Chapter 1

Danielle Morgan was in a foul mood and the closer she got to her destination the worse it got.

Why in hell would Rudy want me to meet him here, she fumed as she carefully navigated her motorcycle through long- neglected streets littered with old hulks of cars, discarded furniture and piles of just plain garbage. She stopped at the front of a run-down apartment building. It was so polluted it managed to offend almost all of her senses. She put the motorbike on its kick stand and viewed her surroundings.

The building in front of her was a real eyesore. It was a dilapidated three story wreck with only a few windows left and the front door dangling on only one of its three hinges.

Because the whole area was mostly underneath one of the many overpasses that crisscross Los Angeles the roar of vehicles threatened to blow out her ear drums. It got worse wheever the driver of a fully loaded semi, made his way through the truck’s gears. In addition, the area smelt like skunks had staked out their territory.

She was securing her helmet to the bike and cursing Rudy when she spotted three thugs lurching around the corner of an adjacent run down building. As they strutted toward her they showed all the bravado of punks unused to being challenged about anything.

Danni’s eyes narrowed as she assessed them. They looked like typical home boys checking out who’s invading their turf. Just the type to think a woman alone in a dump like this is easy prey. Well, they got another thing coming with this one. Today is just not their day because I’m in no mood to fool around with them, Danni thought.

She could feel their hungry eyes caressing her hourglass body, feasting on her tight ass, ample breasts and long, slender legs encased in tight leather.

“Hey sweet momma what the fuck you doing in our part of the hood?” A tall skinny guy sporting a wife beaters’ t-shirt that looked like it came off a cheap shelf of a five and dime store barked in her face. His shorter, plump companion strolled next to her and smiled. Baggy jeans hung from his hips revealing his crack. His gold crown glistened as he said. “Yeah baby. I bet you got some sweet nectar dripping between them thighs.”

All three laughed.

“Hucka, hucka, I’m gonna fuck ya,” the third one challenged as if he were a poet writing for a porn magazine.

Danni showed no fear. Instead her senses sharpened and her mind went back to her training in the United States Special Forces unit. During her stint she had learned all kinds of unarmed combat. She had sparred against all kinds of men who were much bigger, heavier and much better trained than these yahoos. She’d more than held her own against them too.

She remembered the lessons from her instructors. Number one: watch their eyes. They’ll flash their intentions seconds before the body moves. Number two: decide what you want to do with your opponent and then make sure you finish the job.

There were three options: disable them; teach them a lesson so they’ll think twice the next time they confront a woman; kill them. Danni thought the punks probably deserved it but she knew option three was a bit too radical for her.

As the punks closed in, she watched their eyes, wondering which one would make the first move. It was the one in a blue jean vest that hung open to display a fat gut and a chest matted with ugly grayish hair.

He made an obscene kissing sound, stuck out his tongue in lewd licking gesture and rubbed his crotch as he ordered. “Come with us sweet momma. It’s fucky, fucky time and it ain’t no use putting up fuckin’ fuss.” he snickered. Then to his detriment, he casually reached out to grab her. The fool expected her to be too scared to put up any resistance.

Danni quickly seized his outstretched arm and gave it a violent yank. It propelled the unsuspecting punk forward at a dazzling rate of speed. As he sped by Danni, his mouth gaped open in shock to display his yellow stained, rotten teeth. When he was so close she could smell his fetid breath she adroitly stepped aside and stuck her foot out. At the same time she twisted his captured arm. He moaned and screamed in pain as bones snapped. He somersaulted over her extended leg and landed on his back with a thud. While he lay defenceless trying to catch his breath Danni immediately dropped her knee into his upturned face. There was the satisfying crunch of broken bones and the punk, his face now covered with blood, moaned loudly again.