Justice by David Wood Page B

nodded. Apparently satisfied, the man tucked the gun into the waistband of his jeans and closed the back doors. Then he flicked on a flashlight, walked to the front wall which separated them from the cab, and lowered himself to the floor. From this position, he could easily see all three of the captives.
    “What’s your name?” Sterling asked.
    “Steve. But it’d be best if y’all don’t do much talking.” With that, he placed the flashlight on his lap, angled so that it cast enough light for him to keep an eye on all of them.
    The van started moving, slowly at first, bumping over what Maddock knew was the dirt road on which they had entered. Soon the ride smoothed out as they reached the paved road. Maddock turned his head toward Bones, wondering if he should risk conversation. Bones beat him to it.
    “Yo, Steve, I gotta ask. Was your mama as ugly as you or did that come from the other side of your family?”
    Steve’s face tightened and his hand went to his gun. Maddock knew what Bones was doing; heck, Steve probably knew what Bones was doing, too. It was a dangerous game, but Maddock knew with certainty Bones would continue.
    “No answer, huh? Well maybe you never knew your father, so you don’t know the answer. Still, if I looked like you I think I’d make it my business to find out.”
    Steve got to his feet and pulled out his gun. Despite the rumbling of the wheels beneath them, Maddock detected no wavering in the man’s hand. “You’re a beat away from having an extra hole in you.”
    Bones met his eye with a glare that seemed almost comical given how trussed the big man was. “You’re telling me you’d shoot a guy tied up like this just for making a couple of comments? Man, you must really be scared of me.”
    To better view the action, Maddock twisted his head to the side as much as possible. Steve took a step closer and then knelt so his head was down near Bones’ head. “Scared of a man who got caught by a stampede of pigs? I don’t think so. But I’d still have no problem shooting--.”
    With a lightning movement, Bones struck Steve’s forehead with his own. Both the gun and Steve dropped to the floor. Maddock could recall when they had learned this move in SEAL training, the ability to headbutt someone with little or no momentum from three inches away. It required tremendous neck strength, and Bones had seemed a natural.
    Bones blinked a few times and then grinned. “Like taking candy from a baby. A baby with a really hard head.”
    Maddock smiled back. “That was awesome. For your next trick you get loose, right?”
    “Sorry, man. No way these are coming off. But at least we don’t have to watch that guy sulk for hours.”
    “He’s gonna wake up at some point, though. Or they’re gonna stop and check on us.”
    Sterling said, “We may not have to worry about that.”
    They both turned to her. She held up one hand, which she had managed to free. “I pulled the old “angle the wrists” trick when they tied me up. They were so concerned with subduing you two bad-ass sailors that they didn’t pay enough attention with me.”
    Maddock said, “When were you gonna tell us?”
    She chuckled. “I was waiting for the right time.”
    “I told you she was worth hanging around with, Maddock. Free me next, Sandra.” Bones said.
    It took only a matter of minutes before they were all free. The knots were excellent, but far from impossible to work with two free hands.
    Bones picked up Steve’s gun and examined it before shoving it in his own waistband. “A Beretta. Not perfect but it could be worse.”
    Sterling glanced around the van, which was still illuminated by the flashlight. “So how do we get out of here?”
    Maddock put a hand on the cart and allowed a smile to gradually envelop his face.
    “We wait for the van to slow down at a corner, and then we fly.”
     
    For just a second, the four-wheeler appeared to defy gravity as it launched out the back of the van. With the van