Page 37 of Prospect
In a fury of movements, we follow Jake as he leads us behind an abandoned eighteen-wheeler trailer. Parking my bike, I jump off, draw my pistol and begin returning fire covering Gabriel as he makes his way across the lot to the far-left corner of the abandoned building. Gabriel's position puts him in direct line of the man currently shooting in our direction. He wastes no time taking him out. Gabriel then gives us the all clear to move forward.
"Split up," Jake calls out and one by one we take off in separate directions. Sprinting from behind the trailer, I quickly make my way around back. I spot a set of stairs leading up to a door on the second level of the mill. Taking two steps at a time, I reach the door only to find it locked. I take a step back and promptly kick the door open. I go to peek around the busted door when a bullet whizzes by my head. With quick-fire reflexes, I take aim and shoot. Besides the other day when our SUV was ambushed, and when Gabriel and I took down those two men on our way to Charlie's, it has been years since I've fired a weapon; the last time being when I was on a hunting trip with my grandfather as a teenager, but my grandfather was an excellent hunter, and he taught me well. My aim is spot on hitting the man right between his shoulder blades as he cowardly tried to flee. Keeping my weapon raised, I make my way down the hall toward the body lying on the dirty floor. It's not lost on me I just killed a man; murdered another human being and felt absolutely no remorse. Maybe it's the adrenaline, or perhaps it's the hate making me think the way I do. Perhaps it's because ridding the world of one less Savage Outlaw is protecting future victims. That thought alone will have me sleeping like a baby at night.
Stepping over the body at the base of the stairs, I hear rapid gunfire followed by the sound of bullets ricocheting off metal. I descend one step then two, and that's when I see the large filing room. The room is filled with all sorts of heavy machinery and rusted saws. Scanning the room, I spot Jake crouched down behind a band saw that's almost bigger than he is and that's also when I see a Savage Outlaw not twenty feet in front of me firing in Jake's direction.
Without hesitation, I raise my weapon, take aim and fire a single shot to the back of his head. Jake and I acknowledge each other with a brief nod. Side by side the two of us move through the room but stop short when we hear someone screaming for help. I turn to Jake. "You hear that?"
"Yeah, I heard." We're both quiet for a second when we hear the call again. It's muffled, but there's no mistaking who the voice belongs to.
"Sofia!" I yell, and take off down the hall leading away from the filing room with Jake hot on my heels. "Sofia!" I shout again, this time the plea sounding closer.
"Sam! I'm in here!" Sofia's screams are accompanied by a banging noise. Stopping in front of a closed door, I try turning the handle only to find it locked.
"Sam!"
"I'm here, baby. Hold on." I notice the door padlocked from the outside. "I need something to break the lock," I say out loud.
"Here," Jake hands me a metal pipe. Gripping the pipe in my hand, I bring it down on the lock, breaking it open. I toss the pipe to the floor and fling the closet door open. We find both women handcuffed to a pipe on the wall.
"Shit," I tug on the cuffs and turn toward Jake. "What can we use to break them free?"
"Let me check that fucker over there," Jake points to his left at the end of the hall where a man lays dead. "If we're lucky, the key will be on him." Turning he walks away, kneels down over the body and rummages through the guy's pockets. It doesn't take long and he's returning with several keys on a metal key ring in his hand. He begins sifting through them. "Bingo." Passing the key to me, I waste no time unlocking Luna and Sofia.
"Oh god, Sam," Sofia sobs throwing herself into my arms.
"I got you, Firefly." I hold her tight. A feeling of relief passes through me and I don't know how I'll ever be able to let her go again.
Riggs walks into the room. "Did you find…" his words are cut off when he sees me holding Sofia. He then cuts his eyes over to the closet where Jake is trying to coax a terrified Luna out. Riggs places his hand on Jake's shoulder. "I got her brother. You two go on. We're all clear. Our brothers are waitin'."
"You get that cocksucker, Pike?" Jake asks. With a pissed off grim expression, Riggs shakes his head. The anger radiating off Jake is evident. He nods. "Let's go."
