Chapter 17

When they'd discovered that J.J. and Brian were missing, they all went out looking for them, expecting to find them sitting nearby drinking out of one of the cases of beer they'd bought.

They were extremely concerned, then, when they couldn't find them anywhere.

***

J.J. and Brian's eyes had slowly adjusted to the dark. Nearby something, or someone, was moaning. Brian had asked who was there in the dark with them, but the only response was more moaning.

"Where the hell do you think we are?" J.J. asked Brian.

"Fucked if I know," Brian said.

***

Hep, Scroat and Charlie were walking through York, looking for something, anything, that would tell them where J.J. and Brian had gotten to. Dave and the rest of the UTMC crew were walking through the other side of town. Jim stayed in the hotel, watching for anything weird.

The three stopped on a corner to get their bearings and rest for a minute. Scroat lit a cigar and leaned up against a building. Hep sat down on the curb. Charlie just stood with his hands on his hips.

"So I guess that Seth probably got them somehow, huh?" Charlie said.

"Probably." Hep said.

"And we're probably going to have to go find where he's stashed them, huh?" Charlie said.

"No, that's what he's hoping we'll do. Why should he chase us if he can get us to bring Tommy's tobacco pouch to him?" Hep said.

"Yeah, but we can't just fucking leave those guys with Seth." Scroat said.

"We aren't. Dave and his crew have dealt with some pretty nasty customers before this. They'll go find them." Hep said.
"Are you fucking joking?" Scroat asked. "Then it'll just be you, me, Charlie and Jim against Seth and whoever he has working for him."

"Yep." Hep said. "But we have also dealt with some pretty nasty customers before this."

In the distance, Hep heard something like a shopping cart. It was coming their way, getting louder and louder.

"What in the name of fuck is that awful racket?" Scroat asked. Pretty soon, the answer became clear as a weird, bird-like man on a bicycle with no front wheel came around the corner. He stopped in front of Hep.

"Hep. Elvis sent me," the man said.

"I figured. What have you got to tell me, friend?" Hep said.

"Seth doesn't know where you are yet. Scooterists found the bikers, and took them to Seth. Get moving before they see you. Have a good day," the man said, and began riding off again.

"Thanks." Hep said, and stood up.

"Well guys, you heard him, we'd better get moving," he said to Scroat and Charlie.

***

Back at the hotel, Jim was waiting, invisible, outside the main doors. He saw a couple of guys on Vespas in red shirts ride by. One of them saw all the bikes outside the hotel and motioned to the other to stop. They pulled into the parking lot and examined the motorcycles, then quickly started to take off.

Jim knew they couldn't be up to any good, and picked up a couple of good sized rocks and chucked them at the scooterists' heads. Luckily, Jim's aim was pretty good, and he managed to knock both of them out before they got out of the parking lot. He was barely able to drag them behind the bikes, so they weren't visible from the road. He couldn't move their scooters, so he just threw a tarp over them and hoped that the guys would get back soon.

After a few minutes, one of the red shirts stirred, and muttered "what the fuck?" Jim promptly hit him with another rock.

***

Dave and the UTMCers were the first to get back. Jim materialized by Dave, eager to tell him what had happened.

"Fuck, man, you gotta be careful with that 'now you see me, now you don't' shit. You could scare a guy." Dave said to Jim.

"Whatever," Jim said. "You gotta come see this." He led him over to where the scooterists were sprawled. One of the guys on the ground was twitching his foot, so Jim hit him with another rock.

"Nicely handled," Dave said to Jim. "Hey Too Tall! Get over here with some rope."

Too Tall brought the rope, and they tied the red shirts together, then dragged them into the woods behind the hotel. A couple of the other guys picked up their scooters and rolled them into the woods next to the scooterists. They wrapped the riders up with the tarp, to help keep them warm.

"No need to be barbaric," Dave said as Jim gave him a puzzled look.

Hep, Scroat and Charlie came over to see what was going on when they got back.

"Well, these must be the guys that found J.J. and Brian," Hep said.

