Chapter Twelve

 

 

There were two texts I’d received from Slammer, after the plane landed on the tarmac at the small airport in Cedar Rapids. The first one was a little disconcerting.

Possible threat at airport. Reaper knows where you’re landing. Not sure how. Be careful.

I frowned.

“What is it?” asked Barney, noticing my expression.

“Nothing major,” I said, clipping the phone to my belt as he maneuvered the plane toward the terminal. “Just some information regarding the job I’ve been assigned to do.”

“Hounding you already, huh? Guess that’s why they pay you the big bucks.”

I smirked. “Guess so.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Thanks again for the ride Barney,” I said, as we walked away from the plane, twenty-five minutes later. “You’re a life-saver.”

“Glad I was available. You caught me at a good time.”

“It was definitely good timing on both of our parts.”

Yawning, he agreed.

I kept my eyes open for anything out of the ordinary, my hand on the gun that I was under my leather jacket. It was early, Monday morning, just past three a.m., and quiet on the runway. Only one other small plane sat, ready for takeoff, and there weren’t many employees around, save for a couple that had directed us on the tarmac.

“So, are you flying back, tonight?” I asked him.

“No,” he replied. “I’m exhausted. I’m going to get a pizza and a room at one of the local motels. I’ll probably head back tomorrow, unless someone contracts me for another job. How long are you staying in Iowa?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure,” I answered. The other text I’d received had confirmed that they’d found Jessica at the cabin. Reaper and his crew were still at large, however, and Slammer had something he wanted to discuss with me. In person.

“You want to share a cab?” he asked.

“No, that’s okay. I’m going to rent a vehicle and head out to Jensen.”

“I thought they needed you in Cedar Rapids, now?” he asked, shocked.

“Another change of plans,” I replied.

“You have the patience of a saint. Well, at least it isn’t too far of a drive for you.”

“It’s only a couple of hours.”

“I really hope they’re paying you well. You deserve it.”

“Thanks.”

He held out his hand I shook it. “Well, have a good night and give me a call if you need anything. I’ll probably be heading back to Anchorage around six p.m. tonight.”

“Good to know. Oh, I almost forgot.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the envelope of bills. There was his usual fee, of twelve hundred dollars, plus a hefty tip. He deserved it.  “Here’s your money.”

He shoved it into his jacket, without looking inside. “Thanks for paying in cash, again. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. Get some sleep.”

“Thanks. Drive safely.”

“I will.”

We parted inside of the terminal and I walked over to the car rental kiosk. As the attendant was searching for a Harley that I could rent, I noticed a man watching me. He was standing in one of the small stores, paging through a magazine, with one eye on me.

“Are you sure you want to rent a motorcycle?” asked the attendant. “We’ve got plenty of nice cars or SUVs. I’ve even got a fully loaded GMC Sierra truck, if you want to go that route?”

“Truck, huh?”

“Yeah. You look like a truck kind of guy,” he said, smiling.

“I prefer a bike.”

“Okay. You’ve been riding long?”

“Long enough,” I said, not interested in conversation. I was tired and still had a couple of hours ahead of me. “See anything available?”

The man looked up from the screen. “Actually, you lucked out. I have one Harley available. It’s two hundred and fifty dollars a day.”

“That’s a little high, isn’t it?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. To be perfectly honest, I don’t rent many of them out.”

I sighed. “What model?”

He typed a few more keys as he stared intently at the monitor. “It’s a Road King. Last year’s model. Great touring bike.”

“Two-fifty, huh?”

“Yeah. Plus applicable taxes and insurance, if you want it.”

“Does it have saddle bags?”

“Not sure. I think so.”

I sighed. “I’ll take it.”

I had no other choice. I desired a bike and it would get me to Jensen quickly. Plus, I loved driving at night, with the wind against my face. Not only was it a great experience, but it kept me alert.

“You need a helmet?” he asked.

“Got my own brain bucket,” I replied, holding up my helmet bag.

“Smart.”

“Yep. Like to keep it that way.”

He chuckled.

Never got on a bike without one and never used anyone else’s. Same with sheets and pillowcases. I could handle ants, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes, but the thought of getting bed bugs or lice freaked the fuck out of me. It was one reason I always requested a fresh set of sheets when I checked into a hotel or motel. Yeah, they were already supposed to be fresh ones, but I always demanded another set the moment I arrived. I’d toss the old ones away and make the bed myself, usually not sleeping with the top covers or a bedspread.  It was the only way I could fall asleep when traveling.

