“Don’t try to force the door,” Travis warned. “I know you got five guys with you. I’m pretty fucking good with a gun, and I’m sure I can take a few of you before you get the door opened up.”
“No tricks,” Hoyt said. “You keep that gun down.”
“I got nothing to gain by killing anyone here.”
“All right. Open up.”
I stared at Travis, wide-eyed. I couldn’t believe he was really going to do this, but he slowly stepped up to the door and began to open it.
One man slipped through the opening. Travis pressed his gun against the man’s chest as he slammed the door shut again and locked it.
Hoyt was tall, though not as tall as Travis. He had tattoos up along his neck and was wearing a grimy jean jacket, a white T-shirt, and jeans. His hair was cut short and he looked like he needed a shower.
“Hoyt,” Travis said.
“Travis,” Hoyt said. “Mind aiming that gun somewhere else?”
“All right.” He moved the gun away and gestured at the table. “Sit?”
“Where’s the girl?”
Travis nodded back at me. “In the bathroom.”
Hoyt looked in at me. “You’ve caused a lot of problems, girl,” he said to me.
“Don’t talk to her, Hoyt,” Travis said. “Sit down. Have a drink. We’ll talk.”
“She comes in here or I give the word and my boys light this room up.”
Travis frowned but nodded. “Come on, Hartley.”
I walked into the main room, staring at them tentatively. I had the sheet rope all done and ready to go in the bathroom, and I could get out of there pretty fast if I needed to.
“Sit,” Travis said, and sat at the table. Hoyt joined him. I sat down on the bed across the room, terrified. Travis poured two drinks and slid one over to Hoyt.
“To your brother,” Hoyt said.
“To Ray.”
They clinked glasses and then drank.
Travis poured two more and then leaned back in his chair. “So, what’s the play here, Hoyt?”
“I need the girl,” he said. “It’s that simple. I’m only in here out of respect for you and your family.”
Travis sighed. “I can’t let that happen, not after earlier. Your boys were going to rape her. I only did what I had to do.”
“That wasn’t part of the plan,” Hoyt said. “They were only supposed to bring her back.”
“Sure, I get you. Bring her back untouched so she’s worth more when you go ahead and sell her into sex slavery anyway.”
Hoyt shrugged. “They owe us a lot of money.”
“I’m sure they do.” I sensed an undercurrent of anger in Travis’s voice. “Enough to ruin a nice girl’s life, I’m sure.”
“Fifty thousand,” Hoyt said. “Plus interest.
Travis nodded slowly. “Well, here’s the issue. I can’t let you have the girl, and you can’t leave without her. How about we make a deal.”
Hoyt crossed his arms. “I don’t want to make a deal, honestly, Travis. I respect you and your people, and your brother, but this is pissing me off.”
“I’m sure it is, but hear me out. You know what I do now, right?”
“Military, I guess.”
“I’m a fucking Navy SEAL, Hoyt. You wonder how I took out your boys so easily? I have skills, the sort of shit your organization could make good use of.”
Hoyt frowned, stroking his chin. “Interesting. That true?” he asked, looking at me.
“That’s what he said,” I answered.
“All right then, so you’re a fucking Navy SEAL,” Hoyt said, looking back at Travis. “What does that do for me?”
“Like I said. I have skills you can use. Give me and the girl a job. We’ll take care of it for you. Then we’ll call it even.”
Hoyt laughed at that, shaking his head. “One job for a fifty-thousand-dollar debt? Plus beating down my boys? That’s a big fucking job, Travis.”
“I’m sure you’ve got needs,” Travis said coolly.
Hoyt leaned back in his chair, sipping his drink. The two men stared at each other, neither of them looking like they wanted to back down. I sat completely still on the bed, terrified to break the spell.
Finally, Hoyt started laughing. It felt like the tension began to deflate from the room, and even I cracked a little smile.
“Okay,” Hoyt said. “I like you, Travis. You’re a businessman. You get how these things work.”
“I try,” he said.
“I’ll run this by my bosses,” he said. “But you can’t leave town.” He looked over at me. “Hear that, girl? You try to skip out again, and we’ll burn your fucking farm to the ground.”