His Revenge by Charlene Raquel

Chapter One

 

 

Gwen Mason had just fallen asleep in the back seat of Jeff “Tech” Edwards’s 4Runner when her world tumbled out of control. Literally. The vehicle rolled over and over, picking up speed as it flew off the curve on the country lane. Their bags and things flying everywhere as the SUV slid down the incline next to the road. The vehicle finally came to a rocking halt on its roof.

Glass littered the entire inside of the SUV, as an eerie silence settled all around. Gwen was suspended upside-down in the center seat between her best friend, Samantha Leventis, and her boyfriend, Drew Maxwell.

Disoriented, she tried to clear her head. Somehow, they had gotten into a car accident. Powder from the airbags filled the air, causing her to cough as she tried to fill her restricted lungs. Her body ached from being banged around the SUV.

A moan from her right made her turn toward Sam. Her best friend had blood dripping from a slash on her forehead near her hairline. “Sam!”

Gwen’s voice cracked as she tried to speak. Her chest ached from the tight belt. She turned to Drew, reaching out to him. “Drew?”

Drew stirred. “Gwen! Baby, are you okay?”

“I think so. Sam’s hurt. She must have slammed against the passenger side door as we rolled.”

Glancing toward the front, the airbags covered their friend, Dean, and his brother, Jeff, neither of them moving.

“We have to get everyone out of this car.” Drew struggled to release his seatbelt, knowing that he would fall on his head. He didn’t want to worry Gwen, but he saw the large, jacked-up, black truck barrel into the passenger side of their SUV. It happened so fast that he couldn’t even warn Jeff.

“Be careful.” Gwen watched as Drew held onto the belt, trying to provide a little slack to be able to unlatch it. Clinging to the strap, he attempted to slow his fall, but managed to land hard on the ceiling.

He spun around and knelt under Gwen, taking her weight off the seatbelt. “Here. Let me help you and then I’ll get Sam.

Gwen clicked the button and settled in Drew’s arms. He tightened his hold briefly before kissing her forehead and letting her go.

She gave him a partial smile. “Thanks.”

Drew steadied her. “Can you check on Dean and Jeff, while I get Sam down?”

Gwen climbed toward the front, pushing the airbags back. Jeff’s face was covered in blood, causing Gwen the stifle a scream. His chest moved as he took a breath, and she sagged with relief. It looked like most of the blood was coming from his nose.

She moved over to Dean just as he stirred. “Dean? Are you alright?”

Dean groaned, cuts bleeding on the side of his face. “What the hell happened? That truck came out of nowhere.” He glanced over at his older brother. “Jeff!”

Gwen placed her hand on his shoulder as he struggled to get out of his seatbelt. “He’s breathing. I think his nose might be broken. That’s where all the blood is coming from.”

Dean slipped from his harness, scrambling to his brother.

“What happened?” Sam held a hand to her head.

Drew motioned to the two girls. “See if you can slide out through the window.”

Gwen helped Sam crawl her way out.

Drew slipped through his side window to see if he could get Jeff’s door open. “It won’t open, Dean.”

“Okay. Help me try to get him down. We can pull him out the back.” Dean wiped his brother’s face with the edge of his T-shirt.

Gwen sat with Sam a few feet away from the crunched vehicle waiting for the guys to get Jeff out. She wanted to help but the inside was too small for all of them to move around in. “How’s your head? Are you dizzy?”

Sam shrugged. “It hurts, but I’ll be okay. I’m worried about Jeff.”

“Me too.” Gwen was relieved to see Drew and Dean crawl out on the other side of the vehicle, supporting Jeff. He was awake and moving around, which was a good sign.

Sam got up and rushed over to Dean. She wanted to make sure he was okay.

Gwen couldn’t believe they had been in an accident. It had been an awful 24-hours. She wrapped her arms around herself, wondering what else was going to happen. She should have known better than to wonder that.

Something hard jammed her in the back of the head and a voice called out. “You’re coming with me.”

 

~*~*~

 

“Don’t move, motherfucker!” a voice called out.

Gwen froze in place, fear coursing through her. She whimpered as he pressed the gun harder into the back of her neck.

“Step away from her right now!” another one of Jeff’s friends demanded. Gwen thought his nickname was Boomer.

