Page 4 of Deuce

I glanced over at Rattler, who was just taking off his own helmet.We’d been in lots of shit together back in our SEALs days.Communication didn’t have to be verbal.That nod he gave me meant he’d watch my back while I checked the chick out to see what the fuck was going on.

I killed the engine and set the kickstand before dismounting.Hanging my helmet on the handlebars, I stalked up to the woman.

Might be a little paranoid of me, but I did a visual sweep of the area to make sure it wasn’t a trap.The back doors of the van were still open, revealing an empty cargo area with a pile of rags in one corner.What the fuck had she been doing in there?

My internal radar screamed trap.A couple of deployments in Afghanistan made me leery of anything that could be used to sucker a guy into range for an attack.A female in distress was the number one lure.

The woman rolled over and used her hands to push herself upright.Lurching to her feet, she glared at me, brandishing a tire iron in front of her like some kind of magic wand.Not sure where that came from.Must have been under her when she landed.

“Don’t touch me!”Her voice broke as if she’d been drinking, but I didn’t detect the smell of alcohol on her.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”I reached for the tire iron, dancing out of reach when she took a swipe at me with it.

“Stay away!”She looked about as menacing as a little kitten hissing at me.Just about as cute too.

I glanced over at Rattler and gave a slight shake of my head.He obligingly revved up his bike, and the woman instinctively looked over at him, giving me the chance to dart in and relieve her of that tire iron before someone got hurt.Like me.

“No!”Her face crumpled, and she wobbled on her feet.

I stepped forward, putting an arm around her to steady her.Noting the way she flinched at my touch, I tried to sound non-threatening.“Not sure what’s going on, but we aren’t the enemy.”

I took a quick visual inventory of her condition.She had a slight case of road rash on one arm and her shirt was a write-off, shredded to pieces when she’d hit the ground.Her bra, a lacy confection of pink and white, barely covered her nipples.Despite the circumstances, she had a sensual allure that wasn’t lost on me.Dark hair cut in a cute, pixie-type style framed a heart-shaped face.Her eyes were a dark chocolate color and at the moment were wide open.Terrified.

“What’s your name?”Basic interrogation skill.Asking a simple question often calmed a person down.

She frowned, not replying right away.When she answered, it was with a question of her own.“Are you with them?”

I frowned.“Them?Who’s them?”

She jerked her head toward the van.“Them.George and his buddy.The guys that threw me in the van.”

I looked from her to the van, and the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.“They kidnapped you?”

The panicked expression in those dark eyes tore at my heart.She nodded.“First date.Drugged my coffee.I could barely walk, let alone fight back.Heard them call me ‘merchandise’.”

“Well, shit.”Wasn’t sure what else to say.The club had heard rumors that a human trafficking ring was operating in the area, but this was the first tangible evidence of it.Ace would want details, once we had this situation under control.

I turned to Rattler.“You up for a little fun?”

Rattler’s eyes narrowed.“Always.”

I switched my attention back to the woman, pointing at the deep ditch at the side of the road.“Get down in there and hide.Grass is tall enough to cover you.Keep your head low and don’t come out until I tell you it’s safe.”

Her eyes wide, she scooted over to the side of the road and slid into the ditch.I watched as she got down on her belly and squirmed out of sight into the tall grasses.Satisfied she was safely hidden, I pulled my handgun out of the shoulder holster and flicked the safety off.

Rattler stood beside his bike, holding his favorite shotgun in front of him, the muzzle pointed at the passenger side of the van.

I pursed my lips, jerking my chin toward the target.We approached cautiously on either side of the vehicle, guns held at the ready.My trigger finger hovered in place, ready to act at a moment’s notice.

The noise of the train must have covered the sound of the woman’s escape, or those jackasses would have been jumping out to reacquire her.In the side mirror, I could see the driver lighting a cigarette as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

I could no longer see Rattler, but we’d worked as a team in combat situations with multiple hostiles when we were on active duty.I’d trust him with my life.Always had.

The driver glanced in the mirror, his face registering shock when he saw me.He turned and reached for something on the seat beside him before heaving the door open.He threw himself out of the vehicle and I saw the flash of metal in his hand as he turned to face me.

Auto reflexes kicked in.I took the shot.Chest.Hit him in the heart.He was dead before he hit the ground.

Ignoring the corpse, I held my gun at the ready and circled the front of the van just as Rattler’s shotgun boomed.Damn.