by Mike Ryan
“Good. What about the girls? You still have some there? You can put them back on the job to help make up for what was lost.”
“I only have five here right now,” Meyer said. “It won’t nearly make up for the lost income.”
“It’s a start, though.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“I tell you what, I got a girl right now that I might be able to bring over for you. Believe me, she’d be perfect for you. Pretty face, nice body, she would do well for you.”
“Oh yeah? What’s her name?”
Flores laughed. “Otto, my friend, who has time for names? She’s a pretty girl, that’s all I know. Names don’t interest me.”
“How’d you find her? Where she at?”
“She just kind of fell into my lap, so to speak. Right now, she’s with a contact of mine. But she may walk soon, so if you want her, we’d have to make the deal right now.”
“I don’t know if I can swing it right now with everything else I got going on.”
“Listen, you need to rebuild. It happens. Happens to everyone no matter what line you’re in. Sometimes the roof caves in. You just put a new one up. But do you lay there in your bed, looking up at the sky without a roof over your head? No, you put a new one up as soon as possible. Same goes with this. Get as many girls as possible right away and continue on like nothing happened. That way you don’t lament over this. That’s the worst thing that you could do.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“Tell you what I’ll do. I’ll get this girl, bring her over to you, I’ll hand her over, you don’t even have to pay me for her right away. You can wait until you got the business up and running full steam before you make a payment arrangement.”
“That’s generous of you, Sergio. Thank you.”
“So what do you say? I’ll bring over the girl, we’ll have some wine, you get back on your feet. You’ll be up and running again in no time.”
“OK, that sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll be over in an hour, maybe two.”
“I’ll be here.”
Nicole hit the button to end the call.
Flores looked at the two of them and smiled. “How’d I do?”
Bridge nodded, impressed. “You actually did good. You sounded believable.”
“The trick to sounding believable is actually believing in what you say.”
“So how many girls have you brought to him before?” Nicole asked. “It sounds as if this wouldn’t be the first time.”
Flores shrugged. “I don’t know a number. A few times.”
“A few times too many.” Nicole shook her head. “I mean, of all the gall, what gives you guys the right to kidnap people and make them do things against their will? What gives you the right to do that?”
“It’s just business. It’s nothing personal.”
“You have a wife. How would you feel if one day she was gone and then learned she was forced into one of these businesses? That wouldn’t bother you?”
“Of course it would bother me.”
“So why is it OK for you guys to do that to other people?”
“Because we don’t know them.”
Nicole reached her arm back, ready to sock the man in the face. Bridge quickly recognized that she was about to lay a beating on him and rushed over to grab her arm before she was able to do it.
“Now’s not the time for that,” Bridge said.
“He’s such a pig.”
“We know that. Punching his lights out won’t change that.”
“No, but it’ll make me feel better.”
“Believe me, I understand that. But we also don’t want him nicked up before we go into the meeting with Meyer. The last thing we need is for Meyer to start asking questions and look at us funny before we’re ready.”
“OK.”
“If it makes you feel better, you can hit him after all of this is over.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Flores laughed, not really feeling threatened by the woman. “You like it rough, huh?”
Bridge turned around to look at him. “I’d shut up if I were you. Because she could legit kick your ass even if you weren’t tied up.”
“I also know how to inject you with something that would blow you up from the inside or make you feel so much pain that you would wish I would rip off every inch of your skin with my fingers because that would be more soothing than the alternative.”
Flores tilted his head back, actually thinking that the woman sounded a bit crazy. He recognized there was a hint of happiness in her voice that sounded like she would really enjoy torturing him like that. Instead of responding, he kept his mouth shut, a nervous-looking expression on his face.
“Guess we need to get moving,” Nicole said. She then went over to the chair and untied Flores, who finally felt some relief in his wrists and ankles after having been restrained for a couple of days.
“Feels good to be free again,” Flores said.
Bridge wanted to make sure he was aware of the ground rules, though. “Let me be perfectly clear so you understand. If you do not comply with what we want you to do, or you go off script, or you try to escape, or you try to warn somebody, or you do anything other than what we expressly tell you to do, I will shoot you immediately without a warning or without a second thought.”
“I think that’s been made abundantly clear already.”
“I just want you to know that I will do it.”
“I’ve got it. I just want to get back to my family and my business at this point.”
“And you can always find another Otto at some point to replace him, right?” Nicole sarcastically said.
Flores grinned. “Sure.”
“All right, let’s get out of here,” Bridge said.
“Before we do, may I call my wife to let her know I’m OK?”
“No. You can call her when you’re done.”
“What’s the harm?” Bridge pulled out his gun and pointed it at Flores’ head. “OK, OK, I’ll call her when I’m done.”
The three of them left the room and went to the car, ready to finish their mission.
21
It took ninety minutes to get to Meyer’s place. It was in a remote area with several acres of land separating it from the next house. They stopped well short of it, making sure they had everything in place. Nicole was driving, with Bridge in the back seat with Flores. Bridge and his girlfriend switched positions, thinking it would look strange if the girl Flores was supposedly selling was also doing the driving.
