Rider

The first of the men have reached the boys' dorm, I can hear them talking right under us.

"What's your name?" I ask the kid.

"Francisco Santos de—"

"That's all I need," I interrupt.

"I have Francisco!" I yell. "Drop your weapons and go back to your cars. Then I'll send him out to you!"

The walls of these houses are paper thin, and I know they can hear me clearly. The silence that follows my words confirms it. Maybe there's still a way to move this altercation to somewhere else.

"Send him out now, and you won't all die."

Francisco shouts something in Brazilian, but I punch him in the jaw so hard I might have broken it before he can finish his sentence.

He screams and the men outside all start shouting at once. I hear at least two of them running up the creaking stairs. I shoot a round through the roof. It's a waste of a bullet, but it's not like I'll do a lot with single, not even fully loaded Glock anyway.

The noise outside dies down to complete fucking silence again.

"Let's cool it!" I shout. "That was a warning shot. The next one goes through Francisco's head."

They're talking now, but in whispers, and I finally hear the sound I've been yearning to hear since this mess started. The roar of hogs approaching is unmistakable, fills this entire valley with noise that sounds better than all the angels in heaven singing at once.

Ed's phone is ringing in my pocket. I pick up, dragging Francisco to the back window from where I can just see the entrance to the camp. And hear gun fire.

"I have the boss' son and nephew in the big building by the showers," I tell Maluco on the phone. "Don't kill them all before we have a chance to negotiate."

"Negotiate?" he says and barks a harsh laugh. "We have your camp surrounded. I will send some men to get the hostages, and we will take it from here."

The gun fire is getting closer, so close I'm sure Chloe can hear it. I hope she doesn't come down here. I hope she understood that she needs to wait for me to come for her no matter what.

There's shouting too, and a bullet comes through the floor, mere inches from my foot, sending my adrenaline pumping worse than it already was. I'm itching to join the fight, it always works that way for me. I've never walked away from a fight, some I've even walked right into without needing to. Like saving Maluco the other day, which might have just saved us all. But the desire to join this shootout is a distant thing today, because you never know if you'll walk away from a fight you walked into, and I want to see Chloe again.

The gunfire stops suddenly, all that's left of it faint echoes of the bangs, interspersed by angry words and moans of the dying. I know those well.

Francisco is shaking, pisses himself once heavy boots thudding can be heard outside the room we're in.

Maluco enters, followed by two other bikers.

"Only ten cartel members came to get these two," he tells me. "I'll take the hostages now."

Francisco actually grabs my arm as I shove him towards Maluco. He's a scared little kid right now, but he came here to do murder last night, and I have no compassion for him. I figure Maluco won't harm him, he's too valuable a hostage.

"That one needs a doctor, if you want him to live," I say, pointing at the kid I shot.

"We'll take care of it," Maluco says, directing the two bikers with him to pick up the unconscious kid, while he grabs Francisco's arm.

"I will leave some of my men here, in case the cartel comes back," he says and chuckles. "But I do not think they will."

"Thank you," I say as he retreats out.

Francisco is resisting so hard he practically has to drag him. But after a few short words in Brazilian the kid relaxes.

"We will talk when all is done," Maluco says.

I know what that means. He plans to use me if he needs me after this, and I'm sure Chloe won't like that. She wouldn't like me handing over the two hostages to him either, but everything can be lived with, as long as you live. Which I'm finally beginning to hope we might.

And from now on, nothing will keep me away from Chloe again.

I spend the briefest time introducing myself to the bikers who are staying, before rushing up the ravine, trying to run up to the big house. But the mud is preventing that, since my legs sink in up to my knees in some places.

I'm breathless and covered in mud by the time I reach the house.

"Chloe! It's me!" I yell after my knocks on the front door go unanswered.

A French window to the side of the main door opens and Chloe peers outside. She doesn't say anything, just comes out on the porch and runs towards me. She jumps into my arms when I open them, not saying anything, just holding onto me very tightly like she did on the night I came back.

"Is it over?" she finally whispers, soft like she's afraid to ask.

I shift her in my arms so I can look into her face. "Yes, it's over, you're safe now."

"And we can stay?"

"Yes, we can stay."

The smile she gives me is more radiant than any sunshine I've ever seen, or felt, on my face. If she'll smile at me like that forever, I'll be the happiest man on earth and in heaven.