She opened her eyes a tiny slit, guarding against the brightness surrounding her. A man stood next to the bed, and he wasn’t Jim. Then he looked down at her, and she saw Jim’s face again, but that weird overlay was back. His lips were offset, landing where his cheek should be, and his eyes morphed as she stared at him. His sandy brown hair was disheveled, as if she’d already been running her fingers through the top part.
“Jim?” This time she wasn’t certain her own eyes weren’t deceiving her and wasn’t surprised when his misshapen head swung back and forth negatively. “Who are you?” She jolted away, scrambling to gain purchase in the clouds. Her heels dug in and shot her to the far corner, where she looked down to find her flying fingers clutching at normal sheets. “Where am I?”
“Marian, it’s Noah.”
She watched in horror as his single eye rolled wildly in its socket as it traversed the width of his head, disappearing around the other side. “Ga no. No no. No oh ah.”
“Yeah, Noah.” The eyeless being seemed impervious to her panic, lowering to sit on the edge of the bed. It smiled, lips parting to show her sharpened teeth, worse than any terror clown in a horror movie. “I’m your friend.”
Marian hung her head, unable to look it in the face any longer. “No no no. No no. No oh ah. Das bad. Bad bad bad.” She darted a glance up and screamed. Teeth that should be inside the dark maw were now drifting aimlessly across its face. Her back hit something solid, and she could retreat no farther. “No oh ah.”
“The hell did you dose her with, Walter?” Angry voice was back, so unlike Jim’s, she didn’t know how she could have mistaken it before. “This is like the worst bad trip I’ve ever seen.”
“Special K. She should still be knocked on her ass. Doesn’t matter. Either way, it’ll be out of her system in a while.”
“How long until she’s past the worst of these symptoms?”
“Another few hours maybe? I don’t know.”
Marian shrieked when the clouds underneath her shifted, throwing her against that hard surface again.
“Her heart’s pounding so hard I can see it in her throat. In another few hours, she could be dead.”
“No no. No die. Nooooo.”
“Shhhh, Marian. It’s okay. Can you close your eyes for me?”
She nodded, not really wanting to see the no-eyed monster man again.
“Okay now, think happy thoughts.”
“Jim.”
“Okay, let’s think about Jim. What’s your favorite thing about him?”
“Sooooo sweeeet.” Eyes closed, she thrust her chin out and pouted her lips. “Good man.” His story about his family hit her all at once, every detail she’d etched on her mind pummeling her brutally. “Sad man.”
“Jesus, can you shut her up?” A third voice joined the other two, and Marian was tempted to look, but the memory of the monster sitting beside her was enough to keep her lids shut tightly. “Shouting the house down, man.”
“You both need to go. Walter, I don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to involve me in whatever this is. But you’re in the wrong on this one. Leave her with me and go. I’ll take her to a hospital and say she landed on my doorstep, which isn’t a lie. I just won’t mention who landed her there.” The bed shifted again, and Marian groaned. “Shhhh, Marian. I’m going to take you to the doctor. Okay, honey? I’ll get you to the hospital and then I’ll call Jim.”
“Jim. Jim Jim, Jimmy Jim. Sad man.”
“Yeah, sweetie. Jim. Keep your eyes closed and think of Jim. Good. Now give me your hand.”
Something exploded nearby, and Marian added her screams to the shouts of the men.
Chapter Sixteen
Einstein
When he saw what was in front of him as he steered the bike around the final corner before Penrose’s house, Einstein had a moment to think, Can Scar really be that stupid? Two bikes and a white van sat near the curb across the street from the house. He flung up a fist and toed down his shifter, planting his right foot hard on the brake. It was enough to make the bike dance sideways, and as he killed the engine the other three bikes also came to a stop, tires barking slightly on the road. Glancing over his shoulder, he noted Gunny’s front wheel was inches away from his rear one, and realized he didn’t give too much of a shit that he could have wrecked them all.
Phone in hand, he dialed Retro. Expecting to leave a voicemail, he was surprised when he got the man himself. The lack of wind noise told him that the column was stopped somewhere. “Where are you?”
