Page 20 of Babe's Bounty
“What’s happening?” Scorch asks.
“Min found a young girl inside the basement of the church. She’s bringing her out. She’s following a man who I think is carrying an injured woman. Min’s likely planning to take out the guy and steal his ride.”
The three of us position ourselves across the street. I spot a black SUV with its back open in the parking lot. I see the SUV bounce once before spotting the girl wearing the blanket dive into the passenger seat. The sound of the car door slamming shut echoes across the empty street. It’s followed soon after by another. I hold my breath until I see Min step into view and climb behind the wheel.
Min spots us when she reaches the street. When we think she’s going to pull over, Scorch takes charge.
“Tell her to drive through to the back of the garage,” he says, and I repeat his instructions to Min. She gives me a nod and takes off for the garage. By the time we’re back, she’s parked the SUV and is climbing out. The three of us rush forward as she puts herself between us and the SUV.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Scorch yells.
“I was thinking I wanted to rescue a woman from being murdered and a young girl from more abuse,” she angrily whispers back with a concerned look at the SUV’s passenger.
Scorch scowls, but before he can respond, I take over.
“Tell us what you found. I heard some of it, but not everything.”
“I’d love to, but we don’t have time. The guy in the back may wake up and the woman needs medical help right away. Physically, the girl seems okay, but I don’t know what they’ve done to her. Plus, I think she’s underage. We need to take both of them to the hospital and call the police.”
I share a look with Scorch before turning back to Min. “We can’t call the police, at least we can’t,” I say, gesturing between my brothers and me.
“But…,” Min starts, but then Scorch raises his hand to stop her.
“You can take them,” he says. “We have a loaner car over there. Torque can move the woman into the backseat.”
Min opens her mouth to argue, but takes the keys from the prospect who ran inside to get them. Torque opens the SUV and gently lifts the woman out before laying in the backseat of the loaner car. The man inside remains unconscious.
“Don’t tell the cops where you found her,” I tell Min. She gives me a look that I interpret easily.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m going to tell them. I’ll discuss it with her on the way,” Min says, gesturing between Kristi and herself. “You just take care of the asshole.”
“We will,” I tell her, tapping the hood of the car.
Stepping back to the SUV, I’m in time to see Scorch and Torque drag the man out of the SUV. They let him drop to the ground. Scorch turns to the prospect.
“Get this SUV to the chop shop and strip it down. We don’t know if they have a tracker on it and we don’t want it leading them to our door.”
The prospect nods and takes off. I turn to Scorch. “What are we going to do with him?” I nod at the ground.
“He’s going to the Shed. We have some questions for him.”
CHAPTER TWELVE: MIN
By the time we’ve reached the hospital, Kristi is quietly sobbing. But the lack of any sound from the woman in the backseat has me slamming into park and hopping out of the car screaming for help. I only stop when someone wearing scrubs rushes out with two orderlies pushing a gurney.
“What’s wrong?” the person wearing scrubs asks. I see her name badge. Cicely Oswald, RN.
“I found this woman, both women, on the street outside a church. The one in the backseat is unconscious. I think someone broke her jaw. She has bruises and other wounds all over her body. She hasn’t made a sound since I found her. Kristi also needs help.”
The nurse leaves the orderlies to move the body of the unconscious woman while Nurse Oswald moves to assist Kristi. I’m torn because I want to follow them, but know that I should move the car out of the way.
“Are you coming inside? The police will want to talk with you.”
“I’m coming. Let me park my car.”
She nods before they all disappear inside. As much as I don’t want to talk with the cops, I dutifully park the borrowed car and head inside to wait.
And wait.