But no one did. And the screams echoed in her ears. Screams she would never forget. But she would use them as motivation. She didn’t know how yet, but one way or another, Payne would die. Even if it meant giving her own life in the process.
WINTER STOOD IN SHOCK as Fox rejoined him now. Neither could believe their eyes. This was something you couldn’t unsee, not ever.
“They have Niki. There.” Winter pointed. “We have to follow them.” Winter turned away from the blaze, but Fox remained.
“Fox! We need to move, now! Niki needs us.”
But she didn’t turn, not yet.
“What are you doing? Let’s go. We need to get ahead of them.” Winter saw her chest heaving. “Why are you stalling?”
“Motivation,” she said. As if they needed any more. Somewhere deep down, though, Fox considered this fire her fault. The mission no longer mattered. No matter what Winter said, despite his by-the-book attitude, Fox would make Payne suffer, if nothing else.
Both turned and began to sprint. They needed to get far ahead of the marching clan, back toward the motorcycle. The only problem was, in the darkness, they had no idea where the bike was. And the tree line was too thick to see through.
They sucked in the heavy humid air as they ran. Once they reached the tree line, they stopped and looked back. In the darkness, the red and orange flames climbed higher. It was eerie then because the screams had ceased, which could only mean one thing, and now the only noise that remained was that of the fire consuming every last inch of grassland in the camp.
Winter took one careful step, then another. As he brushed the foliage aside, he recognized the side of the military vehicle. It remained intact, but there was no sign of the patrolling guard.
“I’ve got one way to get my retribution.” Fox stepped ahead of Winter.
“No.” He reached out and cut off her advance. “Think about it. What good would killing the guard do, except put the other men on heightened alert? They wouldn’t leave; they’d just search the entire area until they found us. And then we’d be prisoners with no way of helping Niki and the others.”
“Still, it’d make me feel better.”
“Trust me, you’ll get your revenge. Just be patient.”
“What then?”
Winter peered along the tree line. “The bike can’t be much further. I say we twin the tree line. Move south. We’ll run into the bike. We stay hidden until the military vehicle passes, and then we follow them to wherever they go.”
“What if they see us.”
“That won’t happen.”
“You sure? You were sure last time and remember what happened?”
“That was different. We didn’t know who they were, and we were just following them out of curiosity. Now we know what they’re capable of. Besides, Niki’s life depends on it.”
“Let’s go before they see us.”
They fled, moving toward the presumed location of the bike. The glow from the fire lit their way. The motorcycle lay on its side just as they’d left it, but Winter didn’t move to lift it, not yet.
“What about Collar?” Fox blurted out.
“What about her?”
“Do you think we should warn her, tell her what’s going on with Niki? She’ll want to know.”
Winter was quiet.
“Well?” She was persistent.
“By the time we get a hold of her, Niki may be dead. She’s already compromised. And ZULU has deniability. If the local government got wind of our presence here, I imagine they wouldn’t take too kindly to American spies on their soil.”
“So what, it’s just us?” Fox said.
“I thought that’s what you wanted. To be a part of the action.”
“Well, yeah, but still . . .”
“But what?”
“They’ve got a lot of men.”
“And we’ve got the element of surprise.”
“Do you think that’s enough?”
“Only one way to find out.”
They heard the rumble of an engine up the road. Winter shifted in his crouch. The only thing left to do now was wait.
27
ONCE AT THE BACK OF the military vehicle, Jabar reached down to Niki’s feet and sliced through the rope, then ripped the hood from her head. Cramps shot through her calves, but that didn’t stop her from kneeing in the groin the man holding her hands. When he doubled over, she attacked again, this time with a knee to his face. He dropped to the ground, falling like a brick through water.
Jabar faced Niki as Raiden stepped in to grab her bound hands. The stink of Raiden’s breath invaded Niki’s nostrils, but she couldn’t turn away—that would make her look weak—so she pushed her chin to the sky and waited for what would come next.
“That’s going to cost you.” Jabar frothed at the mouth and pulled the gag from hers.
“What, it was a fair fight. My hands were tied, literally. I can’t help it if Payne employs untrained imbeciles.”
Naftali rose from the ground. His nose was broken; blood gushed from his nostrils and poured into his mouth. Niki let out a chuckle at the sight of him. He lunged for Niki, but Jabar cut off his advance and pushed him away. “Get in the truck!” he yelled, pointing to the opening.
“But she—”
“I don’t give a shit what she did. I said, get into the truck.” Jabar watched him load into the vehicle before turning back to Niki who continued to laugh. “I don’t see what is so funny here.”
“It’s funny because I can see the future.” At that moment Niki ceased her laughter and peered at him with bulging eyes.
Jabar didn’t know what to think. Was she being serious? He decided to test her wits. “What does the future hold for you then?”
“For me?” Niki shrugged. “It ends with me sticking a gun in your face and you begging me to spare your worthless little life.”
Lord and Vali sat in the back of the truck overhearing what Niki said—the entire army of men heard what she said.
