Chapter 18
Thea peeked out of the bathroom door and watched James sipping on a beer and staring at the pretty blonde bartender. Glancing at the clock over the bar, she knew it’d be any second now that she got her break. Just as she thought it, she heard the bell over the front door ring and then it sounded like a herd of elephants stampeded in. Voices filled the small bar/restaurant, and James’ head whipped around as he frowned at the crowd that just entered.
Having lived in this part of the state most of her life, Thea knew that Rusty’s was one of the stops on the Greyhound bus line. She’d even hopped on the bus from this very location once when she and a girlfriend had gone to a concert in Billings. Now, as passengers filled the restaurant looking for something to eat and to use the restroom, she knew she’d get her shot at escape.
As if sensing her thoughts, James’ head whipped toward the bathroom, and Thea quickly closed the door. Listening, she heard booted feet coming closer, so she made loud retching noises.
There was a knock, and then James bellowed, “Lady? You’re gonna need to hurry.”
She groaned loudly and went back to making more puking noises. She grinned when she heard James mutter, “Gross!”
She listened to the sound of his feet going back down the hall even as more footsteps came closer. When the bathroom door opened, she was ready.
“Excuse me,” a gray-haired lady smiled as she entered, followed by two younger girls who looked to be in their early twenties.
Tiptoeing to see over their heads, Thea found James leaning over the bar and talking to the pretty bartender.
Time to go.
Thea slipped out the door and down the hall in the opposite direction. There was a back door that led out to a patio that overlooked the river behind the bar.
Stepping out onto the deck, Thea was relieved to find it shoveled. She’d been worried that her footprints in the snow would give her away, but this was perfect. She crossed the deck and took the stairs that led down the side of the bar. Quickly, she checked the wooden door under the deck where she knew the place stored the patio furniture during winter. In the summer, she and Sonny would come to Rusty’s for dinner, and while the adults sat up on the deck smoking, drinking, and talking, she and Sonny would hide in the storage shed to make out.
Inside the shed, Thea pulled the door closed and waited. It was the best she could do. Running out into the forest wasn’t an option because those supes would be on her like white on rice. Hiding in the bar wasn’t an option either because it was an all open floor plan with no place to go besides the kitchen.
Footsteps on the deck above her had her clamping her hands over her mouth as she hunched her shoulders and listened.
Peals of laughter filled the air before dying down. Thea was sure it was the two young girls from the restroom. She heard someone flicking the spark wheel of a lighter and her excitement rose.
Yes!
The girls smoked and chatted and a short while later, she heard the bellow from out front. “ALL ABOARD!”
It was last call for the passengers, and as Thea waited, her stomach knotted.
When she finally heard the roar of the engine as the bus pulled away, she knew she needed just a few more minutes. She didn’t have to wait long. The back door of Rusty’s flew open so hard, she heard it bank off the wall.
Above her, she recognized Shane’s voice, “One job, James! You had One. Fucking. Job!”
“It’s not like I could go in the bathroom with her,” James argued.
“Anyone got a scent?” Recker asked.
“All I smell is cigarette smoke.” Shane cursed, “Fuck!”
“I can’t believe you actually fucking lost her!” There was pacing overhead, and then it stopped as Shane spoke again. “She’s gotta be on that bus!”
“You sure?” Recker countered. “Maybe she’s hiding in the woods.”
“You see any footprints?” But Shane’s tone sounded condescending.
Silence reigned a moment before James declared, “Well let’s get after that damn bus!”
They disappeared back into the restaurant and Thea didn’t come out of hiding until she heard the motor of a vehicle out front start up and pull away.
***
Marko had made shit time, and he knew it, but at least he’d finally arrived. The only thing that had kept him sane the entire run was thinking about how he was going to kill Jenny, Stoney, and King the next time he saw them.
He stepped onto the Apex property without so much as a buzz of fanfare. Apex, run by Dominant, Tyce Steele, was nothing like StoneCrow. Back home StoneCrow Estates was surrounded by a massive stone wall. All visitors had to be checked in at the front gate, and there were security monitors, heat sensors, motion sensors, and a dozen other security devices to ensure the Walkers there knew when anyone stepped onto the territory. Here though, Apex was more lax. No alarms blared to life, and Marko raced to the giant house that sat in the center of gently rolling prairie land. Where StoneCrow was nestled deep into the mountainside, Apex sat out on the plains, bold as you please. It was a testament to Tyce’s don’t care attitude. He didn’t house children on his property, and while two of his best Sentries had recently been mated, Tyce had made no changes at all to how his estate was run. Marko thought it was foolish, but he knew the Skin Walkers that resided at Apex liked the less militarized feel of the place.
Marko shifted as he reached the driveway and struggled to slow his breathing. It had been a long run. So much so, that the sun had already set and the moon above cast her pale light on the glittering snow.
Before Marko could reach the door, it opened, and Commander Conn Drago stepped out. Marko could tell by the grim set to the Commander’s lips that something was wrong.
“Marko.” Conn dipped his head once in greeting.
Cutting straight to the heart of the matter, Marko demanded, “What’s wrong?”
“King said you were on your way here.” Conn looked over his head. “I was hoping the team would beat you, but…they got held up.”
“Held up? What happened?”
Sighing, Conn scrubbed a hand down his face before answering solemnly. “They lost Thea.”
It felt like the ground opened up beneath him and he was falling. It took all of two seconds for rage to tear through him. “The fuck you mean they lost her?”
Dark brows speared down in Conn’s scarred face. “She was ill and needed to use the facilities, so they stopped at a place called Rusty’s. Thea gave them the slip.”
Marko shoved past Conn, forcing his way into the house with a growled, “What kind of ffffucking morons…” He didn’t finish the sentiment as he reached into a glass bowl perched on a stand near the door. Without even looking, he fisted a set of keys and turned and stormed right back out the door.
Behind him, Conn bellowed, “She’s not at Rusty’s, Marko, and she didn’t catch the bus that stopped there either. Your woman is in the wind!”
He didn’t argue that Thea wasn’t his. He didn’t say anything. Instead, Marko hit the unlock button on the key fob and stormed toward the vehicle whose lights lit up. As he backed the truck out of the drive, his gaze slid over Conn where he still stood, arms crossed, in the doorway. It took every ounce of his strength not to flip the Commander off. His list was growing, and now the good Commander and his crew of fuck-ups joined Jenny, Stoney, and King on the list of Walkers he wanted to mutilate once he finally found Thea.