"Do you think we should ask them some questions?" Charlie asked.

"Nah, Seth wouldn't give them any more information than what they need." Hep said.

One of the red shirts croaked "Mom?"

Jim promptly hit him with a rock.

"I think you're starting to enjoy that a bit too much, Jim," Dave said.

***

In the dark, J.J. and Brian heard a voice.

"Gentlemen, welcome." Seth said. "I trust you know who I am."

J.J. and Brian remained silent. They squinted to see who was walking to them, but all they could make out was a man's silhouette.

"No? Well, you can call me Seth. All you need to know about me is that I can make things very, very uncomfortable for you if you annoy me. Just ask that heap on the floor over there." He gestured towards where the moans were coming from.

"Now then, what can you tell me about your destination?" Seth asked.

***

Hep, Scroat and Charlie packed their bags quickly, and loaded up their bikes. Dave and the UTMC crew, meanwhile, were waiting near the scooterists, to be sure they didn't actually see Hep and Scroat.
As the three started their bikes, Dave walked over quickly. He shook Hep's hand.

"We'll catch up with you as soon as you can," Dave said. We're going to see if we can get these guys to tell us where J.J. and Brian are, and then go find them. Be careful out there."

"You too," Hep said. "See you soon."

"Later, gents!" Dave called to Scroat, Charlie and Jim. They waved back, and then they rode off. They got out of York, and started heading south.

***

J.J. and Brian were on the floor, bruised and hurting, but essentially ok. They hadn't been particularly cooperative, Seth had gotten annoyed, and he had certainly made things uncomfortable for them. They hadn't said a word yet.

"Perhaps a night in the dark, with the rats, will persuade you. Good night, gentlemen," Seth said, and blew out the remaining candle. They heard him walking away, and then silence.

Their cave-mate resumed his moaning.

"You ok, Brian?"

"Yeah. You?" Brian asked.

"I think so." J.J. answered. They resumed their silence, and whoever was in the cave kept moaning. After ten minutes - or an hour, who knew? - J.J. couldn't take anymore of the moaning.

"Hey pal, what happened to you?" J.J. asked.

"Broken. Neck," was the gasped response.

"Jesus. What are you doing here?"

"Not Jesus. Angered Seth."

"How are you even alive with a broken neck in this cave?" J.J. asked

There was no answer, just moaning again. J.J. contemplating hitting whoever it was with a rock and shutting him up, but then he remembered that Seth had mentioned rats. The moaning might be keeping them away for now.

"Have you got a name, pal?" J.J. asked.

"Jeb," was the reply.

***

Scooterist Number One slowly came to his senses. Where the hell was he? Why couldn't he move?

He gradually realized that he was on the ground, and seemed to be tied up. It was dark out. How had he gotten there? He couldn't remember. The last thing he did remember was seeing a bunch of bikes. A couple of them seemed familiar from the description he'd gotten about the gang that had beaten up his buddies in Indiana. He and some of the other red shirts had just found two of that gang, and brought them to their new boss.

He focused his eyes. Six inches away was Dave's face.

"Hello there, sleepyhead." Dave said in a completely calm, and completely menacing tone.

"Hurr?" was Scooterist Number One's response.

"Yes, I'm sure you're surprised to see me. I wasn't expecting to see you either. Small world isn't it?" Dave said.

"Grah?" was the reply.

"Damn, how many rocks to the head do you think this guy got?" Dave asked one of the guys nearby. "Remind me to tell Jim to be a little more gentle next time around."

"Mmmmmerp."

"Yeah, I bet. Look, I've got some nice aspirin here, and a pocket knife to cut you loose with. And your scooters are right over there, waiting for you. All you need to do is tell me where my friends are, and we can each go our merry way. Sounds nice, doesn't it? So what do you say?"

"Rrumm!"

"Shit, this is going to take a while." Dave mumbled to himself. He sat back. "It's ok pal, when you're ready to talk, we'll talk. Do you want some water?"

Scooterist Number One nodded vigorously.

"Hey Too Tall, bring our man here some water. And a straw, I guess." Dave said.

