Lonesome Lawmen

Nine-1

Nine

“You sure you’re gonna be all right? Don’t like leaving you here.” Meat stared down the dreary street with a scowl. “Mama ain’t gonna like it neither.”

“He made your plate, Meat. Be at your doorstep by now. Biker Babe is too hot.”

Meat’s gaze flicked down to her legs and back. He grinned. “Can’t argue with that, sweet thing.”

Dani smiled, but it wavered at the edges, then faded. “I can’t thank you enough, big guy.”

He looked down, shuffling his feet. “You ain’t gonna get mushy on me are you?”

“Yeah. Deal with it. It’s the price you pay for being there for me. Now give me a hug.”

“Well,” he opened his arms wide, “if you insist.”

When his arms closed around her, she closed her eyes, absorbing comfort from his hug, drawing strength from his sturdy man body while the iron rings of his leather vest dug into her cheek.

It hurt to step back alone. With the sun westering in the sky, she felt her will to go the distance waver.

“Willow…” Meat frowned, as if he sensed her indecision.

“I’m gonna be fine. Really.” She didn’t convince herself, probably didn’t convince him, but it didn’t matter. It couldn’t change what she had to do.

“Yeah.” He slung a leg over his machine. “And tell Oxford I sent you. He’ll make you a good deal.”

“Sure.”

“Watch your back, babe.” He gave a vaguely frustrated shake of his head, then kicked his Hog to life. Put it in gear and made a slow, wide turn away from her before picking up speed with a roar and a final wave.

Dani watched until he was out of sight, then turned and pushed open the door of the convenience store. Inside, she could hear Mary Chapin Carpenter singing about taking chances. Easy for her, Dani thought sourly. She didn’t have Dark Lord on her ass and a former spook with a crush at the top of her list of familiar strangers.

It had been hard to decide to call Spook, so it annoyed her when there was no answer at his number. How like a man to tell you to let him know when you’re in town, then not be there. Dani couldn’t think of any message that wouldn’t sound paranoid, so she hung up without speaking. She should have left then, but instead she stared at the pay phone like it held the answers to her problem.

She was adrift in the city, night was approaching fast, and she was desperately in need of contact with someone solidly on her side.

Think, Dani. You’ve got yourself out of plot dead ends before. Use your noodle.

A pity her noodle, even with a Diet DP charge, was mush. She couldn’t fight temptation, not now. She reached for the telephone, dialed, waited for a pick up and said, “This is Dani. Let me talk to Pat.”

It was a short wait before her agent came on. “Dani! What the hell you doing?”

Dani leaned against the dirty wall, using both hands to hold the telephone against her ear. “I’m calling you on the phone. Why?”

“What’s wrong? You back with the Feds?”

“No. Just needed to hear a friendly voice.”

“And you called me?”

Dani smiled and leaned against the wall. “Yeah, well, I had to settle for bracing, okay?”

“Feeling sorry for yourself?”

Dani’s laugh broke in the middle. “Yes, damn you.”

“What happened?”

“What hasn’t happened?”

Pat was quiet. “You in trouble?”

“Trouble? Me? Why would you think that? Just because the bad guy wants to torch me and the good guys want to turn me into a target? That’s not trouble, is it?”

“Can the pity wallow and do something. When have you ever choked over a plot?”

Dani smiled shakily as tears stacked up in her eyes. “Do you always have to be right?”

“Yes.” Pat hesitated. “Call them, Dani.”

“Call who?”

“You know who.”

Dani hesitated, opened her mouth to protest, then closed it. Talking to Pat put you solidly in the no-bull-s**t zone. Arguing with her would use up scarce energy. “I’ll think about it. Better go now. They’re probably tracing this call.”

“Take care, Dani.” Pat’s voice didn’t sound quite so brusque, until she added, “I’d hate to lose you when you finally started making me some real money.”

“Don’t get all sentimental on me. I wouldn’t know how to handle it.” Dani hung up the telephone, but didn’t let go of the receiver, unable to break the contact.

“You done?” a woman asked impatiently behind her.

“Yeah.” Dani stepped back awkwardly, relinquishing her spot in the gritty hallway. She wasn’t Biker Babe anymore. She was pathetic, an embarrassment to her leather shorts. She straightened her shoulders. She may not have a plan, but she did have the next step: Meat’s friend, Oxford.