Page 3 of Viper's Salvation
"Split up as planned," Reaper orders. "Blade, take Viper and Kelly to find her sister. Ace and Ghost, sweep the east building. Wilder and I will hit the main office. Anyone finds Charles, you call it in immediately. No one takes him alone."
The compound erupts into activity as we breach the gate. Someone's spotted us. Shouts echo across the grounds, followed by the crack of gunfire. We scatter, taking cover behind vehicles and concrete barriers.
"This way," Kelly shouts over the gunfire, pointing toward a gray two-story building. Blade and I provide covering fire as we move, dropping two Vultures MC who emerge from a doorway.
My blood pumps with cold precision as we fight our way toward the building. This isn't my first firefight, and the Vultures MC aren't the first scum I've put down. I learned early that violence has its place in this world, usually against those who prey on the innocent. Men like my father's killers. Men like these Vultures MC.
We reach the building's entrance, and I take point, sweeping inside with my rifle raised. The interior is dim after the bright morning sunlight, but I adjust quickly, clearing the small lobby before motioning Blade and Kelly forward.
"Second floor," Kelly whispers, pointing to a stairwell.
I take the stairs two at a time, hyperaware of every sound. More gunfire outside tells me our brothers are engaged, but inside this building, it's eerily quiet.
The second-floor corridor stretches in both directions. "Which way?" I ask Kelly.
"Left. There's a hallway of rooms where they keep the girls."
We move cautiously down the hallway, checking doors as we go. Most are empty. Bare mattresses and personal belongingssuggesting the occupants left in a hurry. The Vultures MC must have moved most of the women when they realized we were hunting them.
Blade keeps Kelly behind him as I take the lead. A door at the end of the hall swings open, and a large man appears, dragging a woman by her arm. He spots us instantly, yanking the woman in front of him as a shield while drawing his weapon.
"Stop right there," he barks, pressing his gun to the woman's head. "One more step and she dies."
I freeze, weapon trained on the man's face, looking for a clear shot that won't endanger the hostage. And then I see her, and something awakens inside my chest.
Even with her face bruised and swollen, she's beautiful. Curvy, dark hair falling in tangles around her shoulders, and despite the terror of her situation, her eyes burn with defiance.
"Amy!" Kelly cries out from behind Blade.
The woman's eyes widen, her gaze shooting past me.
"Kelly?" Her voice is hoarse but filled with desperate hope.
Mike, I'm guessing, based on Kelly's descriptions, tightens his grip on Amy, making her wince. "Throw down your weapons or I kill her now."
"You kill her, you die next," I say calmly, my aim never wavering. "And I promise, it won't be quick."
Amy's eyes lock with mine for a brief moment, and I see something there. Not just fear, but calculation. She's thinking, planning. This isn't a woman who's given up.
"Mike," she says suddenly, her voice surprisingly steady. "Charles will be furious if you kill me. You know he wants to make an example of me personally."
Clever girl. Playing for time.
Mike hesitates, and that's all the opening I need. I shift my aim slightly and fire, the bullet grazing his shoulder. Just enough to make him flinch and loosen his grip. Amy reacts instantly, driving her elbow back into his ribs and twisting away.
I surge forward as she breaks free, tackling Mike before he can recover. We crash to the floor, his gun skittering away as we grapple. He's strong, but I'm faster, driving my knee into his stomach and following with a crushing blow to his throat.
Mike chokes, eyes bulging as he claws at his neck. I roll off him, drawing my sidearm and ending his struggles with a single shot to the head.
When I look up, Amy is in Kelly's arms, the two sisters clinging to each other and sobbing. Blade stands guard at the door, checking the hallway for more threats.
"We need to move," he says. "There could be more coming."
I approach the sisters, my eyes drawn to Amy. Up close, the bruises on her face look even worse, but they can't hide her beauty. There's strength in the set of her jaw, in the way she positions herself slightly in front of Kelly despite being the injured one.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" I ask her. "Can you run?"
Amy straightens, wiping tears from her face. "I can run." Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, the chaos around us seems to fade. "Who are you people?"
