Chapter Five
Cole had his back to a tree trunk and Angel wrapped in his arms nestled between his legs. His blanket was thrown over them. Someone nudged his leg with a boot. He squinted up into the early morning light.
“We’re headin’ out.”
“Yeah. Okay,” Cole replied quietly. He watched as his two brothers walked off toward their bikes. He pulled Angel closer. A moment later, he heard the engines fire up.
Cole’s gaze took in the yard and field around them. Everyone appeared to be passed out. The bonfire was smoldering. As he heard the engines fade into the distance, he kept watch, making sure no one followed them. Pulling his cell out of his pocket, he flipped it open. 5 a.m.
Angel stirred. She opened her eyes and tilted her head to look up at him.
Cole leaned down and kissed her lightly. “Go back to sleep, baby doll. We’ve got hours yet.”
She snuggled against him and soon drifted off again.
Within the hour, Cole’s phone vibrated. He flipped it open and put it to his ear. “Yeah.”
He quietly listened to the report. They’d found the rest area. Overgrown. Far enough off the road. Perfect setup. An underpass just before it. Perfect place for the rest to wait, unseen.
Cole ended the call and flipped his phone closed. He stroked Angel’s back, looking down at her, wondering how he was going to let her go when this was over.
“Cole?” she whispered.
“Hmm?”
“That guy last night?”
“Yeah?”
“What if he already gave the feds something?”
“He didn’t.”
“How do you know for sure?”
His hand stopped stroking her back. “A man tends to tell the truth when his fingers are being cut off.”
She sat up, twisting to look at him. “I… I didn’t hear any screams. The music…”
He stared at her, but made no excuses.
“Is he…?”
“He didn’t suffer long.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.” She pushed out of his arms and crawled around the tree.
Cole stood and went to her. He squatted down next to Angel and held her hair as she emptied her stomach. When she was done, he handed her a bottle of water to rinse her mouth. “You okay?”
She shook her head.
Cole took a deep breath and looked at the horizon. “This isn’t done yet.” He looked back at her, his face blank, his expression carefully remote. “I promised you two more. Today.”
She looked away.
“And they deserve it,” he reminded her. Reaching down, he pulled her to her feet. He slid his hands in her hair and tilted her face up to his. “I forget how young you are. You gonna be okay with this?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s what your father would do. You know that, don’t you?”
She stared at him.
“Think of all the other girls they’ve done this to. And there’ll be more. Doesn’t that turn your stomach?”
She nodded and bent her head, about to break down.
He pulled her to his chest. “Come here, babe.” He held her a long time.
The rest of the crew began to stir. Crash was stretching, popping his spine.
“Hey, Crash,” Cole called.
“Yeah, man?”
“Go inside. See if you can find us some coffee.”
“You got it, boss.”
A few minutes later he was handing them each a Styrofoam cup full of steaming black coffee. “Hope you like it black. I couldn’t find any cream or sugar.”
“This is fine. Thank you,” Angel replied.
They moved to one of the picnic tables and sat down to drink their coffees. The other guys soon joined them.
“You get the word?” Crash asked Cole.
“Yeah.” Cole filled them in on what they’d found out.
“Sounds perfect. We wait at the underpass for your signal.”
“Which will be?” one of the brothers asked.
“Couple of shots.”
“In the air?” Angel questioned.
“Or in them. Either way,” Crash suggested, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.
***