by Aden Lowe
"Elena, I need you to stay down and stay calm. We're being followed." Sure, it might have been easier to not say anything, but I needed her to be ready in case of trouble.
"Oh, God. I should have just gone to Royse and gave in to whatever he wanted."
Her words chilled me to the bone. "What do you mean?" Even with just the dim glow from the dash, I could see the tears rolling down her cheeks.
She wiped them away and took a deep breath. "When he had my mom taken, I should have gone to him right away. If I'd just done what he wanted, none of this would have happened."
I stayed quiet, totally floored by her way of thinking. Instead, I concentrated on driving and keeping that bastard in the pickup off my bumper. With a lower center of gravity, and probably more horsepower, my car could leave him in the dust on the crooked road. I took it easy, though, well aware what could happen if I took a curve just a hair too tight or too loose.
When I made the turn back out on the main road, though, it was a different story. I'd driven that stretch thousands of times, in all sorts of conditions. Every dip and sway stayed fixed in my mind, and I knew all the sweet spots that would allow me to take the curves at full speed. I gambled on the truck driver not knowing it.
The big 454 roared as I gave it more gas, and the car shot ahead. The truck's headlights grew smaller in the rearview until I rounded a curve, then disappeared altogether. I kept the hammer down and gained as much ground as I could while they were out of sight.
Beside me, Elena clutched at the seat. "Ryker, really, just turn around and take me home. I'll go to Royse and fix all this."
I bit back a curse. Scaring her would only create more problems. "Look, Elena, he was going to have you killed. When the sick fucks he sent you to couldn't do it, he gave you to a bastard that never returns the girls he gets. Why do you think going to him now would fix anything?" My fingers tightened on the steering wheel so hard I had to remind myself to be careful and not crack it. I took another curve, almost impossibly tight, and she gave a little squeal.
When she could breathe again, she replied. "The whole thing was my fault. I shouldn't have found a job or tried to leave. If I go back and do as he wants, he'll get his way. That's all he wants."
Frustration tightened my hands again. "No, Elena, that is not all he wants. He wants us both dead now. We dared to go against him. No amount of apologizing or doing what he wants is going to fix that."
She made an angry sound. "I have to try, Ryker. We can't hide or run forever, and he still has my mom if he hasn't killed her yet. There's no other way." Her small fist pounded at her thigh. "You have to let me do this."
I hit the gas harder and took the next curve with screaming tires. "No! Even if you went back, he would just kill you, kill your mom, and keep coming after me. It's too late. You have to believe me."
She laughed, a bitter sound. "He's going to kill me anyway. It's easier just to get it over with."
"Damn it, Elena. Listen to me. I can keep you safe. The Hell Raiders—"
"Are more blood-thirsty criminals, probably worse than Royse. How is that going to be any better?" The interruption left me stunned.
I kept my eyes on the road, trying to let it sink in. How could she think the Raiders were worse than Royse? It made no sense. Down a long straight stretch, I floored it and let the car surge ahead. Just as I started around the next curve, headlights appeared in my rearview. The truck was hanging in there.
"I don't know what you've heard about the Raiders, but we're nothing like Royse. For one thing, we don't make money by selling women who don't want to be sold. And we don't hurt women."
She stayed quiet and I didn't say anything else. Best to keep my attention on driving. The worst part of the road was coming right at us, and I had to stay focused to take it at this speed. The slightest mistake would save Royse the trouble of killing us.
We reached the town before Stags Leap well ahead of the pickup. Well, at least the headlights were nowhere to be seen. I took a deep breath of relief. From here, I had a choice of over a dozen ways out of town, all leading to different places. The bastards following us would have no clue which way we took. I felt a little better about our chances of getting out alive.
"Ryker?" Elena's voice sounded small and scared.
"Yeah?"
"Could we maybe stop for a minute? I really need the bathroom."
I took a quick look in my rearview. No sign of that truck. Shit, I hated to give up our lead on them, but it couldn't really be helped. We had over an hour left on the road, and I couldn't ask her to hold it that long. "Okay, I'll find a place to stop."
The next cross street led to a less visible part of town, down next to the River, so I hung a right and headed that way. Three streets later, next to the ancient abandoned ferry landing, a little mom and pop convenience store/gas station/diner looked like the perfect solution. I parked in the shadows near the dumpster and led Elena inside.
While she headed for the restroom, I grabbed some drinks and snacks, knowing we would need it when we reached the clubhouse. I paid and waited, wondering how long a woman usually took in the restroom.
Five minutes passed, and my nerves got the better of me. "Hey, does the ladies room have another exit?" Surely she wouldn't ditch me and try to get back to Royse after our talk?
"Nah, man, just a window for ventilation." The clerk gave me a weird look, but then turned back to his cellphone and continued his mindless game.
A sick feeling hit my gut. Shit. She wouldn't, would she?
I ran to the ladies room and forced the door without knocking. A cool breeze came in through the open window, and Elena was nowhere to be seen.
Fuck!
I ran through the store and straight-armed the door open, then jogged to the left, out of the lights. There I paused for a look around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Elena. No such luck. Damn, she couldn't just make it easy on me and listen to reason, could she? No, that would make too much fucking sense.
