Page 61 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“Clown, huh? Well, that’s about right.”Gunny snorted. “Let me look at you, Maid Marian.” He crouched nextto Mudd, reaching out to grasp Marian’s chin and direct her gazetowards himself. “Do you see me, honey?”
“Yeah.” Her voice was high and childlike.“You’re my first friend.” She laughed softly, lips curling at thecorners as she stared at Gunny. “My first forever friend.”
“You better believe it. We’re friends forlife, Maid Marian.” Gunny turned to Einstein, his seriousexpression belying the amusement in his tone. “Her pupils arejacked, so she’s still pretty deep in the K-hole. That clownbusiness? If she was hallucinating before we got here but isn’tnow, that means he had to dose her recently. It’s been long enoughfrom the time she was taken it should be out of her system if he’donly hit her the once. Her altered state will stabilize quickly;the drug’s fairly short-acting, relative to the other medicationsin the same class.” Gunny looked up and shook his head at Mudd’spuzzled expression. “What? I do a lot of volunteer work at thehorse rescue place north of town. One of the other volunteers gotcanned because he was rippin’ off the ketamine. I did someresearch.”
“Damn, man, you have some odd interests.”Mudd turned to Einstein. “You’re in good hands, brother. I’m goingto check on our fearless leader.” Einstein became aware of a jumbleof voices and conversation from the rest of the house. “He’ssounding testy.”
“Getting shot’ll do that to a man.” Retroshoved Mudd to the side and crouched where he’d been. There was ahole in the left side of his vest, just underneath his arm.Einstein realized his chest was bare, shirt gone, and the exposedskin was stained red. Shaking his head, Retro told him, “Not as badas it looks, brother. The bullet just caught enough of my side tobounce off a rib. Felt like gettin’ kicked by a fuckin’ mule,though. I could do without that again in my life.”
“Is she okay?” Penrose’s question came fromnearer the doorway.
“She will be.” Retro’s expression hardenedas he looked away from Marian and towards Penrose.
Einstein returned his attention to Marian,finding her slightly more alert.
“Did you have any inkling what Zipline wasplanning?” Retro’s question encompassed everything Einstein wantedto ask the man.
“No.” Low and urgent, Penrose’s denialsounded heartfelt. “God, no. He showed up yesterday out of theblue. I haven’t seen him since my dad kicked me out of the houseyears ago. Haven’t even thought about Walter. He was just a kid,but his hate ran just as deep as my old man’s, so I wasn’t about toreach out to him. You can’t think I’d have anything to do with themhurting Marian.”
“Noah?” Marian squeezed her eyes closed,brow furrowing, and Einstein smoothed the wrinkles away with thepad of his thumb.
“Shhhh, baby. I got you.” Without lookingaway from Marian, Einstein asked, “We need to worry about the copsshowing up with the alarm going off like it did?”
“Naw, man. Myron dealt with all that shit.”Gunny laughed. “I was on the phone with him when it was goin’ on.Found out that man can be sayin’ his ‘oh fudruckle’ in a Midwestaccent one moment and then carry a conversation in a Southern drawlthe next, explaining how he’d had too much wine and opened a windowwithout thinking. Called it ‘dealin’ with the wine thweats’ untilthe local cops were laughing along. He’s good.”
“Zipline?” From Mudd’s response earlier,Einstein believed he knew the answer but wanted to be certain.
“Done for.” Retro’s flat tone went a longway to reassure him. “Mudd made sure of it.”
Bane stuck his head in the window. “Nothing,man. He’s a fuckin’ ghost.”
“Jim?” Marian’s eyes had opened again, andshe was looking around with more clarity in her gaze. “What’s goingon?”
“The only good thing about ketamine? Shemight not have any memory of what happened today.” Gunny’sshoulders moved in a shrug that looked as helpless as Einsteinfelt. “Mixed blessing, as long as it doesn’t leave a fearful gap inher mind.”
“I’m going to get her out of here before shehas a chance to look around, cement things that are better leftunseen.” He transferred her to Gunny’s arms, then stood and tookher again, legs draped over one arm while his other encircled herback. “I got you, baby. Hold on to me now, okay?”
“Isaiah—Hoss is here. He’s out front. Go on,I’ll be right behind you. Won’t be ridin’ my bike like this, soI’ll drive us to the homesteads.”
Einstein acknowledged Retro’s words with anod, gaze fixed on Marian’s face as she stared up at him. “You withme, Marian?”
“I…I think so.” She twisted, arching herback as she tried to look around the room. “What’s going on?”
Hands resting on the sides of the window,Bane offered, “I’ll get a couple of prospects to ride your bikes,brothers.” He disappeared as Marian’s head swung in thatdirection.
Einstein needed to get her out of therefast, unless he wanted her to see something she wouldn’t be able toforget. “We’re just going outside. Hang with me, honey.”
“I…there was a…” Her eyes widened, and shetwisted again, fighting his hold. “Where’s Luke? We were… we wereat the movies.” He didn’t let go, pinning her against his chest ashe made his way through Penrose’s living room to the front door.“This is Noah’s house. Why are we in Noah’s house?”
“You didn’t feel well.” The voice approachedfrom the side. Einstein glanced that direction as Penrose cametowards them. “Luke’s with Myrt and Thad. They’re all home.Einstein’s going to take you home now.” His voice cracked. “I’mglad you’re feeling better, Marian.” Penrose’s gaze never leftMarian’s face, his eyes brimming with tears. “So, so glad. I’dnever want you to be hurt, or be afraid. After how you feltearlier, I think you’ll need a couple of days to get better.Paid. I take care of my friends.”
Sounding lost, Marian whispered, “Okay.”Penrose had walked with them to the door and held it open for them.Marian’s confused tone remained as she continued, “I’ll call youtomorrow, Noah.”
“Sounds good.”
The door clicked behind Einstein as hecarried Marian toward a car parked in the middle of the street. Thesides of the road were lined with bikes, packed in as if it were aparty. Einstein shivered.
“There’s a lot of people here.” Marian’sobservation held less confusion and more certainty. “I didn’t justget sick, did I?” She slumped in his arms, curling closer as sherested her cheek on his chest. “Einstein?”
