RIDE YOU DOWN

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

RAVEN

The grip around Aira’s hands tightened. “Aira! Fight back and get out of there.” I ordered. I have been in her shoes, too many times than I can count and it never ends well. I still have the scar from it. Emotionally and physically.

Aira’s lips parted to speak when one of the other men whispered something to him.

“Luca, zoom in!”

He did. My eyes squinted as I read his lips. “Boss wants you back. It’s tonight.”

The operation is happening tonight.

“Luca…”

“Already running a scan through every truck going through the highway. We only have seven coastlines in our town. The two owned by the mayor is out of the question as it’s locked and can’t be used without authorization. Brings us down to five. Okay, two more out, one more down… we are down to two. Raven, this is tricky. The last two coasts have a market day. It’s the perfect way to sneak in children but I can’t seem to figure out which one would be in use.” Luca muttered, the panic in his voice was hard to miss. This is the first time he is having issues pinning down our suspect and it’s all because we are short of time.

“Stay back and figure it out. Jade, lead Zach and Franc. I’ll go with Laila and pick up Aira on the way.” I muttered, I grabbed my keys, Jade grabbed hers, reached for her jacket as well as the other guys. We slid on our jacket, got into the elevator that led to the garage, we got on the bike and zoomed off.

“Boss, I managed to get out, where am I meeting?” Aira asked, through the comms.

“Meet me at the highway, we’re heading to the Midwest coast.” I muttered.

The city blurred past us as we rode through the city, cold wind slapped against my face, whipping strands of my loose under my helmet.

“Luca?” I called.

“I’m still checking every route leading to both coasts.” His keyboard clattered rapidly in the background. “If I’m right, they won’t risk the highway.” “They’ll cut through the old service road before merging back onto the coastal road.”

“Send it.”

A map appeared on the small screen fixed to my bike showing blue, yellow, red lines.

Luca said. “If they’re moving children, they’ll need the bigger trucks. There’s only one route wide enough.”

The bike surged forward as I twisted the throttle harder. Beside me, Laila kept pace effortlessly.

“You think we’ll make it?” she asked.

“We have to.” I said. “We can’t afford to fail, not after Aira barely escaped.

Aira’s breathing crackled through the comms.

“I’m almost at the bridge.” She said, breathing heavily.

“Stay where people can see you,” I ordered. “Don’t play hero.”

A dry laugh escaped her. “Funny coming from you.”

I ignored her but she wasn’t wrong.

The city slowly gave way to open roads as the buildings behind us disappeared. Dark trees lined both sides of the road. The air smelled different here like salt. The coast wasn’t far.

I reached out to Luca through the comms. “Luca?” I called out but it was silent, too silent.

My grip tightened around the handlebars.

“Luca!!”

His voice finally returned.

“…Raven.”

Something in his tone made my stomach tighten.

“I found them.” He muttered. “They’re already moving.”

Every muscle in my body tightened. “Location?” I barked.

“The eastern service road. Three trucks.”

“Three trucks?” My heartbeat kicked against my ribs.

“They split them.” Laila muttered beside me.

Luca continued, “Negative. Only one truck is carrying the children. The other two are decoys.”

Fuck!

Those damn bastards!

They know someone’s watching them.

“Check your screen.” Luca's voice cut through. “They’ve changed formation twice in the last ten minutes.”

A notification flashed across the screen on my bike. Three flashing blinking dots. Each dot was moving in a different direction.

“Can you tell which one?” I asked.

“I’m trying, I need thirty seconds.” He said, sounding frustrated.

I barked. “We don’t have thirty seconds, Luc…”

“I’ve got it.” He cut through. The red dot shifted.

“Middle truck.” He said.

“How sure are you?” I asked.

“Ninety-two percent.” He answered immediately.

I pressed harder on the accelerator and the engine roared beneath me. The speedometer climbed to one hundred.

Behind me, Jade’s voice came through the comms. “We’ve got visual.”

I looked ahead. The three large cargo trucks rolled along the coastal road, no company logos, old, rest spreading across the metal, the windows were heavily tinted. Exactly the kind of trucks that will disappear.

Those bastards.

