“Beeswax. How’d I know you’d say that?” He smiled.
A memory of Snakebite and I, of us, before anything bad happened, flitted through my head. I cursed myself for smiling back. My face rolled into a scowl. “What are you up to?”
“I want to find my baby same as you,” Snakebite said, like that explained everything. He shook all over, telling me, “I can’t wait to get my hands on the fuckers who took him.”
My frown deepened. Maybe they’d been right, and Snakebite wasn’t behind the kidnapping? What had Scar and Cowboy gotten us into? What was their plan? What were they planning to do after we find the baby and Snakebite thinks he has some claim on him?
I didn’t plan to hash it out right now. Instead, I found common ground. “You’ll have to wait in line.”
As Snakebite and I talked about the most painful ways to kill Jessy Bell and Teeth, a heavy metal song started playing. He pulled out his phone just when I realized it’d been his ringtone. He hung up quick and started to run down the stairs.
“What’s going on?” I shouted after him.
When he didn’t answer, I ran after him. He mounted his chopper. I stepped in front of it. “What’s going on?”
“They’re losing him,” he snarled, starting his bike.
“The baby?”
“Yeah, I knew I shouldn’t have trusted a God to take care of mine. You coming?”
Not taking time to think, I climbed on the back and wrapped my arms around his middle. We sped to the daycare center, and Snakebite stopped only long enough for one of his boys to tell him which way we needed to go. Soon, we were cutting out of lanes of traffic. Speeding faster, chasing a black car. I had no idea what was going on, but I held on for dear life. On the freeway, more bikes showed up. I spotted Cowboy and his hat and some other Gods even though no one wore their vests.
Circling the black car, we had it surrounded. Before I could blink, the bikers run the car off the road. It hit the guardrail, smashing the front end. Smoke billowed. All I could think of was my baby. He’d just been in a wreck. When Snakebite squealed to a stop, I flew from the bike. I ran faster than my legs could carry me, picturing explosions. When I reached the wreckage, Hiss pulled a baby out of the car and placed him in my arms. Tears of joy fell down my face. I hugged him tight. Smelled him. He smelled okay like I remembered a mix of milk and baby powder. However, when I looked down, I could tell right away, the little bundle wasn’t mine. Big blue eyes stared up at me.
Quickly, I gave the baby back to the woman who Cowboy just heaved out of the vehicle.
“What are you doing,” he asked in a panic.
“It’s not him,” I told him, falling into his arms, crying.
Snakebite had a man, the driver I presumed on the ground. He pushed a blade to his throat but looked up at my wails. Before we could figure out how we could’ve made this mistake, blue lights flashed. The cops showed up. They’d gotten a tip there was a bunch of bikers on the freeway. Vests or not, we’d stopped traffic. Cowboy and I tried to explain about the missing baby, as they were handcuffing him and some of the other Gods. Glancing around I couldn’t find Snakebite. Looked like him and most of his crew had fled the scene.
Being hysterical, I’d not been arrested, but dropped off at the motel by a squad car.
Snakebite waited for me at the door to my room.
“You just bailed on us?”
“Yeah, I’m a wanted man, Halley. My boys all are. Now that the fuzz are involved, they’ll be heading back to Cali, but I’m staying put. It’s just a risk I have to take.”
When I made it past him, I shut the door and locked the deadbolt.
Since it was still early, I called the jail. Apparently, although Cowboy had to wait and go in front of a judge and probably pay a fine, he wasn’t a wanted man like Snakebite. The woman on the line thought he’d walk in a day or two. Next, I called Scar about the other members who had gotten arrested. He said he’d send Harlot to take care of things, which I assumed meant get them out of jail. I didn’t want to tell him that it was pretty much Snakebite and I left, and I was probably in danger here. Instead, I kept myself locked in the room.
Two days passed until Harlot showed up. I spent the time moping and ordering takeout. Snakebite still guarded my door, but thankfully, he’d let pizza through. Every once in a while, he’d suggest we go out on our own and go look for the baby. I wasn’t falling for it, thinking he’d kidnap me and take me back to California. I’d stay put until Cowboy returned.
When Harlot finally arrived, she’d already been to the courthouse and had some of our members with her. They were packing their shit.
“Does this asswipe need to be here?” She asked about Snakebite guarding the door. I’d stepped outside to talk to her and to have another of Snakebite’s cigarettes.
“He’s cool,” I said, just so she’d get on with it.
She’d got wind the Feds were getting involved in this case on account of a missing baby. Although the Gods could bribe the local authorities, she said Scar feared that the FBI could bring unwanted attention to the club.
“What about finding my baby?”
Harlot explained, “Scar agrees we have to do anything to find him. But for right now, we is you, Cowboy and the Feds.”