“Clubhouse on the main drag. Felt better to bring the boys here. Where are—”
“Backtrack two blocks, turn north. That’ll be to your right. Two blocks and make a left. We’re waiting. Scar and Zipline are here.” He didn’t give Retro a chance to respond, disconnecting and then dialing another number from memory. The call connected, and he didn’t wait. “Myron, what can you tell me about Penrose’s house? I’ve never been inside.”
“I can tell you the white van is outside. I’ve been trying to call you. Never mind, I see you now.” Einstein glanced up, not sure what he expected to see. “I’m into a doorbell camera two doors up from where you are now, across the street from Penrose’s place. You wanted a floor plan? I can go one better. I’ve got a high-level asset in place and can”—Einstein’s phone pinged—“send you a recent heatmap of the house. This is fifteen minutes ago. They’re all near or inside a back room, probably a bedroom, given the positioning. Heatmap hasn’t changed significantly since I’ve been watching.”
Einstein pulled his phone away from his face and looked at the message that had just come in. The image reflected everything Myron had told him. He studied the lines of the walls, appearing on the image as a darker gray.
“Einstein,” the man was shouting at him, and Einstein returned the phone to his ear. “I do not have eyes into the house, man. Penrose seems averse to anything that might connect to the internet. I’d bet his only computer is at his shop. There’s a passive alarm in the house that dates back two decades but is still active.” Einstein put the call on speaker. “That alarm can be easily bypassed for entry, and you’ve got a guy with you who’s one of the best at dealing with that kind of stuff.”
“He’s talking about me,” Gunny spoke up, face grim. “Don’t matter what alarm he was talking about, you need it and I’ll do it, brother.”
“Gunny.” The relief in Myron’s voice was apparent to them all, and Einstein grimaced, shoving his ego aside. Gunny had a long history with the RWMC. It was only natural that someone like Myron would lean towards the big man. “The alarm will just need an alligator clip wire to bypass, but it looks like it’s full coverage. You need to treat every door and window as potentially armed.”
The sound of bikes swelled in the distance, and Bane took off at a run. Einstein allowed the conversation between Gunny and Myron to fade to the background as he watched Bane meet the column a block back. He gestured frantically for the men who had ridden down from Birmingham to turn off their bikes. Swiveling around, Einstein stared at Penrose’s house, which was so close he was suddenly shocked their own arrival hadn’t drawn any attention. Thank God Bane was thinking on his feet. Marian was the only thing Einstein could focus on for any length of time. She was in there, in that room where the blooms of heat were, trapped inside the house with Einstein’s sworn enemy, Scar. He’s got my Marian.
“Fuck.” Shoving the phone at Gunny, he had only taken a single step towards the house before he was yanked back with arms around his chest. “Let me go.”
“Not happenin’, brother.” Retro’s murmur was loud as a gunshot to Einstein, and he whirled, not surprised to see a heavy concern on Retro’s features. “We got here. We’re fuckin’ here. Now, what do you know?”
“Myron’s got a heatmap of the house. He’s tapped into a camera across the street. They’ve got her inside. They have her inside, Jerry. That van’s the one they took her with. Scar and Zipline, they’re in there.” He realized
he was trembling. “She’s in there with them. My Marian. She’s by herself and in there with Scar.”
“Gunny’s gonna get us in there.” Retro’s head dipped and lifted, his face a mask of solemn acceptance of how fucked-up Einstein was right now. It was a relief, knowing he could leave some of this in Retro’s hands, trusting he’d have the right answers. “You’re going to stay with me, no matter what. Our job is to find your lady and get her out. Mason is at the homesteads. He’s gonna hold down the fort there, but he’s sending Hoss in with a car so we can get her away from here. Isaiah is on his way, brother. We’ve got you, man.”
A hand appeared on his shoulder, and he turned to see Mudd standing close, the man’s gaze fixed on the house down the street. Marlin was right behind Mudd, his scowl focused on Einstein. Along the street in a ragged line were all the men he knew from the club, all the men he called brother. Each of them had dropped everything at his call, and for the first time since he’d methodically sewn it into place, the nomad rocker chafed.