Chapter Fourteen
Elena:
This might be the stupidest thing I've ever done. I bent down beside the gas station to get my bearings. Royse's men were probably long gone, so I needed to make my way back across the River by myself. But first, I had to make sure Ryker didn't find me.
A little shiver of fear ran through me. Pissing off a man like him couldn't be a good thing. I ignored the little voice in the back of my mind that kept saying Ryker would never hurt me, even pissed. Regret filled me, for leaving all my new things behind. I would miss them, even if I hadn't had time to get used to having them.
Thick shadows at the edge of the parking lot seemed like the way to go, so I headed in that direction, trying to hurry. At the curb, moonlight glinted off water just in time to keep me from stepping right in it. I paused to take a better look at where I was going, and it was a good thing. The water I'd glimpsed stretched before me in a broad sort of channel between two concrete walls, like a boat ramp or something. Huge iron rings protruded from the walls; maybe a place to tie boats?
Either way, it was a damn good thing I'd seen that little sparkle of water. Who knew how deep it was right there. I could have drowned. Panic hit for a minute, but I took a deep breath to calm down. Every second it took me to get back to Royse was another second Ryker could get killed. I might be nothing but a nasty whore, but I couldn't stand the thought of his death, especially not because of me.
Another deep breath to get me on my way, and I skirted around the curb, and made my way to the street. The need to stay out of Ryker's sight warred with wanting to find the men in the truck and an easy way back to Royse. I decided out of sight was better. I could find my way back to Royse, as long as Ryker didn't find me first.
The first alley I found seemed like it might offer what I needed, so I headed down it carefully. I already knew way too much about the kinds of monsters that lurked in alleys, even in little Mayberry-looking towns like this one. Luckily, though, this one seemed like just rear entrance a
ccess for the houses to both sides. A dog barked, and another answered, but both went quiet soon, probably bored with me.
The problem came when I made it to the end of the alley. It fucking dead-ended, and not just any dead-end with a fence or building, or whatever. No, this one had some big-ass forest cutting it off. To my left, moonlight sparkled off a big body of water, probably the River. Double railroad tracks sat off to my right, with more gigantic trees on the other side.
That forest would swallow me alive, and the choices in front of me turned my stomach. Risk walking along the River at night, with no way of seeing snakes, or dead bodies, or whatever else I might stumble into; or take my chances with the railroad and get mowed down by a freight train in the night. The other option held even less appeal. I could retrace my steps and find another way out of town, but that meant more chances of Ryker finding me.
All three choices sucked, but in the end, Ryker scared me far less than dead bodies and snakes, or silent trains that killed. I headed back the way I came, watching between the houses for another street or alley I could try. Something scurried around a trash can, and scared me half to death. My little half-scream might have started the dog barking again, or maybe it was more interested in whatever ran from the garbage. Whichever, this time, it had a fit, and someone turned on a back porch light and yelled for the dog to shut the fuck up. The dog whimpered and I got the hell out of there, as quietly as I could manage.
At the end of the alley, Ryker's car stood out clearly in the gas station lot, even if he had parked away from the lights. I could just walk over there and wait for him, let him go ahead and take the risk for me. It would be easier than what I'd decided on. He and his buddies could take the heat from Royse while I found myself somewhere to make a fresh start.
And what about mom? I froze, thinking. It wasn't the first time the idea had crossed my mind. Hell, I'd thought of ditching the old lady since the first time I had to beg for something to eat, and about a billion times since then. A few times, I'd even gone so far as to start to leave, but I always went back. No, I still couldn't leave her behind.
Decision made, I hurried and cut through a little park and found the street Ryker drove us down. It only took a few minutes from there to reach the edge of the little town, but was it the right edge? Not like I could stop and ask directions. Finally, I spotted a green road sign with the directions and distances to various other places. According to that, I had just over thirty miles to walk.
My heart sank at the thought, but then a car blasted by me, headed exactly where I needed to go. I spun to look behind me, and see if there might be more coming. Sure enough, headlights made me squint and throw one hand up to guard my eyes. Even so, I hurried and stuck my thumb out, willing the car to stop for me.
It did. The driver's window came down to show a young-looking guy. "Hey, doll, where ya headed?"
I told him, reminding myself of all the horrible things that happened to hitchhikers in the movies.
"Cool, I'm headed there to pick my wife up from work at the hospital. Climb in if you want a ride."
I weighed the risks for another full second and jogged across to the passenger side and climbed in. Before I could change my mind, I settled in and fastened my seat belt. After all, he was going to get his wife. She worked at the hospital.
He started driving. "I'm Brad, by the way." The glow from the dashboard made his smile look really nice.
"Elena." Shit, I realized too late I should have given him a fake name.
He nodded. "Elena. Cool name. You got friends in P-Town, or family?"
Uh oh. "Yeah, my mom and three brothers are there, and my boyfriend. I just came down here for the day with my friend, Beth, but she decided to stay the night, and I wanted to get home." Fuck, I hoped he didn't ask any more questions.
