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CHAPTER4
Leslie Morrisey pulledher motorized mountain bike over to the little cutout in the narrow road and set it to neutral. Unwinding the bandana she had tied around her neck, she mopped the perspiration from her face before tying it in place again.
Damn, it was hot!
No, it was fucking hot.
Leslie was not usually given to profanity, but she had misjudged the effect of the temperature, and now she was paying for it. Wouldn’t you think the winds at Wind River Mountains would be cool? Apparently not.
She’d hesitated before leaving the mountain where the Brotherhood Protectors training camp was set up. She loved being with Beck and her friends, but sometimes she just needed solitude. She knew “the girls,” as she called them, were on the verge of a big, major career step with Hank Patterson and Brotherhood Protectors. There were hints she’d have a role, also, and she needed some alone time to figure out what it might be and if she could do it properly.
She’d discovered trail riding on her mountain bike was a great way to air out her brain and deal with challenges. Right now, she was facing a new one that had her very excited.
Her sister and best friend, Beck, had drawn her into a group of women who had cut their teeth in Special Forces, black ops, and dark government groups. They had all decided going private offered a lot more freedom, and they were lucky enough to have received an invitation to become part of the private dark-ops group Brotherhood Protectors. Beck had hinted with the expanded staff there would probably be a staff job that would fit Leslie’s talents perfectly. She was here on this training week with Beck and the others to see if indeed she’d really be a good fit.
Rescuing hostages and tracking terrorists wasn’t her talent, but she was a dynamo in the office. And so far, all the people she’d met and everything she’d learned in the past couple of days were good indications this would work for her.
Good deal.
She was excited at the possibilities and really needed this solo ride to make sure she had her brain straightened out for when Hank spoke to her about whatever it would be.
Eager to get out on the trails, she followed a narrow road to the two-lane road that wound around the mountains and to the next peak over. She’d read the brochures about Wind River Mountains and knew there was an abundance of trails to follow. Some of them were isolated and marked as dangerous to ride, but there were enough of them that looked safe to satisfy her. Not much traffic and lots of scenery. Just what she wanted.
As she sat there on her bike, giving her muscles a brief rest, the overwhelming sound of powerful motorcycles split the air.
Whoa! That didn’t sound like anything she’d want to run into. She’d met her share of bikers on the trails but so far hadn’t found one she wanted to hang with. Three huge boulders were clustered at the edge of the cutout, so she pulled her bike over and wedged it between the two largest ones. As the bikes drew nearer, the roar of the engines nearly deafened her.
She peeked around to get a glimpse of the riders and decided she was smart to stay out of sight. There were two men, heavily muscled, with long hair tied back with bandanas and enough tattoos to make a book. They wore wifebeater shirts and faded jeans, and expressions on their faces that plainly said, Keep the fuck out of my way.
What on earth?
She hadn’t heard from anyone that there was a biker gang taking up part of the mountains, or any similar group. But maybe she should have asked more questions before taking off on her exploration.
I should turn around and go back.
But her natural curiosity always pushed her forward, so, as soon as the sounds of the heavy motorcycle engines faded, she pulled back out onto the road and headed up the mountain.
Just a little peek,she told herself. Then I’ll go back.
She’d keep a sharp eye out for others and find little niches where she could hide herself. Something she’d learned to do on her previous rides that allowed her to avoid other people.
Nothing along the way sent out any warning flags. She admired the gorgeous scenery, the jagged peaks and winding streams of water. As she got closer to the top, the trail widened and curved into what looked like a garage door set into the wide face of the mountain. Really? No, she told herself, not possible.
There were piles of rocks in different sizes and shapes shoved to the side, as if they’d been moved away from the door. Leslie squinted at them and realized if they were piled in place, they probably concealed the entire door. Anyone driving by, like she was, would simply see it as part of the mountain.
She turned off her engine and sat there, waiting to see if the two men rode past her or what. But then she heard a rumbling sound, and the door slid partially upward. Her senses told her to move, so she hurried to get behind boulders where she could see without being seen. Two men walked out into the wide space in front of the door and one of them lit up a cigarette.
“You’d better kill that cigarette and swallow that butt,” one of the men said. “You know Vern will have a fit like the last time. He already chewed your ass out for the last time.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.” He blew out a stream of smoke. “I hope to fuck Vern and Stryker don’t find anything that might screw this up. We don’t need any more dead bodies around here to get rid of.”
Dead bodies?
A chill raced down Leslie’s spine. Where were the dead bodies, and who had killed them?
“Yeah.” This from the man with black hair tied in a ponytail. “And now we’ve got that bunch on the other mountain adding to the mix. Fuck all anyway. They would have to show up just when we’re ready to move.”
“Why the hell did they have to choose now to play their stupid games anyway?” blondie asked. “Or whatever the hell they’re doing.”
“Good question. If we have to get rid of them, it’s going to put a real crimp in this project. Especially now with extra eyes everywhere.”
Get rid of them?
Who were these men, and what were they planning? What kind of project necessitated getting rid of people? And what were they doing out here in the beautiful, peaceful Wind River Mountain Range?
“Well, they’ll be back soon,” the blond said. “Hopefully they’ll have a good report and it’s all still a go. I am fucking damn ready.”
“Me, too. I can’t wait to blow all those assholes to kingdom come. The government will be damn sorry they didn’t pay attention to us.”
