“They weren’t really gunshots but everyone panicked and started running. They had to cancel the show.”
“Oh my god, how weird.”
“The good news is, maybe they’ll reschedule and we can still see them,” Bailey said.
My sister, ever the optimist. I didn’t want to remind her that if she were sold to sex traffickers in South America, not seeing My Chemical Romance in concert would be the least of her problems.
I just needed to formulate a plan to get us out of here before that Diablo guy came back.
Thirty-Nine
Ryder
I was just about to turn into the Bun Boy Motel parking lot when I got a text. It was from Hawk.
Padre just showed up. I think you better get here.
OMW.
Since it was only across the street, it took me two minutes to get there. What I found when I arrived was disturbing to say the least. Padre was there, physically, but he wasn’t acting like himself. He was backed up against the back door to the Bun Boy Restaurant, and his eyes were dark and wild. He was brandishing a knife and yelling.
“Get away from me. Where’s my wife? What did you do with my wife?”
“Padre. She’s not here.” Chalupa said.
“Why are you calling me that? My name is Paul. I don’t know what you want from me. My wife and I are on our way to Las Vegas and we stopped here for dinner. We always stop here for dinner before we go see Tom Jones and Sigfried and Roy. Nancy will kill me if we miss the show.”
Clearly he was having some kind of psychotic break. Tom Jones hadn’t performed in Vegas since the 1980s. I really didn’t have time to deal with this now. I had less than three hours to find Lily and Bailey.
“Paul,” I said, stepping forward. “No one wants to hurt you or Nancy. You can put the knife away.”
He looked crazily around at us. “I don’t know who any of you people are. I just want to find my wife, have dinner, and get to Las Vegas.”
“I’m sure your wife just went to the ladies room. You know how long they take in there, right?”
His shoulders loosened a bit. “Right. Yeah, you’re probably right. She is always in there chatting with all the women like they’re best friends.”
“Exactly. Who knows what they’re talking about? My friend Susie will go in the bathroom and look for her, okay?”
I nodded to Swole who said, “Yeah. Sure. I’ll go see if I can find Nancy in the ladies room.” She walked around the corner to where the front door of the abandoned restaurant was.
“My friend Pedro here will take you back to your car, okay?” I motioned to Hawk. “Do you remember where you parked your car?”
Padre looked confused for a minute and then said, “I think it’s in the parking lot in the back.”
“Okay, Pedro will take you to your car, and Susie will bring your wife Nancy out and you guys can still make it to Vegas in time to see Tom Jones, okay?”
He nodded and turned toward the parking lot. “Just take him to his car and wait with him, okay? I need to check out the motel across the street.”
“Okay. Will do. Be safe.”
“Can I come with you?” Scorpion said as he walked alongside me. “I hate just sitting here doing nothing.”
I shook my head. “Look, kid. I don’t even know what I’m going to find over there. It’s probably nothing. What would really help me would be for you to keep your ears open to see what the other MCs are saying. Since you’re a recruit for Las Balas, they won’t think twice about talking around you.”
He looked dejected. “Okay.”
I didn’t have time to talk anymore. Something was telling me to get over to that motel, and quick.
