Scarlet
I cling to Reaper as he speeds up on the open road.His club brothers do the same, following the car with our precious cargo.
The wind on my face and the power of the bike is exhilarating, and I press my cheek to Reaper’s leather and watch the rolling scrubland and tall trees whizz by.In the distance the mountains rise, snow-capped, into the milky morning light.
I’m crazy to not be terrified out of my wits.I know that.But as I’ve already told Reaper, I’m not afraid of monsters.I also don’t believe he is one.He’s shown up with his buddies, after all, to save a young woman he doesn’t even know.
Suddenly two bikes pull out of a junction and are roaring alongside us.They are also Harleys but these have snarling dogs on their exhausts and their cuts have bigger patches.
“What the fuck?”I hear Reaper say.He swerves to avoid them and then gears up, pushing us on even faster.We almost reach the four-by-four when I hear a gunshot.
“Shit.”Reaper glances behind himself.
I gasp and hold him tighter.The biker to my right, one of Reaper’s buddies, has pulled a weapon and is shooting behind himself.Fast, loud, deafening bursts of sound.
“Goddamn Hyenas,” Reaper shouts.“How’d they find us?”
“Must have followed us from the hospital.”His buddy shoots again.There is a skid and a scream and then a clatter of metal.
Confusion and speed combine.
I glance behind myself and see one of the Hyena bikers rolling into a ditch in a spectacular display of flying metal.Before it has come to a halt it bursts into flames.A boom blasts into the sky as it explodes.
“Oh my God!”I shout.
“One down.”Reaper indicates the four-by-four to go quicker and it pulls away, someone’s boot heavy on the gas.
“I’ll get this one,” the biker to Reaper’s right shouts.
“Let’s both have the honor.”Reaper pulls a gun and then riding the bike one-handed twists and points it past me, over my shoulder.“Keep still, honey.”
I close my eyes and grimace as he fires off three rounds.My ear will ring for days, the shot is so loud.His club brother is also shooting but suddenly yelps then curses.
“Fuck!”Reaper shouts.“You okay, Tank?”
“He’s been hit,” I gasp.I am gripped by fear.I’ve never been shot at before.Any second now it could be all over.For any one of us.
“Son of a fucking bitch.”Reaper resumes shooting over my left shoulder, a long stream of shots that have me jumping in my skin and gripping him so tight my fingers ache.
And then there is another explosion and a great rush of heat.The bike that was close behind us is going up in a fireball of heat.
“Burn in hell!”Reaper shouts.
I open my eyes in time to see a streak of burning rubber hitting a tree and then bouncing back onto the tarmac.There is no sign of the rider.
“Hey, Tank, you okay, man?”Reaper yells, pulling his bike closer to the one on his left.
“Fucking bastard got me.”Tank grips his right upper arm and blood seeps between his fingers.“But luckily he’s a shit shot.”
“Doc here will sort you out.”
I gulp.I’m getting in deeper by the second.A kidnapped patient.A shoot-out at speed.And now a GSW to patch up.
“Are they dead?”I shout into Reaper’s ear.“Those guys.”
“Yeah, well and truly.Good fucking riddance.”
We leave the carnage behind as though two mangled bikes and two dead bodies is nothing more than an empty pack of Cheetos.I’m shaking now and adrenaline is causing my heart to skip beats.But we’ve caught up with Consuela and our speed isn’t quite as breakneck.
