Shadows Creed (Shadows Creed #1)

Exodus

Zacky was ashen faced as he set his phone down in front of him. The others crowded around him. Dan, who had just arrived, was crouched to his left features drawn.

“What did Shads say?”

Zacky cleared his throat before answering, not trusting his voice. “He’s got a tail. So, he can’t come back here.” His eyes darted around the studio but didn’t take any of it in. “He says we need to leave. Head out of the county.”

Jimmy grimaced. “All of us?”

Zacky nodded and then picked up his phone again. “Better call Bri to get him to meet us.”

“Where?” Dan asked as he stood to grab his keys. The mechanic paused, uncertain. Jimmy looked uncharacteristically grim; but it was Johnny who made the suggestion.

“Zacky’s shop. No one would suspect us to be there.” He looked at Zacky. “We could take the Bentley?”

Zacky blinked. “Matty did say it was ready…” He shook his head, as he began to dial his brother’s number. “I’ll call him.”

“No.” Elijah’s voice came from the doorway. They turned to look at him. He stood there his own phone in his hand. “They’ll be on the network, tracing you guys,” he said in way of explanation.

The mechanic ground his teeth together. “What the fuck’re we meant to do then?”

Elijah smiled, frostily. “I’ll call your brother. You take my van to meet him.”

“And, what about Bri?”

“Call Papa G. He can get a message to Syn without raising any alarms,” Jimmy pointed out. They all looked at him, with varying degrees of surprise. “What?”

Elijah laughed low, “I don’t think we want to know how you figured that.”

“Well, he’s a public figure. Who’ll suspect him?” Jimmy was hedging but none of them bit, just shook their heads at him.

“Uh…everyone?” Zacky scoffed, voicing his own thoughts as he did notice his friend’s choice of words. Jimmy winked at him and held out his own phone to the mechanic.

“Use my cell. It’s untraceable.”

Zacky stared at him. “What?”

Jimmy grinned, eyes dancing. “Surprise!”

Johnny groaned, shaking his head. “Idiot…”

“You can talk,” Jimmy shot back. The younger male shrugged and looked over at Elijah. The elder male was laughing.

Johnny narrowed his eyes. Zacky grumbled as he shoved his phone in his pocket and took his friend’s.

“I want to know-”

“No. You don’t,” Jimmy said, a soft warning in his voice. The mechanic blinked a little miffed. His friend didn’t explain just nodded at the phone. “Call Papa G. Then let’s go.”

Zacky nodded as he dialled the number. Brian Sr answered after one ring and listened in grim silence as the mechanic relayed his message. He promised he’d call his son as soon as the call ended, so Zacky finished quickly, hanging up before dialling his brother.

Whilst he spoke to Matty in urgent tones the others gathered together what they could carry – notes, burnt discs – and tucked them into pockets and bags. The equipment they couldn’t take, but something Elijah said eased their anxiety in that regard.

Jimmy was talking to Elijah, about the Flushers of all things; but, then it made sense considering the subject of the conversation…

“We need to get rid of any trace that we were here in New Huntington.”