“Okay, we’re good to go in. Gunny’s got our entrance planned out, him and Myron. Isaiah is only a couple of minutes away. We’re good to go.” Retro’s voice came from a hundred miles away, and a moment after he finished speaking, Einstein rattled back and forth in Retro’s grip as he was shaken. “You with us, brother?”
“I’m with you.” He stiffened his spine, lifting his head. Everyone came here because I needed them. My brothers. My family. “Scar—”
“He’s yours, brother. I know.”
Einstein shook his head. “No, that’s what I was going to say. Whatever happens to him, he’s pulled all this in on himself. I know I’ve been hunting him for a long time, but it doesn’t have to be me. Any of my brothers deal with him, they’re acting with my hands. My sole focus is Marian. Everything else is noise to me.”
“Always knew you were fuckin’ smart.” Retro glanced around at the men standing nearby. “Are we ready to go?”
A dozen affirmative responses had their boots aiming at the house. Einstein didn’t ask what the strategy was, didn’t ask who was assigned what; he just followed Retro, knowing his brother and best friend would never steer him wrong.
They came to a halt on the back porch. Einstein stood directly behind Gunny, who already had the screen door opened wide, held there by one wedged boot. He watched in amazement as the man wrenched the molding off the side of the door with his bare hands, a wire contraption clenched between his teeth. Tossing the piece of wood into the yard behind them, Gunny turned back to his work, and a pocketknife appeared in his hand. He used the pointed end of the blade to tease a set of colored wires out of the gap between the door and the wall. On two of the wires, he frayed the plastic covering and attached the clips, one at each location. With a deft twist of his wrist, Gunny snipped through one wire.
Gunny turned. “You’re in. I’ve got to get the front door next. Give me a count of fifteen.” Then he disappeared. Einstein was left staring at Retro as he bent over in front of the doorknob, hands held close together, metal flashing as he picked the lock.
“Got it.” Retro straightened and moved so his shoulder bumped the screen door, hand on the knob of the inside one.
“Fifteen,” Einstein heard from behind him, the voice sounding like Mudd’s.
“Here we go.”
Inside the house was dark. Only limited light filtered in through the sheers over the windows. Einstein followed the patch on Retro’s leather vest, noting the heatmap had been accurate with the placement of the walls as they immediately turned a corner into a short hallway. It was brighter here, the end of the hall illuminated with light that streamed through a doorway.
Shadows darkened the area, and just before he and Retro got to the opening, a man stepped out. Einstein had an instant to recognize Scar. He was older, face more lined, new marks living alongside old ones—then Scar ducked back into the room, and another man appeared, pistol in hand. The brilliance of the muzzle blasts as he pulled the trigger was blinding, loud reports deafening in the enclosed space.
Retro went down with a yell, and Einstein slammed against the wall as Mudd pushed past them both. Fucking hell, Retro’s down! Then a woman’s screams split the air, and Einstein was torn between pausing to check on Retro or continuing. Oh my God, Marian! He saw Mudd’s trajectory was true as he tackled the man, shoving him through the window at the end of the hall. As the glass shattered, it reflected a final blast from the end of the gun, pointed harmlessly overhead. Immediately, alarms caterwauled around them, shrill and adding to the insanity.
“I got Retro! Go, go, go!” Marlin shoved at his shoulder, and Einstein stepped over Retro’s prone form, even as it killed him to do so. He raced through the door and came into the room to see Marian dangling at the end of a man’s fist. She was in front of the large form of Scar, held in place by his hand clutching the seam of her neckline. An unmoving Penrose lay on the floor near Scar’s feet.
“Back the fuck off.” Scar’s shout seemed to come from a thousand miles away, echoes of the gunshots still blocking Einstein’s hearing. The man shook Marian like a ragdoll as she jerked with uncoordinated movements. “I’ll kill her. Back off!”
“You’re dead anyway.” Gunny’s voice from behind preceded the appearance of a pistol over Einstein’s shoulder by only an instant. Einstein had only a breath to bring his hand up and cover his ear before Gunny pulled the trigger. A tiny hole appeared in Scar’s shoulder as red splashed the wall behind him, both arms lifting as he fell to the side. He was up in an instant and plunging through the glass of a window and into the darkness beyond.