“There they are,” Laila whispered.

My jaw tightened. “Nobody attacks yet.”

“But Boss…”

“Not yet.” I cut Lila off immediately.

The trucks are too close together. If we rushed them now, the driver carrying the children might panic or worse crash. I’m not risking innocent lives.

“Luca.” I called out.

He answered immediately. “I’m here.”

“Kill their GPS and phones.” I ordered.

A few seconds later, I heard his voice. “Done.”

“Perfect.”

I looked at my team. “Now we separate.”

Laila nodded immediately and Jade already understood.

“Force the decoys away from the middle truck.”

“And if they fight?” Zach asked.

A cold smile tugged at my lips. “They’ll regret it.”

Jade went left, cutting across the lane ahead of the first truck, Franc followed her forcing the driver to slam on the brake before steering sharply toward the service road.

The second truck reacted immediately. It jerked sideways, trying to create distance from the middle one.

“Zach!” I barked.

“I’m on him.” His bike shot forward, sliding between the second and third trucks before forcing the second driver to follow him away from the highway.

The middle truck was alone now exactly where I wanted it.

“Laila, right side.” She nodded once.

Our bikes boxed the truck in from both directions, the driver glanced from one mirror to the other, I could almost see the panic settling in.

He slammed his foot on the gas to lurched the truck forward.

“He thinks he can outrun us,” Laila muttered.

“He can’t.” I twisted the throttle again.

The engine screamed beneath me and the distance between us disappeared. Without warning, the truck swerved violently forward as dust exploded into the air, the brakes screamed before the wheels even stopped rolling.

The passenger door flew open as two men jumped out. Each of them carried a knife. Their look was enough to know that they are not here to negotiate.

“Children first,” I ordered. “No guns.”

Laila already understood. She sprinted toward the back of the truck, the rest rushed us.

The first man came at me without thinking.

Stupid asshole!

His knife cut through the air, aiming straight for my ribs but the fool was too slow. I stepped to the side just enough for the blade to miss me. The sharp edge brushed against my jacket as I caught his wrist and twisted. A sickening c***k echoed between us, his fingers opened instantly.

Before he could scream properly, I drove my elbow into his jaw. His head snapped back and he crumpled to the ground.

The second man didn’t hesitate. I grabbed the back of his neck and shoved him face first into the side of the truck.

“Laila?” I called, my eyes already searching for the next threat.

“The doors are locked.” She muttered.

“Move.” She stepped back.

I grabbed the heavy handle and forcefully pulled it open. The door swung apart.

The children looked terrified, some couldn’t have been older than seven. One by one they climbed down. The last child climbed down from the truck with trembling legs, clutching Laila’s hand so tightly her tiny fingers had turned white.

“It’s okay,” Laila said softly. “You’re safe now.”

“Jade,” I called.

She looked up immediately. “Call the authorities. Tell them where to find the children.

She nodded. “Already on it.”

Within minutes, the distant wail of sirens carried through the salty evening air.

“We’re done,” I said, pulling my helmet back on.

The team exchanged tired glances before climbing onto their bikes.

The ride home was quiet. The road stretched endlessly beneath the tires while the sea breeze rushed past me. The tension that had kept my body moving began to fade.

I had a bump in the road and I felt a sharp pain on my arm. I glanced down and saw dark stains that had spread slowly across the sleeve of my jacket. I rolled up my sleeves and saw a long cut run across my forearm.

“When did that happen?” I muttered.

One of those idiots must have clipped me.

“It’s just a scratch.” I brushed it off

I got to my apartment building and parked, pulled off my helmet and locked the bike then I headed toward the entrance.

Then I remembered Jake, he said he’d cook again tonight. I climbed the stairs, unlocked my apartment building door and stepped into the hallway.

The smell hit me before anything else. He actually cooked.

Before I could reach for my keys, Jake’s door opened.

He leaned against the frame, sleeves rolled to his forearms, like he’d been expecting me.

“You’re just in time,” he said with a small smile. “Dinner’s almo…”

His smile disappeared immediately. I watched his eyes averted towards my arm. I followed it gaze and that’s when I saw it. Blood, dripping down my hands.

Fuck!