Sam screamed when she turned to face the man who had caught them unaware. Two of the military guys were behind them and one had circled in front. All three had their guns pointed at the man behind Gwen.

“Drop it or I’ll drop you!” the man in front of them yelled. Gwen knew his name was Rip. She remembered it because he looked like a surfer with blond hair and a golden tan. He had jokingly told her that he got the nickname ripping the curl on his board.

The man who had snuck behind them was breathing hard. “I’m taking the girl. I’ll let her go on the road.”

“Not going to happen, asshole.” Rip sneered. “You must be the worst criminal in history, trying to attack a bunch of military personnel. What did you think was going to happen when you hit their SUV? Did you think we wouldn’t notice? Didn’t think we would come kick your ass?”

The man was shaking behind Gwen, and she could feel the gun moving and then suddenly the man was gone. James “Crash” Carter had tackled him and was holding his Glock against the attacker’s head.

“Don’t move, or I’ll blow your fuckin’ head off.” The man’s voice thundered, making Gwen remember that his name was in fact Boomer because he had a deep resonating voice.

Rip pulled Gwen and Sam away and they scrambled around the back of the SUV toward Drew, Dean, and Jeff.

Gwen watched as the other two muscular, Special Forces men surrounded the attacker on the ground.

Drew gathered her in his arms. “No more near-death experiences.” He tightened his hold on her. “I can’t take anyone else trying to hurt you.”

Gwen’s body trembled. “Why is this happening?”

Drew rubbed soothing circles on her back. “I don’t know, but Jeff’s team will find out.”

Crash rolled the gunman’s body around, so he was laying on the ground face down with zip-ties holding his wrists behind his back. He grabbed a knife that the guy had in a sheath at his waist and slipped it in one of the pockets of his cargo pants.

Owen “Rip” Swinton hauled the man up by the back of his collar, shoving him into a seated position. “Who the fuck are you?”

“I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ to any of you.”

Ben “Boomer” Adkins grabbed the front of the man’s white T-shirt and pulled his hand back. “I have no problem beating the answers out of you. Why’d you run them off the road?”

“I ain’t sayin’ a word. I know my rights. I want a lawyer.”

Crash laughed, slapping Boomer on the back. “We’re not cops. You’re not under arrest.”

The man’s eyes glinted, realizing that they might have to let him go.

Boomer laughed. “That’s right. No official arrest. No paperwork. We don’t have to read you your rights. You’ll just disappear, and no one will ever know what happened to you.”

Rip joined them. “We haven’t had any fun lately. I’m looking forward to this.” He rubbed his hands together eagerly.

Boomer grinned. “You’re cleaning the trunk this time. I hate when you get blood all over the place dismembering the bodies. I’ll help you bury it, but I’m not cleaning up the mess.”

The man’s eyes grew wide as the color drained from his face. “You can’t do that!”

He started to struggle, but Crash held him on the ground. Crash leaned closer. “We love it when they struggle.”

Wetness spread on the front of the man’s jeans.

Boomer grinned at Rip. “Told you he’d piss himself within five minutes.”

Rip shook his head in disgust and disappointment. He hated it when Boomer was right. “Now, you know what will happen to you if you don’t answer our questions. Who are you and who do you work for?”

The man trembled. “Hank,” he whispered.

Boomer leaned closer. “What? We can’t hear you.”

“My name’s Hank.”

Crash shoved him hard. “So, Hank. Why’d you run my friends off the road?”

Hank glanced at Drew, Dean, and Jeff as they moved closer.

Boomer slapped Hank. “We’re talking to you!”

“It was an accident.” Hank tried to scoot back but stopped when the three men glared at him.

“Wrong answer!” Crash smacked Hank on the back of the head.

“I swear!” Hank ducked his head forward.

Boomer’s gaze narrowed. “Why were you sneaking down the slope with a gun?”

“It was for protection.” Hank mumbled. “I was checking on them.”

Rip shook his head dramatically. “It’s such a shame you keep lying to us Hank.” He glanced back at the kids. “Drew, why don’t you and Dean take the ladies up the hill and see if you can call for help. The cell service might be better up there.”

Gwen was about to protest but stopped when Jeff shook his head.

