Page 39 of Pigeon

“Turns out, not all pigs stay on the small side like Gee did. Apparently, I just adopted what will become a large farm pig, and I’m not sure Ava’s going to be okay with it being an outdoor pig. Hoping the barn gets built soon so it can move there instead of my fucking home,” Gunner admits while I try to stifle another laugh. “Fucking Margie could have told me that before I signed the papers. Serves me right for not going to Ivy about it first.”

“Got a name yet?” Axel asks, clearly fighting to keep the laughter out of his voice.

“Yes, I’m calling him Little Axel. Anything else you three want to gossip about instead of paying attention to what we’re here for?” Gunner responds in a snarky tone.

All laughter dies when we spot headlights coming down the deserted road that leads to the gravel pit we’re lying on the brim of. Gunner disappears while we drop lower to be out of view. My stomach knots when the vehicle is close enough to see that it’s a black cargo-type van. It comes to a stop, not 30 yards in front of us, and shuts off. The passenger door opens, and a scruffy-looking guy emerges. Stretching first, he then relieves his bladder on the van’s tire. Reentering the van, the driver’s door opens, and another guy does the same as the first.

Axel pulls his phone out, reads the text before carefully holding it so Pooh and I can read it too. It’s been decided to take control of the van now, get the victims clear of the area before the buyer shows up. Our lookouts have confirmed that there isn’t another vehicle on the road, so now’s the time to do this. We move in from the direction of the van’s blind spots. Matias and Santiago Morales move to the driver’s side while Axel and I take the passenger side. Pooh ducks low and inches in front of us. He’ll step to the front of the van to cover the rest of us when Axel gives the signal.

Things go off perfectly as planned with no hitches. Doors are jerked open at the same time Pooh pops up in front of the van, rifle trained on the windshield. I drag the male passenger out at the same time as the Morales team does the same on the other side. We ignore the screams from inside the van and quickly secure the two men. Once it’s done, Petey slides the side door back while Gunner covers the interior with his handgun. When he lowers the gun, I know these two men were the only threat we were facing.

“Get them the fuck away from the van,” Gunner orders, and I hoist my guy to his feet and march him across the clearing to a small stand of trees along the edge. Securing both men to the trees, I gag them before leaving them alone with the two Morales brothers. Returning to the van, I stand near Pooh while Gunner and Petey explain what’s happening to the victims inside the van.

“Did anyone bring bolt cutters?” Petey asks in a quiet voice.

“There’s a pair in the van with Reeves. I’ll get him up here,” I answer while making the call.

We wait until Reeves and Rex show up with our van. Reeves jogs to Gunner’s side with the bolt cutters while Rex approaches with several blankets in his arms. After a moment’s discussion, Reeves climbs inside. Listening to the bolt cutters doing their job, I feel my stomach tighten and Pooh fidget beside me. Glancing at his face, I can tell he’s holding on by a thread.

When Reeves steps out of the van, we stand silently as victim after victim steps outside, accepting a blanket from Rex on their way past. Rex runs out of blankets long before we do victims. In all, I count 11 humans that had been crammed in the back of the van, chained to its walls like animals. My stomach does a slow roll when I see how young most of them are. Only a few might be considered adults. One black-haired girl can’t be over eight years old. The men standing around start handing out their hoodies and sweatshirts to anyone who doesn’t have a blanket. It hits me suddenly that with all the people standing around in such a small area that the silence is deafening.

Finally, a young girl, maybe 14 years old, speaks.

“There’s one more in there, but she’s dead. She wouldn’t stop crying, so the guy in the passenger seat shot her in the face. He put her inside that toolbox thing at the back.”

Nobody moves for a few seconds before Gunner aims his flashlight in the van then climbs inside. When he emerges, the look on his face proves the girl is telling the truth. Gunner takes a moment, then calmly orders Rex and Reeves to load the females into our van and to head for the clubhouse. After the van leaves, he turns to the rest of us.

“Pooh, you’re on the hill with your rifle. You’ll provide cover. Axel and Pigeon, you’re in the van, taking the place of the two men. Lose your cuts first. When the buyer arrives, we’ll let them think the van’s still holding their merchandise.”

Axel and I nod, remove our cuts handing them to Petey before taking the seats at the front of the van. Neither of us speak as the rest of the men move to their previous positions. Only exception is the two Morales brothers taking the two men out of sight of the van. After several long minutes, Axel speaks in a near whisper.

“I’m so sorry, little girl. I’m so fucking sorry we didn’t get to you sooner. I’m so fucking sorry.”

My heart breaks in half hearing his words and knowing that we’re sitting in a van with a murdered child. A child that should be sleeping in a bed, in a room decorated with unicorns, dreaming of puppies, and not be lying dead in a filthy toolbox.

“We’ll get justice for her tonight,” I tell Axel while not believing my own words.

“There’s no justice for this. No matter what we do to these men, nothing will give her justice or make this right in any way.”

I nod but don’t respond because he’s right, and there are no words that will help either of us or her.

Nearly an hour goes by before we get a text that two vehicles are approaching. A very long, endless hour knowing what we need to do but wanting to do so much more. When I started getting antsy a while back, Axel said exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.

“We’re guarding a tiny angel, gone too soon, until she gets her wings, Pigeon. No better place for us to be right now.”

I stilled immediately, and no words have been spoken since.

Now, it’s go time. We watch as the two vehicles come to a stop and two men step from the van. As they approach, Axel and I step outside and close our doors behind us. Coming to stand beside me, Axel and I wait.

“Boss wants to see the merchandise,” the taller guy states while waving a hand at the car parked nearby.

“Got the payment?” Axel asks simply to stall so our guys have time to block the entrance to the gravel pit.

“No pay until he views the merchandise. He’s been burnt before and isn’t paying for sick or older women. He’s only paying for underage girls this time. Open the doors so I can get video of them, or we leave.”

“You can get video but no touching the property until we receive payment,” Axel says while moving to the sliding van door.

Opening it, both men move closer to peer inside. Axel and I strike at the same time, taking both men down. As soon as we do, the driver throws the car into gear and tries to roar off. A loud shot rings out, and a tire explodes, making the car spin in a tight circle. When it comes to a stop, I see Cash standing directly in front of it, gun aimed at the driver. Trigger’s next to him, in the same position, as several of the Morales members swarm the car, yanking the doors open. Three men are pulled from the vehicle, but it’s the one pulled from the backseat that gains everyone’s interest.

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