“Hey.” A voice sounds in my ear, and a familiar hand rests on my shoulder. Swinging around, I find Road standing there. He nods at the man I’d asked him to look after.
Stormy’s precariously balanced on a stick I recognise, it’s an old one of Road’s that he’s no longer got need for. Even with it Stormy seems unstable, his face pinched and white.
“Couldn’t keep him locked down,” Road tells me, loud enough for my companions to hear and for Stormy to shrug almost sheepishly.
“You should be resting,” Honor tells him. “You aren’t any help here. Road, what the hell are you thinking bringing him down?”
Road glares over the desk. “I was going crazy when Swift got taken. He needs to know what’s going on.”
“We’re not exactly sitting with our thumbs up our asses.” Duty glares at Stormy.
Instead of belligerence that I half expect, Stormy’s voice holds more than a hint of pleading and a heap of distress. “I need to find her. I know there’s not much I can do. But fuck, it’s down to me Gun took her.”
“How do you figure that?” I ask. “He went to visit her. He wasn’t looking for you.”
“Without me there, Gun would have probably questioned her, found out what I had about Tiny. That she’d booked the Airbnb but had no other involvement. That he took her was because of his suspicions about me, and to taunt me. I…” He swallows, and when he sways, Road grabs a spare chair and encourages him to take the weight off his one leg doing all the work. “I tried to deny she meant anything to me, but he didn’t buy it.”
It makes sense. “That you were there with her made her a person of interest. And there are not many men who’d stand by and let a woman be hurt. I’ve played poker with you Stormy, I doubt you gave anything away and made matters worse.”
Honor eyes are narrowed and focused on Stormy. “You didn’t fuck up and make Gun do anything he hadn’t already planned, I’m certain of that, Storm. But Gun clearly didn’t like you being there which is why Pip’s trying to track back and find out how Gun could be involved, and whether that goes back to Afghanistan. Maybe you can help more by being his sounding board and filling in any gaps Pip’s found?”
It’s a good idea, logical. But Stormy doesn’t seem impressed. “I, er, I want to be here. Trying to find her. My head is fucked, there are probably details I can’t remember or use to put two and two together. Whether it’s because of my injuries or that I’m so fuckin’ scared of what’s happening to her. I can’t think straight to help, but I trust you.” His eyes go to Honor, continue to Duty, then land on Bolt, Piston and finally myself. “I trust you. I know you’ll move heaven and earth to get her back.”
He trusts us. Words I didn’t expect to come out of his mouth.
We’ll find her if it’s humanely possible, and if she’s in the country. If she’s already south of the border that will make our lives more difficult. Especially considering the time she’s been missing. But I don’t mention that. It wasn’t Stormy’s fault he’d stayed in a coma, though I’m certain he’ll blame himself for being unconscious.
Honor sits back, putting his hands behind his head. “Seeing as you’re here, tell me about Cat. Anything might help us to identify the person who has her.”
It’s not beyond how we normally work. Stormy places his left hand on the table and furrows his brow. “She’s a natural redhead, gorgeous auburn hair and startling green eyes. She’s freckled, pure white complexion with rosy cheeks.”
“Her photograph shows that, Stormy, but what’s she actually like? Is she sexually expressive, or shy? What kind of person would she appeal to?”
There’s a flare in Stormy’s eyes as if the question is intrusive, but soon the light dies. “She’s shy. She’s not had many sexual partners. She’d stand up for herself, but wouldn’t be aggressive. She’s…” he shrugs again, and adds inadequately, “she’s nice. Normal. The girl-next-door type. She’s the kind to give an asshole like me a chance.”
It makes me wonder why they clicked. If I’d thought about it, I’d have imagined a person for Stormy would be active sexually, stunningly attractive, and probably more along a male line of himself. That he’s fallen for someone who sounds his opposite is surprising. But maybe that’s why it’s worked. Maybe he needed normal.
For a moment the only sound is the clicking of keys as everyone gets back to work. Having been lying on my feet, App stands and repositions himself, trying to get comfortable.
“Who’s that?” Stormy asks, as the movement catches his eye.
“Oh, it’s App, my hearing dog.”
I thought he’d scowl, see it as a weakness, but he surprises me when he nods responds with just one word.
“Cool.”
“I’ve got a location for Gun,” Bolt interjects suddenly, and all eyes go to him. “It’s a place buried under several aliases, but I’m pretty certain it’s the Jeffrey Morgan we’re looking for.
“Local?” Honor asks, optimistically.
Bolt shakes his head. “Halfway between Flagstaff and Phoenix. About five hours riding from here.”
Which would at least tally with the area where Stormy escaped from.
“Can we get our Tucson brothers to check it out?” They’d be much closer, and I have to say, after seeing how San Diego could handle themselves I’m fairly certain we could trust them to get the job done. Of course, if Drummer, Wraith, Blade or Peg got involved I wouldn’t have any doubts.
“I’ll go speak to Snatcher.” Bolt stands.
“I’m coming with you.” Stormy tries to push himself up but he hasn’t got a handle on using the stick yet and if Road hadn’t been there to catch him, he’d have crashed to the floor.
I’m surprised he’s managing as well as he can, it must be his desire to see his woman safe that keeps him defying physical laws. He can’t go on like this. I decide to take charge. Standing I round on him. “You sit yourself the fuck back down, or I’ll take you back to the hospital myself and have you chained to the bloody bed. You’re fucking lucky we’re letting you sit in on this. Just be honest, man. You can’t even stand let alone ride a bike. This is one time you need to trust us to have your back.”
It’s like watching a tyre deflating as all the fight goes out of him. “I know,” he says, and fuck me, but there are tears in his eyes.
Going over, I crouch down beside him and take his good hand in mine, just like I had for the past three weeks when I’d been with him in the hospital. “We’ve got this. We’ll find her.”
Road rests his hand on my shoulder. “You can depend on us,” he tells him firmly. “It’s what we do. You know that.” He waves to indicate Honor and Bolt, and then down at me. “You’ve got the best in the business at your back.”
The door opens and in walks Cowboy. He’s carrying a tray laden with sandwiches, BLT if I’m not mistaken. He leaves them in the middle of the table. His eyes soften as they land on Stormy, he knows what it’s like to lose someone close, and in his case, he’s never recovered.