“Fuck.” Gunny pushed past Einstein towards the broken window.
Freed from Scar’s hold, Marian sagged, and Einstein lunged forwards, catching her against his chest as he sank to the floor with her on his lap.
She looked up at him, her smile brilliant, eyes unfocused and alarmingly aimed in different directions. “There you are.”
Her words were slurred, blending together in frightening ways, and Einstein shouted, “Help. Someone help me.” Marian’s head tilted towards him, thudding against his chest with a painful blow. “Something’s wrong.”
“Be still, motherfucker.” Bane’s growled instructions had Einstein shifting to place his shoulders against the side of the bed, well away from where Marian had fallen. Penrose was moving, trying to sit up as he held one hand against the back of his head.
Mudd appeared, and Einstein stared at the red on his hands. He darted a glance towards the door, then back to Mudd’s face. “Don’t worry, brother. I’ll always have your back. Folks are takin’ out the trash I left on the yard right now. Do you know what’s wrong with her?” Mudd looked at Bane, who was smashing the rest of the glass from the window, already halfway out. “Where’s Scar?”
“He got out, that way.” Penrose lifted his chin to indicate a disappearing Bane. “Through the window. They gave her ketamine. She’s been hallucinating.”
Einstein clutched Marian closer at Penrose’s words.
“I missed you.” Marian’s lips pursed in a sweet demand, and Einstein didn’t hesitate before dipping down to press his mouth to hers. Her cold lips heated underneath his, and a tiny bit of his terror faded away. She’s going to be okay. He wouldn’t allow any other thought inside his head right now. She’d be okay, and so would his brothers.
“Get the fuck off of me.” The words from the hallway were clearly audible, spoken just as the alarm ceased its klaxon alert, and Einstein took a deeper breath in, relieved to hear Retro’s voice. “I’m not dyin’. Leave me the fuck—goddammit, that smarts, asshole. Stop pokin’ at it.”
“Baby, did they hurt you?” A quick scan of Marian’s visible skin didn’t show him any bruising, something that wasn’t as comforting as it should be. “Talk to me. Tell me you’re okay.”
Gunny climbed back through the window, a shake of his head answering Einstein’s unspoken question.
Fuck.
“Definitely win
ged him. I’ll get Myron to watch the hospitals, see if we can tag him that way. Motherfucker’s fast.” Gunny’s fingers worked across the screen of his phone. “Maybe the drone that gave us the heatmap can track him.” He picked up a small bottle from the floor and frowned. “Shit. Ketamine?” Einstein nodded as Gunny crouched nearby, gaze darting between his phone and Marian’s face. “Okay, that’s not the worst. Not the best either.”
“The bad clown went away.” She shuddered and clung tighter to Einstein. “Thank you for making him go away, Gunny.”
“Clown, huh? Well, that’s about right.” Gunny snorted. “Let me look at you, Maid Marian.” He crouched next to Mudd, reaching out to grasp Marian’s chin and direct her gaze towards himself. “Do you see me, honey?”
“Yeah.” Her voice was high and childlike. “You’re my first friend.” She laughed softly, lips curling at the corners as she stared at Gunny. “My first forever friend.”
“You better believe it. We’re friends for life, Maid Marian.” Gunny turned to Einstein, his serious expression belying the amusement in his tone. “Her pupils are jacked, so she’s still pretty deep in the K-hole. That clown business? If she was hallucinating before we got here but isn’t now, that means he had to dose her recently. It’s been long enough from the time she was taken it should be out of her system if he’d only hit her the once. Her altered state will stabilize quickly; the drug’s fairly short-acting, relative to the other medications in the same class.” Gunny looked up and shook his head at Mudd’s puzzled expression. “What? I do a lot of volunteer work at the horse rescue place north of town. One of the other volunteers got canned because he was rippin’ off the ketamine. I did some research.”
“Damn, man, you have some odd interests.” Mudd turned to Einstein. “You’re in good hands, brother. I’m going to check on our fearless leader.” Einstein became aware of a jumble of voices and conversation from the rest of the house. “He’s sounding testy.”
Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway Page 25