Page 144 of Rock Giant

Paul’s head wasn’t as online as he’d have liked, or he might have extrapolated more from what Lee was saying than his sleep deprived brain managed.

“She’s not here, mate,” he drawled.“I don’t know why you think she would be.”Jodi had made her feelings entirely too clear.She wanted nothing more to do with him.“Didn’t she leave with you?”He didn’t bother asking how they’d come by his number.Nothing stayed private these days, and equally likely Jodi had given them it.

“Yeah, but I figured, maybe when we stopped, she must have—”

“Have we stopped?”He didn’t think they’d stopped.Wasn’t any real call for them to have done so.They’d only been on the road a few hours, and they wouldn’t swap drivers until they reached the drop off point across the border in Amål.

In any case, he’d spent years travelling around on buses, and he always woke when they stopped, even if it was only for a handful of minutes.Still, he did a quick once over of the room, just to be sure he hadn’t missed her sitting in a corner.No such luck.There was no cherubic Jodi-angel watching over him.

“Have you checked the loo?”Maybe she’d just needed a few minutes of peace.

“The bog’s right next to me.She’s not there.”

“Pretty sure Flugwhump’s missing, too,” a background voice said.Balin, he thought.

A feeling of deep unease swept through Paul’s aching body, adding a layer of pain he could have done without.He eased himself into a more upright position, back to the headboard and pillow.All was quiet around him.No voices, only the vibration of the bus in motion.Everyone was obviously asleep.“Have you talked to your driver?”

“On it,” he heard the same background voice say.Followed by, “Driver says he thought she was back here in the bunkroom.We did stop about forty minutes ago.Her and Nash were arguing.”

Rock Giant was suddenly as wide awake as if he’d just had a thousand volts zapped into his skull.“What’s missing other than her and a cat?What about the other cats?And where’s cunt face now?”

If that bastard had done something to her, so help him Goddess, he was going to—.

“In my bunk,” Balin said.Lee had obviously put him on speakerphone.“I mean the cats.Nash is asleep, upfront.I think he’s taken Nytol, because I’ve prodded him and he barely gave a grunt.”

“Have you tried calling her?”

“Yeah, we’ve tried.”

“Try again.”

“I’ll do it,” Jez said, “She has different ringtones set for each of us and mine’s the loudest.”A faint purr sounded in the distance, followed by some muffled sounds of motion.

“What’s going on?”Paul demanded.

“Her phone’s here.Likewise her bank card,” Jez informed him.He could picture the Ghostie’s drummer, items in hand, standing over Lee holding the phone.

“She wouldn’t bail without those,” the latter said.

“She wouldn’t bail without all three cats.”Come to think of it, she wouldn’t bail at all, not like this.Not in the dead of night, not without a means of transport or her passport.Leastways, not by choice.

“Wake that fucking bastard up now,” he growled.“And find out what the fuck he’s done to her.And talk to your driver again.He must know something.Find out where and when you stopped.”

He wanted to believe that Nash wouldn’t abandon her in the middle of nowhere, but he didn’t trust the bastard.Not a bit.As for the driver, either he was an accomplice or plain old thick.What sort of moron drove off without making sure all his passengers were onboard first?It was literally part of the driver’s job to make sure they were all there before pulling off and reporting to the tour manager if they weren’t.

“Guys,” he heard Balin call at some distance from the phone.

“What’s up?”Paul demanded.

It took far too long for Lee to answer him, and when he did, there was a definite clip of panic to his voice.“Balin just pried Jo’s engagement ring out of Curtis’s hand.”

“I’m going to fucking kill him.”

“Not sure you’re gonna need to, mate.I think he might have overdone the sleeping meds.We can’t wake him up.”

**

It hurt to move, but Rock Giant got out of bed despite the devil’s pokers prodding him in a dozen areas at once and made his way to the front of the Black Halo bus.