Page 64 of Mouse Trapped

“For fuck’s sake, Blade. She’s inColombia.”

But Blade’s watching Drummer carefully. “Listen to Prez, Mouse.”

“Not discussin’ it here,” Drummer says, looking around the courthouse. Yeah, we’ve found a quiet corner, but could be overheard. “Come outside, Brothers. Let’s find some space.”

We walk past the bikes Matt’s still guarding. There’s some sort of park opposite, so we head that way. My feet step in front of each other automatically, my brain seems to have shut down.I’ve lost her. I’ll go after her. Don’t know where she’s fuckin’ gone.

Drummer leads us to a clearing, and doesn’t keep us waiting. “Devil had nothing to do with this.”

“Like fuck,” I spit out in disgust.

“Mouse,” Drummer warns again, this time his voice, as well as his eyes, steely. “I’m warning you. We’re not abandoning Mariana, but if you can’t reel it in, I’m sending you home.”

Not abandoning her?

He waits, until I even my breathing and stop clenching my hands. “I’ve known Devil for a while, as have all of you. You particularly, Mouse. You know what he works on. He can be a bastard, but if he was using Mariana, he’d make sure she had a wire. He wouldn’t send her in unprotected.”

“He left Sam,” I remind him.

As Viper growls from behind, Prez’s face tightens. “She had a GPS implant. Not his fault they found it.”

“Prez,” Viper starts.

“No, Viper. We’ve no time to rehash history. But think, Mouse. If Devil was using Mariana to bring The Procurer down, she’d be wired up, and he’d be close by. Fact is, he’s nearer to us, in San Diego. He wants to bring The Procurer down, not send another victim to him.”

Victim.“I’ve got to get to her, Drummer.” Don’t know how the fuck I’ll manage it, but I’ve got to do it.

I expect him to talk me down, instead he’s nodding. “You’re not going alone, Brother.”

Blade, Viper, Marvel and Dollar all look at each other, then they shrug. “Presume we’re going along,” Blade suggests.

Drummer glances at them quickly. “Volunteers only. But yes. Look. Devil’s willin’ to put a team of mercenaries together to deal with this fucker The Procurer once and for all.”

“Mercenaries?” Viper raises his eyebrows. “Not sanctioned?”

“Not officially, no. Wouldn’t look good if the US launched an attack on a Colombian citizen.”

“But the government wants him brought down?” I ask.

“That seems the way of it.”

“Haven’t got a passport,” Marvel observes. “With my record, I couldn’t get one.”

“I suspect Devil will organise a private plane, private charter. They won’t want to leave a footprint. And I doubt many of us have them.”

I nod at Prez, I certainly haven’t got a passport. Nothing stopping me, just never travelled out of the States.

There’s something bothering me. “Look, Mariana’s mine. This sounds risky. Don’t want anyone putting themselves at risk. You get Devil to take me, Prez, the rest of you go home. Fuck, man, you’ve got your baby due shortly.”

His piercing stare is on me again. “I’m the prez of the Satan’s Devils, Mouse. What the fuck do you think comes first?”

“Club’s not at risk, Prez.”

“It is.” It’s Viper who’s contradicting me. “You claimed the woman, that makes her ours. Ours to protect.”

“I can’t ask…”

“You didn’t,” Blade interrupts. “We’ve got your back, Mouse. Just like you’ve had ours when we needed you.”

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