Page 59 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“Shhhh, Marian. It’s okay. Can you closeyour eyes for me?”
She nodded, not really wanting to see theno-eyed monster man again.
“Okay now, think happy thoughts.”
“Jim.”
“Okay, let’s think about Jim. What’s yourfavorite thing about him?”
“Sooooo sweeeet.” Eyes closed, she thrusther chin out and pouted her lips. “Good man.” His story about hisfamily hit her all at once, every detail she’d etched on her mindpummeling her brutally. “Sad man.”
“Jesus, can you shut her up?” A third voicejoined the other two, and Marian was tempted to look, but thememory of the monster sitting beside her was enough to keep herlids shut tightly. “Shouting the house down, man.”
“You both need to go. Walter, I don’t knowwhy you thought it was a good idea to involve me in whatever thisis. 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.” Thebed shifted again, and Marian groaned. “Shhhh, Marian. I’m going totake you to the doctor. Okay, honey? I’ll get you to the hospitaland then I’ll call Jim.”
“Jim. Jim Jim, Jimmy Jim. Sad man.”
“Yeah, sweetie. Jim. Keep your eyes closedand think of Jim. Good. Now give me your hand.”
Something exploded nearby, and Marian addedher screams to the shouts of the men.
Chapter Sixteen
Einstein
When he saw what was in front of him as hesteered the bike around the final corner before Penrose’s house,Einstein had a moment to think,Can Scar really be thatstupid?Two bikes and a white van sat near the curb across thestreet from the house. He flung up a fist and toed down hisshifter, planting his right foot hard on the brake. It was enoughto make the bike dance sideways, and as he killed the engine theother three bikes also came to a stop, tires barking slightly onthe road. Glancing over his shoulder, he noted Gunny’s front wheelwas inches away from his rear one, and realized he didn’t give toomuch of a shit that he could have wrecked them all.
Phone in hand, he dialed Retro. Expecting toleave a voicemail, he was surprised when he got the man himself.The lack of wind noise told him that the column was stoppedsomewhere. “Where are you?”
“Clubhouse on the main drag. Felt better tobring the boys here. Where are—”
“Backtrack two blocks, turn north. That’llbe to your right. Two blocks and make a left. We’re waiting. Scarand Zipline are here.” He didn’t give Retro a chance to respond,disconnecting and then dialing another number from memory. The callconnected, and he didn’t wait. “Myron, what can you tell me aboutPenrose’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.” Einsteinglanced up, not sure what he expected to see. “I’m into a doorbellcamera two doors up from where you are now, across the street fromPenrose’s place. You wanted a floor plan? I can go one better. I’vegot a high-level asset in place and can”—Einstein’s phonepinged—“send you a recent heatmap of the house. This is fifteenminutes ago. They’re all near or inside a back room, probably abedroom, given the positioning. Heatmap hasn’t changedsignificantly since I’ve been watching.”
Einstein pulled his phone away from his faceand looked at the message that had just come in. The imagereflected everything Myron had told him. He studied the lines ofthe walls, appearing on the image as a darker gray.
“Einstein,” the man was shouting at him, andEinstein returned the phone to his ear. “I do not have eyes intothe house, man. Penrose seems averse to anything that might connectto the internet. I’d bet his only computer is at his shop. There’sa passive alarm in the house that dates back two decades but isstill active.” Einstein put the call on speaker. “That alarm can beeasily bypassed for entry, and you’ve got a guy with you who’s oneof 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 needit and I’ll do it, brother.”
“Gunny.” The relief in Myron’s voice wasapparent to them all, and Einstein grimaced, shoving his ego aside.Gunny had a long history with the RWMC. It was only natural thatsomeone like Myron would lean towards the big man. “The alarm willjust need an alligator clip wire to bypass, but it looks like it’sfull coverage. You need to treat every door and window aspotentially armed.”
The sound of bikes swelled in the distance,and Bane took off at a run. Einstein allowed the conversationbetween Gunny and Myron to fade to the background as he watchedBane meet the column a block back. He gestured frantically for themen who had ridden down from Birmingham to turn off their bikes.Swiveling around, Einstein stared at Penrose’s house, which was soclose he was suddenly shocked their own arrival hadn’t drawn anyattention.Thank God Bane was thinking on his feet.Marianwas 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’sgot my Marian.
“Fuck.” Shoving the phone at Gunny,he had only taken a single step towards the house before he wasyanked back with arms around his chest. “Let me go.”
“Not happenin’, brother.” Retro’s murmur wasloud as a gunshot to Einstein, and he whirled, not surprised to seea 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’stapped 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 therewith Scar.”
“Gunny’s gonna get us in there.” Retro’shead dipped and lifted, his face a mask of solemn acceptance of howfucked-up Einstein was right now. It was a relief, knowing he couldleave some of this in Retro’s hands, trusting he’d have the rightanswers. “You’re going to stay with me, no matter what. Our job isto find your lady and get her out. Mason is at the homesteads. He’sgonna hold down the fort there, but he’s sending Hoss in with a carso 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 heturned to see Mudd standing close, the man’s gaze fixed on thehouse down the street. Marlin was right behind Mudd, his scowlfocused on Einstein. Along the street in a ragged line were all themen he knew from the club, all the men he called brother. Each ofthem had dropped everything at his call, and for the first timesince he’d methodically sewn it into place, the nomad rockerchafed.
“Okay, we’re good to go in. Gunny’s got ourentrance planned out, him and Myron. Isaiah is only a couple ofminutes away. We’re good to go.” Retro’s voice came from a hundredmiles away, and a moment after he finished speaking, Einsteinrattled back and forth in Retro’s grip as he was shaken. “You withus, brother?”
“I’m with you.” He stiffened his spine,lifting his head.Everyone came here because I needed them. Mybrothers. My family.“Scar—”
