It took her two days on foot to reach the compound. She arrived at seven-thirty on a Thursday morning, before the heat had fully committed to its daily brutality. The compound was exactly what the stories said: twelve-foot concrete walls, razor wire, and security cameras on every corner.
She pressed the intercom button and stated her business. Minutes passed in the baking sun before the heavy steel gates hissed open.
The man on the other side was the largest human being Riley had ever seen. His name patch read Stone, and below that, Sergeant-at-Arms. He was covered in dense tattoos and missing two fingers on his left hand.
He studied her with unhurried attention. "You look like you haven't eaten in a week."
"I haven't," Riley said, her voice level. "But I can fix your bike."
Stone stared at her. Riley didn't look away; she had learned long ago that looking away was an invitation for people to decide things about you.
"Sixty-five certified mechanics tried," Stone said, his voice like gravel in a metal pipe. "Factory-trained Harley techs, engineers, one man who built racing engines for professional circuits. You look like a strong wind would pick you up and carry you to the next county."
"Maybe," Riley said. "But I'm stubborn."
Stone almost smiled. "Come on, then. But girl, you waste my time, you don't walk out the way you walked in. You understand me?"
She understood.
Stone led her across the sun-baked lot and into a massive, corrugated steel garage. The air inside smelled of stale beer, heavy grease, and ozone. In the center of the room, sitting on a hydraulic lift under a single halo of fluorescent light, was the bike.
It was a custom chopper, matte black, stripped of all unnecessary chrome. It was beautiful, but it looked hostile.
"We call it the Widowmaker," Stone said, crossing his massive arms. "Belonged to our founding president. He passed it down, but for the last five years, it won't run. It shreds timing belts. It seizes up at fifty miles an hour. It throws rods. The last guy who rode it almost lost his leg when the primary drive exploded."