“You own it,” Castile said.

Bolan found what he needed in the shop after Castile left. He put strands of strong wire in six places around the front bumper, and looped them for quick use. Then he wedged some sheet steel between the steering wheel and the dash — a perfect shield, in case he was fired upon. The pliers went in his back pocket.

He fired up the Chevy and backed it around the track. A giant X-shaped roadway marked the infield, where the close-clearance races were held. He soon got the knack of driving in reverse, putting the battered hulk exactly where he wanted it.

It was eleven-thirty by the time Bolan was ready. He put two weapons in the battered veteran — the “flesh-shredding” .44 AutoMag and a French infantry rifle, the 5.56 FA MAS, which is easy to handle, has great balance and keeps on target even when firing fully automatic. It spits out 3-round bursts or full-auto and holds a 25-round magazine. Four loaded mags were on the seat beside him.

The Executioner counted on Franconi bringing at least two cars full of armed soldiers. He figured The Beast would talk first, size him up and plan some diabolical end to the man who had humiliated him before his peers.

Satisfied with the weapons and the battered Chevy, Bolan drove to the small shack that served as office, ticket booth and living quarters for the owner. He nosed the vehicle into the shop section backward so he could race it into combat. He climbed the open steps to the upper floor and opened the window to check his field of fire. Perfect. The enemy crew wagons would probably not stop until they were directly below.

His only problem was getting Franconi alone inside the shack. The upstairs window would be a good firing point to fall back on. He checked the Chevy destruction monster and removed the weapons. If he stood at the front door, he should be able to lure Franconi inside. He knew the Mafia hit man would not be satisfied with a quick kill. And he would not let any of his men do the killing except in an emergency. This would be Franconi’s show, and that would be his fatal mistake.