Ain't Shady Baby, I'm Hot

99

"I'm here! I'm here." I call out as I jerk my bike to a halt. My back tire spins out as I tip forward. My hands are tight around the handles as I make quick work of cutting the engine and parking my bike against the metal shed. The locked metal shed.

I checked my watch and took a calming breath. I was early. They still had time.

I looked across the way at the marsh and the boards on the wooden rack. My eyes panned up to the horizon where dark clouds lurked in the distance, waiting.

You could blame it on weather patterns and the heat that came with Summer. But I call it fate. This whole chase started with a storm. And after this one, it would end with one-- at least for now.

I pulled my helmet free as well as my jacket and gloves off. My gear disappeared into my saddle bag as I pulled out my phone. I had a bar of service and a bit of juice left in the battery. I did the only thing a kid should do in this situation.

The phone buzzed twice before the call shakily connected.

"Xena? Honey, are you alright?" I breathed a laugh, a smile brimming on my face as I leaned my head backwards into the metal.

"I'm as good as I can be. Ma? Gray? I don't have a lot of battery. Please tell me y'all are headed out."

"Xena, they closed down all ports yesterday. There is no way on or off this island. Your mother and I are driving back from the airport. They stopped the charters and the private planes." Damnit.

"Okay, well, promise me you'll get a ferry the first chance you get. I still have to dig around and figure out my plan. But I love you both."

"Honey, you're cutting out." I frowned looking at my phone and saw the battery jump to 2%.

"I love you both. I'm gonna figure this out."

"We love you too, we know--Gray! Watch OU--" The world slowed down as I heard the screeching of brakes and tires and my Mother's words cut off by the steady beep of my call being cut and my phone dying.

"Oh my God. Oh my--" My hand shook as I lowered the phone from my ear. The noise echoing as my phone slid from my hand. I staggered back an inch and dug into the hard metal of the wall.

They're okay. They're fine. They just had to make a rough stop. They'll be okay.

we know--Gray!

My body dropped to the floor. My eyes glassy as I wrapped my arms around my knees. My thoughts chaotic and dark.

Watch OU--

My lips twitch. My heart ached. I tightened my hold on my legs.

I don't know what happened. I don't know.

Beep. Beep. Be-

I shook. I needed to be held. I needed grounding. I needed clarity. I needed information.

Blood.

I lifted my arms up as I saw the scratches I'd left on my forearms. Blood rising to the surface and slowly trickling out of the deepest one. I watched the onyx red liquid trace a new path on my skin. More following as I watched.

God, why was I so-- so

My thoughts were cut off as tires screeched beside me. The noise snapping me out as I returned to the world around me.

"Xena!" I slowly unfolded from my ball as Kie and JJ ran over to me. "Xena we got the key!" I mustered a grin, but they both knew me better than that.

"What happened? Why are you bleeding?" I tried to stand up, JJ's arms wrapping around me and helping as I tilted my left arm.

"I scratched myself." I answered him honestly as I looked past him to Kie. "Nothing I can't handle."

I slipped on my mask as I licked my right thumb and covered the wound. A smirk replacing my terrified expression.

"Xena." I pat JJ with my left hand before bending down and pulling my cracked phone off the ground.

"Listen. I'm gonna be okay. I promise. Now, lets get this boat free for B, okay? He's priority number one." My voice cracked slightly at the end of my sentence. I knew they were both worried about me, I could see it on their faces. But they also knew I was right.

We had to get this boat ready for John B.

"Okay. You heard the boss." Kie spoke ushering JJ towards the metal. The blond hesitated for a moment before he too slipped on his mask. The three of us returning to our optimistic counterparts on a mission.

"There she be." JJ spoke as he pushed open the door. "Hey girl. A 1983 Formula 402 SR1." He walked up to the boat and pulled the sheet from its front rail.

"You think he uses that with all the ladies?" I mocked poking Kie in the ribs and earning a scoff from her.

"The Phantom." He finished looking back towards us with a click of his tongue. "The first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under 16 hours. Forty years old! Forty. And still the fastest thing that Kildare's ever seen."

"She's kinda a junker." My jaw dropped at Kie's words. JJ's jaw clenched, panic crossing his eyes.

"Really? She's right there, Kie. She can hear you." I choked into my palm, concealing my laugh at JJ's ridiculousness. "Let's just put it this way. You would not be smokin' weed right now if she never existed, okay?" I rose my eyebrows at this information.

"So this is the troublemaker that brought about your temptations, JJ." I taunted leaning my side into the metal of the opening.

"That she is." He sent me a wink.

I rolled my eyes before moving out of the way as Kie started backing up her car. My feet wandering over to the other metal barn door and shoved it open in hopes to get some air circulating through the tin oven. I made it back over to the two and leaned my back against the car watching JJ work the hitch.

"I just hope it runs."

"Oh no, she'll run all right." He flipped into seriousness as he looked at Kie. "She's faster than any of the cutters the boys in blue got."

"Is Pope coming on a motorbike?" I asked as I looked at the other entrance way I had just popped open to help with the air circulation.

"Pope. Finally!" Kie swung over the boat hitch and walked away from JJ and I.

"Yup, bringing his Pop's gas." I nodded listening to the brakes screech as the engines cut off-- on two motorbikes.