Page 20 of Claymore
“No need. I got you into this mess, Ella. The least I can do is make sure you have food and water,” I said, and she smiled.
The store clerk wrapped up our two sandwiches and two slices of pizza. He handed us two paper bags, and Ella made her way over to the condiment stand to grab some napkins. I led her outside and we sat on the curb, getting ready to indulge.
I scarfed down my sandwich and dollar slice in an instant, washing it away with a cold bottle of water. I looked over to see that Ella had worked her way through her food too, crumpling the wrapping paper and tossing it into the bin a few feet away.
“Hits the spot after all that walking, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
I pulled out my cell phone, watching as the signal finally returned and I beamed. I instantly dialed Tank’s number, waiting patiently as it rang.
“Claymore. The hell have you been, man? I haven’t heard from you in ages. I was getting ready to send out a damn search party for you.”
“You may still need to send that search party, Tank. Ella and I were on our way back to Mascid when my bike broke down. We walked for a few miles until we found a gas station, but there’s no way in hell we’re walking back to the city. Think you can help?” I asked.
“Yeah. Tell me exactly where you are and where the hell you left your bike and I’ll send Archer and Ripper.”
“Thanks, Tank.”
“When you get back, I’ll need a full report on what’s going on. Shit’s heating up around here, I can feel it. If it’s time to press Ella on what else she knows, I’m afraid we’re gonna have to do that.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” I said, glancing over at Ella.
I hung up the phone, watching her flash those eager eyes at me. I nodded, letting her know help was on the way. She headed back inside the gas station stop to grab another bottle of water and I walked in with her, keeping an eye on things. There were a few tourists sprinkled around the station. Some were buying snacks, others filling their tanks, but there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
Ella held her cold bottle of water close, opening up the gas station door when she stopped right in her tracks. She squinted like she was trying to get a better look at something and before I could ask her what it was, she bolted.
“Gina?”
She approached the woman in the black zip-up hoodie. She had jet-black, curly hair, a septum piercing, and a dark shade of red lipstick. Her eyes were sad, distant, and the closer I got, the more I could smell the cigarette smoke on her. She was clutching a brown bag containing a bottle of vodka and was walking away when Ella stopped her.
Gina’s eyes darted around nervously. The closer Ella got, the more she seemed to back away. I folded my arms across my chest, furrowing my brow.
“Gina, how have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages. When was the last time you stopped into Crystal’s?” asked Ella.
“It’s, uh, it’s been a long time, Ella. Look, I really need to go.”
She brushed Ella’s arm, trying to slip away. I got a good look at her bloodshot eyes, the way she shivered like she was on something. She tilted her head to the side and I saw a glimpse of the tattoo climbing up her neck. Her lipstick was smudged, and her eyeliner made dark rings around her bright blue eyes. There was something strange about her, like she’d seen some shit before.
“Gina, wait. I’ll be quick. I just need to know if you’ve seen my brother recently. I’ve been trying to find him and—”
“I don’t talk to Ray, Ella. I don’t know where he is. I can’t help you.”
“Gina, please. This is important.”
“I’m sorry, Ella,” she murmured, glancing down at her feet.
Ella let her go, watching as she popped the top off her bottle of vodka, taking a swig before she headed back to her ride. She got onto the back of a bike, wrapping her arms around the driver. The engine revved loudly and they both sped away, but I spotted the sigil painted on the back. It was white, fresh, like it’d been painted recently.A lion?
Ella turned to me, tucking her hair behind her ear, letting out a sigh.
“What the hell was that?”
“That was Gina, Ray’s ex-girlfriend. She’s the last person I expected to see today. I barely even recognized her.”
“So, she’s not the type to stop in for a vodka fix?”
“She never used to be. When I knew her, she didn’t have any tattoos, she didn’t drink, she didn’t behave like—”
