Page 37 of Property of Raider
“It’s a gut feeling.It’ll be what we need to confirm our suspicions,” I state just before there are three solid knocks on the door.
“Yeah,” I call at the same time Terro stands and pulls the door open.
Standing there with Blitz is a nervous-looking Rusher.
“Come on in, Rusher.We just need to talk over a few things,” Terro’s tone is light and easygoing.
“Yeah, okay,” he mumbles, coming in and taking a seat next to Remedy.
He’s eyes scan everyone, clocking all our locations and body language.What have he and his momma been through for him to be that on guard?Terro moves to stand behind me, leaning on the wall.Blitz steps through the door, closing it and leaning back on it.This is the first time I’ve gotten a moment to really study him sense he got here four days ago.
Pope finally breaks the silence.“Rusher, would like something to drink?A soda, maybe?”
Rusher looks back at him, shaking his head.“We start training next week, so I won’t drink anything like that until the season is done.Do you have water?”
“What’re you training for?”Pope asks him, grabbing a water bottle from the mini fridge.
“Baseball,” he says, smiling with genuine excitement shining in his eyes.
“Nice,” Remedy states.“Pope, Raider, and I took the local high school to nationals our senior years when we played.”
Rusher’s head snaps in my direction with his eyes wide.“You played baseball?What positions did you all play?Wait, no, let me guess.”
I lean back in my chair.“Go ahead.Most people get us all wrong.”
“Okay, before I guess, let me make sure I know who is who,” he looks at all of us.He points at Remedy.“Your Remedy, since you’re a medic,” he points at me, “Your Raider, the president of the club,” he turns, pointing at Pope, “You’re Pope.Did I get everyone right?”
Remedy’s smile is bright and wide.“You've got it, so let’s have it.Most people only get one of us right.”
Rusher looks back and forth between us for a long moment.“Pope was a shortstop who would also play third.Raider was a catcher or first baseman.And Remedy, you were pitcher and first base because of your height and accuracy.”
“No fucking way.No one’s ever done that before.How the fuck did you figure it out?”Remedy’s excitement puts Rusher at ease.
“For real, everyone always guesses Raider for pitcher,” Pope chimes in.
Rusher leans back in his chair.“Remedy, you’re tall but not as broad as the other guys.You also joke and mess around but watch everyone to make sure they’re in the right spots.Pope is the quiet, but deadly one.He is always there to back up whoever needs it with an arm to do what needs to be done.Raider stays to himself.Just watching, taking in everything.He is always two steps ahead of everyone and is always anticipating everyone’s next move.”
Terro watches thoughtfully.“You picked all that up in four days at the club?”
Rusher shrugs.“I’ve always been one to sit back and watch others.Add in that everyone has been on high alert trying to find my Ma, it’s easy to fly under the radar.”
“I wouldn’t know a motherfucker like that at all,” Blitz grumbles.
All the men in the room shoot him a glare.
“You’re not wrong.We’re working overtime to find her.When we’re done here, we’ll be going into another meeting with someone who might just have the information that we need to find her,” Remedy tells him, patting him on the shoulder.
“Before this meeting, we have some questions.”I lean forward, placing my forearms on my desk.“Can you answer some of them for us?”
The open and honest look on Rusher’s face falls, and he’s back to being guarded.“I’ll answer what I can.To be honest, I don’t know a lot.”
“That’s absolutely fine.Just tell us what you can,” Pope encourages him.
“Ma told me before she left that the only reason she trusted you all is because Auntie Lynn said it was okay but that we should be very careful.She also said that no matter what, if anything happened, I could trust Watson, Colton, and Clark, but I don’t have a clue who those people are, and neither do Ainsley or Charlie.So, I don’t know why she would tell me that.”Rusher shrugs.
Hermes bursts out laughing, followed by the rest of us.Rusher is looking at all of us like we’ve lost our minds.
“Sorry, sorry.We’re only laughing because we forget that the rest of the world doesn’t use our road names.Add in the fact your momma has been gone for fifteen years, and well, we’re assholes,” I finally admit.
