No time to think.

Jaxon veered left.

Viper and Wraith took the right.

His radio crackled. It was Nyla again.

"You just took the bad route," she warned. "That section hasn't been cleared in years."

Jaxon gritted his teeth. No turning back now.

A second later, steel spikes erupted from the ground. Jaxon jerked the wheel, sending his car into a near-impossible drift, barely missing the trap.

Behind him, Bishop's truck wasn't so lucky. The spikes impaled its tires, flipping the massive vehicle over in a brutal wreck.

One down.

Jaxon smirked. The Devil's Gambit wasn't just about speed—it was about survival.

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4. Viper's Trap

Emerging from the tunnel, Jaxon found himself in an open stretch of track. The vast prison skyline loomed ahead.

Then, his rearview mirror caught something.

Viper.

A sudden impact sent Jaxon's car spinning. He fought for control as Viper's spiked bumper slammed into him again.

Jaxon snarled, countering with a hard swerve, but Viper was relentless. He wanted to crush Jaxon completely.

The track curved ahead, leading into the "Bonecrusher Pit"—a section lined with abandoned buses stacked like barriers.

Viper wasn't slowing down.

Jaxon made his move.

Instead of fighting back, he braked hard—a risky move at this speed. Viper shot past him, caught off guard.

Jaxon accelerated again, ramming his bumper into Viper's car, sending him spinning into the wreckage of an overturned truck.

The impact was devastating.

Jaxon didn't look back.

Two down.

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5. The Warden's Last Play

From his private suite, the Warden watched the carnage unfold, his whiskey glass trembling slightly in his grip.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered.

Jaxon was winning.

Next to him, Wraith remained silent.

The Warden turned. "You're up."

Wraith grinned. "Finally."

His car's thrusters ignited. The final showdown was coming.

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6. The Final Chase

Jaxon's heart pounded as he neared the finish line. Victory was close—he could taste it.

Then, a missile exploded just inches from his car.

Wraith.

Jaxon barely had time to react before Wraith's vehicle pulled alongside him, its weapons fully deployed.

"This is where your story ends, Driver 88," Wraith's voice growled through the radio.

Jaxon's jaw clenched.

Not today.

The final battle had begun.

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End of Chapter 27.