NY trip: Thursday

[moonshadows]

Thursday, 6:30

I get up and do my workout routine, like I did in the old days, the days when I wasn’t sharing a bed with my gypsy, the days before the Barn and the six-month trip to Boston, the days before he looked at everything his wench was doing and said, “No.” But I’m not doing kitchen prep anymore, and there’s another reason to be awake this early.

 

7:00

I shower off the sweat and grime of the previous day, taking the shower straight to the face and shaking my head like a dog to fling excess water out before toweling myself off.

 

7:20

Seducing Duke awake. The sleepy, slightly-incredulous look he gives me when he realizes what’s going on never fails to make me smile.

 

7:30

Duke’s turn to shower while I make breakfast. And, in this case, lunch. The coffee I’d set to brewing on my way back inside is done, and I pour half of it into the small Thermos for later. The tall Thermos gets filled from the juice jug and tucked into a cooler with lunch, ice packs above and below for maximum chill.

 

7:50

Duke pretends to be angry that I’ve made him waffles and coffee, but his kiss tells a different story and he eats while I bring both coffee and lunch out to his truck. The blankets are already in the back, awaiting the boxes inside the cabin. He filled the gas tank last night, so all that’s missing is driver and cargo.

 

8:00

“I’m not going to be going the speed limit all the way there,” Duke says in tones of purest renunciation. “Eight hours behind the wheel of any vehicle is not how I prefer to spend the day, especially when my wench isn’t there with me.”

“Someone has to keep the Gull from burning down,” I tease, and he kisses me.

“I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”

Ooh, that sounds delightful. “And when you get there…”

“I’ll text to let you know how the deal went. Give me an hour after that to get settled somewhere.”

“And then I’ll text you to make sure you’re ready before we try the phone sex thing. I don’t know how well it’ll work…”

“Better than your voicemail message in a motel bathroom with Audrey asleep on the other side of the wall,” he says fervently. “Has to be.”

I kiss him. “I’ve packed you lunch and more coffee.”

He kisses back. “That’s bonus pay. I’m sure I put something in for that. Find me the clause later.”

“Will do, Boss. Now get on the road before we test the effectiveness of the blankets in the back.”

Laughing and shaking his head, he climbs into the truck. I blow him a kiss as he starts it and then drives carefully away.

 

12:17

Text from Duke. Constrct ugh. Trck fueld pirt fueld thx tiny awsm glfd.

I guess it would be hard to speed through a construction zone.

Poor Boss. Gull hasn’t burned down at least.

I pulse his tattoo three times. I love you.

After a moment, he pulses mine back. I love you, too.

 

4:53

Text from Duke. Theres AMERICAN CHEESE ON THIS!

I start laughing and clap my other hand over my mouth. I can hear the indignation, screaming from each complete word like he has to take the time to hit every single letter because his usual rushed abbreviations aren’t enough to carry the full weight of his disdain.

Aww, poor Boss, I text back. Got to NY safe, then?

Yeah ted happy beer good at leest

So, the deal went well and Duke’s probably having dinner with Ted. I mentally tack on half an hour and set a mental note to text him at 6:30 to see if he’s settled.

There we are then. See you tomorrow still? Because he could still have changed his mind about driving back and letting his wench fuck him until he passed out.

No change so far

Awww. Oh, well. I pulse his tattoo; he pulses back.

 

5:32

Nathan’s truck pulls up to the Gull and dispenses Haven’s Finest. I slide behind the bar and lean on it as they come in.

“Welcome to the Grey Gull, folks! What can I getcha?”

Audrey looks mildly amused. Nathan comes up to the bar, playing along, looking up at the menu. “What’s good today?” he asks earnestly, like a tourist would.

“Everything,” I answer just as earnestly. Then I grin. “Gonna finally try the challenge dish?”

Nathan rubs his jaw for a moment before picking up the laminated card. Moroccan Couscous with lamb, sweet potato, carrot, onion, green pepper, and spices. He takes a deep breath and blows it out. “Yeah. I’ll have that.”

“An excellent choice, sir. And for you, miss?”

Audrey gives me a look of I tolerate this because you’re a friend and says, “Seafood chowder and the flatbread.”

“Very good, very good, I’ll put your orders in right away. If you’d care to take a seat, I’ll be right with you.”

