Keith charged around the corner and ran across the lot behind the motel. Nostril was still yowling like a scalded cat and flopping around on the ground. “You've killed me!” he screeched when he saw Keith coming toward him. “You killed me, oh fuck, Jesus, fuck, you've fuckin' killed me!”
“Well, if you're already dead, then I guess you won't mind if I do this,” Keith said, grabbing Nostril's mohawk and dragging him back to the parking lot. Nostril howled and spasmed the entire way.
When they reached the parking lot and Nostril saw the condition Cain was in, he wriggled even harder, dragging his heels against the ground stubbornly like a child being dragged from a toy store. “No! No, no, no, this wasn't me! I didn't do this! I paid you, I was in the room, I had nothin' to do with this, let me go!”
Keith smashed Nostril's face into the ground, then dragged it back up so it was inches from his own. “Lie to me one more fuckin' time,” he snarled, “and I'll rip your ballsack off your fuckin' body right here in this parking lot.”
“Ohhh, fuck, I'm gonna die,” Nostril moaned, starting to sob. “I don't wanna die, I don't wanna...”
“You'll die when we're ready for you to die, shitstain,” Keith said. “How much pain you get to feel first is gonna be up to you. Remember that.”
There was a rumble of motorcycles up the street, and a moment later, the three men were lit by the glare of headlights. Keith saw the Blood Eagles' black van, followed by a long procession of MC members on their bikes. It looked like at least half of their members had rode out with Hunter tonight. Even though the beating seemed to be over for the moment, Keith was relieved by their show of strength.
The van screeched to a halt in front of Cain and the side door rolled open immediately. Hunter hopped out, crouching over Cain nervously. Bones stepped down from the driver's seat, and another Eagle named Tinny emerged from the passenger's side.
“Jesus,” Hunter said. “Cain, can you hear me?”
Cain nodded slowly, letting out a pained groan. His entire head looked like a mass of blood, and his arm was laying at an odd angle.
“Okay, everything's gonna be fine,” Hunter continued. “I know it hurts like a motherfucker but I need you to just hang on for me. Just for a little while longer, all right? We're gonna get you all fixed up, I promise. But first we're gonna have to move you, and it's gonna feel fuckin' awful but you gotta let us do it so we can help you. Understand?”
Cain nodded weakly again.
“Good,” Hunter said. He carefully slid his arms around Cain's body and lifted him off the ground.
Cain grunted, gritting his teeth as Hunter's arms pressed against his kicked-in ribs. “I know, buddy,” Hunter whispered. “I know. Hang in there. We’re almost there.” Hunter brought Cain over to the van and gently lifted him onto the back seat.
“See? He's fine, he's gonna be okay,” Nostril blubbered. “I dunno who jumped him, it's fucked up, I can help you find out who it was if you want, just lemme go, please...”
“Oh, you're gonna help us, asswipe,” Hunter said, gesturing to Bones.
The tall, cadaverous Sergeant-At-Arms of the MC seized Nostril and shoved a gun in his mouth. “Hop in,” he rasped, his eyes burning coldly in their sunken sockets. “We're going for a ride.” He pulled Nostril into the back of the van, slamming the door shut behind them.
Keith mounted his bike as Hunter got behind the wheel of the van. Sirens were approaching slowly, and Hunter silently thanked the Micanaw cops for being a pack of corrupt, lazy slobs.
“Tinny, you take Cain's bike,” Hunter commanded. “Let's get the fuck out of here fast.”
The outlaws revved their engines and sped off into the night, leaving only bloodstains and burned streaks of rubber behind them.
Chapter 5
Missy
Missy heard the Eagles' bikes roaring into the parking lot, but she still jumped when Hunter and Tinny burst through the door of the Lost Knife, carrying Cain's limp and bloodied body.
Even though it had only been thirty minutes since Hunter got the call from Keith and rushed out with the other Eagles, it felt to Missy like she'd been waiting for hours. Her nerves were frayed.
Based on what she'd heard of the phone call from Hunter's end, it had sounded like Cain and Keith had walked into some kind of trap, and she was worried that the setup might include an ambush when the other members of the MC showed up.
She thought about her talk with Hunter a few hours before and felt a stab of anger and impatience. He didn't want her to take any risks because he'd be too worried about what would happen to her, but he certainly had no problem running off into a potential firefight and leaving her behind to wonder whether she'd ever see him alive again. It was a rotten double-standard to be held to, and she resented it.