Chapter Sixteen Min

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: MIN

I let Babe relate all the information the club has gathered since he knows what to share and what stays club business. As he talks, I pull out my phone and dash off a text to Chrome, letting him know we won't need the lawyer. He sends me a few questions that I quickly answer before he gives me the thumbs up sign. Since Babe is still talking, I pull up Google maps and scan the area where Mode lost the SUV carrying the girls. As Mode said, the area is mostly residential. It's also sprawling.

It's one of those massive residential areas with strip malls mixed into the neighborhoods. But those aren't the only buildings. I spot three churches. Knowing Jordan's penchant for churches and basements, I look up each church to vet them. A quick Internet search tells me they are all active with regularly scheduled services. Regardless, I shoot a text off to Mode with the name and address for each church. I spot two grade schools and a high school, but ignore them for now. All three schools are open and active. However, I find two buildings that show promise. The first is a strip mall that has more vacancies than tenants. The second is a former community center that's listed for sale. I send both addresses to Mode to see if he can uncover any information about them. I hit send just as Washington and Schwartz stand to shake Babe's hand. Rising, I get the same treatment before Schwartz offers to walk us out.

"Didn't the lawyer show?" Babe asks Chrome after we've said goodbye to Detective Schwartz.

"He did," Chrome says with a frown. "I sent him away after getting Min's text."

Babe glances at me, and I nod. "Figured I'd let him know we weren't being whipped by hoses or something."

They chuckle as we walk outside.

"We should head back to the clubhouse," Chrome says. "You can fill us in on what the cops wanted."

Before I can take my seat behind Babe, my phone buzzes with an unknown local number. I raise my finger to let Babe know I'm taking it.

"This is Min."

"Min? It's Cicely Oswald, Nurse Oswald. We met earlier today?"

"Of course, Cicely. What can I do for you?"

"I need your help. Two men tried to grab me as I was leaving the hospital. I escaped and ran back inside. I'm hiding, but they're looking for me."

"We're on our way," I say, locking eyes with Babe, who nods in agreement. "What about security? Can they run interference?"

"I've called them, but I'm scared. Can you come?"

"We're on our way," I say, climbing onto the back of Babe's bike and transferring my phone to the bluetooth in my helmet.

Chrome and Babe ride side-by-side as we race toward the hospital. I keep Cicely updated on our progress as she tells me where to find her once we arrive.

"She's hiding in the pharmacy," I tell Chrome and Babe as soon as we stop. "It has an electronic lock on it. The pharmacist and the techs have eyes on the assholes. They're waiting her out."

"Well, let's go see if we can distract them," Chrome says with a chuckle.

"We're on our way," I tell Cicely. "Don't move from your position until I call you back and let you know you're safe."

"Thank you," she whispers before ending the call.

The pharmacy is on the first floor, so we don't leave Cicely waiting for long.

"I'll go in first," I tell them and see them both gearing up for an argument. "They don't me, but they might recognize your kuttes. Let me get a visual on them."

Babe and Chrome nod reluctantly. Entering the pharmacy waiting room, I see our targets immediately. Daniel Foster and Joseph Baumbach are standing near the window separating the pharmacy technicians from the waiting room. I can see the nervous glances the tech gives them as she's giving instructions to an equally nervous young mother. I'm considering my options as I return to Babe and Chrome.

"It's Baumbach and Foster. They're right by the counter," I tell them. "There are several people in the waiting room. Too many potential hostages. If I can get them to turn their backs on the entrance, you could sneak up behind them."

"How are you going to do that?" Babe asks.

A door nearby has a lock on it. I'm assuming it leads into the pharmacy. Pulling out my phone, I call Cicely and tell her my plan. When she gives me the all-clear, I knock on the door. When it opens, I slip inside and take the pharmacist's coat a tech offers me.

After putting it on, I step forward to the window where the men are standing.

"Can I help you gentlemen? You've been waiting for a long time."

The men glance at me before looking away. "No, we're just waiting for our wives to come down so we can pick up their medicine."

