Savior Ch. 09

I felt Hanna shudder against my back, but there was nothing I could do to help her at the moment, and I ground my teeth in frustration. I was slightly chilled, but I was used to being cold and wet, plus my jacket and armored jeans helped shed the rain, while she had no such protection.

We were stopped, waiting on granny to mosey past in her slow ass Lincoln before I could make my left into the Seaview Motel. There were no bikes on the front of the motel, so I hauled ass through the parking lot to check the back. There was a single Harley Softail Deluxe, like the one she pointed out at Momma's Kitchen, but in a different color, parked in front of a room.

"N-N-No-o-o," she said, her voice quivering hard before I even asked the question.

Fuck! I snarled to myself. She was right! We should have come in her car! There was no good place to shelter from the rain closer than the Walmart. I pulled back onto the road and debated going slow, but cold was cold, and the difference between twenty-five and fifty wouldn't make much difference. The important thing was getting her out of the rain as quickly as possible. I hustled us along, blowing every stop sign, and then after I turned onto the 101, weaving through traffic. I almost sighed with relief when the big blue sign appeared ahead. With a quick check over my shoulder, I squirted around a car, darted back into the left lane, and rolled on the throttle to open a little space before braking hard and banking into the giant parking lot. Another quick dash down the line of parked cars, and I banged to a hard stop by the entrance.

"Go inside. I'll be there in a sec." I watched as she dismounted and hurried through the doors, and though it had been only five minutes or so since it started raining, she was hunched and visibly shaking.

I roared away and quickly found a parking place. I didn't bother taking the time to back the bike in. I needed to get her dried off and warmed up as soon as possible. I hurried down the line of cars for the door, removing my helmet as I did.

She was standing just inside the door with her helmet on, still shaking and nearly blue with cold, when I entered. I squeegeed the water from my hair and then took her hand. "Come on, let's get you dried off before you freeze to death." I led her directly to the women's section and parked her in front of a shelving unit of jeans. "Pick out what you need," I said as I tipped her head up and removed her helmet.

"I-I-I c-c-can't" she stammered.

"Why?" I asked as I plonked her helmet on the folding table in front of the dressing rooms beside mine.

"Be-Because I don't have the m-m-money."

"Don't worry about that. Just pick out some clothes. I'm going to go get a towel and I'll be right back."

"Rand, I c-can't let—"

"Would you rather freeze?"

"I-I'll b-b-be okay."

"Bullshit. Just pick out some clothes," I ordered before walking away without a backwards glance to stop her arguing. Three minutes later I was back with two white towels. "You going to wear wet underwear?" She grimaced and added a package of underwear and socks to the pile in her hands. "Wait here."

I stomped to the front of the store, pissed off with myself for putting her though this for no reason. When I was next in line, it was all I could do not to tell the woman in front of me pawing through her purse that I'd pay for her damned groceries if she'd just hurry the fuck up. Why the fuck does Walmart bother installing twenty-five registers if they only ever use three?

The woman finally finished fumbling with the credit card machine and moved out of the way. "How are you sir?"

"Fine," I said, my tone making it clear I was in no mood for chit-cat.

I had my credit card in the slot, and the moment the total flashed on the screen I pushed it in. By the time the cashier handed me the receipt I had my two bags in my hands.

"I just bought these," I said as I approached the clerk manning the changing rooms, holding out the receipt to her. "She's going to put them on and wear them out."

"Thank goodness," the clerk said unlocking a room for her. "I was freezing just looking at her."

"I'll p-pay you back," she whispered as she took the clothes.

"We'll worry about that later. Go change."

I waited, my annoyance slowly fading with the ruffle of the sacks and the sounds of Hanna struggling out of her wet clothes. The moment she stepped out, her wet clothes and the towels in the bag, I draped my jacket around her shoulders and then took the bag. They jacket swallowed her, but she pulled it around her as another shudder passed through her.

"Come on, let's get some hot food into you," I said, holding our helmets in one hand and taking her still cold hand with the other to leading her to the front of the store. As we approached the exit, I could see it was still raining, so I angled her toward the McDonalds. "What do you say to a delicious gourmet cheeseburger for lunch at one of the nation's largest hamburger chains?"

"Anything is fine."