They go to the usual table; I go to the kitchen. I’m having the couscous, too. Grab two beers for them and a sparkling juice for me, and then I join them.

“So,” Nathan asks, “Duke make it safe to his perfectly legal smuggling job?”

I grin. “Yeah, but he was greatly offended at his dinner. I got a text that said There’s American cheese on this and every word was spelled out completely and correctly.”

Nathan nearly chokes on his beer while Audrey frowns and asks, “American cheese on what?”

That never even occurred to me to ask. “Doesn’t matter; it’s American cheese.”

“…I like American cheese,” she says a little sulkily. “Nathan?”

He’s caught between backing up his girlfriend and admitting to liking processed cheese food. “It’s alright,” he mutters.

In other words, it’s one step above eating plastic.

Less than an hour before I can maybe call Duke. The thought makes me tingle.

 

6:30

“Hold on, I want to text Duke, see if he’s done with dinner.”

The conversation pauses while the other two wonder if they actually want to know.

Ready to get started, Boss?

If the answer comes back yes, it’s a quick sprint to the Cape and if the answer comes back no, he’ll give me a timeframe. Nothing comes back for a minute and I set the phone aside to wait. “He’s probably driving,” I tell them.

“So is he driving back tonight,” Audrey asks, “or…?”

“Sixteen hours on the road is not his idea of fun, even if it means being…enthusiastically greeted when he gets home.”

Nathan groans and Audrey covers her face.

“I’m going to regret asking this,” she says from behind her hands, “but then what were you texting him about?”

“I’m going to call him when he gets settled in for the night,” I say in as neutral a voice I can manage. “If he goes to bed early, he’ll wake up early and be back early enough to enjoy the rest of the day.”

“It’s not going to be the day he’s enjoying,” Nathan helpfully points out to his partner, who groans.

“I think I liked it better when I only suspected you two were having sex,” she says, letting her hands fall. “Actually knowing…the mental images…”

“Welcome to Haven,” I tell her cheerfully. “Uncomfortable images revolving around Duke Crocker having sex are part of the authentic Havenite experience.”

That gets me an incredulous look. “Really?” She turns to Nathan. “Tell me she’s pulling my leg.”

Nathan shakes his head. “As much as I’d like that to be the case, she’s right. Duke was…notoriously active from about fifteen until Helena almost killed him. Chances are that everyone living in Haven has, at one point or another, been dismayed to hear about someone they know that Duke’s had sex with.”

“Even you?” she asks, morbidly curious.

My phone buzzing spares Nathan from having to answer. It’s from Duke.

Negative. Hold position and await further instructions.

“What the fuck?” I pulse Duke. I love you.

Nothing.

I pulse him again, adding the quick two-pulse that makes it a question. All clear?

Nothing.

“Something’s wrong.” My voice is hard and sharp. “Something’s happened to Duke.”

“What-”

I show them the phone. “That’s not Duke.”

They exchange a worried look. “Could it be Cam?” Audrey ventures.

“No. I would have felt them switch. And he still wouldn’t say that to me.”

“What are you thinking?” Nathan asks warily.

I’m texting Uncle Vince. Duke kidnapped need Guard for rescue come to HPD. “I’m thinking you’re going to give me a lift to HPD because I need to talk to Dwight. I’m going to be bringing an armed force across state lines and I’d prefer not to kill anyone until I get to whoever has my gypsy.”

That sits in the air for a moment before Audrey looks at Nathan and he nods.

“Good idea,” she says. “Let’s all go to the station.”

 

6:42

Uncle Vince hurries into Dwight’s office and shuts the door. Duke still hasn’t pulsed me back. “What’s happened?” he huffs as he takes in our grim faces.

I show him the phone. “Look at the message history. That’s not Duke.”

“I see.” He hands it back. “So, someone has Duke in their possession.”

“And either unconscious or tied up. He’s not returning my pulses.”

“The problem,” Dwight says, “Is that according to Julia, he’s in New York, about eight hours away. He hasn’t been arrested; I checked. He does have outstanding warrants in the area, which makes involving the local authorities…” he waves one hand, “…tricky. Especially if he’s injured in some way.”

Audrey looks worried at the entire situation. Nathan looks stonily unhappy.

“I’ll start making calls,” Vince says in the hard, controlled way that says he means business. “It shouldn’t take too long to round up a dozen or so Guard with combat training, and they can drive in shifts. I’ll stay here with you, Dwight, to pull strings if need be.”

