Road Tripped (Satan's Devils MC Utah #1) - Manda Mellett Page 0,48
launch the drone. That’s where we head, after again updating Preacher. Soon the two SUVs are pulling off the road.
This is far from our first rodeo. Piston quickly has the drone out of the back of the SUV, taken out of its covering, launched and flying. Within moments, it’s hovering over the target location. It’s military grade, able to send decent pictures back but fly high enough to evade detection. Like a lot of our methods, totally illegal.
We gather around Piston who’s got the app that controls it called up on his tablet, and the pictures are coming in clearly. For a while we watch as it sends back images from different angles, but there’s nothing to be seen, nothing to show whether the house is occupied or not.
Suddenly Preacher points to the screen. “What’s that?”
When Piston zooms in, we all see what he’s noticed—the back door which would be hidden from the road is open. We stare down, watching, hoping to see movement. Had it been open all along and we missed it earlier?
“There!” Rascal points out, but we’ve already all seen it. A garbage sack appears and is placed outside the door.
All we’ve seen is a disembodied hand, but it’s enough.
We find that out, but not much more. As Road had already noted, the overhanging trees prevent us from seeing inside. Yet, a house with someone in it which should be empty suggests we’ve come to the right place.
Road’s brow is furrowed. “What happens now? How would you want this to go?”
I remind myself this is all new to him. “We need to get access to the house, but how, that’s what we’ve got to work out. If we could get inside, we could place a bug to get more information about what’s going on in there.” That’s the ideal, but it would seem impossible to do. Not with the little we have to go on.
“I’ve got Duty getting the house plans,” Snatcher informs us.
I raise my chin. Hopefully that will help.
“Why not just walk up to the front door?” Road asks, seeming serious.
Piston snorts loudly. “Yeah? You reckon? Walk up and ask if we can borrow a cup of sugar or some shit? If the kidnappers are in there, they’re likely to shoot first. They won’t invite a stranger inside.” Piston’s one of those who can sign, and he uses it now to ask me, Is this guy for real?
I’m wondering that myself.
But Road doesn’t back down. “What about someone in need of assistance?”
I glance at Road, his face is set, his jaw clenched. Perhaps we were wrong to so quickly dismiss him. It looks like he might be thinking of something. “Difficult,” I tell him, letting him down gently. “Remember, they’ll be ultra-cautious and suspicious as hell. Someone in need of help because their car just happened to break down outside would set off their alarm bells.”
Road raises his chin in acknowledgement, but continues, “Can you get me some running gear?”
It’s Snatcher’s turn to snort incredulously, while I shake my head wondering what planet Road has disappeared to.
“Like you could run anywhere with your bad leg,” Piston scoffs.
“I can run far enough,” Road tells him. “And my knee can give out right outside that house.”
Everyone goes silent, still trying to interpret Road’s words. The penny drops in my head. “You can pop it out?”
It’s Road’s turn to chuckle. “If I take the binding off, keeping it in is harder. Sure, yeah. All I need do is put my weight on it wrongly, and out it will pop.”
“They might not help,” I warn him.
“But then we’ll know for sure whoever is inside has got something to hide,” Snatcher responds, his voice animated. “Road will be in fuckin’ agony, and anyone with an ounce of compassion should help.”
“It could be dangerous,” I warn him. “They’ll be suspicious.” I think for a moment. “I’ll come with you.”
“No.” Road shakes his head adamantly. “One person they might help, two and they’d wonder why you weren’t calling an ambulance or something.”
“Road’s right.” Snatcher waves at Preacher. “You stay here and wait. We’ll get Road equipped. You wait here and update Duty as to what’s going on.”
Again, Snatcher, Piston, Road and I take our seats in the SUV. Piston programs the GPS and Snatcher puts it into drive and moves off. It’s not long before he starts indicating and pulling off outside a Walmart.
When he parks, Road gets out and walks off to the store. Piston accompanies him