“Promise,” the three of them chorused. “We'll be good boys.”

“On the road again,” Griffin sang.

“Hey, you're pretty good,” the girl said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She was good with men, knew how to handle them, especially soldiers from Fort Bragg, who were usually decent enough guys. Once upon a time, she'd been an Army brat herself. Not so long ago. She was nineteen.

“You hear that? This beautiful lady likes my singing. What's your name, sweetie?” asked Griffin. “I like you already.”

“It's Vanessa,” said the girl, giving her made up street handle. “What's yours? Don't say Willie.”

Griffin laughed out loud. “Why, it's Warren. Nice to make your acquaintance, Vanessa. Pretty name for a pretty lady.”

They rode out of town, in the direction of 1-95. Starkey suddenly pulled the Suburban over after a mile or so and shouted, Tit stop!" He let the car roll until it was mostly hidden in a copse of evergreens and prickle bushes.

“The Radisson's not far. Why don't you wait?” Vanessa asked. “You boys can hold it a little longer, can't you?”

“This can't wait, ”said Griffin. Suddenly, he had his pistol up tight against the girl's skull.

From the front seat, Brownley Harris had his gun aimed at her chest.

"De had tay len daul'Thomas Starkey screamed, his voice deep and scary.

Hands on your head.

“Ban gap nhieu phi en phue roi do.”

You're in serious trouble, bitch.

Vanessa didn't understand a word but she sure got the tone. Bad shit was going down. Real bad shit. Her stomach dropped. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have gotten into a car with three guys, but the driver had seemed so nice. Now why was he yelling at her? What kind of messed-up language was it? What was happening? She thought that she might throw up and she'd had a chili dog and Fritos for dinner.

“Stop, please stop! ”Vanessa said, and started to cry. It was an act, kind of, but it usually worked on the soldiers from Bragg.

Not this time, though. The insane yelling in the car got even louder. The weird language she didn't understand.

“Ra khoi xe. Ngay bay gro,” said Thomas Starkey.

Get out of the car. Do it now, bitch.

They were waving their scary guns and pointing, and she finally understood that she was supposed to get out of the car. Oh my God, were they going to leave her out here as a sick joke? The bastards!

Or was it worse than that? How much worse could it get?

Then the one in the front seat smacked her with the back of his hand. Why? She was already getting out of the car. Goddamn him! She almost toppled over on her silver platform shoes. Willie Nelson kicked her in the back and Vanessa gasped in pain.

“Ra khoi xe!” the man in front screamed again. Who were they? Were they terrorists or something?

Vanessa was sobbing, but she understood she was supposed to run, to hightail it into the dark woods and creepy swampland. Jesus, God, she didn't want to go in there! There'd be snakes for sure!