Sudden Independents (19 page)

H
unter drifted in painful unconsciousness, buffeted by the wave of exhaustion from the previous day. He noticed as he slept how uncomfortable his bed felt, and also the constant nudging. In his mind he knew it couldn’t be Molly—she’d gotten the boot. So who was messing with his sleep now? And why were his ribs hurting so bad?

He cracked open his eyes to darkness. His breath rose like clouds in the cold air.

And who the hell didn’t realize that it’s still nighttime? And why couldn’t he move his arms and legs?

The nudging rocked into him again. Hunter grunted. “What?”

Scout whispered close behind him, “Finally, you’re awake.”

“Are you spooning me?”

“Would you rather freeze to death?”

“Is that a trick question?” Hunter wormed an inch away, but the pain from the recent kick Jolanda laid into him halted his progress. “How long was I out?”

“Maybe three hours; four hours at most. Jolanda took off a while ago to meet with that Chase kid. Are you ready to bust out of here?”

Hunter peered around the barren room where he lay, securely bound. His vision adjusted, assisted by what little light filtered through the chalky window. He shivered from the freezing temperature, but would never admit to Scout that spooning had probably been a good thing.

“Aren’t we guarded?”

“Not now. Jolanda told the others to take shifts watching us, but they blew her off the second she walked. It’s been all snores ever since.”

“Then I guess all we have to do is magic our way out of here.” Hunter closed his eyes. The cold was unbearable. He gritted his teeth and wormed back against Scout’s warm body.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m freezing.”

“Look, I’m going to spin around. I need you to grab the knife strapped to my left ankle.”

Hunter frisked Scout’s ankle, found the knife and unsheathed the one-inch blade. He manipulated the knife, cutting the rope binding his wrists and then his ankles. The keen edge sliced through the braided rope as though it were a biscuit.

“Okay, I’m out. Meet you back home.”

“Just cut me loose. Jolanda could be back any time now.”

“Better not call her that, little Davey,” Hunter said. Smiling in the darkness, he severed Scout’s bonds. “She has one hell of a boot.”

“Next time I won’t be tied down. Now give me the knife.”

Hunter handed over the shiny blade. “You keep that thing sharp.”

Scout slipped the knife back in the sheath around his ankle. “What’s my motto?”

“Never Bathe?”

“Be Prepared. Let’s go. I hope I can find my backpack.”

“Screw that. We need to find our bikes. I’ll scrounge you up a new backpack when we get home.”

“All my stuff is in my backpack. I can’t leave without my stuff, and my book.” Scout’s voice rose in agitation. “I have to get my Boy Scout Handbook back. It’s the only copy I’ve been able to find.”

“All right,” Hunter whispered. “We’ll find it. Keep your voice down.”

Scout crammed the rope into his pockets. He opened the door slowly and Hunter followed.

Hunter reached out for the smooth walls of the hallway to make sure he hadn’t just plunged into a murky cave. He bumped into Scout, but neither of them fussed about it. Hunter’s night vision finally readjusted itself.

They tiptoed into a larger room where musty smells, like neglected piles of wet laundry, attacked their noses; Hunter fought the urge to sneeze. Snores from the sofas indicated potential danger should the noise suddenly cease. Scout inspected the room while Hunter made his way across to another one. Their bags and stuff sat on the kitchen table.

Hunter waved Scout over. Scout smiled, grabbed his backpack and promptly unzipped it, making an inventory check. He scooped out his Boy Scout Handbook, kissed it, and returned it inside along with the rope from his pockets. Hunter motioned his head towards the way out and they escaped into the night with the cold air biting at their cheeks, ears and hands.

The motorbikes were lined in front of the pickup. Hunter inspected the other bikes and instantly fell in love with an orange and black KTM. He ran his hands all over the fuel tank and the padded seat like it was their fourth date. The KTM was big and badass and Hunter wanted it. He saw no problem making the switch. As many times as he laid his Kawasaki down, the bike was probably too hazardous to ride anyways.

“Want a new bike?” he asked Scout.

“Are you kidding? I would never give up my Suzuki. The bike doesn’t make the rider, Hunter.”

“Whatever.” Hunter retrieved his own knife out of his bag and got busy slicing the wires and hoses on all the other bikes and under the hood of the pickup.

They rolled their bikes a hundred yards before kick starting them up and smiled at each other, happy to hear the sound of that roar and to be on their way. Hunter absolutely loved his new bike; he knew getting acquainted with the size would require some serious practice, but didn’t mind at all. Riding the KTM was like riding a beast determined to keep its monstrosity hidden in case it scared the townsfolk. Now Hunter could leave Scout’s sorry-ass Suzuki in the dust from third gear.

