“Help…”
What? Before heading outside, I approach the hotel counter and see the girl who should have been working crouched down.
“Don’t let them see you!” she hisses.
“What’s going on?”
“Bikers outside,” she says. “Get down…please.”
“What?” I know what she said, but my body takes a beat to react to the news that there are more bikers. If they were my bikers, this isn’t how I would have found out about them.
I don’t pause to hear anymore. If there are bikers outside that scare this woman, that’s all I need to know. Janelle’s in danger. When I push open the motel door, the little bell on top rings and I hear Janelle screaming as two men drag her off to their bikes. I don’t even think before reaching inside of my cut and grabbing my gun. The situation isn’t ideal with the possibility of hitting Janelle, but it’s the only chance I have. I steady my beating heart and let my training take over. Janelle flails and screams enough that her fight slows them down. Once I shoot, five of them will realize that I’m armed and more dangerous than they thought. The guy holding her legs has to go first so she can run. I aim for his kneecap and fire.
The burst of blood that erupts from him tells me that I hit him in the quad instead. Two seconds pass. He screams and drops Janelle as he tumbles to the ground.
God forgive me for what I’m about to do next, because I’m not sure that Janelle will.
I get the right guy and Janelle breaks free. Thankfully, fear doesn’t make her freeze. I level my gun again, tilting my hand away from her as she comes running right towards me. I keep her out of my sight, but I hope she has the good sense to realize that I can’t stop shooting until we’re in a much better situation.
I fire again. Janelle screams and ducks. I keep walking, catching up to her as she stays crouched on the ground.I’m not in the clear.These men must be green because two of them fire at me, both miss. Nervously, I look at Janelle, but she’s no longer crouched on the ground. I whip around and find her standing behind me.
This would be much easier if she were armed too, and if she knew what she was doing. Unlike the men firing at me, I don’t need luck. With only four more shots, I hit all of them in critical areas. I approach each body with Janelle clinging to my back and kick their firearms far enough away that not even the strongest burst of adrenaline could save the bleeding men on the ground.
Once I make sure to separate the last man from his weapon, I pick it up and hand mine over to Janelle. Mine will be easier for her to handle than this. It’s a little bigger than most handguns, better for someone who knows what they’re doing. Janelle gazes up at me with terror in her eyes.
“The only reason I’m not dropping this is because I don’t want it firing,” she says with a shaking voice. I want her to know that nothing bad will happen to her so long as I’m here.
“You scared?”
“Yes, I’m scared. We just… What about the cops?”
“We’re in the middle of the desert. Nearest police station is nearly sixty miles away.”
“Great, so a cop going 90 could be here in under an hour. I’m assuming the girl inside called right away.”
“The girl inside most likely has some kind of affiliation with my club, or I wouldn’t be staying here. Now… hold the gun like this.”
I move my hand over the weapon I picked up off the ground. One of the men groans and Janelle flinches instead of listening to me. She’s too scared to be holding a weapon like that, but I haven’t reloaded yet so even at her most scared, she can’t do much damage.
“Janelle. Listen to my voice and don’t be scared. Hold it like this.”
“You’re too calm about this.”
“I’m as calm as I need to be. Now watch…”
She holds the gun with more control this time and I would feel a lot better if she were more confident with that. She looks up at me again and a dark thought crosses my mind that I know I shouldn’t act on.
“We have to make sure they’re dead.”
“We?”
“Yes.”
She can’t tell that my heart is beginning to thump uncomfortably fast. I know that I’m about to ask her something that will turn her into a person who won’t want to leave my side. This isn’t sticking to my plan of looking after her and letting her go once I’m sure that I can keep her out of trouble.
This is me doing something that could bind Janelle to me forever. Without knowing how she feels. Without ever having touched her. I know it’s crazy, but I’m not sane enough to stop myself.
“I need you to shoot this man.”