“You remember the role you’re playing?” Bridge asked.
Flores didn’t look happy about it, but still nodded. “I remember, I remember. You don’t have to worry. I want to get out of here as much as you do.”
Nicole handed Bridge her guns, who stuffed them in his belt. In case Meyer wanted to look Nicole over, it probably wasn’t a good idea if he saw a weapon on her. Not until they were ready. Once everyone was organized, Bridge put the car in drive and drove up to the front gate. As he stopped just short of it, the two guards approached the car, looking in the windows.
“Mr. Flores here,” Bridge said. “He’s expected.”
As the guard looked in the back window, Flores put his hand in the air to wave to the guard, who knew him from previous encounters there.
“Just drive up to the main house,” the guard said.
“Will do,” Bridge replied.
The gate opened and Bridge drove through, taking a careful look at their surroundings, making a mental note of any guards he saw. He only saw two others, though. That meant the rest were inside somewhere. Once the car stopped in front of the main building, Bridge got out, then opened the back door, allowing Nicole and Flores to step out. As Bridge closed the door behind them, Meyer, escorted by two guards, came out of the house.
“Sergio,” Meyer said, extending his hand to shake.
“Otto, good to see you, my friend.”
/> Meyer then noticed Bridge, who was not familiar to him. Dealing with Flores before, Meyer thought he knew all of his men. “Who is this, Sergio? A new man?”
“Yes, yes, just hired this week. He came highly recommended. He’s on a test period.”
Meyer looked around, not seeing the rest of Flores’ protection, as was the norm. “Only one guard today?”
“As I said, he’s on a test period. I want to see how good he really is without having to lean on the others.”
“You take chances, my friend.”
Flores put his hand in the air. “Ahh, what is a life without taking chances and risks? Keeps things alive and interesting.”
Meyer laughed, then let his attention turn to the beautiful woman next to Flores. He looked her up and down multiple times, letting his mind run away with him. “I take it this is her?”
“It is,” Flores replied.
Nicole continued looking down to play the part. Meyer reached his hand up and touched her hair, though Nicole swatted his hand away.
Meyer laughed. “A little saucy. I like that. I like a woman with a little spunk.”
“She has plenty of it,” Flores said.
“What’s your price?”
“As I said on the phone, nothing needs to be paid now.”
“But we must still settle on a price for later.”
“Let’s go inside and have a glass of wine and discuss it.”
“Very good,” Meyer said, slapping Flores on the back.
Nicole, Flores, and Meyer walked past the two guards, who then stepped closer to each other to form a wall. Bridge tried to follow them, but was blocked.
“Not you,” one of the guards said.
“I go where he goes,” Bridge replied.
“Not now.”
Bridge repeated his stance, though in a firmer manner. “I go where he goes.”
“No, you don’t.”
Bridge shrugged, then looked away. Suddenly, he kicked the man to his left in the stomach, then hit the other guard with a left cross. He then alternated between the two guards, hitting them both multiple times in the face with his hands. Within a few seconds, they were both out of the fight. The others had looked on from the door. Bridge adjusted his shirt and walked over the two men to catch up to the others. Meyer looked at his friend, impressed with his new bodyguard’s abilities.
“Quite a show, Sergio.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Flores answered.
“Where did you get him from?”
“Former life in the government. Now a gun-for-hire.”
“You must tell me if he has friends. Or if you decide to get rid of him.”
“Not likely. On either account.”
They went inside, Meyer going over to a cabinet and pulling out a bottle of tequila. “Your favorite brand,” Meyer said, holding the bottle up. He then grabbed a couple of glasses and brought them over to the couch, setting everything down on a glass table.
“So, about the price,” Meyer said, taking a shot.
Bridge didn’t let Flores answer. He walked over to the table, with everyone watching him to see what he was doing. He grabbed the drink that was meant for Flores and drank it himself. He contorted his face as if he didn’t enjoy what he just drank.
“Yeah, not really my style. Burns too much.”
“Sergio, you just let this man…”
“No, he didn’t. And about the price, she isn’t for sale.”
“What? What is going on here?”
Bridge took out two pistols and tossed them to his partner, then took out his own guns. Then, the front door opened, the two guards that Bridge had just taken out had come back for another round. Bridge and Nicole didn’t wait for anything, though, and both immediately fired, each killing one of the guards. As their bodies dropped to the floor, Nicole ran over to the door and shut it, then locked it to make sure they weren’t interrupted.
“Sergio, what is going on?”
“I’m sorry, my friend,” Flores replied. “It is not my doing.”
Bridge pointed the gun at Meyer’s head. “Evelyn Fester. Where is she?”
“Names mean nothing to me.”
Bridge took the picture out of his pocket and held it out for Meyer to see. “Ring any bells?”
