“Exactly. I’m sorry I’m not gonna be able to check out why they are going there, but after I’m done with these motherfuckers, I’m sure Curtis, if Colin is too busy, would love to take a peek into our system there and check what they are doing.”
“That’s if they haven’t blocked our system.”
“A challenge for Curtis to then rub it on Colin’s face? He will be more than eager.”
“We shall see. Margaret is keeping your twin on his toes. I’m not sure if outsmarting us is as satisfying as trying to match her or tame her.”
“So he met his match. Good. Hey Caleb, I gotta go.”
“Be careful Cooper. I expect you to come in one piece.”
“I’ll try.” I cut the call, pull out one of my guns in the custom compartments and shoot all four tires of the van. I watch them struggle to take control over it until it stops. I have little cover, but I know they already know which sections of my jacket are bulletproof. They’ll just have another surprise.
I wait six feet away from the van, guns in hands. The side door opens and three men step down. One of them is holding a crying Rosalie by her hair. She has a dirty cloth on her mouth and I can tell how filthy the van is inside by how dirty her jeans and shirt are.
“One wrong move and she dies.” The man holding her says, pulling her hair again.
She scrunches up her face and the whimper that the gag couldn’t muffle makes my eyes go red. I didn’t let them say anything else. This close shooting one after the other in a quick sequence on their head is so easy I could do it with my eyes closed. I shoot the driver the moment his head got out of the van.
I pocket one of my guns, kick the kickstand and run to Rosalie, who is shaking. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close to me. I take the gag on and kiss her head.
“You are okay. You are safe. I will let nothing happen to you. I swear on my life,” I say it against her ear and try to comfort her as best as I can. I’m waiting for any more of them to jump out of the van, but nothing happens.
“Was it these three and the driver?” I ask.
She nods her head and sniffles. I remember her hands are bound. I take one step back and she freaks out.
I cradle the side of her face that has some blood splatter and lean down to look at her eyes.
“I’m not leaving you. I just want to unbind you so we can head out. Okay?”
She nods and whispers. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize.”
I pull the knife I have hidden in my left boot and cut her ties. I pocket the knife and pull her to my bike.
“We are going to a safe place,” I say.
I got her helmet and take off one of my jacket to put it on her. I help her get on the motorcycle and I speed off as her arms wrap tight around my waist.
I’m grateful that I thought of giving her one jacket I was wearing when two cars shoot at us the moment we crossed thestate line from Missouri to Tennessee. They didn’t recognize she was wearing my jacket, so all the bullet aim at her didn’t pierce through the bulletproof layer of the jacket.
I know if they are observant, they will realize who is wearing what. They did.
I hear her cry when a bullet nudge into her arm. I hold on to it as I feel the arm sliding off my waist. I gritted my teeth as the piercing pain on the same side I have the bullet graze now has a one in. The second bullet is on my right shoulder and I fight through the pain to keep my grip on my motorcycle and speed up.
I need to get away now. I can deal with the pain and the bleeding. Rosalie has never experienced this. For all I know she can lose conscious and it would be harder for me to keep her on my back while I drive.
Miles before our territory starts are Caleb and Colin. They brought the bigger guns because one bullet from Colin shatters the front window of the car and killing the passenger while making the driver lose control of the impact of the broken windshield.
Caleb shoots the left tire, making the car turn. He switches to his favorite hand gun and three headshot later the car crashes with the driver only being the one alive. I pass between them as they get on their bike and escort me back into Cross Hollow and our compound.
Colin takes an almost passed out Rosalie to get treated while Caleb helps me get to the other sterilized room. Sophie is the one taking care of my injuries, which means Jessica is tending to Rosalie. I’m glad they send Rosalie to her. Nothing wrong with Sophie, but Jessica knows how to deal with someone who is experiencing being shot for the first time and will havemore compassion for Rosalie, who is still very shaken up from the attempted kidnap.
After Jessica and Sophie tend to our wounds, I scoop Rosalie off the infirmary bed and head over to my side of the compound.
“I know her friends want to check up on her and be by her side, but can you ask them to wait for a day or two? Can they let Rosalie decide when she is ready for the onslaught of questions and people?”