She sounded down, but at least she wasn't shivering, and her teeth weren't chattering anymore. "I'm sorry. You were right. We should have come in your car."

"You didn't know it was going to rain."

"No, but it rains a lot here, so..."

She shrugged. "I'm better now."

"Maybe, but I thought your teeth were going to rattle out of your head there for a while."

She smiled, but it was slightly sad. "It's okay."

We stopped in front of the counter. "What do you want?" I asked as I scanned the menu. I hadn't eaten in a McDonalds in years.

"Quarter Pounder with cheese," she said without hesitation.

"Make it two, as a meal."

"What do you want to drink?" she asked as she picked up the cups.

"Coke is fine."

She was sitting down at a table as I picked up our tray of burgers and fries.

As we ate, she slowly brightened. "I don't know how you stand it," she said as she swallowed the last of her burger. She pulled my jacket from around her shoulders and returned it to me. "I was so cold my fingers wouldn't work, and I almost couldn't get my shirt off. I'm okay now, but if you weren't freezing your ass off, you're a lot tougher than I am."

"I was a little chilled," I admitted.

"A little chilled?" she asked, her surprise clear in her voice.

I hitched a shoulder. "A little, but I had on a jacket to help keep me dry. You, on the other hand, were freezing. I could feel you shaking." As I watched, her eyes filled with tears. "You okay?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"What?"

"Why are you being so nice to me? Buying me dry clothes, paying for my meals?"

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't I? I was afraid you were going to die of hypothermia."

"That's what I mean! Why do you care?" she asked, her voice harsh.

I didn't understand what she was driving at. Had Carl been that uncaring? "Because, Hanna, I didn't like watching you shiver, especially not when I'm the one who screwed up and caused it to happen."

She stared at me a moment. "I have to go to the restroom," she said suddenly before quickly rising.

I watched as she hurried away, and I didn't miss the fact she wiped at her eyes as she entered the bathroom. I stared down the short hall, wondering what I'd said that upset her so much. I felt bad that she'd gotten so cold and wet, but I hadn't intended for it to happen. I waited for her to come back, but after she'd been in there far too long, I rose and walked to the women's restroom. Nobody had gone in or come out, other than Hanna, in a long time, so I assumed it was safe to open the door.

I pushed the door open but didn't enter. "Hanna? You okay?"

"Go away!" she snapped, her voice soggy.

I pushed the door fully opened and entered. She was leaning on the sink counter staring at the mirror, her eyes red and puffy. She'd obviously been crying.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Everything! I don't know!"

I didn't know what to do, so I took her into my arms and held her. "I'm sorry I pushed so hard. I thought we could check another place or two before it started raining."

"It's not that," she whispered as her arms surrounded me.

I smiled to myself, relieved I wasn't the cause of her distress. "I noticed before I came back here it had almost stopped raining. Another ten, maybe fifteen minutes, and we can start looking again. Don't give up. We'll get Garrett back."

Her arms tightened around me. "It's not that either. Well it is, but it's not. It's everything. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know why you're being so nice and helping me. Nobody has ever helped me before, not without wanting something in return." She sniffed. "Carl, he wouldn't have given a shit that I was cold, and even if he had stopped to let me warm up, he'd have done nothing but bitch the whole time. You hardly know me, but you apologized, and got me out of the rain as soon as you could, and bought me some clothes." She sobbed once, sniffed, and then gasped out a single wet laugh before sniffing again. "I'm one messed up chick, huh?"

Today she was wearing a long sleeve shirt and jeans, but I'd seen the scrape on her elbow and leg yesterday, when she was wearing shorts. I stood her up and brushed at the scrape on her face. "No. I think you've just forgotten that not everyone is as big a douche as Carl or is trying to get something from you."

She looked up and met my eyes. "That's what I don't get," she said softly. "You don't even know me and yet you took a day off from work to help me, a perfect stranger. Why?"

I shrugged. "Because you needed help. Because you helped us. Do I need another reason?"

"No," she said softly.

The bathroom door opened. A mother with her daughter in tow stopped in the door, looking at me in surprise before turning to the door to make sure she was in the right bathroom.

"We should go. Pardon us," Hanna said as she stepped back from me, squeezing past the woman while wiping her eyes.

