After a long trip, Drive to Survive finally entered London. The drive was lengthy and tiring, making the bare minimum necessary stops along the way. They wanted to get to London as soon as they possibly could. They had no idea how the other two teams were doing, however, they felt pretty confident that with the mistakes they had made so far, the other two teams were probably miles ahead of them.
Meanwhile, the air team had arrived at Stansted Airport and now had to figure out how to get to the city center. Luckily they remembered they were entitled to take a transfer into the city. They walked outside and hopped in the van waiting for them. Wings to Win was on their way to finding clue #2.
Alex had phoned his mother to check in on her and see how things back home were going. He received some upsetting news. His mom informed him that his Great Aunt had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Alex couldn't believe the news.
It seemed each time Alex found himself having a glimmer of hope that life, as he knew it, was getting back to normal, another brick would fall and things would get crazy again.
He sent his best wishes to his aunt via his mother and told his mom that he would talk with her soon.
"Honey, don't worry, everything is going to be okay, I'll contact you one way or another to let you know how Aunt Pins makes out at the doctor at the end of the week."
Alex thanked his mother and they hung up. Aunt Pins (her real name was Priscilla but she was crazy about sewing and always used many pins, ever since Alex was young, she had been Aunt Pins) had always had a special place in Alex's heart. They used to live close by to one another and he would visit often, watching her garden and sew, she was amazing in Alex's eyes. This news deeply saddened Alex, but he remained positive, after all, he still had to get through to the end of this great race.
Standing in the Eurostar lounge at Waterloo International Station, the Railroad Warriors waited patiently to board the train. They figured out that the next clue would be found in Paris. They weren't too sure where yet, but it was the only thing that made sense in following the lines in the clue.
Ainsley and Jeff each had a glass of champagne, while Pelagia and Sebastian opted for mineral water. They kept a careful eye on the clock. The time had come for them to step on board the Eurostar. Each took their seat in the first class car. They couldn't believe how comfortable the seats were. This was going to be a treat of a ride to Paris!
The air team would have made it to the cathedral first had it not been for a pesky flat tire en-route. The driver of the van got out and attempted to swap the tires however, the lug nut was on too tight and he was unable to loosen it. Lloyd and Jack got out and offered their assistance but the driver declined the help. Instead, he put a call in to the local mechanic to come and aid in the tire changing process.
Wings to Win was extremely unhappy with this development, but it was no one's fault, these things happen and the team understood that, unfortunately, it didn't help them get to London any faster though.
Drive to Survive raced down the streets of London. They reached St. Paul's Cathedral and ran up the stairs as quick as they could. They hoped that perhaps the other two teams had also made a few mistakes and ended up in the wrong country. They wanted to believe that they were still in the game. At this point, even if they weren't in the lead, that's the attitude they needed to cling to in order to continue the race.
They stepped through the main entrance of the impressive cathedral and had one goal, to find the clue! Of course, looking around their surroundings, there certainly was plenty to distract them, from statues to alters, plaques and memorials, the amount to see in this cathedral was countless.
They went to the information desk and spoke with the man behind it.
"Could you please help us out? We were wondering if there are any notable cancer professors memorialized here in this cathedral? And if so, where might we find this memorial?" Asked Patrick.
Karl, the man behind the desk, began to respond
"Welcome to St. Paul's. Yes, there are many professors memorialized within these great walls. I believe you are looking for a very special man however."
Anxiously, the four team members shook their heads "yes".
Karl continued.
"While I can certainly show you many memorials, as I understand it, you four are involved in the Race Across Europe, I am not permitted to provide you with the answer you are looking for. You must find the clue on your own. Should you come up with the name of the professor you are looking for, I will be delighted to assist you in reaching his memorial."
Wings to Win finally arrived at the cathedral and went straight to the information desk. They advised of the memorial they were looking for and a staff member gladly assisted them in finding the place they needed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Patrick caught a glimpse of Tara and tried to get his team's attention.
The air team was thrilled to find the next clue and they quickly headed out onto the streets after thanking the guide for her assistance in finding the memorial.
They glanced at the clue and brainstormed where they would be headed next. With no conclusive guesses just yet, they stopped into a little pub for some dinner. It had been a very long day.
Drive to Survive made their way to the Hairley memorial and found the final envelope awaiting them. After seeing that they were trailing behind both teams, they vowed to each other that this would not be the case for long, they would work hard and diligently to finish first.
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