“It’s better if you four are not present for this.” Jeff blew out a breath. “There are some things about our jobs that we don’t like to share.”

“Okay.” Gwen mumbled as she followed Drew, Dean, and Sam.

“I’m going to keep an eye on them, so they don’t get into trouble.” Jeff followed the foursome as they slowly scaled the slope.

Boomer waited until they were out of sight and grabbed the front of Hank’s shirt, bunching up the collar. “Give me one reason not to beat the hell out of you.”

“He’s just going to keep lying. Knock him out and when he wakes up, he might remember better.” Rip suggested helpfully.

“Okay. Okay. I – I was paid to wait for the SUV to round the curve and crash into it.”

“Why?” Crash demanded.

“I don’t know!”

Boomer pushed Hank back. “You’re pissing us off.”

“I really don’t know!” Hank whimpered when Boomer cuffed him on the ear.

Crash gripped his shoulder to keep Hank from moving. “Who paid you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Wrong again, asshole.” Boomer grabbed his shirt again and tugged him to his feet.

“I swear. I don’t know!”

Rip frowned. “We’re not getting anywhere. Let’s just kill him now and be down with it. He obviously doesn’t know anything.”

Crash pulled the knife from his side pocket slowly, making sure Hank’s eyes were on it. “There is a certain sort of pleasure knowing we get to kill this fucker with his own knife.”

“No! Please! Don’t. I’ll, I’ll tell you what I know.”

Rip sighed deeply. “It might be too late. What do you think, Boomer?”

Boomer shrugged. “The ladies are just at the top of the hill so we should probably show them what gentlemen we are and not kill him right here.”

Rip nodded. “Good point. There are trees just over there. That would provide enough privacy.”

Crash pulled Hank to his feet. “Let’s go.”

“No! They were going to pay me. Just a little accident.”

“Why did you come down the slope? Were you coming to finish the job? Kill everyone inside the vehicle?” Rip knocked Hank down on his knees.

“No! I ain’t killin nobody. I don’t do that.” Hank was shaking on his knees.

Rip glanced over at Jeff’s bloody shirt draped over the opened door of the SUV. “My buddy over there almost died. Look at him! Everyone in that truck could have died! You better tell us everything or you’ll look worse than him in about thirty seconds. Who paid you, and what exactly were you paid to do?”

“I don’t know who it is. I get a text message with a job. Once I do it, I text back, and I get a location and time to get my money.”

“What did the text say? What was your exact job?” Crash demanded.

“Uh, umm. Just to hit the SUV.” Hank leaned back away from Rip.

“What else? Don’t make us pull the answers from you, you won’t like our methods,” Boomer sneered. “You were sneaking up behind the girls. Why?”

“They told me to grab her. The blond.”

“You could have killed her.” Crash tossed the knife from hand to hand. “I bet your boss won’t be too happy about that.”

Crash grinned. “Let me see your phone.”

The man’s hands were still zip tied behind his back, so it was difficult for him to slip his phone from his rear pocket, but Hank managed it and tossed Crash the phone.

Crash swiped it. “What’s the password?”

Hank stayed silent.

Crashed smacked Hank in the side of his head. “Password. I hate repeating myself.”

Hank whimpered. “Sixty-nine sixty-nine.”

Crash wrinkled his nose. “Eww. You better not have done anything nasty with this phone.” He typed in the password and brought up Hank’s text messages. His gaze narrowed. “You were only supposed to cause a fender bender, not push them down the fuckin’ hill!”

Boomer grasped Hank around the throat, squeezing. Hank’s toes barely touched the ground. “Give us one good reason to keep you alive.”

“I was just doing my job! Picking up a package and dropping it off.” Hank’s head snapped back when Boomer slapped him again.

Boomer dropped him and stepped away. “Rip, man, take over or I’ll kill this motherfucker.”

Crash swung the phone back and forth in front of Hank. “It doesn’t say where you were supposed to take her.”

“When I pick something up, I bring it with me to the money drop. Someone will be there to collect her.”

Crash sneered at Hank. “I sent a message of my own. How long before you get a location?”

Hank’s eyes volleyed between his captors. “I, uh, I don’t know. A few minutes?”

Crashed nodded. “Then we wait.”