Page 106 of Road to Redemption

As soon as I was put on the motorcycle, everyone’s engines revved. I pressed my head into Leo’s back. A reassuring, gloved hand reached back and squeezed my thigh.

I’ve got you, Princess. I knew it was what she’d say if everyone wasn’t listening in.

I watched Spencer hop back on her bike, giving the dozens of other masked bikers a nod.

On her mark, the bikes started to move forward again just as the drones lowered into the tunnel. We’d made it by just seconds.

If our plan had worked, the drone operators would have no idea who to follow. Our matching bikes and matching armor would have already made it hard to track but we’d swapped places a dozen times.

With about ten drones overhead, we knew we needed to start splitting off, confusing them enough and forcing them to pick who to follow.

Leo’s bike moved quickly, everyone anxious to get back home and out of this panopticon.

As we approached a fork in the road, half of our bikers kept left while the rest of us peeled off right. Above, the drones split in two.

Five down. Five to go.

There were about twelve bikes in our group, enough to divide up the drones fairly easily. But we’d have to be smart about how we did it.

We drove like that for a couple minutes, still swapping places and maneuvering around each other to stop them from tracking us easily.

At another intersection, two more of our bikers peeled off. A drone followed them down the road. Each of us would arrive at a safehouse The Oracle had set up where more changes of bikes and riders would be waiting.

It would be easier to smuggle everyone out that way, divided up in small groups. Dom had arranged most of it, only asking The Oracle for resources. But the plan had been devised in Dom’s mansion between games of poker and swimming in the pool.

The remaining ten bikes pulled up to a warehouse, the doors pulling open as we approached. Leo brought the bike to a stop at the center of the empty hanger. Despite the blacked out windows, we all kept our helmets on.

Once all of the bikes were inside, the warehouse doors were closed by a VV biker who stood on standby.

Climbing off the bike, I tried to get my bearings as the masked bikers started to shuffle to new motorcycles. They matched the same ones we’d ridden in on but there were six additions.

Every backpack would drive themselves to their final location.

Including me.

They’d given me a simple route, one I was repeating to myself when I’d shower at night. It was the reason Dom had insisted on teaching me to ride. This bike would be easier than the Grey Ghost, lighter and more agile. But it also meant keeping my own balance would be even more important.

All I had to do was drive myself to the Rubyfruit bar in downtown Valemont. Then we’d all pile into a car and drive home.

My chest grew tight as Leo guided me to my bike, holding my hand as I got positioned. “You’ve got this, Princess.” She tried to comfort me.

But I wasn’t so sure that I did.

Hardly able to breathe, I was starting to realize just how impossible this was going to be.

56

KIERA

Short and simple. Dom promised the route would be short and simple.

But despite all the reassurances from my angels, my clammy palms didn’t make it any easier to steer the sportbike they’d set out for me.

Deep breaths. Keep your eyes where you want to go.

I could hear the whine of drones zipping overhead as Zeus scrambled to get coverage over the woods. But the bikers wouldn’t make that easy — we had groups driving off to every far corner of Valemont and beyond. Between the tree cover, the matching outfits, and the sheer speed of their bikes, the surveillance twerps at Zeus would have a hard time piecing together where exactly I’d gone.

Assuming I make it there in one piece.