They pulled the guys out. Chuck was moaning something behind the duct tape. With a brother on either arm, they hauled them deep into the woods.
Angel stood by the van. It got very quiet. She could hear the wind blowing through the trees and birds chirping in the distance. After a few minutes had passed, the silence was broken by several gunshots. Pop, pop. Pop, pop. Angel jumped. She closed her eyes and tried to remember that they deserved this.
When the men returned, Cole got in the van and drove it farther down the trail, disappearing around a bend.
Angel stood next to his bike. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the others. Not because she was disgusted by what they’d done, but because she felt ashamed. She felt a part in this. They were doing this for Cole, and Cole was doing this for her. To appease her, so she wouldn’t bring the law down on them all. Was this really what she had wanted? Two murders? Then she thought about those girls and all the other girls like her that had come before, that maybe didn’t make it out alive. And her resolve hardened.
“Darlin’, they deserved it,” Crash said to her quietly.
She looked at him, and then nodded. A branch snapped, and she saw Cole walking back up the lane. When he got to her, he didn’t say anything, just got on the bike and pulled her helmet out of the saddlebag, handing it to her. She got on, and they headed back to the interstate.
Soon they were pulling back into the Dead Souls’ clubhouse. They parked and dismounted. The place was empty compared to the last few nights.
Angel followed Cole. The six girls were sitting at one of the picnic tables. The other three brothers were sitting on the porch steps.
Cole nodded toward the girls. “Talk to ‘em.”
Angel nodded.
Cole walked up the porch steps.
Angel turned and looked at the girls. She took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. She walked over and sat down on the end of the picnic table, the girls scooting over to make room for her. After one quick glance at all their faces, she looked down, and then cleared her throat. “That guy? The one that took you?”
Some of the girls, who were looking down, turned and looked at her.
“He…” she swallowed. “He took me, too.”
“What?”
“You?”
She looked around and saw the stunned looks on their faces. “I went with some friends to a party. I think something was put in my drink. I woke up in that van, handcuffed.” She held up her arms, showing them her bruised wrists. She heard some of them suck their breath in. She looked at their faces. “He sold me to another guy that beat and raped me. I was kept in those handcuffs for three days. He planned to leave me for dead out in the desert.” She looked around and saw tears rolling down some of their faces. “But Cole, he saved me. He saved you, too.”
“I was at a party, too,” whispered the girl across from her.
Angel looked around at all their faces. “That Chinese guy? Does anyone else here, besides me, want that son-of-a-bitch dead?”
Every one of them raised their hands.
“Cole and his friends saved us. But if any of you go to the cops and tell them what happened to you, they are going to come after these guys.” She nodded toward the porch. “These guys helped you. Helped you for nothing in return.”
“So, this guy, just…what? Gets away with it?” asked one of the girls.
“He isn’t getting away with it, I promise you. But, would you want the man who kills him for you to go to prison for it?” she asked them.
“No,” the girl responded.
“Will you all keep your mouths shut and let justice be done? Or would you rather call the police and after an embarrassing trial, maybe, just maybe the guy does a few years in jail. Then he’s back on the street again. Free to do it again to another girl. Or to come back looking for one of you?”
That scared them.
“I know how I feel about it. I hope you all feel the same.” She stood and walked away. She went up on the porch and walked over to Cole, who was sitting on the railing at the far end smoking a cigarette. “I did my best.”
“How’d they take it?”
She glanced over her shoulder at them. “I think they understand. Maybe you need to put the fear of God in them.”
Cole looked down at the cigarette in his hand. “Yeah.”
“Or maybe you could use your charm on them. I hear you have a real way with all the ladies.” She smiled.
“Way with the ladies?” he asked. “Doubtful. Where’d you hear that?”
She smiled. “Crystal.”
He tossed his cigarette over the railing. “Crystal needs to keep her mouth shut,” he grumbled.
“Sweet-talk them. Tell them what they want to hear, even if you don’t mean it. Look into their eyes with those baby blues of yours.”
“Yeah. Right,” he scoffed.
“Come on. You’re a good looking guy.”
“Now who’s charming who?” He stood up. “Well, let me go see which works.” He leaned down and kissed her.
“Try the charm first. Finish with the fear.”
“Yeah.” He turned and walked away.
Angel leaned against a support post and watched as his boots pounded down the porch steps.
***