Too Tall brought a bottle of water, and Scooterist Number One drank most of it.

"Better?" Dave asked.

"Gah!" Scooterist Number One nodded.
Pretty soon Scooterist Number Two came around as well.

"Where the fuck am I?" Scooterist Number Two asked. Dave stood up and walked around to face him.

"You're tied up with your pal here. If you can tell me where our friends are, we'll cut you loose, and give you some aspirin to boot. I bet your head is killing you right now," Dave said.

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, let us go." Scooterist Number Two said.

"No, I don't think that's going to happen," Dave said. "Maybe we'll just come back in a couple hours and see if you want to talk then. Stay comfy." Dave stood up and started walking away.

"No, wait!" Scooterist Number One said.

"Hey, he speaks!" Dave said. "Have you got something you want to tell us?"

"We took them to our boss." Scooterist Number One said.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Scooterist Number Two said.

"Who's your boss?" Dave asked.

"Seth." Scooterist Number One said.

"SHUT UP!" Scooterist Number Two said.

"Seth who?"

"Dunno. Just Seth."

"Ok. I tell you what, I'm going to cut you guys loose. Then, you're going to show us how to get to our friends. Then, we're going to give you some aspirin and we'll all go our separate ways. Sound good?"

"Sure!" Scooterist Number One said.

"Fuck no!" Scooterist Number Two said.

"Well, we could always knock you out again. There are plenty of rocks around here." Dave said to Scooterist Number Two.

"..." Scooterist Number Two said.
"I agree, my way is the best way to go." Dave pulled out his pocket knife and cut them free. "Get on those scooters, and lead us to our friends."

Scooterists One and Two got on their Vespas and waited for the UTMC crew to get their bikes running. Then they took off, leading them out into country. They cut off road, and led them down near a stream. There they stopped and pointed out an opening in the hillside.

"They're down there. There's a rope that will lead you to the chamber they're in." Scooterist Number One said. Scooterist Number Two just glared at Number One and said nothing.

"Thanks, pal." Dave said, and tossed Scooterist Number One a bottle of Excedrin. "Keep the change."

The two scooterists quickly rode off, leaving them in the dark.

"Well, into the cave then, eh?" Dave said. The crew all disappeared into the hole in the hill.

***

"So, uh, want to play twenty questions?" J.J. asked Brian.

"Not really." Brian answered.

"Well, fuck, talk to me or something. Jeb's constant moaning is freaking me out in the dark."

"What do you want to talk ab... hey, do you hear that?" Brian asked. They both listened carefully, and even Jeb was quiet for a moment, listening. It sounded like footsteps. Lots of footsteps.

Soon, they saw a light, slowly getting brighter, and shortly after that Dave came into the room.

"Hey guys, you ok?" Dave said. The rest of the crew filed into the room.

"Mostly. Damn am I glad to see you guys." J.J. said. "Let's get out of here."

"Sounds good," Dave looked around a bit, and then saw Jeb. "Who's that guy?"

"Jeb. I'm pretty sure he's the guy that threw a giant hot dog at us."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Really? Man, what's he doing down here?"

"I guess he pissed Seth off somehow. His neck is broken." J.J. said.

"No kidding? Man, that's gotta suck. Well, I guess we'd better bring him too." Dave said.

"Are you kidding? He's working for Seth!" Too Tall said.

"Yeah, well, Seth apparently broke his neck and left him in a cave. I doubt he's feeling especially loyal to Seth right now. Besides, love thy enemy, right?" Dave said.

"I guess," Too Tall said. He and Brian picked up Jeb and they dragged him out of the cave. Jeb was looking off to one side at an impossible angle.

"Man, that's creeping me out," Too Tall said.

They all got outside, and got back on their bikes to go back to the hotel and get J.J and Brian's bikes. Jeb rode bitch behind Dave. J.J. and Brian rode with a couple of the other guys.

"Don't do anything funny, and don't fall off. Got it?" Dave said to Jeb.

Jeb moaned in the affirmative.

"Tally ho!" Dave said, and took off.