Chapter 45: Chapter 45
Beck
Misty’s arms clung to me like a vice as I weaved through traffic at break neck speed. My bear was at the surface magnifying my senses as I followed her scent. I took a hard left screeching my tires, nearly laying us out before righting and opening the throttle on a straight-a-way and flying through a light changing from yellow to red. A bear’s sense of smell was by far better than any canine. I watched a white van pull out of an alley, my senses strained; they had gone down that alley but had they swapped over to the van? I had a split second to make a decision and I jumped the bike onto the sidewalk causing pedestrians to scatter as I aimed to avoid the congested streets and get ahead of the van. It turned right and as I came hurtling off the sidewalk onto the road I landed directly behind them. The driver checked his rearview mirror and cursed, hitting the gas and weaving around cars forcing them to swerve or slam on their brakes blocking me from following as I skidded to a stop to avoid a collision. I watched them turn ahead, tires squealing and I darted down an alley to cut them off, swinging around the corner to cut back up to the main road from behind the buildings. The sound of tires squealing and BOOM! My heart dropped and Misty squeezed me tightly as she gasped with a sob. I hit the next junction to the main road and gunned down the alley skidding to a stop as my eyes roved over the malady of commotion. The van was on its side having tipped as it ran into the dump truck coming across the intersection. Misty leapt from the bike stumbling and began to bolt without thinking towards the scene. I leapt off catching up to her quickly and passing her. The two men in the front were unconscious and I leapt up on top of the van to the side door throwing it open. A man groaned holding his head and I looked around. I reached in, snatching him by his shirt, a low rumbling growl escaped my throat as I slammed him into the van by his neck.
“Where is the cub?” I snarled.
“Cricket!” Misty’s voice wailed. “Cricket!” She was more frantic as she ran to the back of the van. My focus was on the man in front of me, so I let the sounds of Misty’s frantic voice fade into the mayhem of the background. Onlookers kept their distance not wanting to get involved with whatever this was. I tightened my grip as blood from the cut across his forehead seeped into his eye and I shook him.
“Where is the fucking cub, you piece of shit,” I demanded again.
He swallowed his dazed eyes, focusing. The rancid scent of fear hit my senses, and I bared my teeth at him.
“Th..e bikes, Tan…ner,” he rushed out fumbling the words.
Fuck I made the wrong fucking call!
I slammed my fist into the man’s face and dropped him, letting him crumble to the pavement. My eyes scanned for Misty finding her holding Cricket’s backpack in trembling hands. Her eyes met mine with undiluted terror. My feet started moving and I grabbed her arm, dragging her back to the bike.
“Get on, they took her on the bikes,” I ordered as I got on and she flung her leg over behind me and wrapped her arms around me, still clutching the backpack. I sped back down the alleyways to the place the van had come from. The van was a damn diversion, they had somehow seen me coming, and now Cricket was in real danger. We had no way of knowing how far they had gotten in the time it took us to realize the truth. I would have to rely on my sense of smell to follow the path and that would take time we didn’t have. We needed back up, but could the only option be trusted?
I flew down the narrow road behind the buildings until we reached the alley. Taking a deep inhale I sorted out the scent until I zeroed in on Crickets.
“Call Negan,” I told Misty. We would have to take the risk.
She fumbled with the smart watch on her wrist, and pulled an earbud out of her pocket, the pair to the one still in her ear. She shoved it into my ear as I shifted directions and sent the bike forward with a lurch.
The call was ringing. I thought it would go to voicemail when Negan’s rough voice picked up.
“Minxy baby, I thought you’d never call," he answered.
“They took Cricket,” Misty rushed.
“Tanner?”
“Yes,” I answered. “I’m following her scent but they are ahead of us by at least fifteen minutes,” I explained.
“How can I help?” he asked, his voice suddenly serious.
“We need more eyes,” I said, straining as I navigated, taking a sharp turn as I glanced up at the street sign. “Fifty third and Elm street, heading east,” I gave him as much info as I could.
“Got it, share your location when you can, I’ll alert the crew. Donnie and I are on our way.” There was a rustling in the background and a clang as tools dropped and he ordered Donnie to get the car.
“Once you get into The Black’s territory I can’t help you, but we are on our way,” he informed us before cutting the call. Ten minutes later, and I had to pause at a place where tire marks went off in different directions. The scent seemed to go nowhere. Misty took the pause to share the location with Negan. I coasted around trying to find the trail to no avail. How could she just vanish? My gut was tying into knots. Misty was looking around for any sign of her child when she gripped the arm of my jacket and I looked over my shoulder at her eyes desperate to know I knew how to find her little girl.
“What is it?” she asked, wondering why we were suddenly stopped.
“The trail is gone,” I regrettably informed her as unfettered panic washed over her features. I’d do anything if I could to take this feeling of helplessness away from her. I failed her.
I was coasting the bike in a slow circle hoping to pick the scent back up when an unknown number blinked across Misty's wrist. I stopped the bike and she looked down at it before her eyes looked up to mine.
“Answer it,” I told her.
She tapped her ear and the call connected.