"Are you okay now?" I asked, pulling her to a stop in the back of the restaurant so we had a bit privacy.

"Yeah, I think so. I'll send you money for the clothes as soon as I can, I promise."

"Okay," I said, not wanting to set her off again. That seemed to satisfy her and she gave me a ghost of a smile.

"Sorry for causing a scene."

"Hey, we talked about this, remember?" She smiled at me weakly and nodded. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

We returned to our table, and since it didn't appear to be raining anymore, I picked up the bag of wet clothes, and we stepped outside. Typical for Oregon weather, the rain was gone, and brilliant sunbeams were steaming though openings in the clouds. It was still a little cool, but I knew once the sun fully broke through, it would warm up again.

"Want my jacket?"

Her face crinkled, like maybe she was going to cry again, but she rallied herself. "No," she said with a shake of her head. "It's way too big for me." A smile touched her lips. "It might pull me off the bike like a parachute."

I grinned as I opened one of the saddle bags and dropped her wet clothes inside. I took off my jacket and held it for her by the shoulders, offering to let her put it on. After a moment she slipped her arms through the sleeves and I draped the leather over her. I couldn't see her hands in the sleeves, and the shoulders slumped low over her arms, but it would do until it warmed up a bit.

"You're right, it's a little big... so I guess you better hold on tight."

A ghost of a smile touched her lips again. "I guess I will."

I was ready to call it a day. We'd ridden by every motel, bar, and restaurant in town, and come up with nothing. It was certainly possible we'd just missed Carl, if he were actually in town, but we couldn't spend days riding around aimlessly on the off chance we might bump into him.

I was willing to try one more time tomorrow, starting on the north end of town and working south this time, but if we came up empty again, we might have to wait until the Orcas made their move... if they were going to make a move.

"What do you think about starting early tomorrow?" I asked as we waited at a stoplight.

"How early?"

"Before first light. Say... 5:30?"

"Sure, but why so early?"

"We'll do a quick tour of just the motels to try to catch him before he gets up and about."

"I'll be ready."

I felt bad for Hanna. As the day wore on, I could hear the life draining of her as her voice became more and more dejected. I knew she was wondering if Carl and the Orcas, and by extension, Garrett, were ever in Bayport. If her information was wrong, that was bad for her but good for the Riders, but if she was wrong, who took the shot at Stu, and why? What happened to Stu only made sense if her information was good.

I glanced at the fuel gage. The bike was running on fumes again. I pulled into a gas station and switched the bike off, sitting on the machine after Hanna stepped off as I considered, and then made a decision.

"We've been at this for almost eight hours," I said as I began fueling the bike. I think it's time to throw in the towel for the day. We'll hit the popular restaurants, to see if we spot him having dinner somewhere, but other than that, I don't know what else we can do today."

"I understand," she said softly.

"If we don't find him tonight, maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow."

"What if we don't find anything tomorrow?"

I didn't want to say it, but she needed to hear the truth. "Then I think you need to consider that maybe your information is wrong." Her lips thinned in clear disappointment, and perhaps, worry. "I know that's tough to hear, but if Garrett isn't here, you're wasting your time looking here."

"I know, but I don't know where else to look."

I nodded head in understanding as the pump clicked off. "Maybe we'll get lucky tomorrow."

"Maybe," she said just as my phone began to ring.

I pulled the device from my pocket. It was Doug. "Rand."

"Rand, where are you? Is Hanna still with you?"

I pressed the button to put the phone on speaker. "She's right here. Why?"

"I just got a call from Bryan. He said some bikers came in and were asking a few too many questions."

"Were they Orcas?"

"He doesn't know. They weren't wearing their colors if they were."

"What kind of questions?"

"The kind he didn't want to answer. He's pretty nervous. Can you take Hanna over there and let her look at the security video to see if she recognizes anybody?"

"We're on the wrong side of town, but we can be there in about twenty minutes."

"I'll call and let him know you're on your way."

I ended the call. "This may be our break."

She swallowed hard and then licked her lips. I could see her struggling to not get her hopes up. "Maybe."

I returned the nozzle to the pump, capped the tank, and mounted up, thumbing the bike to life as she sat down behind me. The moment she was settled against me I pulled away from the pumps, and as soon as I squared up on the road, I gave the Harley a kick in the ass.

