Crimson Highway by David Wickenhauser (i can read with my eyes shut txt) 📕

The gang retreated, and began assembling around their scoots. Then the giant turned, and signaled for Jenny to come over to him. Jenny released Hugh’s arm, and went after them. They encircled her, and Hugh could hear her talking, but couldn’t make out her words. The circle of gang members expanded and contracted as the men alternated between agitation, and listening quietly, as Jenny told her story.

Finally, Jenny scooted quickly back to Hugh, and took up station next to him again with her arm in his. She leaned up to whisper into his ear, and quietly said, “Don’t show fear. Don’t back off. But, whatever you do, don’t retaliate or act threatening,” she warned.

“Me act threatening?” Hugh whispered back at her in ironic disbelief.

Before Hugh could say anything else, the lead giant came right back up to him again, got almost chest-to-chest with him, and then gave him a good thump on his left shoulder with the heel of his right palm. That hurt! Hugh thought but kept as neutral an expression as he could—for Jenny’s sake. Any other time, he’d be trading punches with the guy by now.

The giant then abruptly turned to his right, Hugh’s left, and hit Hugh a grazing blow with his shoulder as he walked past him.

Then, one by one, each of the remaining gang members did the same thing. They each, in their own way, thumped, jabbed, poked, or smashed at Hugh before turning away, and walking toward their bikes.

Hugh hurt all over, grateful that it was finished, and that he had apparently passed the “test.”

Then, the Huey giant came back.

Oh, for crying out loud. Now what?

“Jenny, give me your cell phone,” Huey ordered.

Jenny fished the phone out of her pocket—the one that her uncle had given her.

Huey turned it on, and gave it a minute to boot up. He then jabbed a series of taps on the screen with the tip of his giant index finger. Hugh wondered how he did that … how this Neanderthal knew how to do that.

When Huey handed the phone back to Jenny, he jabbed Hugh again on his now-very-sore chest. “All she has to do is tap once on the contact I put on her home screen, and me and all my buddies will hit the road. Wherever you are, we’ll find you. And you’ll be dead meat,” he said, jabbing roughly again for emphasis. “Understand?” Jab.

Hugh nodded.

“Let’s ride,” he said to his buddies. And they were off in a deafening, thunderous roar.

Chapter Fifteen

Hugh and Jenny climbed back up into their seats, but Hugh didn’t start the engine.

He just sat there, not saying anything, looking at Jenny. She, in turn, just sat in her seat looking all innocent and pretty.

Finally, Hugh broke the silence.

“You know, Jenny, just when I thought you couldn’t possibly surprise me with anything more, something like this happens. What the hell was that all about? And how on earth do you know these guys?”

She didn’t answer him immediately. Instead, she just sat there smiling, with a smug expression on her face, which didn’t set well with Hugh.

“Dammit, Jenny! Answer me!”

 “You can calm down, Hugh,” Jenny finally responded. “And you can be a little more appreciative.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Hugh demanded.

“Hugh, you might not realize it, but I just saved your life. Or, at the least, saved you from a really bad beating,” Jenny answered.

“Go on,” Hugh said.

“Those guys pulled us over because my uncle had asked them to bring me back home, and to ‘take care’ of the truck driver who had kidnapped me. When I saw who it was that had pulled us over, I knew that’s why they were here. And that’s why I got out of the truck, and then latched on to you,” Jenny said.

“I didn’t do that because I feared them,” she went on. “I did that to show them that we were together, and that I was with you willingly. It’s the only thing that kept them from piling up on you, and messing you up real bad.”

“What was that huddle with them all about,” Hugh asked, only slightly mollified by her explanation.

“I was giving them a shortened version of what had been happening for the past few days,” she said. “I told them that I was afraid of my uncle, that he had held a gun to my head, and that he was threatening my little brother.”

“Go on,” Hugh told her.

“They didn’t like that one bit. They said they would see to it that my brother was protected. They wouldn’t do anything about my uncle right away as long as he didn’t try to harm me or my brother. But they said they’d keep an eye on him to make sure of that.”

“What was that poking, and jabbing and hitting all about at the end?” Hugh asked.

“Well, they said you couldn’t be my old man if they didn’t approve of you … that you’d have to pass their test. And, I agreed,” she said, smiling.

“That’s just real good of you,” Hugh replied with more than just a little touch of sarcasm.

“I knew you could take it. But, you need to know that if I hadn’t agreed, or if you hadn’t passed the test, you’d be lying by the side of this road in a bloody mess right now.”

“And that brings up something that I’m real curious about,” Hugh said. “How do you figure into this whole motorcycle gang thing? I know what kind of women hang with them. And if you are as innocent as you say you are …”

Jenny cut him off. “Hold on there, pal,” she retorted angrily, throwing herself back in her seat with her arms crossed. “I am nobody’s Harley babe. Never have been.