“Guess which section we parked in?” Crazy Bitch proudly beamed as if they had planned it that way.
“Quit bragging. It’s not like you knew that when you parked.” Sex Piston reached down to take her heels off so she could keep up with them.
“It’s a lucky charm. We’re going to win this son of a fucking game!” Her jubilation came to an abrupt halt when they reached the section where Calder’s bike was parked.
“What now?” Stud looked around the rows of vehicles.
“I don’t know.” Crazy Bitch started to walk down the row then stopped. Gazing around, she went to the lamppost. “Calder, lift me up.”
“What?”
“Lift me up. I’ll shimmy up and see if I can spot anything.”
He looked like he was going to argue.
“You might as well. If she doesn’t do it, they’ll make one of us, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get my balls burned sliding down that pole.”
Calder lifted her up at Stud’s reasoning. He had plans for when they got to their hotel room, and that didn’t include getting an ice pack.
She would have made a joke about it, but she was too busy climbing up the pole.
Staring around their section, not knowing what she was searching for, she was about to slide back down when she saw it.
Sliding down, she felt Calder’s hands circle her waist when she came within reach.
“There are construction barrels at the end of the rows that have little different-colored flags tied to another light pole. I don’t know if that’s what we’re looking for, but we should check it out.”
When they reached the construction barrel, they saw it was flat on top so no clue could be hidden inside. She and Sex Piston stepped back as Calder and Stud tried to turn it over without success.
“Fuck!” Calder groaned when the barrel couldn’t be moved.
“It’s filled with water,” Crazy Bitch informed them.
The others turned to look at her.
Calder tried to move it again, exasperated. “How in the fuck do you know that?”
“Road crews fill them with water so the wind from passing motorists won’t send the barrels flying.”
“Who told you that?”
Crazy Bitch stared down at her fingernails to avoid the curious gazes of her friends. “Remember when I used to have that sweet little firecracker red Jetta that I bought used? Saved four months for that ride.”
Sex Piston’s brow furrowed. “I thought you said you totaled it when you hit a deer on the way to work.”
“I might have lied about that.” Shrugging, she circled the barrel, thoughtfully trying to figure out where Greer could have hidden the clue. If Greer’s wife hadn’t told Diamond about how diabolical he was about hiding his pot, she would have started over to look somewhere else.
“Maybe we should spread out and see if he spray-painted something under one of the cars,” Sex Piston suggested.
“He could want us to look at the numbers of the parking spots.” Stud bent down to peer at the number next to them.
“I don’t think so. Greer isn’t smart enough to add past ten,” Crazy Bitch said, only half-joking. She was becoming frustrated as she tried to shove the barrel herself.
Just then, a gust of wind sent the small plastic flags waving, one hitting her cheek. Irritated, she smacked it away. Lifting her eyes, she pulled her head back so she wouldn’t be hit again. Then she narrowed her eyes at the one closest to her.
Each one of the flags was a different color. Crazy Bitch had thought the flags were there to draw attention to the barrel. However, as she reached out to grab one, examining it carefully, she saw the flags had a strip of Velcro keeping them attached to the thin rope.
Ripping the flag off, she used her finger to trace the seam of the nylon fabric, pulling it apart. As it did, a slip of paper fell out into her hand. She read it aloud.
“The ground beneath me is frozen. No kings or queens live here. You can enter my gates, but unless you have an invitation, you won’t be allowed to stay and rescue the damsel.”
As soon as she was finished reading it, she put the flag and the clue in her pocket.
“You’re not going to put it back for the others to find?” Stud gave her a disappointed glare.
“Chill.” She reached out, pulling off another flag and giving it to Sex Piston. “I was wrong. Greer can count. There’s a flag for each of the teams. Who knew the fucker could count that high?”
“I did.” Shade came from behind a truck to take the red flag. Lily came out of hiding, giving them a guilty expression.
“How long have you been listening?” Crazy Bitch drilled with accusation as Viper and Winter also came out.
“Since you climbed the pole.” Viper tore one off for him and Winter. “Didn’t see the need for all of us having to do it.”