“Your way is torture. It’s a last-ditch effort, not the opening bid.” I turned to the driver and met his eyes. Well, his one good eye, anyway. The other had mostly swollen shut. “What’s your name?”
The driver’s good eye blinked, and his eyebrow quivered on his wrinkly forehead. “What’s it matter to you?”
“Better than ‘hey fella,’ right?”
He shrugged. “Kowalski. Andy Kowalski.”
I winked at Skyla. See? Progress already. “Mr. Kowalski, where are the other drivers?”
He sniffed and jerked his chin toward the highway. “Ain’t seen them in days. We stopped for fuel outside of Portland, and curiosity got the best of me. Got one look at the cargo and lit out like my ass was on fire.”
I snorted. “If you were so afraid, what are you still doing here with your truck and a full load?”
Kowalski scratched his chin. “Well, I got to thinking… Someone paid me a ton of money to show up with my truck at a warehouse out in East Jesus, Arizona, in the middle of the night. They put armed guards on all us drivers and wouldn’t let us get out of our rigs. They just loaded us up, gave us a preprogrammed navi-system, and told us to hit the road. I figured whatever was worth all that money and all that secrecy might be worth even more to the right buyer.”
“Mr. Kowalski...” Embla shook her head the same way one shakes her head at a bad car accident in which it was obvious there were no survivors. “You have no idea the trouble you’re facing. As soon as your employer discovers what you’ve done—”
Kowalski cleared his throat in a long, wracking cough and spit a wad of phlegm at Embla’s feet. Dismissing her altogether, he raised his watery blue eye up to meet my gaze. My hackles rose, hairs standing on the nape of my neck. My reluctance for the use of Embla’s knife was quickly waning.
“What are them things, anyway?” He glanced around at the piles of rubble strewn about the motel parking lot. “I thought they might be some kind of antique statues or something, but the way they moved… Was they robots?”
I grimaced at him. “You can believe me when I say you don’t really want to know.”
He hacked and cleared his throat again but refrained from spitting. “The way I see it, you all destroyed the merchandise. If anyone’s got to answer for that, it’s you.”
I laughed, a bitter, wry sound. “Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you’ll be able to sleep tonight. But if I were you, I’d start running, and I’d never stop.”
Thorin stepped up to my side and loomed over our witness. “Where were you headed with that truck?”
Kowalski leaned back, trying to take in Thorin’s remarkable stature. His lips thinned. His good eye narrowed. “Don’t know for sure.”
Thorin stepped closer, jaw clenched, the threat of physical harm obvious. Kowalski flapped a hand at him. “You ain’t got to get all hostile like that. I’m telling you the truth. We were headed north. That’s all I know. Check the navi on my truck, and you’ll see.”
Embla motioned to the Valkyries. “Feryal, go take a look at his navigation system. Siobhan, take Mr. Kowalski to his room, and don’t let him leave.”
A dark-skinned woman wearing an olive-colored hijab separated from the group and headed toward the truck’s cab. Siobhan winked at Kowalski and tugged his arm. “Let’s go, sugar.”
Skyla, Thorin, and I huddled with the rest of the group, waiting for Feryal’s findings. “Port of Portland,” she announced from her seat inside the truck cab a few moments later.
Thorin shifted and made a sound in his throat. Irritation? Acknowledgement?
“What is it?” I asked.
“If she’s right, those containers could be miles from here by now. They could be anywhere.”
“All we can do is follow the trail. And hope for another lead.”
“How far is Portland from here?” Skyla raised her voice for Feryal’s benefit.
“Seven hours,” Feryal said from her seat in the truck cab. “Give or take.”
“If we leave now, we’ll be there by sunup,” Embla said.
Skyla groaned beside me. “I’m getting sores on my ass from all the riding.”
I bumped my elbow against her ribs, a playful shove. “You got some fighting action.” I waved at the piles of stone. “A little exercise to brighten your day.”
“What, this?” She scowled. “This is nothing. I didn’t even break a sweat.”
“Just think, though, there’s hundreds more out there somewhere, waiting for you. The sooner you find ’em, the sooner you break ’em.”
“You gonna ride with us? We’ve got an extra seat in my truck.” Skyla motioned to the row of black SUVs parked at the shoulder along the front of Finney’s Roadside Retreat. Riding in the SUV was tempting compared to the seasick sensations of travelling with Thorin. The comfort of female camaraderie also appealed to me, especially after I had been away from it for so long.
As if reading my thoughts, Thorin stepped closer to my side. I heard his teeth grinding. But if he could read my thoughts, I could read his too, and he was right. We couldn’t afford to waste the time.
“No.” I exhaled the word on a sigh. “Chances are, if Helen shipped those containers out, they’re probably long gone. But either way, we have to go ahead while there’s a chance the trail’s still warm.”
Skyla nodded and watched as the Valkyries dispersed, heading for their convoy. “We’ll meet up again tomorrow, first thing. Pay attention, Blondie. I want a full report.” She raised her eyes to Thorin. “Keep her safe, Boss Man.”
He merely arched an eyebrow in reply.
She threw her hand to her brow in a lazy salute. Then she turned on her heel and marched toward her SUV.
Thorin slipped a hand around my shoulder, preparing to draw me in and make the jump to Portland, but I stepped out of his grasp. “Wait. Don’t you find it a little odd that Embla was so easily satisfied with Kowalski’s answer?” I snapped my fingers. “Just like that, she’s ready to roll out to Portland.”
He tilted his head like a curious dog. “But, Sunshine, navi-systems don’t lie.” His tone suggested he was playing the devil’s advocate rather than arguing.
I turned and started toward Kowalski’s room. “You’re right. They say exactly what their programmer tells them to say.”
