Barry ‘Bardog’'s Arc

Chapter 12 of 13

Barry spent the next two days watching the street and waiting for his chance to talk to the Ravens. The bottles Sherrie brought sat lined up behind the bar where customers could see them, and word spread fast enough that more travelers stopped in than usual. He served them without comment and kept his eyes on the door. The man came in just after noon on the third day, moving fast and keeping his head down. Barry recognized the way he walked—shoulders tight, eyes checking exits. The torn jacket and dirt-streaked pants told him the man had been running for a while. He slid into a booth near the back wall and kept his hands below the table. Barry wiped down the counter and waited to see if anyone would follow. Through the window, he spotted two motorcycles parked across the street, engines still ticking from the heat. The riders sat watching the door, their frames still and patient. Barry reached under the bar and felt the shotgun's stock, then looked back at the man in the booth. The fugitive was one of Sherrie's—had to be—and the Ravens had tracked him here. Barry walked over and set a glass of water on the table. He told the man the Ravens were outside and asked how long he'd been running. The fugitive looked up and said since yesterday, voice dry and cracked. He pulled out a torn bus ticket and slid it across the table—Sherrie's name written across the top in her own hand. Barry studied it and asked if she knew where he was. The man shook his head and said he'd lost contact two settlements back. Barry straightened and made his choice. He told the man to stay put and walked to the door, stepping outside where the Ravens could see him. One of them stood and started forward, hand resting on a knife at his belt. Barry held up his hand and said he wanted to talk about the train station—said he knew what they were digging and that they could make a deal. The Raven stopped and looked back at his partner, then told Barry they'd send someone who could negotiate. Barry nodded and went back inside, locking the door behind him. The fugitive stared at him from the booth and asked what he'd just done. Barry told him he'd bought them both some time, and now they'd see if it was enough. He walked back to the bar and looked at the ticket lying on the table. Sherrie would know soon that one of her people had surfaced here, and the Ravens would come back expecting answers about what Barry knew. He'd forced both sides to deal with him at once, which meant he'd either negotiate his way to something that worked or lose everything when they both decided he was more trouble than he was worth. Barry picked up the ticket and put it in his pocket. The deal he'd promised Sherrie started now, whether he was ready or not.