With Sofia still in my arms, I carry her as Jake leads us out of the building to where the men are waiting on us. "Don't look, baby," I tell Sofia shielding her from the dead bodies and bloodshed littering the ground around us. Stopping beside my bike, I place Sofia on her feet. The sun is beginning to rise, and I'm getting a good look at the damage to her face. I cup her cheeks and place a gentle kiss on her swollen lips. She begins to cry harder as her body trembles. Sliding off my cut, I drape it over her shoulders. "Put this on." I have a thousand questions I want to ask but refrain from doing so. My top priority is getting my woman away from this place and back to where she feels safe. Straddling my bike, I hold out my hand. Sofia takes it and climbs on behind me then wraps her arms tight around my waist as she lays her head against my back. A few seconds later we watch as Riggs exits the building with Luna's hand in his. They stop at his bike, and he signs something to her. Luna bites her lip and nods. Riggs climbs on his motorcycle before Luna slides on behind him.
"Let's go home," Jake grunts and we fire up our bikes. One by one we fall in formation behind our Prez as he leads us away from the lumber mill. When we get about a half a mile down the road, Riggs retrieves a small device from his cut and holds it above his head. His thumb presses down firmly on the switch. Without warning a ground-shaking explosion erupts behind us and I watch in my side mirror as the lumber mill erupts into a cloud of dust, broken metal and orange flames light the sky behind us.
Twenty minutes later we arrive back at the compound. The sound of our bikes alerts the old ladies, and they waste no time filing outside each one wanting to check on their men. When Emerson emerges from inside her eyes find Quinn first, but when she sees he is unharmed he gives her a look, and she makes her way to Sofia. The look on Emerson's face says she is in full doctor mode. By the time she reaches us I've already climbed off my bike and have my girl in my arms. "Sofia?" Emerson speaks in a soft tone.
"I'm okay," my girl says in a shaky voice that says she's anything but okay.
"I'd still like to check you over, sweetheart." Emerson cuts her eyes to me looking for help.
"Baby," I lift her chin. "Will you go with Emerson so she can check you over and get you changed? Please," I urge knowing it's what's best. I kiss her. "I won't be far behind, okay," I assure. Sofia agrees and allows Emerson to lead her inside. Once the women have seen their men are no worse for wear, they follow behind Emerson taking Luna with them.
With the women out of earshot, Jake speaks up. "I want you all to go get cleaned up, see to your families, have a few stiff drinks, then I'm callin' church. That cocksucker Pike slipped by us. We need to figure out our next move."
"Has anyone seen Demetri?" Quinn cuts in. We look at each other and shake our heads. Just as Jake is about to open his mouth, Demetri's black SUV rolls through the gates of the compound. "Speak of the devil," Quinn grins.
Victor exits the driver side the same moment Demetri and Nikolai step out of the back. "Where the hell did you three disappear too, brother?" Jake asks Demetri his tone teasing.
"You know I like to show up bearing gifts," Demetri smiles. Besides from a little bit a blood splatter on his suit, he looks just as put together as usual. Demetri signals to Victor who walks around to the back of the SUV. Opening the hatch, we watch as he pulls a limp body out. Striding toward us with the body draped over his shoulder, Victor stops in front of Jake and drops Pike to the ground. We all look from Pike to Demetri's smug face.
Jake shakes his head and chuckles. "Always showin' up and dumpin' bodies. I got to say, brother, I like your gift." Jake then turns to Gabriel. "Take him to the basement. The rest of you go have that drink and rest up because later we play."
Chapter twenty
Sofia
Following Emerson, up the stairs, she leads me into mine and Sam's room. My shoulders sag as I lower myself to the bed. I become lost inside my head as my thoughts drift. My brain starts playing my last few hours of events over and over again like a movie reel. The truth, I'm surprised I haven't lost control of the emotions swirling inside me. That might have something to do with the fact that up until now I had someone else besides myself to think about. Channeling all my fears into taking care of Luna kept me focused. I had to listen to both of us. The closet we were handcuffed and locked inside was also completely void of light when they closed the door. I could hear every crude comment said about us from the men who were taunting us from the other side of the door.
