Spun

As Bro sped away from the rest-stop, a fast-moving car gave chase. Sis spotted the vehicle and loaded her rifle. 

“Bro, those are cartel guys!” 

“Yeah, and right now they're calling the Romeros with our descriptions.” 

“We still gotta shake him.” She cocked the weapon, “Slow down but don’t hit the brakes. Let him get close.” Sis climbed in the back and opened the rear window. When the plate on the pursuing vehicle appeared, she unleashed two bursts of automatic fire at the driver. 

The chase car, struck by every shot, skidded to a stop on the highway. With the pursuers foiled, Bro raced the truck back off-road and out of sight. But when he glanced down at the gas meter, the low fuel light beamed. They were running on fumes. 

“We got maybe eight miles before the truck dies,” he said aloud.

“Then make a left here and drive towards those lights!” Lupita pointed to a dim illumination some miles out, “That town is Parritas, I have someone there.”

“Copy.” 

Sis shook her head, “This is all your fault, Bro! If you were nicer to that girl at the rest-stop-”

“That girl was Angel!”

“I guessed that,” she said. 

“Yeah, well, guess again. Because she isn’t just some bagman for a shell company.”

“So, what is she? A lovely secretary? I mean, I’m not saying she was pretty or anything.”

“No,” he paused and gazed out into the dark desert. “Sis, Angel is no older than we are and in charge of a strike team. So if you take her age, beauty, and precise fighting style.

“What fighting style?” 

“High-speed Silat.”

“Eh? Elbow throws and what not?” 

“Fast elbows at that. That woman crippled two dudes in three moves in the bar.”

“Oh shit!” She faced Bro, “So that means-”

“Exactly, Sis. Angel is a Rifle Girl. ¹Rifle Girls are elite killers trained since childhood in the art of full spectrum combat. As their titles suggests, they are also master snipers. 

Dead silence fell in the truck. When Sis did respond, there were no more jokes. She just muttered, “Not good.” 

Lupita, leaned forward, “I'm sorry, my English is bad. But what is a Rifle Girl?” she asked. 

“A problem,” Bro answered. 

 

Five Minutes Earlier- The Rest-Stop

Ducking from shotgun blasts, Angel fumed as the ‘Cowboy’ and his female partner fled back to their truck. But before they escaped, he yelled out to her, “Angel! Fix your problem and get the money. I’ll call you as soon as I can!” then sped off down the highway.

At the same time, a cartel vehicle peeled off from the gas station and chased after the Cowboy’s truck. However, all shooting at the rest-stop ceased. Angel contacted her second-in-command on her earpiece for a situation report.

“Victor, sitrep?”

“Two enemies in that vehicle went after that truck. Aside from that, Five dead in the front. All cartel gunmen. What about the guys in the bar-grill?” 

“Will update,” she replied. 

“Ten-four.”

When she re-entered the bar, the shopkeeper disappeared and the two fake cops that she beat up earlier hid under a table. It appeared they sought cover from the shooting. One spotted Angel as she walked in. He raised a pistol, but the furious Rifle Girl shot him and the other man dead on the spot.

“That damn Cowboy!” she swore, gazing at the bloody corpses. He was right. The Romeros sent these men. Angel clicked her earpiece and contacted her second in command, “Victor, the bar is clear.” 

“Clear out front, but the police are on the way.”

“We’re leaving now. But give your truck key to Macky, and you ride with me in Serrano’s transport,” she said.

“Ok, but why?” 

“I have to talk to him about something.”

“Ten-four,” Victor said. 

Angel exited the bar and jumped in a black SUV with two of her team. The three-vehicle convoy then rolled out fast to avoid law enforcement. 

Indignity

While riding several miles from the rest-stop, Angel considered the situation. Time was against her and she needed to interrogate Lupita about the Romeros and get those account numbers for her employers. So far things haven’t gone to plan. But as she grit her teeth in the passenger seat, the Cowboy crossed her mind. 

“Bastard,” she muttered. 

“Say again?” Victor asked from the back. 

“Nothing,” she answered, then turned to the driver, “Serrano, pull off the road, I need to check something.”

“Got it, Angel.” 

The three black SUV’s stopped on the side of a desolate route. Angel reached over and removed the key from the truck's ignition, then stepped out. Her men accompanied her. 

“What’s up, leader?” Victor asked her as the other men wore concern on their faces. 

Angel didn’t answer. Instead, she turned and faced them all, then stared at Serrano. 

“Serrano, give me your phone,” she said.  

“My phone?” the big man asked, “Why?”

“I said give me your phone.” Her eyes now steely slits. 

“Angel, what’s your deal?” Serrano said, as the other men read the situation and moved away from him. 

“You're my deal, Serrano,” she placed her feet in a fighting stance, “Because your actions put this team in danger tonight, and compromised our livelihood by sabotaging this job.”

“What?” Serrano looked to the other men, who now stared at him with suspicion, “Angel, this is ridiculous! "

“Is it?” Angel balled her fist, “Serrano, you were look-out from the west when that fake police car showed up, yet you didn’t report it on the communicator." 

“I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Mhm,” she said, “Also, you and Victor were the only ones I told Fernando’s location before the Romero’s went and killed him. And I know Victor didn't call anyone because his Spanish is a joke and he has no friends in Mexico. But you, Serrano, you’re practically a tour guide down here. Hell, that’s why you were added to this team. But not by me, of course. Some idiot in corporate put you here.” 

