Rider

I rode into the village to make the call while Chloe was giving the kids lessons in the morning.

Maluco promised me the backing of Dois Cobras in protecting the orphanage, but the conversation still left a queasy feeling in my stomach. He told me more about the cartel that wants this land and it's a powerful one. So powerful I can't believe they didn't kill everyone here right after the old man died. Or even before then.

I'm lucky that Dois Cobras hate them very much, and that it was this same cartel I saved Maluco from. An all out war's been brewing between them for awhile, and the attempt on his life has now well and truly started it.

Maluco is already rallying his men. They will ride as soon as they have the numbers. He said they should be ready in a day or two, and promised to take the orphanage under his protection after he wins.

If he wins. He didn't add that, but it's all I kept thinking once he revealed the whole scope of his plan.

And even if he does win, I've been in wars between rival gangs and they ain't pretty. Not something you want to involve a whole bunch of children in and hope for the best. Or women, for that matter. Before I met Chloe, met the kids here, and decided to stay, I would've been more than willing to ride into this fight alongside Dois Cobras MC. A little hot-headed violence and bloodshed once in a while was always just what the doctor ordered for me.

But that was back when I was alone, with just my own life to risk. Now my life is worth more, and we're almost right smack in the middle of a full-on war. I don't run from fights, but maybe that's still our best option.

"Did you make the call?" Chloe asks as she meets me halfway between the garage and our bungalow.

"Yes, I did," I say, not sure how to continue. A huge part of me wants to tell her we should run, but I'm afraid what happened the first time I said that will happen again. Sure, she said she'd leave like I suggested, but that was before I got her hopes up.

I pull her into my arms and kiss her, feel my blood that's been frozen, since I heard Dois Cobras' plan, whoosh hot and fast through my veins, washing away all my pussy ass doubts and fears. I will protect Chloe, anywhere, anytime and from anything. And I will protect everything she holds dear too. She's my woman, and there can be no other way.

* * *

An almighty crash, like cars exploding wakes me what feels like seconds after I drifted off to sleep holding Chloe. It's followed by the creaking of wood, and another crash, which is not as loud as the first. There’s also a general hissing that I don't think is from the rain.

"The children!" Chloe shrieks, and lunges for the door, but I hold her back.

"I'll go see what's happening," I tell her and walk to the door.

I open it a crack, staying to the side as I check. The schoolhouse has collapsed on its side, and a bright orange fire is engulfing it.

"It's happened," Chloe says beside me, peering outside too. "The flood's eroded too much of the soil."

She reaches for the door to open it all the way, but I yank her back before she can do it, more roughly than I intended.

"That fire isn't just from the collapsed building," I tell her, since I can smell gasoline.

"The cartel?" she whispers, her eyes open wide in panic. "We have to protect the kids."

I stand between her and the door, so she can't open it, but I'm panicking too, because this might be the night we die.

"We will," I assure her. "But we need to know what we're dealing with first."

I can hear the children talking faintly, and I hope whoever is staying with them tonight won't let them run out into the open.

"I'll go see what's going on," I tell Chloe as I reach into my bag for the gun I used to kill those three guys. The rest of the bullets are still in it, but I'm afraid they won't be enough to save us. But I'll do what I can, and I won't worry until there's real cause to.

Chloe’s eyes are very wide, focused on the gun I'm holding.

"Please be careful," she whispers.

"I'll do my best," I say, since there's no point lying to her. "Stay in here and stay down. Don't come out until I call you."

"What if you get hurt?" she asks in a strangled voice.

We all might get hurt. Killed. But I don't tell her that since there's no need to add to her panic.

"I can take care of myself," I say. "But I can't worry about what you're doing too. Stay here until I come get you. Promise me."

She nods. I hope I can trust her, but there's no more time to make sure.

I crouch beside the door and open it all the way.

The fire has swallowed almost the entire collapsed building now. The wood was soaked through from the rain, which is still coming down pretty hard, so I must've been right about the gasoline because without it, this fire would be out by now.

A lamp is lit in one of the windows of the hut where the boys sleep. A stupid thing, because now whoever set the fire knows exactly which building to target next. The open ground between here and that building is completely deserted. I step over the fence and climb down one of the stilts instead of using the stairs. I keep my back to the fire, and by the time I'm standing on the muddy ground, my night vision has improved. I keep down as I run from cover to cover to get to the boys' dorm from the side.

The children have stopped talking, and at one point I see Ed's round face in the window, peering outside.

I hear Brazilians talking, and I'm almost at the boys' dorm when I see them. There's two of them, both short, like most Latinos are. One of them is holding a gas canister up and shaking it, and they're arguing. They seem to be the only ones around.

I raise my gun and aim at the one with the canister, squeeze the trigger just as their argument escalates into blows and the other one shoves him. The bullet still connects with flesh, just not with his chest where I aimed. His screams are louder than the bang echoing all through the camp.

I run over and grab the one still standing, shove the gun into his side. "How many more of you are there?"

The one on the ground is still screaming, clutching his left arm, as he writhes in the mud.

"How many?" I ask again, since the guy I'm holding is frozen stiff.

"Just us," he says in accented English.

He's just a kid, I realize, they both are. Eighteen at best.

"What happened?" Chloe yells, and I hear her sloshing through the mud behind me.

"Get that one inside and do what you can for him. Get Olivia to help you," I say and drag the one I'm holding towards the boys' dormitory, calling Ed as I do.

He comes down the steps just as I reach the drier ground under the building. My hostage is going willingly enough, probably still in shock from me shooting his friend.

"Ask him who sent them?" I instruct Ed, since I probably won't get very far in English.

Ed asks, and soon they start talking in rapid Brazilian. Olivia and Chloe are having a hard time getting the one I shot to keep still. But finally Olivia manages to quiet him with a few harsh, clipped words. He's able to stand on his own, and they lead him towards us.

Meanwhile Ed and the guy have stopped talking and the silence is very thick.

"What?" I ask Ed, who's staring at me like he's seeing a ghost.

"He claims he's the son of Duro, the cartel boss, and the one you shot is the guy's nephew," Ed says in a very shaky voice. "They came here on their own to take care of this problem for Duro, but people know where they are. They will be coming for them, if they don't return soon."

I don't doubt that, but maybe we still have a couple of hours. I hope we still have a couple of hours.

"Take the gun and shoot him, if he gives you a problem," I say. Ed doesn't react, just stares at me with his mouth open.

"Ed, do it," I say. "And I need a phone."

Ed finally snaps out of his shock and takes the gun. "My phone is up in my room, by my bed."

Upstairs, Olivia and Chloe have the injured guy on Ed's bed, and he's no longer struggling, looks about ready to pass out. His blood has already soaked through the thin mattress and is pooling on the floor beneath the bed.

"Try to keep him alive, if you can. Press down on the wound until it stops bleeding, and tie it off here, tight," I say, pointing at his bicep right below the shoulder."

My bullet went right through his upper arms and it looks like it severed some major vein. It'd be better for us if he lives, but he might not. And then the next best thing would be for me to kill the other one too, and bury their bodies deep in the jungle. But I'd rather not. They're just kids.

I run back to my bungalow to get Maluco's number. It just rings and rings. I've already decided to go back and kill the two kids when he finally picks up.

He's groggy when I start talking, but by the time I finally manage to convey the fact that we've caught the son of his enemy, he perks up.

"We will be there soon," he assures me.

But soon could be hours, if their HQ is closer to that bar I saved him at than to here.

And I'm not sure we have hours before the cartel comes to get their own back.