“I’m going.” The way Dwight says it, argumentation is not an option. “I have more official authority; I’ll be better able to smooth things over with the locals. Audrey, I want you with me. You still have contacts in government agencies I don’t. Nathan, I need you here with Vince to hold the town together until we all get back.”

He nods. “Right.”

“Vince, you start making calls. I’m going to talk to my officers, see if I can find a pair that are willing and able to help rescue Duke Crocker.” He grins, but there’s no humor in it. “That way, I can say I brought some of my men with me and not be questioned. Julia?”

I look up from my dark thoughts.

“We’re going to get him back,” Dwight says in a soft, steady voice, the voice that anchored me for six months. “Just try not to kill anyone when we get there, okay? That’s a lot harder to cover up than severe beatings.”

A thin smile stretches my lips. “Spoilsport.”

 

7:49

“Van’s gassed up and ready to go, Miss Carver.” Mike Gallagher almost, but doesn’t quite, salute me.

The ten Guard able to get or take tomorrow off are inside, armed and trying to get comfortable enough to sleep. We’ll be stopping every two hours to change drivers, both for the van and for Dwight’s truck. Stan and Rebecca are the two that stepped forward to rescue my gypsy, which isn’t as surprising as it could be given that both their families are cleansed. That’s something that could come in handy, but hopefully won’t. There’s an impressively comprehensive first aid kit in the back of Dwight’s truck, complete with a long spine board that I sincerely hope won’t be useful. I have the calibrated tranq dart, the Carver diary, and the rest of the standard contents of my purse, plus a pair of rubber-bullet paranoia guns. Directions have been printed out for both vehicles, so that we take the same route, and radios have been distributed so we can stay in contact without relying on cel phones.

Nathan hugs me. Uncle Vince hugs me. Dwight hugs me and climbs into his truck. I climb into the van and Mike gets into the driver’s seat and our tiny convoy gets underway.

I pulse Duke’s tattoo. He doesn’t answer.

 

8:25

My left wrist feels briefly cold. Cam. I pulse the tattoo three times, slow and steady. I love you. There’s no response, and I clench my jaw at not knowing what’s happening.

 

8:32

I sit bolt upright as my left wrist tingles like it’s being electrocuted, a single long squeeze that means, simply, HELP!

I pulse back for a minute – Help coming. I love you. Help coming. I love you. – alternating those two patterns, hoping that whatever’s going on, he can pick up on that. Then I find my phone and call…Audrey.

“Cam’s front and awake,” I tell her quickly, urgently. “I’m guessing he’s being restrained or fighting someone, because he gave me a long pulse and then nothing. Tell Dwight to pass us, put on his lights, and floor it. I’m going to use the Carver diary to hide the van. No more doing the speed limit; I want us in New York as soon as fucking possible.”

“Got it,” she says. “See you at the first driver switch.” And she hangs up.

“I heard,” Mike says as I turn to him. “I’ll keep up with Dwight.”

I dig my not-a-book out of my purse and let the golden diagrams surround me. That one; that’s the one I want. Hands that aren’t hands reach out and grasp it, stretch it, fit it over the van as Dwight’s truck flashes by and Mike accelerates to follow. While we dodge smoothly around the other vehicles on the highway at 25 over the speed limit, I concentrate on holding the borrowed power in place and try not to think about what my gypsy could be going through.

 

10:21

Audrey hugs me and then joins Rebecca in the back seat to try to get some sleep. Dwight crushes me into a bear hug while Stan mans the gas pump.

“If he doesn’t go back,” Dwight says in a low voice, “that could work to our advantage. Claim mistaken identity or something.”

“Which will last exactly as long as it takes to print him or check his wallet.”

He looks at me measuringly. “You’re not going to sleep, are you.” It’s an assumption rather than a question because he knows me.

“Not a chance.”

“Fine, then think of something to explain why Cam can’t stick around to give a statement or answer questions.”

Good idea. I go into the convenience store, but their coffee smells like my mouth is going to want to die. Luckily, they have bottled, sweetened coffee drinks. I buy two, use their bathroom, and chug one. Time to get back on the road.

I pulse Cam, but he doesn’t respond. Hang in there, baby. Tiny Mistress Julia is on the way. Lights flashing, we scream silently down the highway.