After filling out the paperwork and giving him a credit card, he handed me the keys to the bike and told me where to go. As I turned to leave, I noticed the stranger again. Our eyes met and it took him a few seconds to look away. Although he was wearing a suit and looked like some type of corporate executive, I spotted a bulge near his ankle and had to assume that he was armed.

Shoving the keys into my pocket, I headed toward the restroom, to wait for my stalker. After ten minutes, he entered the bathroom.

Our eyes met in the mirror as I combed my hair.

“Morning,” he said, nodding.

“Morning.”

He approached the sink and turned it on.

“Where are you headed?” he asked, washing his hands.

My eyes bore into his. “Why you asking?”

“Just making conversation,” he replied.

I turned and faced him. “So now that you have me, what’s the plan?”

He gave me a blank stare. “Excuse me?”

“Come on,” I said, taking a step back. “Let’s see what you got.”

The stranger gave me a funny stare. “Are you… is this a… come-on?”

The air in the room suddenly felt stifling and for the first time ever, I wanted to put my foot into my mouth. If he was trying to kill me, we wouldn’t still be having this conversation. Sighing, I rubbed my face. “Sorry, man. I’m bushed and obviously, made a mistake.”

“No. Wait…” he said, smiling as I prepared to leave. “It’s okay. I’m gay, too. My name is Todd.”

My eye twitched. “I’m not gay, Todd.”

He turned off the water and grabbed a paper-towel from the dispenser. “Are you sure? Because I thought we had some kind of connection going when our eyes met in the lobby. That’s why I walked in here. To see if you wanted to have a drink with me.”

“Sorry, pal. I wasn’t sending you any signals,” I said, feeling my forehead bead up with sweat.

“You okay? You’re looking a little pale.”

This wasn’t anything I’d ever prepared for; I was usually on my game in every situation. Getting hit on by another man was throwing me for a loop. “I’m fine. I’m just… not gay.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I get that now. I have to say I’m a little disappointed, though. You’re very attractive.”

I could feel my cheeks turn crimson. Embarrassed, I grabbed my travel bag and headed toward the doorway. “Thanks. Have a good night.”

“Wait,” he said, as I was about to exit.

I turned around and clenched my jaw.

“Gotcha,” said Todd, holding a gun with a silencer toward my chest. He laughed. “You should have seen your face. It was priceless, man. I can’t wait to tell Reaper that I made the famous ‘Judge’ lose his cool. Wish I’d video-taped it.”

Before I could tell him where to go, someone tried entering the bathroom, stealing Todd’s attention.  I quickly did a round-house kick, hitting him in the hand with my boot. The gun went flying and before he could recover, I had him in a head-lock, down on the linoleum floor.

“Jesus. What’s going on?” asked an old man with a cleaning cart.

“As you can see, we’re a little busy,” I told the janitor, who looked shocked. I smiled. “Lover’s quarrel.”

He lowered his eyes and nodded. “No problem. Just clean up after yourselves.”

“Asshole,” croaked Todd, trying to pull my arm away from his neck.

“I told you it was just sex. She meant nothing to me,” I said loudly, and then smiled at the janitor. “My boyfriend. He’s so possessive. Gets jealous over the stupidest of things.”

Shaking his head, the janitor turned and walked out of the bathroom.

“Let me go,” demanded Todd, his spittle making a slobbery mess on my jacket.

Scowling, I changed my position, putting him into a Sleeper-hold until he passed out. I then slid away from him, grabbed my travel bag, and walked out of the bathroom.

“Where’s your friend?” asked the janitor, who was waiting near the Lady’s Room. “You two make up?”

“Yeah, we did, actually. He’s coming,” I lowered my voice and smiled. “And that’s why you probably don’t want to go in there yet. He likes to finish without me.”

The janitor seemed confused and then a look of disgust crossed his face.

Chucking, I walked away and hurried down the hallway, locating another restroom. I went inside and quickly removed the fake goatee and the blonde wig, I’d been wearing. Then I removed the eye-glasses, the brown contact lenses, and the mole from my cheek. When I walked out of the bathroom, two minutes later, my jacket was stuffed into my travel bag and I wore a pair of gray work-coveralls with a baseball cap. As I made my way to the rental garage, I passed by Barney, who was still waiting for a cab. He didn’t even look my way.