"Art of Trouble" 6

Thomas was glad his friend Eugene was a night owl because it took only five minutes of sitting on his doorbell to break into his focused, online game play. Eugene was a video game creator and spent most of his time testing out the new releases and quite often Thomas was his ‘happy to help’ team player analyzing game strategies and level transitions with him.

Eugene opened the door and smiled at the late night intruder. “Hey perfect timing.” He grabbed his friend by the arm and whisked him into the house and right into the game room where the newest ‘Planet Invaders’ game was paused on the seventy-five inch, high definition screen of his gaming system. “Gear up buddy and we’ll beat these mind bending aliens in record time.” He held out a game controller to Thomas.

“Wish I could Gene but I’ve got a previous commitment. I’m here to ask if I can borrow a ride.”

Eugene put the controller down and nodded. “Okay, but I can’t say I’m not disappointed you won’t copilot the solar runner with me. You’re missing out on a great level of play but…let’s find you a ride,” Eugene motioned for Thomas to follow him. He opened the door to his massive garage and hit the light switch, “What’s your poison pal, impressive early decade or faster than light speed modern?” 

The garage burst into life with gleaming chrome and polished color. Twenty coveted motorcycles ranging from rare vintage to the latest of modern marvels were parked in their designated spots in Eugene’s mechanically equipped garage. He restored motorcycles in his spare time and raced them as a hobby.

“I’ll need something fast but with comfort for a back rider.” Thomas requested.

“Hmmm,” Eugene gave his friend a hard look and a knowing nod. “Impressing a femme fatale are you?”

Thomas shrugged “Not sure if she’ll be impressed or scared to death but, yeah.”

Eugene’s look grew more curious as he handed Thomas two helmets, “Then I’ll suggest you take the Ducati; it’s fast but easy on the corners.”

“I trust you to know.”

“And I do. This is the one but…I’ll expect details when you return it.”

“As long as you’ll accept a heavily redaction retelling,” Thomas chuckled slipping one of the helmets onto the back of the sleek, black bike and placing the other on his head. “And thanks, I owe you one,” he added as he straddled the bike.

“I intend to collect that I.O.U. next month when the third Blood Thirsty Zombies game is set to release. You’ll be my wing man at the zombie bar.” He hit the wall remote and opened garage door.

“You’re on, who can resist the appeal of decaying humanity?” Thomas laughed then roared out of the garage.

 

There was a full moon illuminating the road which helped him navigate the dark path he’d taken back to the hotel. It might be late but he had no idea how dedicated those men were to finding them. He had to avoid detection by staying off the beaten track.

It was just after midnight when he drove into the hotel’s parking area which thankfully was out of sight of the street. He parked the bike near the hotel’s guest entry door.

 

Jade had slept fitfully for a few hours but her fear of those men finding them kept waking her up. Thomas wanted to leave at midnight and when she looked at the small clock on the nightstand she saw she had an hour to get ready.

After a quick shower she changed into the second outfit she’d bought at the boutique that day and packed everything else into the shopping bag. She looked carefully around the room to be sure she hadn’t missed anything then stepped to the connecting door and knocked.

She waited for him to open the door but there was no response from him. She wondered if he’d fallen asleep and forgotten to set an alarm. It would be just like Trouble to interfere in that way and if Thomas wanted to leave under cover of darkness, she’d have to in there and wake him up. It was already ten minutes after midnight.

Jade opened the lock and stepped into his darkened room.

“Thomas?” she whispered as she snapped on the room lights.

She stared at the empty hotel room. Had he stranded her here?

Her heart pounded with fear and indecision then she heard someone in the hall.

She hoped it was Thomas but as the door knob began to turn, she thought of those men looking for them and wondered if they'd found her?

She grabbed the first thing she touched, the heavy iron on the shelf above the secured Ironing board and the iron was griped tightly in her hand as she scooted next to the opening door, ready to defend herself.

 

Thomas opened the room door and took one step inside but had to quickly lift his arm in defense against a flying iron aimed at his head. “Hey!”

Jade heard Thomas’s voice and tried to stop the momentum but the iron’s heft stopped it a little too close for comfort. The pointed edge had clipped his hand.

“Oww! Jade what are you doing, it’s me?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she quickly put the iron down on the luggage rack and reached out to touch the already darkening bruise on his hand.  “I thought you were one of those men and...why weren’t you here? Where are you coming from?”

Thomas rubbed his hand checking for blood and thankfully there wasn’t any. He looked at Jade and noted her regretful expression. “I should have told you I was going out but I thought you were sleeping. I needed to secure our ride.”

“You got a car?”

Thomas shrugged. “It’s parked in the lot…if you’re ready, we should go.”

 

Jade stepped outside and wondered which one of the parked cars was theirs until she saw Thomas walk over to a sleek, black motorcycle. He pulled a helmet from the back seat and held it out to her. “Put this on and we’ll get going.”

“Uhhh, no,” she said shaking her head.

“No?”

“No. I won’t ride that. Have you any idea how easy it is to wipe out on that thing?” she asked him knowing Trouble would just love for her to throw caution to the wind and hop on that death trap. 

“It’s not dangerous Jade. I promise you’ll be safe with me.”