"Rand," the man said as we stepped into the gleaming showroom full of glittering chrome, aluminum, and carbon fiber. Bryan was in his mid-fifties, going soft and gray, and walked with a noticeable limp, the result of a bad crash on the Hell fifteen years ago. He extended his hand and I shook it warmly. "Who's this?"

"Bryan Wells, Hanna Ellerbe. Hanna, Bryan. She's here to look at the videos with me."

Bryan looked at her a moment longer, then nodded. "This way."

Bryan led us into the back, past the waiting room with large windows overlooking the mechanic bays, and a large office full of men and women in cubicles talking quietly on headsets, before entering a cavernous building with people pushing carts.

"What is this place?" Hanna asked quietly as we followed Bryan.

"Bryan owns and operates OSB, Oregon Sport Bikes, one of the biggest aftermarket suppliers on the west coast. If you want something for your Japanese or European sport bike, Bryan has it. He ships all over the country, maybe the world, out of this building, and if you can get here, he can even install it for you."

Bryan turned and led us into another small office area full of busy people, then into an even smaller room. "Parshanth, can you call up the show room security feed from about an hour ago?"

"Yes, of course," Parshanth said, rising from his desk and walking into a room filled with racks of computers. Bryan followed Parshanth, and we followed Bryan. I'd never been this far into the bowls of Bryan's operation before. "We'll do it in here so it will be easy to see."

Parshanth spoke perfect English, but still had the slight sing-songy cadence and dark hair and eyes from his native India. He sat down in front of a large monitor and typed furiously for a moment before a picture of the waiting area appeared on the monitor. He clicked the mouse quickly before the waiting room disappeared and the monitor filled with more than two dozen tiny video feeds. He clicked on one near the upper right of the screen, and the showroom feed zoomed to fill the entire display. After a few more keystrokes, he grabbed the mouse and moved a slider along the bottom of the screen. The image blurred as people began to walk backwards at a hundred times normal speed before moving normally again. Bryan watched a moment then shook his head.

"Back a little more." It took several tries before Parshanth and Bryan found the spot they were looking for. "That's it! Back it up to where they come in." The four men quickly walked backwards out the door, then walked back in at normal speed.

"May I sit down?" Hanna asked, leaning in for a better look.

Parshanth rose without a word and she took his place. As she watched, the men walked up to the counter, then wandered around the room a moment looking at the parts on display.

"That's Carl," she said, touching the screen. "That looks like, yes, that's Henry Gauge, but he goes by Cage. This guy here goes by Blade. I don't know his real name. I don't know this other guy."

"You know these guys?" Bryan asked, his tone cool.

"Carl is my ex-husband. Cage and Blade run with him," she said as Bryan looked over her shoulder. She continued to watch as Bryan appeared on the screen and shook hands with Carl.

"What'd they want?" I asked.

"Thank you, Parshanth. Will you excuse us a moment please?" Bryan asked.

"Certainly. You can just leave that playing when you're done."

Bryan waited until Parshanth closed the door before he began to speak. "They started out asking questions about the Riders. I pretended I didn't know what they were talking about, but then they started making veiled threats, talking about how the Riders were on the way out and a new player was coming in to take over..." He paused as he looked at Hanna. "Does she know?"

"No, but go ahead."

Bryan nodded. "To take over the special event. I pretended like I didn't know what he was talking about of course, but he knew. Anyway, that Carl guy said there were going to be some changes and he was giving me a chance to get in on the ground floor. He mentioned how he didn't want what happened to Stu to happen to me." His eyes went hard. "That's when I ordered his ass out. They left, but as they were leaving, he asked me if my insurance was paid up."

I'd just gotten confirmation that the Orcas, and possibly Carl fucking Ellerbe, were involved with Stu's death "Anything else?" I growled, trying to tamp down my rising anger so I could pay attention.

Bryan shook his head. "No, not really. Doug said you had a tip the Orcas may be looking to move into the area. Is that them?"

Hanna nodded. "Yes."

"Shit. That's the last thing we need. If the Orca's move in here, that going to bring heat we don't need. I'll be alright, but I get a nice little bump twice a year."