They quickly found the familiar dirt road leading to Independents and settled into a relaxed cruise. They left their headlights off, searching the darkness for signs of Jolanda. Soon the single light from another bike bounced towards them and they stopped, waiting patiently to ambush her on the other side of a small rise in the road.

“Get ready with the lights,” Hunter said. Scout nodded grimfaced. Their fingers hovered over the switches.

The light of the oncoming bike swept down on them and they flared their own lights in return, washing over Jolanda on a red Honda. She wobbled with her concentration broken and Hunter smiled because he guessed right—Jolanda was not an accomplished rider. She traveled off-road, miscalculating the sudden change in terrain and fell off the bike. The Honda rolled another ten yards without her and crashed.

Hunter steered over to where Jolanda lay sprawled on the grassy ground. He silenced his engine and laughed. Scout rode up beside him, cutting his engine also, but without sharing in the laughter.

“Hey, Scout, do you know this chick from somewhere?”

“I thought I did,” Scout said, ignoring the humor.

“So how did your little meeting go?” Hunter asked her. “Does Chase have the place mapped out yet? Did he find the hidden treasure chest?”

“No, but the way I hear it, you boys are going to have a nice little homecoming when you get back. Apparently somebody’s girlfriend is unhappy.”

Hunter looked at Scout and they both groaned. The images of the various scenarios that Molly was capable of flittered through Hunter’s mind. The one good thing—he was still alive, so whatever she did couldn’t be that bad.

“I hope she didn’t touch my stuff,” Scout said.

“Oh, she touched it,” Jolanda said. “Wait and see.”

“Whatever,” Scout said. “How ’bout you tell us what your crew has planned and maybe I won’t drag you back to town behind my bike,
Jolanda
.”

Jolanda sprang from the grass like a lipstick crazed Tasmanian she-devil, knocking Scout from his bike and raking her fingernails across his face.

Her scream filled the surrounding prairie. “My name is Raven!”

Scout grabbed her arms, holding her tight until she bit his wrist and then head-butted him between the eyes. Wrestling with her on the ground, he defended himself from a flurry of punches and kicks.

“Hit her back!” Hunter yelled from his bike. “She’s beating the crap out of you.”

“She’s a girl! Come get her off me!”

Hunter dropped his kickstand and struggled swinging his leg over and off the big bike. He glided up to where the scuffle was rolling around in full swing. “Hey, Jolanda!”

Full of rage, Jolanda tilted her face toward Hunter, who popped her in the nose. When she staggered but didn’t fall, he followed with a punch to the jaw that sent her to the ground.

Scout looked up with blood seeping from three separate claw marks, his displeasure with Hunter’s actions clearly evident.

Hunter shrugged. “Chivalry died with our parents, dude. Besides, she was kicking your ass.”

“Still, hitting a girl isn’t right.” Scout retrieved the rope from his backpack as Jolanda rolled on the ground, holding her face and groaning. Before she could recover, he tied her hands and feet with the most elaborate knots Hunter had ever witnessed.

“I would agree to that, most of the time,” Hunter said. “But I think
Jolanda
would appreciate the equality of the situation.”

“My name is Raven,” Jolanda mumbled angrily. She sounded like she had cotton balls stuffed up her nose.

“Shut up,” the boys said together.

“Let’s take her back to Jimmy and figure a way out of this mess,” Scout said.

“Chase’s going to think they still have us captured.”

“Won’t he be surprised?”

Hunter helped Scout load Jolanda onto the Suzuki. They explained to her what would happen if she jacked around on the ride back to Independents. When she hawked a loogie at them, they decided to tie her more securely to the bike using more rope and duct tape from Scout’s well-stocked supplies, restricting all of her movements and eliminating the danger.

Then Hunter gagged her with a red bandanna from his own bag to keep her quiet. He patted her on the head. “Nice, Jolanda.”

“I don’t like this,” Scout said.

“Yeah, me neither.” Hunter smiled. “Let’s go.”

J
immy’s hands were still shaking. He shoved them deep into his pockets, not wanting to alarm Ginger. Maybe she’d think he was just cold. The shaking started the moment he saw the fire and thought his brother might be inside, burning to death. Ginger’s arm around his waist gave him a level of comfort he was not used too. It was nice.

Mark shuffled out of the sheriff’s office on Main Street, looking like he might start bawling any second. Locking up your sister will do that.

The smell of the house fire from three streets away permeated the night air. Luckily the houses in Independents were built on such large lots that the fear of the fire spreading throughout the town was nonexistent. Still, the kids in the volunteer fire department cranked up the old fire truck and brought it over for safety and practice. They doused the flames, but the smoldering continued.