“I’m sorry Thomas but you'll have to find us another way to travel.” She folded her arms and gave him her best, stubborn look.

“This is the best way for us to stay off the main roads but if you’re worried about my ability, I’ve been driving motorcycles legally since I was sixteen and illegally since I was twelve,” he gave her a confident smirk, “You’re in good hands so hop on.”

Jade knew Trouble didn't care how experienced Thomas was, it would mess with them anyway but she also knew time was ticking away, and they had no alternative transportation. She crossed her fingers and took the helmet from his hand.

“Fine I’ll ride with you but if I die, I’m gonna haunt you,” she promised and placed the helmet on her head then scooted onto the bike inching her body close behind him and wrapping her arms tightly around his torso.

"And if I get you safely to Quebec?"

"Then I'll buy you a croissant," she scoffed.

Thomas chuckled and hit the start bringing the engine to life. “There are speakers in our helmets so we can hear each other."

“Great, get ready to hear me scream,” she warned.

 Thomas’s laughter was in her ears as he roared out of the parking lot.

 

Thirty minutes later, Jade admitted she’d never felt this kind of exhilaration. They flew through the night air and everything was touchable. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him and she felt the movement of his body as if it was her own. When he leaned into turn, so did she. The wind whipped over them bringing the tantalizing scent of pine trees. It filled her nostrils and soothed her fear. She even smiled at the sound of crickets coming from the darkened forest as they rode the hiking trail that ran parallel to the highway above.

Thomas was careful to stay on the hiking trails, keeping away from possible sight lines. Jade had settled her head against his back and she seemed to have gotten over her fear of motorcycles. He smiled when he heard her sigh of contentment.

 

Jade decided she liked riding this way and might even consider a motorcycle of her own someday, if trouble ever exited her life, but no sooner had she thought it, then trouble showed up.

It struck in the form of an unexpected rainstorm.

The skies opened and a torrent of rain fell down on them, a deluge that made mud puddles of the road under the cycle’s tires. It was impossible to continue at the speed they were going.

The mud kicked up on Jade’s legs and visor and soon she couldn’t see a thing.

The downpour obliterated Thomas’s ability to see the road through his visor too. He'd have to stop and wait it out. He drove them under a copse of trees and lifted his muddy visor to get his bearings. “We’re going to have to hunker down until the rain stops,” he told Jade.

Jade feared the worst would happen now, knowing trouble was again in command.

“What happens if it doesn’t stop raining? What if the rain creates a mud slide that sweeps us away?

Thomas knew the area they were in pretty well and there were mountains so mud slides were a possibility, but only if the rain continued for days. At the moment, he didn’t fear mudslides but he did fear slowing their progress. Prolonged rain could set them back a few hours, or a whole day.

“I’m not worried about mudslides Jade but I am worried about waiting here for too long. I think we’ll have to risk riding on the highway, at least until it stops.”

“Are you sure we should?”

“Yeah, we don’t have a choice but there are rain slickers in the seat so if you'll hop off, I’ll get them out for us

 

They weren’t far from an interstate so Thomas kicked up the speed getting them up the rain soaked hill and onto the paved road of the interstate highway.

Jade wasn’t as happy or as comfortable traveling on the paved highway. It lacked the intimacy and the cocoon that nature had provided but it was the vulnerability of being seen that concerned her more.

Cars whizzed by them at ridiculous speeds given the weather condition and some cars hung too close to their tail light, staying only a few feet behind them. It was nerve wracking and she rethought her dream of motorcycle ownership

 

The long, rainy night exhausted them both. The rain didn’t let up until just near dawn.

Jade had been hugging Thomas tightly for hours and her hands were numb. She needed a break.

“Can we stop?” she asked and incase he didn’t get the extreme emergency in her voice, she pinched his stomach too. That got his attention but the bike swerved wildly and she regretted her action.

Thomas regained control of the bike before he answered her.

“I’ll pull off the next exit and look for a gas station and a place for breakfast.”

“And don’t forget to find a place to get a new phone for me, remember?”

“That too,” he agreed and began to change lanes for the exit ahead.

“Thank you,” Jade whispered and snuggled against his back, thinking maybe trouble would leave them alone for now…then the rear tire blew out.

Jade screamed as the bike swerved wildly.

“Hang on,” Thomas told her and he wasn’t worried. He was an expert driver and easily handled the situation. He'd eased up on the throttle but because the road was wet from all the rain, traction wasn’t great.  He kept the bike upright and relatively straight. “We’re taking this exit,” he said to a very quiet Jade and was sure she was holding her breath.

The exit road was steeper than he’d have liked with a blown tire but he coasted down it while adjusting for the wobble and tried to break to slow the momentum…but it didn’t work.

Thomas knew Eugene kept his motorcycles in top shape so there shouldn’t be any issue with the breaks but he didn’t have time to analyze the oddity because it wasn’t going to be an easy landing for them.

“Hold on real tight!” he commanded Jade as he steered the bike into a bend in the road and it picked up more downward speed.

Jade’s arms tightened around him in a death grip around him and Thomas eyed the thick bushes at the bottom of the road, hoping they’d cushion their inevitable wipe out.