Jabar turned over Niki’s shoulder to see his men, the professor, and the doctor listening in. His next move would determine how his men would treat him from that moment on. He needed to act with force, to show dominance over this woman. He had no choice; Niki had forced his hand, and that’s precisely how she wanted this to go.
“You insolent little bitch.” He wound up and punched her in the gut. Niki doubled over but reached for him in the process. The sheath of his knife was on his right hip. She gripped him for a moment before he moved out of the way, causing her to fall to the ground. In doing so, she lifted his knife. On the ground she was quick, pushing the blade inside the front of her shorts, with the tip resting low on her pelvis. Then she folded her shirt over her shorts to keep it concealed.
“Pick her up and load her into the truck.”
Two men jumped down from the open cavity and lifted Niki to her feet. Niki climbed on her own accord but stayed standing. She studied each of the men’s faces until they were burned onto her retinas. These men would pay for their actions. With their lives.
The two men who lifted Niki up now stood behind her. “Sit!” a man yelled in her ear, before pushing her down next to Vali.
When she hit the bench seat, the blade pushed further down her pelvis. To say the position of the knife was uncomfortable was an understatement. Any sudden movement could’ve made the blade pierce her skin.
“What was that?” Vali whispered to Niki, who leaned in close.
“A way out,” she whispered back.
“No talking!” a voice shot up.
Niki zipped her lip, but her grin to Vali conveyed her rebellious intentions.
THE HEADLIGHTS OF THE military vehicle shone brightly across the road, and Winter and Fox could see the shine as the truck approached. They huddled together, spooning on the ground.
“Don’t get any ideas back there,” Fox teased.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. Now shush.”
“You really think anyone can hear me
over the roar of that beast?”
Winter didn’t answer, because truth was, he didn’t know, but he wouldn’t take any chances. The military vehicle drove past them. Winter raised his head and waited for a five count. Then he pushed up from the ground, grabbed the motorcycle, and lifted it perpendicular. One kick started the engine. Fox hopped onto the back. Winter twisted the throttle, and the bike kicked up dirt as the back tire fishtailed. Winter got control and kept a consistent speed, maintaining a safe distance from the truck.
“Where do you think they’ll take them?” Fox asked into her microphone.
“No idea, but I assume it’ll be no place safe. I can’t imagine what they’ll do to her.”
“Oh, I can,” Fox said. “She’s a woman, a damn fine one at that. I imagine they’ll want to have their fun with her.”
“Easy, Fox.”
“What, I’m just saying . . . I’m glad it’s not me.”
The motorcycle jolted forward as Fox’s crack twisted inside Winter’s head. He wouldn’t let that happen; he wouldn’t let anything happen to Niki.
When the truck reached the hill that dropped into town, red brake lights lit up the night. Winter grabbed the clutch with his left hand, pulling inward, and let off the throttle, kicking down on the shift lever until he reached neutral, and coasted to a stop.
“What are they doing?” Fox said. “Why have they stopped?”
“No idea.”
In the shadow of darkness, they could barely make out two men dropping from the back. Then the driver let off the brake lights, and the truck continued down the other side of the hill, leaving the two men alone to guard the road. Winter remained straddling the motorcycle with his feet on the ground, stabilizing the bike.
“Well, that’s a problem,” Fox said.
Winter was silent, thinking.
“You ready to earn back what you’ve lost since going dark?” Of course, he was referring to her coma.
“You serious?”
“I don’t see any other play here, do you?” Winter cocked his head, waiting for her answer.
“Nope.” She lifted the Beretta from her holster.
“Good. Make it clean and silent.”
Fox lifted the suppressor from her pack and screwed it into the barrel just as Winter pulled in the clutch and kicked the shift lever down into first gear.
“You ready?”
“You’re damn right I am.”
Their speed was slow and steady. The undulating terrain would make for a difficult shot, and they wouldn’t reach smooth ground until they reached the precipice of the hill where the pavement began. But the element of surprise was on their side. They were almost invisible in the darkness. But only until that first shot of suppressed gunfire, that thud in the night, would drop the first of the two guards.
Winter felt Fox shifting behind him. She placed her left elbow on his right shoulder, steadying her hand and waiting for the opportunity. They were getting close now, close enough for the sound of the motorcycle engine to draw attention. Even in the dark, it was easy to see the men spin around at the sound. In that moment, Fox didn’t hesitate. Two shots whistled by Winter’s right ear and struck the guard center-mass. Then she lifted the weapon beside Winter’s left ear and fired again. But she didn’t have the time to aim with precision. She caught the second guard high on the left shoulder. The bullet caused his momentum to carry him backward, but he lifted his AK-47 and fired blindly into the night. The rounds narrowly missed Winter and Fox, and Winter hammered the throttle. As Winter drove the motorcycle in between the two guards, Fox fired again, and at such close range, this time she didn’t miss. Her bullet entered low in the gut of the standing guard. A bad shot for the recipient—a death sentence—for the agony would be prolonged, taking a long time for him to die.
“Hold on!” Winter warned.
Fox lowered her head and grabbed his midsection as best she could with the gun locked in her hand.