"Well, that sucks. Glad I stopped then." He seemed content with that, and turned his radio back up a little.
The dark scenery passed quickly, with blurs of light from the houses scattered along the way, and pretty soon, Brad turned onto the bridge across the River. From there, I asked him to drop me at the first cross street, since he had to go a different direction for the hospital.
The streets were quiet here in the business area, but I knew just a few blocks away, things were still jumping. The dealers and street whores would be out in force in the poorer neighborhoods, along with plenty of thugs. Maybe I would be lucky enough to get where I needed to go without trouble. A few blocks down, I saw that wasn't going to happen.
A thug pimp swaggered in my direction with two whores following after, probably searching for new territory. "Yo, bitch! Who your daddy?"
My breath froze in my chest, but I forced the words out anyway. "I'm with Royse, you dumb fuck. Now get the hell outta my way before one o' his boys moves you." Any woman walking alone in this area could count on getting asked that question at least once per block. The pimps were always on the lookout for fresh pussy.
A sly look passed between the whores, who hurried to catch up. "You ain't gon' let her talk to you like that, right El Chapo?" The peroxide blonde shoved her fake tits up against his arm
"Course I ain't." The so-called El Chapo glared at me. "I call bullshit, bitch. Royse don't run no street pussy."
I laughed. "El Chapo, is it? You're right, he don't. It's all private arrangement. You wanna call him and check?"
The punk held up both hands. "Nah, no need. I take your word."
"You sure? I can call him for you. Though he usually doesn't like his girls being questioned by two-bit hood rats." I reached for my pocket, like I had a phone there.
"No, seriously. We good, you know what I mean?" He backed away.
"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean." I walked on. The after-effects of fear made my palms itch. Stupid, but it never failed, the very center of my palms itched whenever I got upset or scared, but this was the first time lately I'd had a chance to even notice it. Being scared had been a long-term condition for me the last couple of weeks. This little confrontation had come off in my favor. Too bad the one with Royse wouldn't.
I kept moving, knowing without a doubt that to stand still was to become a victim in this neighborhood. My surroundings went from bad to worse, until gang graffiti tagged nearly every surface, and bits of trash blew along the sidewalk. Several panhandlers called out to me, asking for money I didn't have, so I ignored them. Only a single heartbeat kept me out of their shoes. A streetwalker wearing a shredded tank top that barely covered her nipples and shorts so short her ass cheeks hung out asked if I wanted a date. Nothing but Royse's protection separated me from her, and now I no longer had it. I figured I was lucky he would kill me.
It seemed like I walked forever before I reached Royse's building, but finally, I got there. Outside, it looked like an old fancy hotel or something, with all sorts of carvings and ornaments along the front. They'd even used two colors of stone when they built it, making a pretty pattern on the walls. A bronze plaque was fastened to one of the stones at the corner of the building, probably saying it was some kind of historic site or something. I'd never bothered to look that closely. No graffiti marked Royse's walls. The gangs knew better.
More nervous than I'd been the first time I saw that place, I made my way up the broad stone steps to the fancy double doors with their polished wood frames and brass handles. The full length glass was frosted in a pattern that imitated the ones the bricks made on the outside walls.
The itch in my palms became a full-on burning as I lifted a shaking hand to press the button by the doors. It wouldn't be long before I forgot to notice it again, because I would be too busy either fighting for my life, or being terrified. The old-fashioned bell rang inside, and I heard it clearly where I stood.
After a couple of minutes, a frowning man in a suit opened the right-hand door. "Yeah?"
I took a deep breath. "Elena, here to see Royse, please."
The man grinned and his gaze swept over me, missing nothing. "You're the split that cause
d so much bullshit? Well, come on in, darlin'. I'm sure Royse will be very pleased to see you."
My hands threatened to catch fire, and my heart seemed determined to leave my chest, but I stepped through the door. Ryker. I had to keep him safe. This was the only way. What happened to me didn't matter. I was only a whore anyway. I had to keep telling myself that or chicken out, and if I failed, Ryker would die. I couldn't face a world without him in it, so whatever happened to me here meant nothing, as long as he stayed okay.
Putting someone other than my mom before my own well-being felt entirely strange. I never went out of my way to hurt anyone, of course, but I didn't go out of my way to help anyone, either. But for Ryker, I would do anything possible to keep him safe, even if it meant my own death, or worse. I'd realized it earlier, of course, and set myself to do it, but having my feelings put into actual words did something to my insides.
I stepped through those fancy doors and waited for my fate to catch up to me.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryker:
Where the fuck could she be? I'd torn apart the area around the gas station searching for her, with no sign other than a recent shoe print that might not even be hers at the edge of the ferry landing. Why would Elena just take off like that?
I leaned against the fender of the Chevelle, trying to think. She left her bag, had no money, or anything, not even a jacket to turn the slight chill of the breeze off the River.
"The whole thing was my fault. I shouldn't have found a job or tried to leave. If I go back and do as he wants, he'll get his way. That's all he wants." Her words from earlier returned to haunt me.
She'd gone back, or tried to. Fuck!