Page 28 of Rattler's Revelation
I glance to where he’s pointing and at first don’t see what he’s seeing. He’s pointing to the location closest to the loading zone. The space is dark and empty, except for a dark van. I can almost make out the shape in the darkness.
“What are you looking at?” I ask.
“That van. It shouldn’t be there. I’m going to check it out,” Rattler says.
“I’ll go with you,” I offer.
“Bianca, stay here,” Rattler says, opening the door.
“No way. I’m going with you,” Bianca says, scurrying out of the car before we can stop her. She joins us near the hood. “I’m safer with you both than by myself.”
Rattler looks at me for backup, but I shrug. “She’s right. What’s to stop someone from seeing her alone in my car and trying for her? She’s safer with us.”
Rattler glances at my car as he rubs his neck. I can tell he wants to argue, but he must have run through the possibilities, because he doesn’t argue.
He takes Bianca’s hand as we approach the van. We stay in the shadows to check for movement. No one is behind the wheel, and the passenger seat is also empty. The immediate area is silent. All we can hear is the traffic on the nearby street. When we reach the van, we circle it before returning to the front. I turnon the flashlight I grabbed in the car and shine it over the van. The broken left headlamp has streaks of paint on it.
“That paint matches Bianca’s car,” I say.
“This looks like the van that chased me,” Bianca admits. “I recognize the decal there.” She points at a sticker in the bottom left corner. I lean closer, but can’t make it out. It appears that someone attempted to remove it, leaving only a few strips of white with indiscernible black and red lettering.
I flash the beam over where the license plate should be, but it’s missing. I circle to the rear and don’t find one there, either. When I try the door, I find it unlocked, so I open it. Bianca and Rattler move next to me to get a look. The inside is empty except for two large hooks drilled into the ceiling. I feel Bianca tense next to me, so I wrap an arm around her shoulders, only to find Rattler has his arm around her waist.
“Are those what I think they are?” Bianca asks.
“I think so,” Rattler says.
“I’m calling it in. They can pick up the van and transport it to the station for examination. I’m guessing they dumped it here after they failed to grab Bianca.”
“Good idea.”
When the tow truck arrives, Rattler and Bianca head inside the casino to grab our dinners while I watch them load up the van. I hear a motorcycle pull up nearby, but don’t think anything about it until I hear Rafe calling my name.
“What have you got?” he asks, as he and Viper join me.
I explain to them about finding the van and how Bianca is confident it is the same van that chased her down.
“Hooks inside are for keeping their victims detained,” Viper says, studying the inside.
“Yeah, that’s what we thought.”
“Bastards.”
“I’m hoping we can get some fingerprints, although they likely wiped everything down,” I muse.
“You never know. Another good find,” Rafe says as Bianca and Rattler join us, carrying bags that are wafting a fantastic aroma that makes my stomach growl.
“Head off, I’ll stay here until they’ve finished. Viper and I already ate, and it sounds like you need some fuel.”
I thanked my uncle before heading to my car. The scent of the food has me wanting to pull over and dig in, but I force myself to focus on getting us to the clubhouse. Once inside, we head to Bianca’s room. Rattler leaves us to hunt down his laptop while Bianca organizes the food. When Rattler returns, we dig into the food and spend several satisfying minutes filling up our empty stomachs. Bianca finishes first, so she opens the laptop. Rattler tells her how to access the file that Chill wants her to review. Once she’s settled, he rolls off the bed.
“I have something I need to do. I’ll be back shortly.”
We’re silent for a few minutes as Bianca reviews the file on her screen. She switches between windows as she jots down notes. I hate to interrupt her, but knowing we have a few minutes alone, I don’t want to waste the opportunity.
“Did you have a chance to consider my suggestion?” I finally ask her.
She slowly nods without taking her eyes off the screen. “I did.”