At their high speed the motorcycle began to soar into the air. It was difficult to decipher how far they would soar and even more difficult to gauge the landing in the pitch black. As they gained air, Winter saw the military vehicle turning right onto the main road. If he landed successfully, he would have a bearing on Niki and her friends, but that was a big “if,” especially on an old motorcycle like the one they were riding. There was no telling how the bike would react upon impact.
28
THE RIDE IN THE MILITARY vehicle was uncomfortable, to say the least. Niki could hardly move with the knife stuck inside her pants and with each succeeding bump in the road, the blade pushed against her sensitive skin. On the next bump, she fell into the man next to her. He reeked of body odor, and she’d had to pee ever since arriving at Vali’s camp. She wondered when they would stop, worried not about what Payne would say or do when they arrived but rather about when she could relieve herself. She didn’t know if she could handle another punch to the gut; she might burst right in front of him.
Ten more minutes passed, then the truck stopped. Out of instinct she stared out into the night. Secretly hoping to see someone approach, anyone who could alert authorities about what they saw. Who was she kidding? No one would dare come upon the back of them. Locals would know the truck and avoid it at all costs.
“Where are we?” Niki whispered to Vali.
Vali shook his head but didn’t speak. Not because he didn’t hear, but rather he feared for her safety. She had already been reprimanded once. The next time, Vali figured she’d be met with another hit, maybe this time to the head.
But Niki pushed. “How much further?”
Vali’s eyes bulged in his sockets when he saw a guard rise from behind Niki’s shoulder. She turned and looked up at him.
“I told you not to speak again.”
“I was just telling him I had to pee.”
The guard didn’t hesitate. He raised his hand and backhanded Niki across the face.
Unable to rub the sting away, Niki shook her head and moved her jaw. The taste of blood dipped into her mouth, her lip was cut, but still she stared up at him.
“Tough guy, huh? Standing there, slapping a girl while she’s tied up and unable to defend herself.”
Instead of following up with another blow, laughter spewed from his open mouth. “Did you hear that? This little girl thinks she could defend herself.”
The others joined in a chorus of jeers.
You’ve got no idea what I would could do to you.
She stared back, her eyes locked on his. “Why don’t you cut me loose and find out?”
Immediately, all stifled laughter. None, including the standing guard, were amused. In fact, Niki expected another slap to come but it didn’t. She’d called him out in front of everyone. Slapping her again would make him appear weaker, she knew that. His position was to instill fear, dominance over her, but his attempt was futile, and he knew it too.
“No. I will let Payne have his way with you.” He bent down now, getting eye to eye. “And I assure you, he will make you suffer.”
Once he turned his back to her, Niki said, “Yeah, yeah, I keep hearing about him, and all this ‘pain’ he inflicts. To me it sounds like he’s an impotent man with a superiority complex. Preying on the weak, the less fortunate, to use them, to inflict fear because they have no power. What kind of man holds women, children against their will and forces hard labor on them, while he reaps the spoils?”
The guard stopped, not turning back, then grinned and said, “I’ll let you be the judge.”
Niki turned and looked to Lord. Worry hung on his face. Maybe he felt responsible for her; after all, this was his idea, his trip, and she was his student. But it was her actions and her words that had put her in trouble.
The truck made two more quick turns. More bumps came as they rolled over an uneven road.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Niki muttered under her breath. She leaned into Vali, lifting her butt from the seat, doing her best to cross her legs as th
e truck bounced each time.
When the truck came to a stop, the guards all rose.
“Out,” said the man who’d slapped Niki across the face.
Vali rose first, then Lord, and finally Niki. They were met by Jabar, who looked up at Vali. “What are you waiting for? Jump.”
Vali did as he was told. Lord followed, but Niki lingered with at least a dozen guards standing behind her, waiting on her next move. She gazed forward, looking out on the horizon. In five seconds she captured as much intelligence on her whereabouts as possible.
Trees. A jungle.
But there was something more, a shadow of a . . . warehouse in the distance. Smoke billowed from the rooftop. It wasn’t abandoned, but active. Strange since it was out in the middle of nowhere. No city lights on the horizon. Nothing but black night.
“He said move!”
Niki received another swift blow, this time a shot to her kidneys with the butt end of the rifle.
Damnit, man, don’t you know I have to pee. She turned around and stared him down, then leaped to face Jabar.
“Where’s Payne?” Niki boldly declared.
“Close.”
“What’s the matter, he’s too afraid to come out and face me?”
He laughed, then turned and started walking, but stopped again and came back toward Niki. “Perhaps he’s preparing for his guest. We don’t get many beautiful American spies in our mix often.” He cackled in the night and then proceeded forward.
Another jolt came from behind. “Move!”
Niki walked on, keeping pace with Jabar and the others. He led them in the direction of the steaming building. A smell lingered in the air. It was sour, but Niki couldn’t place it. Not until they arrived at their destination.
Jabar walked to the right side of the building. He reached up and grabbed the handle of the sliding door and walked it open across the rail above. The stench of feces wafted across Niki and the others in the face. Her face scrunched, and she turned away, wishing she had some way to cover her mouth and nose before vomit rose from her belly.
Second Best: A Niki Finley Novel (A Niki Finley Thriller Book 2) Page 13