Unknotted

Roadkill and a Tail

Rokan

My heel drummed the floor of a red, mud-splattered jeep that Chet, Tydeus, and I had opted to take instead of our more conspicuous black SUV.

“Relax, will you?” Chet, behind the wheel, glanced my way, brow cocked.

“What if she’s already taken the truck? What if we’re too late? This is our last lead.” I pushed my hair behind my ears and dropped my head back against the headrest. “Metallia is going to kill me if we don’t catch this woman.”

Tydeus, who had been silently staring out the window in the backseat, finally spoke. “I called Chubby’s before we left. The truck is still there. They were about to have it towed but I asked them to hold off. If anyone shows up for it, they’ll contact us.”

I chewed on my lip, trying to let that news relax me. Yet I wouldn’t settle, even while the magic wasn’t messing with my dominance.

“Did you find any sleep last night?” Chet looked me over. “You look like roadkill.”

“How flattering,” I moaned.

“I’m just being honest, man.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I told you that Glark should’ve finished healing you, but we were too cowardly to point out our ultra’s weakness. Not sure how much longer I can keep silent about Glark’s deficiencies.”

“You better keep holding your tongue,” Tydeus snarled. “You speak too boldly, soldier.”

Chet glared through the windshield. “But you see it too, don’t you, General Frost.” It wasn’t a question.

Tydeus and Chet locked eyes in the rearview mirror, a challenge rising that had nothing to do with the tide or magic.

“Calm down.” I twisted in my seat to look at both of them. “We’re all stressed, tired, and anxious about this mission. Let’s not do anything rash”—I focused on Chet—“until we resolve this fiasco. All right?” I gripped the dash. “Watch the road!”

Chet’s eyes snapped away from the mirror to the road. He jerked the wheel to the right and pushed the jeep back into his lane. As soon as the road straightened out again, Chet’s eyes were back on the mirror. Luckily, Tydeus had resumed his inspection of the passing landscape.

“We’re being followed,” Chet mumbled, as if a pursuer might hear.

I glanced in the side mirror and spotted a beat-up sedan.

“That brown car has been on our tail almost since we left camp.”

“Think it’s someone after the target?” I asked.

“Or they’re after you. Maybe there’s another crazy woman who wants to get tangled up with you?” Chet waggled his brows. “Chubby’s is ahead. I’m going to drop you too off down the street and see if our pursuer will follow me. If so, I’ll deal with them. If not, they’re your problem. Want to bet which they’ll follow? Ten says they follow me.”

“Why would they follow you?”

“Let’s be real.” Chet brushed his hair back from his forehead. “I’m the better catch, especially with your face looking as it does.”

I put a fist to my chest, gasping. “You wound me. For real though, if they want to follow you, I won’t complain.” I wasn’t inclined to deal with anymore than I already was, especially if our pursuer was the punch-you-in-the-face type. I had quite enough of that.

Chet pulled into a used car lot a block away from Chubby’s. Tydeus and I climbed out. Closing the door, I waved. “Be careful.”

Chet leaned across the seat. “It’s not me who needs the warning. Don’t let her slip away again.”

“If she even comes,” I grumbled. We had no idea when or if Topaz would risk returning for her truck. I was prepared to sit and wait a very long time in case she did though.

We walked the lot, pretending to check out the cars until the brown sedan passed, following Chet as he swerved around the corner away from Chubby’s.

“Tides,” I grumbled. “Now I owe Chet ten bucks.”