The only thing Cole didn't like about this plan was that Nicole would be riding behind him. But, there was no way not to tip their hand if she didn't get back on the bike. He noticed a tremble in her hand as she strapped on her helmet. He wanted to say it was going to be fine, but that felt kind of silly coming from the man who was about to ride her into battle. Then he noticed the expression in her eyes. They were alight with the fierceness of a small Valkyrie whose wrath was barely contained by her glowing blue irises. "Ready?" he asked.

 

"Ready ten minutes ago," she told him with a smile. "Let's get them."

 

That was probably the moment, the moment he fell in love with her. He wasn't sure now, though, if he hadn't fallen in love with her before this and just now realized the depth of his feelings for her. It felt like he had always loved her and was just now catching up. If it wasn't the moment, it should have been, he decided and got on his bike.

 

He started the engine up and came off the kickstand just as he saw a flash of red movement in the reflection of the diner's window. In that brief flash of reflection, he recalled with pure clarity the Charger coming up behind them and a large gun in the passenger's hands as he was making his way out of the window to sit down on the opening, preparing fire across the top of the car. They were going to strafe them, right here, right now.

 

"Down! Gun!" he shouted, and came off his bike, pulling Nicole with him.

 

His bike fell as its center of gravity was pushed the other way during his hurried dismount. There was no time to look to Brain and he hoped his brother heard him as he rushed Nicole, nearly carrying her, behind a parked car a few feet away. Brian showed up at the back of the car a breath later, his twin guns out and ready. Then Hell hit the other side of the car with a fury of lead and tearing explosions.

 

There was nothing Cole could do except wrap Nicole up in his arms, and cover her with his body, which he did. He expected her to be screaming, but she wasn't. Cole guessed they were about half way down the side of the car, turning it to junk with the automatic weapon when Brian suddenly stood leveling both guns at their attackers with a smooth, graceful motion that made Cole think of a ballet dancer and pulled the triggers of his hand canons -- once.

 

In fact, it sounded like only one shot and the effect was as if Brian just turned Hell back off, like he might turn off a radio. The gunfire was gone and he heard nothing on the other side of the car. Then Brian holstered his nickel-plated guns and looked to Cole, "I think there was a small hole in my plan."

 

Much too curious to lay there any more, both he and Nicole got up, and peered over the hood of their shield. The Cougar was against a parked car across the street, coming to rest there, because the driver was dead and so was the gunman. Both were shot in the head, from what Cole could tell.

 

Cole was too experienced with violence to be in shock for very long. He left Nicole's side and ran across the street to the car, yanking the dead driver back from his dead-weight slouch against the wheel. A quick search rendered him a new 9mm, a cellphone, and the driver's wallet from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, which felt very expensive.

 

Brian finished with the gunman, taking a large automatic pistol, which Cole thought might be an Uzi, and said, "Let's go, we'll round up your men on the way."

 

"I'm behind you. Lead," Cole told him and they ran back to Nicole. Cole yanked his idling bike up, and a got on in one smooth motion. A breath later, Nicole was on the seat behind him. Instead of backing the bike out to the street, he gunned it up over the sidewalk curb, ran around the bullet-riddled car, then back down onto the street with Brian behind him. Just as he was giving his bike fuel, Brian's bike roared past into lead position, heading for the men waiting for them.

 

Nearly halfway back to the club, the four riders pulled over at Cole's signal and Cole got on his cellphone, dialing Jim's by memory. As soon as Jim answered, he ran down the ambush details without preamble and told him they were on their way to the club. "I think they’re going to hit the club, Jim. It's burning in my gut."

 

"Got it and I'm on it," Jim told him and the connection was broken.

 

"Jim's on it; let's ride," he said to the others and they rode through the streets as fast as they could with the traffic, weaving in and out of cars and sharing lanes between them.

 

When they arrived at the club, there were chains across the parking lot entryways and a large sign that said the club was closed due to remodeling; please come back soon. As they approached, two men dropped the chains and let them into the lot.

 

Once inside Jim's office, Jim asked, "All right, tell me what happened" with as demanding and threatening a voice Cole could ever remember hearing, including what was used during all of the action movies he's seen.