Devin

 

I heard Katia’s ear-piercing scream cutting through the air. Just then, the van began to move again. Her scream had paralyzed me momentarily. It was like I’d forgotten how to breathe. But as I saw the van taking off into the darkness, I knew that if anything, hearing her shrieks of pain had only strengthened my resolve.

 

Tightening the grip on my handlebars, I steered the bike onto the road behind the van. The roar of another bike behind me was enough to make me turn my head, and I grinned when I saw Tristan and Marlo coming up from the left. Tristan saluted me.

 

“That’s him,” I yelled, pointing ahead towards the white utility van as it swerved and careened over the roads. I didn’t know what Ryan had done to Katia, but I couldn’t get the sound of her screams out of her head. Every time I blinked, every time I closed my goddamned eyes, I heard her shrieks of pain.

 

Marlo and Tristan nodded.

 

“We’ll get that fucker!” Marlo yelled over the roar of the bikes. “We’ll fuckin’ get him—don’t worry, Dev!”

 

I didn’t reply. Instead, I gritted my teeth and kept staring straight ahead as the van careened around a sharp turn. I had no idea where we were going. We were headed south, towards the border of Mexico. I knew that Ryan couldn’t possibly be stupid enough to try to bring Katia into Mexico, but then again, I didn’t think he’d have been stupid enough to shoot Troy, either.

 

This guy was truly unhinged. I felt guilty for not taking Katia more seriously when she’d told me about what a creep he was. I’d just assumed he was some scorned white guy, embittered because a beauty queen had turned him down time. But this was insane. It was almost like he’d been waiting for the right moment to snap.

 

I wondered what that moment was. Katia’s assistant, Anya, had been getting creepy phone calls for weeks before Katia heard anything from Ryan. Had Ryan wanted Anya to convey the message sooner? Was he pissed that she hadn’t told Katia immediately? Why had Ryan waited until Katia had me around before trying anything truly gnarly?

 

The van showed no signs of slowing down or stopping again. I was starting to get frustrated. No, more than that – I was starting to get really, really angry. Fury was seeping into my veins and taking over my blood; it was pumping through my limbs and infusing my whole body with a sense of rage. I had a feeling that Ryan knew we were following him and that he was only doing this to make me sweat.

 

You’ll be the one sweating in prison, trying to get away from all of the other men, I thought with a humorless smile as I kicked my bike into a higher gear. You know what they do to kidnappers and rapists, don’t you? They’re gonna kick your ass and make sure you’re hollering for your mother by the end of shower-time.

 

The wind blew into my face, blowing back my lips and ruffling my eyelashes into my eyes. I squinted and leaned down closer to the handlebars, pressing on.

 

“Where’s he going?” Marlo yelled. He pulled his bike alongside mine. “If we don’t stop, we’re gonna be in Mexico soon!”

 

I nodded. I didn’t want to say anything that could make it more true. I was already more terrified of never seeing Katia again than anything in the world, and if Ryan took her to Mexico, I knew that was exactly what would happen. I didn’t even have a passport, so it wasn’t like I could chase her. And if he smuggled her over the border….

 

Chills ran down my spine. No, I wouldn’t think about that just yet. I wasn’t ready to think about that.

 

I sped up until I was driving alongside the van. I could still hear Katia’s screams in my head. They sent shivers of terror through my whole body, but at least she was alive. At least she was able to scream. I knew that she had to be terrified. I wondered how had it happened. Had he knocked on the door and grabbed her, taking her out to the van and then driving away? Or had she left the motel room, looking for me, and they’d stumbled upon each other like old friends?

 

No matter how it happened, I knew that it was my fault.

 

Ideally, Marlo, Tristan, and I would be able to get Katia free of Ryan’s clutches without resorting to extreme violence. That was an absolute rule that the Wicked Bones had always followed. But if Ryan didn’t stop soon, I’d grab Marlo’s gun and blow one of the tires out. I almost wanted to see the van crash, except for the very real possibility that Katia would be hurt. I’d seen the inside of those utility vans before – cold, impersonal metal. If she wasn’t restrained, she was probably already bruised to hell and back from sliding around in the van.

 

“Give me your gun!” I yelled to Marlo.

 

Marlo reached into his jacket and pulled out a small handgun. He veered his bike closer to mine until I could reach out and pluck the metal gun from his grasp. I nodded my thanks, then sped up.

 

Things were about to get ugly, but if it resulted in getting Katia away from Ryan, then that was for the best.

 

“I can’t wait much longer!” I yelled to Marlo. “My bike’s almost outta gas! This guy has to stop soon!”

 

Marlo nodded. I wondered again why Ryan hadn’t filled the van up at the last service station. My stomach clenched into a fearful knot when I realized that it was probably because he’d been too busy with Katia in the back. But she’s alive, I reminded myself as my bike zoomed around a sharp curve in the road. She’s alive, and she’s still screaming. That’s what counts. Everything’s going to be okay; she’s going to live right through this and maybe even laugh about it someday. She’s going to come out of this smelling like a rose.

 

Finally, the van braked. The red tail lights were an alien sight, and I gasped as they flashed brightly before my eyes. As quickly as I could, I slowed my bike and tried to stay out of side of the side view mirror.

 

I could hear the van’s engine rattling as Ryan guided the van over to a shoulder of the road again. There was another service station only a few hundred feet again. A rush of victorious energy spilled into my body. Yes! He’s going to get gas! He’s going to leave the van, and then I can go get Katia!

 

Ryan slowed the van to a stop. I slowed my bike and touched my boots to the ground about twenty feet back. It was still dark, but the sky was beginning to show streaks of pink and orange. I knew that soon dawn would break and my cover would be blown.

 

I knew this was my last chance to save Katia on my own, or risk losing her forever.