“Angel, I-”

Serrano never got the word out before Angel bolted forward with a throat punch. But, Serrano, like every member of her team, was a fighter. On reflex, he ducked back and threw a forward kick at Angel. A brutal move he’d practice to muscle memory. But Angel saw it coming.

When Serrano’s leg raised, the Rifle Girl dropped and swept his foot. Serrano, a former LAPD SWAT officer, fell to the ground. And when he tried to recover, Angel met him with a flying knee to his face. 

“Gaahh!” the man's head reeled back and hit the truck's wheel with a thunk.

But the fight was over as Victor and the other men grabbed Serrano and zip-tied his hands. Angel removed the phone from his pocket and displayed a Mexico area-code phone number called at the exact time that the Cowboy arrived at the rest-stop.

“Angel, wait! I can explain,” Serrano pleaded, “That Cowboy, he fucked this whole thing up, man. The Romero’s got no beef with us, they just wanted to get Fernando and-”

“Serrano!” she cut him off, “You endangered this team, you sullied our name, and you embarrassed me in front of that fucking Cowboy!” 

“Angel, plea-”

“Don’t you ever say my name again,” she turned to her men, “Victor, tape his mouth shut and put him in the back of the truck. I’ll drive.”

“Ten-four. Alright, guys, let’s do it,” he ordered. With Serrano secured the team rolled out. Victor turned to Angel as she raced away from the scene, “What are we going to do with Serrano?”

“We’re gonna waterboard him and find out what else he told the Romeros,” she said and she meant it.  

“Ten-four.” 

 

Parritas

As Bro drove, he kept a constant eye on the gas meter. But after six miles they entered the rural area of Parritas.

"Are we close?" Bro asked Lupita, who navigated.

"Yes, right up this road," she replied just as the truck's engine rumbled.

"Come on Fam, I just need you to go a little further," Bro said to the truck.

"You can make it, baby," Sis said, petting the dashboard.

But after thirty seconds the motor stalled and the truck stopped dead on the road. The twins shrugged, but Lupita spoke.

"God has blessed you both tonight," she said, “Thank you so much.”

"We appreciate it, but I think our luck ran out," Sis said.

"No, it hasn't," Lupita smiled and pointed outside.

Bro squinted out, "Wait, there's a house with a light on, thirty meters out."

"Yes, that is Mr. Ortiz’s house," Lupita said and stepped out of the truck, “You both wait here. It's still dark and I don’t want to frighten him and his wife.” 

Lupita walked out toward the home. In that time Bro and Sis took a breath. They were both exhausted. 

“Do you see the trouble you got me into, Sis?” Bro said. 

“I got you into?” She punched his arm, “You’re the White Knight who wanted to save that girl, now look at us!” 

“Heh heh! Could be worse,” he chuckled.

“Not by much! Haha!” 

The twins laughed at the absurd situation while they waited for Lupita. But Sis thought of something. 

“Bro, do you remember that DEA agent, Mike Latty?”

“Who?” he thought about it, “Oh, you mean that black dude that couldn’t stop talking to you when we were in Mexico last year?”

“Yeah, he was a cutie!” she blushed. 

“Tch! Whatever!”

“Don’t be jealous!”

“Ugh! What about him?”

“Well, we still text back and forth, and he was always a company man, you know?”

“Yeah, right. I remember, young and ambitious. Always about moving up in rank.”

“Exactly,” Sis said, “An untouchable, can't be bribed. Heck, he still goes to church with his grandma.”

Bro smirked, “You like all that, don’t you?”

“It's adorable!” she squeaked, “But that’s not the point, you sister-loving-weirdo!”

"Woman, I barely tolerate you." 

“Is that right?" she glared at him, "I'm going to remember you said that. But the point is Mike is stationed in Chihuahua, a couple of hours from here.” 

“Wait, what?" Bro caught her meaning, "Are you crazy? The DEA finds out where in Mexico doing all this we're fucked.”

"Hear me out. I think we can get their help without compromising ourselves.” 

“Eh? I don’t know. That's a gamble.”

“Bro, look around. We’re gambling and losing on the casino floor as we speak!”

“Yeah, I know,” he nodded with a grim face. Out of gas, far from the border, chased by a cartel, and on the hook to call a dangerous Rifle Girl. Bro conceded that any ideas at this point were welcome, “I’m listening, Sis. Tell me more about your DEA boyfriend.” 

“Right, I don't have it all worked out yet, but here’s what I’m thinking.”

“Huh.”

For the next few minutes, the siblings discussed questionable plans in the truck. During that time more lights turned on in the house. It appeared Lupita woke up Mr. Ortiz. 

 

 

 

 

____________________

 

THE RIFLE GIRLS

Rifle Girls are elite assassins trained since childhood in the art of contract killing. Few in number, they are prized assets sought after by both nation-states and the criminal underworld for their ability to track and eliminate the most dangerous targets.

Rifle Girl weapons: Superior intellect, unquestioned beauty, sniper/rifle skills, and brutal close combat fighting styles.

THE RIFLE GIRL - ANGEL- Country of Origin: United Kingdom/USA

HER WEAPON: Heckler & Koch G3 Battle Rifle

illustrated by Fuuyure-chan

 

 

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Hi guys, I will be releasing a chapter once a week so as not to run out of chapters. And don't worry I am dedicated to this story. I hope you guys like it so far ^_^

-JayDirex