Chapter Ten #2
The prospects doubled up guard duty on the gates and at strategic points around the perimeter.
The women and kids all stayed indoors, away from windows and any points of entry.
Emma was still away cramming for exams, and Ace called and warned her he was sending a couple of prospects to guard her for a few days.
She’d been with him long enough not to ask questions.
Yeah, it was that serious.
It took less than twenty minutes for the fully patched members to gather in church. Ace locked the doors and explained the situation. Then he opened the floor for ideas. They flew fast and thick. These guys weren’t politicians, and no one suggested we try to talk the assholes down.
Plans were suggested, considered, and dismissed.
Finally, Ace held up his hand for quiet. “We have agreement on some key points.” He picked up a marker and stood at the board at the front of the room, laying things out point by point. “One, they have one hostage -- female -- no military training and probably scared shitless.”
An angry murmur went around the room, and he held his hand up again to silence them.
“Two, they’re proposing the old stable area at the fairgrounds for the exchange.
It’s deserted this time of year and it’s outside of town so any noise that’s made won’t draw attention.
This seems to indicate they might be expecting us or them to be firing weapons.
For argument’s sake I’m going to assume they plan on using firepower at some point. ”
Most of the men in the room nodded in agreement.
“Three, and most concerning, is that they want Deuce’s woman as a trade.
In her favor, she’s smart, she can shoot well and accurately, and she has some hand-to-hand combat training if things do go south.
Understandably, Deuce doesn’t want to risk her.
” He looked around the room. “Anything anyone wants to add?”
Beast stood, looking thoughtful. “I have an idea that might work.”
* * *
I checked my gun and spare ammunition for the tenth time. I wasn’t happy with the plan, and neither was Joe. No one managed to come up with anything better, though, and the calculated odds of success were high.
And Sophia was on board. She still figured this was her fault. We tried to convince her otherwise. If it hadn’t been her, they would have snatched another woman and that one might not have been able to escape. She did, and now we had a chance to take the whole shitshow down.
But we were using her as bait, which made me twitchy as fuck.
Even Ace admitted there was a risk factor, but he insisted it was low.
We geared Sophia up with a flak jacket and reinforced gear.
Under her hoodie, it was invisible. We tucked knives into her boots, and a revolver into the back of her Kevlar pants.
We used every safety precaution we could think of, but something could still go wrong. Something could always go wrong.
“You sure you want to do this?”
Sophia nodded her head. “I have to try. I know things could go bad, but they could also go well. If things were reversed, she would do it for me.”
I took a deep breath. “I just found you. I don’t want to lose you.”
She looked at me. “Same.”
“Stations all a go?” Ace’s voice crackled over the intercom in the range rover.
Answers came in from all the teams, spread out around the trade area. I held Sophia’s gaze as I answered. “Locked and loaded.”
A few moments later the order came down. “Move out.”
We were using her dad’s Range Rover. Not the prettiest vehicle I’d ever seen but it was in top shape mechanically, and he’d reinforced all the vulnerable parts with heavy gauge steel. We drove to the designated exchange site in silence.
The tension in the Range Rover was so thick you could have cut it with a knife.
We parked on the south side of the stables in a wide-open area.
I didn’t like it one bit. I could see a vehicle at the far end of the compound, but I would be willing to bet it was a decoy.
No one stupid enough to park there would have managed to set up an international human trafficking ring.
I checked my watch. Two minutes to go-time.
“I love you.” Sophia looked at her father.
“Love you too, baby girl.” Joe reached over to give her a big hug. “Remember everything I taught you.”
She nodded, then turned to me.
Wordlessly, I grabbed her and crushed her to me. She would come out of this safely. I wouldn’t consider any other outcome.
My watch ticked over to noon, and I opened the door. I got out first, motioning Sophia to wait behind me.
“Where’s the woman?”
I couldn’t see where the voice was coming from.
“In the vehicle,” I hollered. “Where’s Janet?” Giving her a name was a basic tactic. Make them see her as a person and not a piece of merchandise to be bartered, although I wasn’t sure it would work with these assholes.
Janet staggered into view. A man wearing camouflage gear held the end of a rope tied around her waist. Her hands were tied to her sides. She was gagged and looked terrified but otherwise unharmed.
“Send the woman over.”
I shook my head. “Not how this works. Janet walks here. Sophia walks to you.”
He shrugged. “Dumb Americans watch too many movies.” He dropped the rope and gave Janet a shove. “You heard. Walk.”
This was the most dangerous part. Sophia met my gaze and mouthed I can do this , before she turned and paced toward her friend.
I held my breath.
The two closed the gap between them step by step.
Finally, they were abreast of each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her captor reach for something behind him.
At the same time, Sophia turned and wrapped her arms around Janet, taking her to the ground and covering them both with the Kevlar sheet she’d concealed behind her.
Then all hell broke loose.
When the dust settled, I rushed to the women, Sophia’s dad close behind me. I tossed the Kevlar sheeting aside and dragged Sophia to her feet. Holding her at arm’s length, I scanned for any sign of injury.
“I’m fine. It worked.” She wiped the dust from her face and reached out a hand to her friend. “Are you okay?”
Janet took her hand and clambered slowly to her feet. “I think I twisted my ankle when I went down, but other than that, I’m okay.”
I wrapped my arms around Sophia, burying my face in her hair. “I have never been so terrified in my life. You are not doing anything like that ever again. Not ever.”
“I love you too.”
I lifted my head. “What did you just say?”
She grinned, including her dad and her BFF in the declaration. “I love you, you stupid biker. Now kiss me!”
And I did. In the middle of the scene of carnage, I kissed her until we were both breathless.