Page 7 of Special Agent Murphy

Chapter Five

Murphy had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for. But if someone was kidnapping a girl, he had no choice but to interfere. Yep, there in the darker corner of the parking lot, he could see a scuffle happening.

At a dead run, he closed in only to see the terrified face of the teen before a fist plowed into her cheek to stop her from battling. Obviously putting up a good fight, she’d made them work hard for their prize.

He caught sight of Draper running around the car, heading for the driver’s side and pulled his weapon. If he could shoot the tire, slow down the vehicle, maybe they could stop whatever shit was happening.

He fired a few times but hated having wild bullets flying around in an area where too many street people hung out.

Just as he put his gun back in his holster, a vehicle pulled up next to him with the yapper behind the wheel and the passenger window open. “Get in.”

As much as he wanted to get in on the driver’s side, a leftover chauvinistic tendency he couldn’t seem to let go of, he did as she ordered and got in the passenger’s side.

Slamming down on the gas, she aimed the car up the lane, weaving dangerously, and converged into a street, where thankfully, the normally hectic traffic had slowed down for the midnight hours.

They edged out enough to see taillights disappearing around a far corner on the left. She swung wildly, then over-compensated, which shocked two drivers in the opposite lane and made Murphy wince and brace himself.

He growled, his voice surprisingly shaky, “How do you know that’s them?”

“It’s the only speeding vehicle. If we’re lucky, it’ll be the same one.”

Since she made sense, he didn’t argue. They gained on the other car, and he could see by the taillights, it appeared to be the same size as the vehicle he’d seen leaving the parking lot.

“Get a bit closer. The car we’re looking for had a dented back fender.”

“Okay.” With her hands white-knuckling the wheel, she stepped on the gas, almost hitting a car in the right-hand lane before they surged ahead, close enough to see the damage on the car in front.

“It’s the same car. Catch up to them.”

“Great, a master of the obvious. I’m trying to do exactly that.” Her sassiness shocked him.

“Don’t be so cheeky.”

“Forgive my transgression, sir,” her tone sarcastic as all hell.

His skeptical grunt changed her snarling attitude. She’d back off and explain.

“Look, that poor kid is terrified. They were hauling her ass out of the place just as I came out of the restroom. She put up a fight, but there were three of them.”

“I know. I got to the parking lot in time to see her get punched, to stop her fighting. Some dude forced her into the back while Draper drove, and someone else I couldn’t make out jumped in the passenger side.” Murphy flinched at the memory. “How old was the girl? Fifteen?”

“Looked about that to me. I saw her in the restroom with another chick. She wanted to leave, but her boyfriend was wasted. Next thing I knew, Draper and his friends were forcing her out the back door. When I tried to stop them… well, you saw what happened.”

Murphy chuckled, a disparaging sound unless one knew him and figured he’d been impressed. “Yeah, I saw freakin’ Wonder Woman at work. Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

“Let’s just say I didn’t like being bullied in school.”

“The boys give you a hard time?”

“Nope. The opposite. It’s the jealous females that one had to be prepared for.” With her head swinging from side to side as she checked both side mirrors, her wild-looking long hair covered her face. To drag it away, she took a hand off the wheel and the car again veered wildly almost hitting the vehicle in the right lane.

“Lady, keep both hands on the wheel.”

“My hair was in my eyes.”

“Hell, my stomach’s in my throat. Deal with it.”

She pointed ahead. “I think they’re heading for the highway turnoff. Should I try forcing them over?”

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