Page 38 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
Hours later, Einstein was lounging to oneside of a low-burning fire, elbow on his knee as he tried to decidewhere he’d sleep tonight.
“I heard that was some funny shit today.”Einstein looked up, surprised to find Retro standing across thecircle. “Bearing the queen on her portable throne so she could tossa question at her old man. Classic stuff, brother. Material that’llstill be makin’ the rounds years from now.”
He scrambled to his feet and rounded thepit, wrapping his arms around his best friend. “What the hell, man.I didn’t know you were coming in.”
“I like to keep ya guessin’.” Retro returnedthe embrace with the same amount of strained strength. “Fuckin’miss your ugly mug, brother.”
“God.” Einstein squeezed tight, feelingsomehow steadier just knowing Retro was here. “I miss you,too.”
“Tell me.”
“Tell you? Tell you what?”
“Every-fuckin’-thing, man. I want to heareverything over the past two weeks, since we last spoke.” Retrogestured towards the log Einstein had leaned against. “Let’s pullup a seat, have a chat.”
Making his way back to where he’d beenseated, he ran the memories of his journey through his mind, tryingto isolate the pieces that Retro would be most interested in. “I’vealready reported all of this through Mudd, you know. If you didn’tget the memo, then you need to take it up with your man.”
“Oh, no worries for your little head, hetold me everything.” Retro settled next to Einstein, folded fistpounding against Einstein’s flexed quad. “Nothin’ like gettin’ myinfo straight from the source, though. Me and Mudd think a lotalike, but we aren’t twinsies. You just gotta fuckin’ deal.”
“Yeah, can do.” He fell into the storiesthen, letting Retro guard them against eavesdroppers, corrallingthe tales into linear additions to what they might have alreadyknown about any given situation. How the Silent Deaths werebreaking from the Machos, and what that might have to do with adifferent Machos affiliation to the Legends from up in Wyoming.Legends had absorbed the club that Bane had given up on years ago.Through the confusion of the takeover, their records hadn’t beenupdated well, or at all. It had taken Retro a full week to suss outall the names of members like Bane who had left. At least now hewas reasonably confident Scar wasn’t among them. While there,though, he’d isolated information about two Jackals who’d routedthrough the northern states on their way to the East Coast, an oddarrangement, given they were chartered south of San Diego. That hadjumped out at him as a desire to avoid certain clubs and hadgarnered its own week-worth of investigation.
By the time he finished talking, his throatwas dry and scratchy, voice hoarse from sucking in wood smoke andbreathing out secrets.
The look of pride on Retro’s face?
Worth anything.
“I’m impressed with myself for the firsttime in a while.” Retro leaned back, stretching his legs straightin front of him, soles of his boots aimed at the guttering fire.“Makin’ you take that nomad rocker is the best idea I’ve had.” Hegot his feet underneath him and stood, looking down at Einstein ashe held out a hand. “Come on, brother. I copped Bane’s couch foryou tonight.”
“Where are you sleeping?” He accepted theassistance and groaned as he rose and stretched. “Jesus, shouldarealized my ass was numb.”
“I’m in the guest bedroom. My understandingis we’ll be feted breakfast early, then we’ll head into town to dothe main business.” Retro took a slow breath, regret etching lineson his face. “You heard about Marlin, right?”
“Patching over. Never woulda thought it,man. The Baker chapter is solid, though, a great group if a bodywas looking for a change of scenery. Did he give you a reasonbehind the request?” Einstein paced beside Retro as they walkedtowards Bane’s house. “This feels sudden.”
“Same info as Monday, needs to vacate theBirmingham locale. I didn’t press him beyond finding out that itwasn’t club related. If I’d denied, I think he would have stayed.”Retro shrugged.
“Yeah, but how unhappy would he be in a fewweeks or months. Sometimes you just gotta know when it’s time tocut losses and move on.” Since his plan was following select bikersas they moved through the community, picking up and putting downpatches as they went, Einstein felt like he’d seen it all by now.“He’d either bury himself inside the club in an unhealthy way, orhe’d start staying away if it meant being in proximity to whateverhas his hackles riled up. You ensuring he does it right will alwayskeep the door open for him to come back someday.”
“Oh, yeah. And we’re doin’ it right. Youshould know that about me for sure.”
Retro stomped his boots against theflagstone at the bottom of the kitchen steps, a feature that hadn’texisted before. Einstein followed suit, noting other changes sincehe’d been here last. The railing was new, sanded smooth, andstained a dark color to match the older treads. In the darkness, itlooked like the paint around the door had been touched up, too.
Light flooded out as Retro opened the doorand went inside, Einstein a stride behind him. The party in thehouse hadn’t yet flagged, with the kitchen and what he could see ofthe living room packed with bodies.
“So much for getting some shut-eye soon,” hemurmured to Retro, gesturing towards the couch currently seatingfour couples, women on the men’s laps.
“I’d offer you my bed in exchange, but—”Retro laughed aloud, grinning broadly. “I don’t wanna.”
“Asshole.” Einstein thudded a fist againstRetro’s shoulder. “I’ve got my tent. I can head back out and setup.”
“There are two guest bedrooms.” The softfemale voice had Einstein spinning with a grin. “I saved one ofthem for you, Einstein.”
He held out his arms, pleased when Marianimmediately moved in for a hug. “Woman, it’s good to see you.” Hestepped back, hands sliding down to curl around her wrists. “Youlook good.”
“The rooms are ready if you’re tired now.”Rolling her eyes, she brushed off his compliment. “I heard what youand Horse did for Myrt earlier. It was very sweet.”
“Weren’t you in the other room upstairs?”Einstein remembered Bane’s explanation of why he needed to bunk onthe couch the first time he’d stayed over. He dropped his hold onher arms. “I’m not taking your bed, am I?”
