We just want some information is all.”
I kinda see the exact moment when the man gets over his rage and starts listening. Given the choice between life and death, it’s a rare man that will choose death.
“And don’t think you can outrun us either,” I say and I nudge him to start walking out of the room. “Like I said, you play nice and you’ll be fucking in here again tomorrow night. Try to run and you’ll die alone in the dust.”
Over the top maybe, but at least my talking got him walking and we’re in the windy street now.
The closest exit from the town is across the field separating this house from the hill on which the big house stands and then to the left into the shrubbery and rocks and darkness of the foot of yet another hill. I’m pretty sure the guy has no stamina whatsoever and am proven right when he starts panting past his gag before we’re even across the field. He’s louder than the whistling wind.
I signal Blaze that we should pick him up and we do, then proceed to carry him across the field and up the hill. We’re the ones panting by the time we finally crest the hill and lay him down behind a good-sized pile of rocks, well out of sight of the still dark and silent town behind us.
It’s done. And it went without a hitch. My luck most certainly has turned, and I credit Brenda and only Brenda for that. She makes me feel like I can do anything. Not just feel like, I can do anything as long as she’s the prize waiting for me to get back to her.
The sun is already rising by the time we pull up to the side of the bunker with our charges. The coolness of night is evaporating, giving way to what will be another scorching day. But the thought barely crosses my mind and certainly doesn’t annoy me. In an hour, two at most, I’ll be in Brenda’s bed. We’ll have at least a couple of days together now that the job is almost done, maybe more.
Mac winces as he climbs down from the truck back of our truck. He’s cradling his left arm with his right across his stomach, looking as pale grey as the concrete walls of the bunker. His and Eagle’s target put up the fiercest fight and at one point managed to get Mac’s knife away from him and drive it into his forearm before Eagle subdued him. Rook bandaged it up as best he could, but that thing’s gonna need stitches and he already lost a lot of blood.
“Go see Doc right now,” Rook tells him, and Mac doesn’t need telling twice. He’s leaning heavily on Eagle as the young man leads him away. He doesn’t look as cocky and pissed off as he’s been the last couple of days, the concern on his face making him look very young.
The van with the prisoners, driven by Cross, pulls up, kicking up a cloud of dust that doubles as the other truck comes to a stop beside it.
Several brothers, including Ink and Joe, are already coming towards us, ready to unload the prisoners.
“Put them in the cells,” Cross tells them. “And someone go wake Scar, I want to speak to him right away.”
I clear my throat as he passes me on the way into the bunker. His skin is ashen in the early morning light, but his eyes are alert and piercing as ever. “I…ummm…can I…,” I stammer, feeling like a shy teenager.
“Everyone stays here for now,” Cross says, his black gaze barely glancing off me, but making me stand at attention despite it.
I nod, but he doesn’t see it, because he’s already striding off towards the bunker.
Tank slaps me on the back, chuckling. “If she’s waited this long, what’s another couple of days, am I right?”
He laughs at what must be an expression of abject horror on my face. Days?
He gives me another hard slap on the back. “Or it could be hours, who knows? So relax, get some food. You did good.”
Pride at being praised by the vice president is warring with regret that I can’t leave to be with Brenda right away, neither winning. So I have absolutely no time for whatever annoying thing Blaze wants to accuse me of, going from his blazing eyes fixed on me. I turn and follow Tank into the bunker. A couple of hours of sleep