“We got moonlight, boss. We should be able to see okay.”
Simon ignored the man and straddled his bike. “Stay close, but not so close they notice us. Stay off your brakes, too. Downshift to slow down. We don’t need them seeing any light at all.”
He started his bike and kicked it into gear. “Time to go hunting!”
Chapter 22
“Jesus!” Roger pushed the gates open and dragged some of the rusty tin roofing from the entrance. “Give me a hand here!”
Two of the guards trotted out and began dragging debris from the entrance while Roger waved the rusty old pickup truck to the staging area. “Tell me what happened.”
Stella slid out from behind the wheel and ran to the other door. When she pulled it open Savage nearly fell out onto the concrete pad. “Simon went nuts and stabbed him. He passed out when the guy in the hairy suit told us where to go.”
Roger pulled Mike from the cab of the truck and went pale from the amount of blood soaked into the seat and the coagulated puddle in the floor.
Hatcher ran to the staging area and directed the men wheeling the gurney to the truck. “Tell me you weren’t followed.”
Stella’s hands were shaking as they began to push Mike from the staging area. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Were you followed?” Hatcher stood in front of her and gripped her face to get her attention. “We need to know.”
She seemed to snap back to reality and stared at him for a moment. “No. I don’t think so.” She pointed to Mike. “He kept trying to look behind us for lights and he said he expected them to come after us, but we never saw them.”
Hatcher visibly relaxed. He turned to the gate guards. “Get the crap stuff moved back and—”
“We got company!” the radios barked simultaneously, cutting Hatcher off midsentence.
He pulled his radio and keyed the mic. “Talk to me!”
“Multiple riders on motorcycles, no lights. They’re a block away and split into two groups. I can see taillights from a couple of them and they might be surrounding us.”
“Son of a…” Hatcher turned to Roger. “Stay with your friend and take her with you.” He turned back to the guards, “Snuff out anything that makes light. Put everybody on lockdown and get this entrance secured!” He snapped his fingers at the people as they scurried about. “Let’s go, go, go!”
He keyed the radio again. “Keep an eye on them. If any of them approach the entrance, I want to know.”
“Roger that, Hatch.”
Hatcher jogged to the ladder and climbed up to the roof. He grabbed the binoculars from Hank and scanned the area. “No lights?”
“Just the occasional brake light.” He pointed to the path the second group had taken to circle the block. “No headlights, but I saw some of them turn up there. They should be coming around any time now.”
Hatcher approached the parapet and hunkered down, only the field glasses visible at the crest. “I’m not seeing…wait. I’ve got movement.”
Hank rested his rifle across the crest of the parapet and tried to track where the bikers would emerge.
Hatcher keyed the radio again. “Where’s the other group?”
“They’ve circled back to the south. I can’t tell if they turned west or not. They might just be gridding the area looking for the truck.”
Hatcher groaned. “There’s only so many places that truck could disappear to.” He glanced around at the other abandoned buildings in the area.
Hank stiffened and turned to Hatcher. “Once they’ve cleared our block, me and Wally could take that truck and try to lead them away.”
Hatcher shook his head. “How would you get back? And that’s if they didn’t stop you on the road and…NO. It ain’t happening.”
Hank squared his shoulders. “Hiding ain’t working, Hatch. They’ll figure it out eventually.”
Hatcher groaned and tried to imagine the ramifications of leading them away from the area. “I don’t like it, Hank.”
Hank stood and handed Hatcher the rifle. “Sorry, Hatch. I gotta keep the rest of our people safe. I’m the head of security, so it falls on me.” He pulled his radio and held it in front of Hatcher. “The moment they’re clear of our block, you radio me. We’ll make sure they see the truck, but we’re heading north. We’ll lead them away from here.”
Hatcher shook his head and came to his feet. “I can’t let you do this.”
Hank chuckled. “You can’t stop me, Hatch. I’m a grown-assed man.” He patted the man’s shoulder. “I will see you again.”
Before Hatcher could argue, Hank turned and disappeared down the ladder. Hatcher slid back down the side of the parapet and cursed. “I should have shot him in the knee.”
“They got to be around here somewhere.” Simon cursed under his breath and slowed the motorcycle to a stop. “Where the hell could they have disappeared to?”
Scud braked, lighting up their rear. “I saw them turn this direction, but now…I have no friggin’ clue.”
Simon pulled his radio and keyed it. “Anybody got eyes on that rusty piece of crap?” He received a collection of negatives before he held the radio aloft, wanting to throw it, but refusing to let go. “I really want to kill something right about now.”
His radio barked and Simon turned it up. “We could double-back, retrace our steps?”
“No, keep moving. They’ve got to show themselves eventually.” He turned to Scud and ground his teeth. “That little bitch Stella probably saw one of those idiots’ brake lights. She’s hiding someplace. I know it. I can feel it.”
“Hey, boss, you don’t reckon she got to where she was going, do ya?”
Simon opened his mouth to curse the idiot beside him, then slowly closed it, the