Idiots.

"Oh, what are their names? I'll check for you," I offer with a smile.

"No, that isn't…" Baumbach starts, but Babe tackles him to the ground and zip ties around his wrists seconds after they hit the ground. Chrome does the same with Foster.

"Call Schwartz," Babe tells me.

Pulling out my phone, I place the call while removing the borrowed jacket and handing it back to the technician. Squatting down, I accept Cicely's hug as I wait for the Detective to answer his phone.

"It's Min," I tell him. "We just captured Baumbach and Foster. We're at the hospital where I took Kristi. They were after one of the nurses. She's okay, shaken, but safe."

"I'm on my way. I'll send a patrol car to take custody," Schwartz says before ending the call.

Helping Cicely up, we leave the pharmacy and stand in the lobby to wait for backup.

"Thank you so much for coming to help me," Cicely says.

"I'm glad we were close by. What happened to hospital security?"

"Just bad luck on my part. We had a series of disturbances that had the security guards hopping."

A sense of worry washes over me as I consider the possibility that the disturbances keeping the security guards busy aren't a coincidence. Glancing around the lobby, I realize that we're exposed here.

"Maybe we should move…" I start as my eyes land on Billings, who is standing just outside the doors. "Well, fuck."

"What's the matter?" Cicely asks, glancing around nervously.

I move her so I'm blocking her from his prying eyes. "There's a man outside. He's with the two men Babe and Chrome caught. Is there somewhere you can hide? Maybe back inside the pharmacy?"

She nods slowly as she leans just far enough to look outside. "Tall, skinny guy that looks like he should spend more time outside?" She asks.

I laugh and nod. "Yeah, that's him."

I walk with Cicely to the door we just came out of and wait for her to enter the code to open it. Once she's inside, I pull out my phone and shoot Babe a quick text to let him know I'm going after Billings. Taking the long way around, I exit the building using a different door. Circling around to the front, I see him still standing where I last saw him. He's staring inside and not paying attention to his surroundings. However, when I'm two feet away, he turns toward the sound of a siren getting closer. We lock eyes and he bolts.

Racing after him, I dodge between cars when he pulls out a gun and shoots at me. Son of a bitch. I debate letting him go, but I don't want to fail. Besides, I'm gaining on him. He can't run faster than me, especially when he keeps turning to take potshots at me. I'm running down the line of cars parallel to him. Since I'm shorter, he can't get a decent shot at me. However, when we reach the end of the aisle, he goes left, which lengthens the distance between us. I see an SUV pull up ahead and stop. Whoever is inside opens the side door to let Billings jump inside. The driver takes off. Fuck!

"Min!" I hear Babe shout and turn to see him racing toward me. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

I glare at him before answering. "I was thinking we almost had three of our four targets."

"They could have shot you. They could have taken you. What the fuck! You aren't Wonder Woman. You can't go off on your own like that."

I can see the worry on Babe's face, and that's the only reason I'm not kicking his ass right now. But that doesn't stop me from poking him in the chest with my finger. "Don't lecture me about how to do my job," I tell him. "I'm a bounty hunter, just like you. You can't keep telling me to stay safe or keep me out of the action. This is my job. We're supposed to be partners. But if you can't let me do my job, then maybe our partnership won't work."

Babe runs his hand through his hair and steps away from me before turning back. "You're right, we are partners. You're telling me you wouldn't have been concerned if I took off after a suspect without backup? If you saw me running toward an SUV that could have had several men inside ready to shoot me or grab me?"

I open my mouth to argue, but I can't. He's right. Although, I still think he's overreacting. If I'd seen Billings or someone else in the SUV turning their gun on me, I would have ducked out of the way. If anyone had exited the SUV and came for me, I'd either have taken them out or run the other way. I shake my head, but before I can explain, Babe glares at me.

"Of course you wouldn't care. I don't know why I bother." Babe turns and stomps away, leaving me wondering what the hell just happened?