Meyer leaned back on the couch. “What do you want?”
“I just told you. I want Evelyn and whoever else you’re holding here against their will.”
“Who are you? Are you the one who took apart my warehouses, stole my girls, and killed my men?”
Bridge smiled. “That would be me.”
“Why? What do these women mean to you? What is this crusade of yours?”
“This crusade, as you say, is about freeing people who are not slaves. It is illegal, you know. Find a different line of work.”
“I go where the money is.”
“As fascinating as this conversation is, I don’t really have time for it. Show us where the girls are.”
Meyer then looked at Flores. “You know this will be the end of you. I will make sure everyone knows what you did here.”
“I know you will,” Flores replied.
“The girls,” Bridge sternly said. “Now.”
“You’ll never leave here,” Meyer said.
“I think we might.”
“I have men all over.”
“If they’re as tough as the two we just took out, I like our chances.”
“After you leave here, I will find you. There is no place you can hide.”
“Who’s hiding?”
“I will find you. And I will kill you.”
“Have fun trying,” Bridge said. “The girls. Now. Or I’ll just put a bullet in your head now and go find them myself.”
With a look of disdain on his face, Meyer got up and walked around the couch toward a hallway. Bridge followed him, then looked back at the others.
“Stay here in case anyone else tries to come in,” Bridge said.
“Be careful,” Flores said. “Wherever he’s taking you, there will be guards. Especially if it’s around the girls.”
Bridge looked at him and nodded, appreciating the tip. They disappeared into a hallway, eventually coming to a few steps, which they descended, leading to another hallway. After a few minutes of walking, they turned a corner, leading to a door, with two men standing on opposite sides of it.
Meyer dove onto the floor. “Kill him!”
The men weren’t sure what was happening, but raised their weapons. As soon as Meyer dove to the floor, Bridge pointed his gun at the guards, firing a couple of rounds at each of them. Both of them were dead before they had a chance to return fire. Meyer sighed as he looked up and saw his men had perished.
“Get up,” Bridge said, pulling on Meyer’s shirt.
“You’ll still never leave here.”
“So you say. Open the door.” Meyer hesitated, causing Bridge to lose his temper. He forcefully put his Glock on the side of Meyer’s head. “Open the door.”
Meyer reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. Bridge released his grip of him and allowed him to unlock the door. Meyer looked back at him after he did so.
“Open it.”
Bridge kept his gun pointed in front of him in case there were more surprises on the other side of the door. Meyer pushed it open, revealing all the women that he was keeping there. Bridge pushed Meyer through the door, then walked through it himself, putting an eye on the five women that were there. There she was. Evelyn Fester. All the way on the left. Bridge looked at her and smiled.
“Evelyn.”
“Who are you?” she asked.
Bridge couldn’t help but let out a smile mixed with a laugh, happy he finally found her. “Your sister sent me to find you.”
“Sharon?”
Bridge nodded. “I’m here to take you guys home. Wherever that is. If you guys have anything that means anything to you, hurry up and grab it now. But we gotta move fast.”
As Bridge was
talking to the girls, Meyer slowly backed away, then made a move for one of the guns from the dead guards. One of the girls screamed.
“Behind you!” Evelyn yelled.
Bridge spun around and quickly located Meyer on the ground, firing three shots that all hit their mark. Meyer died instantly. It wasn’t Bridge’s intention to kill him, but he wasn’t sorry he was dead either. It probably worked out better this way. At least there were women in the world who now would no longer have to worry about him.
Bridge kept his focus on the girls and turned back to them. “Everyone good?”
“We’re fine,” Evelyn answered. “We just really wanna get out of here.”
“Then I guess you should follow me.”
They went back through the halls until they finally got to the main room again. Both Nicole and Flores noticed Meyer wasn’t with the group.
“Where’s our host?” Nicole asked.
“He decided to try his luck,” Bridge replied. “He failed. I got two more guards back there while I was getting the ladies out.”
“That should still leave about eight,” Flores said. “Including the two at the front gate.”
“So six that we have to worry about now.” Bridge noticed Nicole looking out the window. “How’s it looking out there?”
“I see a few guards walking.”
“Close?”
“We might be able to get to the car. Probably not without a fight, though.”
“Well, that’s what we expected anyway. I think the longer we wait, the more problems we’ll have. Let’s just go for it.”
“I agree,” Flores said.
“As if someone asked you,” Nicole said.
Bridge then turned back to the girls. “OK, so listen. We’ve got an SUV out there. We’re gonna make a run for it, it’s just outside the door. What I want you guys to do is head straight for the trunk. I’ll open it and I want you guys to pile in and get down on the floor. I don’t want any stray bullets or broken glass hitting you while sitting up. Lie face down, OK?”
“What about you?” Evelyn asked.
“We’ll be out there providing cover, making sure you get in OK. When you’re all in, we’ll get in the front and make a break for it. There could be a lot of shooting, so be ready for it.”
“We’re ready.”
