by L. Wilder
The car grew quiet as we continued down Crump Boulevard. We’d been in that damn car for hours. Other than a few random stops, we’d just been driving around, and I was in desperate need of a break. I needed to stretch my legs and go to the bathroom, but I was too afraid to ask, fearing they might use the stop as an opportunity to do vile things to me. I shifted in my seat, doing what I could to relieve the pressure on my bladder as I studied the men who had kidnapped me. They were each dressed similarly in their puffy winter coats, loose-fitting jeans, and bright white sneakers, but they each had their subtle differences. Even though Devon appeared to be the youngest, it was clear that he was in command of the group. He wore a thick gold chain around his neck and a fancy watch on his wrist, and whenever he spoke, the others listened. Marcus was tall and lanky with narrow, dark eyes and dreadlocks that went down his back. While the look of him made me uneasy, it was Leon who worried me the most. He was muscled up like a linebacker with tattoos covering his hands and neck. There was a large diamond earring in his left ear, and his teeth were too big for his mouth, making him look even more threatening. I would’ve been even more terrified of him if it hadn’t been for Zeek. Of all the men in that car, he was the only one who didn’t seem completely evil. While it wasn’t easy to see with his burly build and rounded jaws, there was a kindness in his eyes that the others didn’t have, but I knew better than to count on him to keep me out of harm’s way. He was one of them, and in the end, I was nothing but a pawn and none of them would think twice about putting a bullet in my head.
Just as another hour was passing by, Marcus looked over to Devon and announced, “I need to take a piss and get some more smokes.”
“You ain’t the only one,” Leon told him. “I need a cold one, too.”
“I’ll stop up here at the Little General,” Devon told them as he put on his blinker. Once he pulled into the parking lot, he reached into his pocket and took out some cash. “Grab us a twelve pack, and I need some smokes, too.”
Once Marcus took the money from his hand, he and Leon got out of the car and headed inside. Several minutes went by, and I was considering asking Zeek if he would let me go to the bathroom when Devon shouted, “What the fuck is taking them so long?”
After seeing that Devon was losing his patience, I decided to keep my mouth shut. I glanced over at the empty seat beside me and the door handle that was just a few feet away. For a split second, I actually considered trying to escape, but knew that Zeek would just grab me, preventing me from making it very far. Feeling hopeless, I sank back into my seat and sighed as I waited for Marcus and Leon to return. When I looked through the store’s front window, I could see them standing at the cash register, and they were both busy flirting with a young woman behind the counter. My attention was on them when a red and black Camaro pulled up beside us. I wouldn’t have thought anything about it if Devon hadn’t muttered, “Damn. Looks like we might have trouble.”
Zeek peered out his window as he asked, “How many does he have with him?”
“Can’t tell. Looks like it’s just three of them.”
About that time, another car drove up behind us and parked, blocking us in. When Devon noticed what the driver had done, he growled, “Motherfucker.”
I had no idea who these men were, but it was clear that Devon was shaken by their arrival. At first, neither Devon or Zeek moved. I could feel the tension radiating off of them as they sat there waiting for Marcus and Leon to return. I could hear Devon mumbling, “Come on. Come on.”
Just as Marcus stepped outside, the Camaro’s doors opened and three Hispanic men got out. Marcus’s eyes grew wide as the men started towards him, but his confidence quickly returned when Leon stepped up behind him. Leon puffed up his chest, trying to make himself look more intimidating as he nudged Marcus in the side with his elbow. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.”
One of the Hispanic men stepped forward, closing the gap between them as he snarled, “My brother, Carlos, was on his way home last night when a bullet found a way into his heart. You or your boys know anything about that?”
“I don’t know shit about your brother.” Leon’s eyes narrowed as he said, “So, get the fuck out of my face before a bullet finds its way into your fucking head.”
“Watch your tongue, amigo, or I’ll cut it right out of your fucking mouth.”
“You know better than to threaten a Hurricane, Mateo.” Leon gave him a shove. “Now, back the fuck off, cholo!”
I had no idea what Leon had just called him, but it was obviously not a compliment. The Hispanic man cocked his head as he told Leon, “You just made a big fucking mistake, cabron.”
I thought they were just spouting off until the guy pulled a knife out of his back pocket and aimed it towards Marcus. Marcus shook his head as he warned, “You don’t want to do that, man.”
Mateo ignored him and lunged forward, doing his best to stab Leon in the gut, and when he missed, a fight ensued. From there, everything moved in slow motion—their body movements, their facial expressions, and even their words. From what I could tell, Leon and Marcus were holding their own, but it didn’t last for long. As soon as the men in the second car got out and joined in the action, Leon and Marcus were no longer able to fight them on their own. Knowing he had to do something, Devon shouted, “Come on, Zeek. Let’s end this shit now.”
And just like that, they opened their doors and jumped out, leaving me completely alone in the car. I had my chance for freedom, but I had to muster the courage to take it. My heart raced with apprehension as I took a quick glance around me, gazing for a brief moment at the door handle, and back to the front of the store. Customers were scattering as fists flew through the air, and it was at the moment that I convinced myself that Devon and his friends had forgotten about me. It was doubtful that I would get another opportunity like this, so I decided to go for it.
My hands were trembling as I eased over to the empty seat beside the door and lifted my hand up to the door handle. I inhaled a deep breath as I slowly pulled it towards me, opening the door with just a small crack. I looked back over to the fight once more, making sure they hadn’t noticed what I was doing, and when I saw they were still fighting, I opened the door and slipped out. The cool night air hit me with a rush as I crouched down and carefully closed the door. On my hands and knees, I crawled towards the trunk, hoping that I could stay hidden long enough to put some distance between me and their car. I could feel the adrenaline pulsing through me as I made my way over to the next vehicle in the lot. It was amping me up, making me want to just make a run for it, but I couldn’t take the chance on them noticing me. I inched a little further and managed to make my way behind a third car. I glanced back over to the others, and I could no longer see what was going on. Worried that my time was running out, I took a deep breath and took off running. I dug my feet into the pavement and ran harder, faster than I’d ever run before. I had no idea where the hell I was going, but I never checked up. I just kept moving forward, hoping against all hope that they weren’t coming after me. And then it happened.
I was just about to skirt behind one of the local businesses when I heard a gunshot. Before I had a chance to think, I felt a searing, burning sensation in my side. I’d been shot. I had no idea how bad, but I didn’t stop. Even though I could hear them calling out to me, I didn’t look back. I just kept running, praying that they wouldn’t shoot me a second time and darted behind a thicket of trees. It wasn’t long until their voices grew faint, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I kept moving, remaining in the shadows as I raced from one street corner to the next. My lungs burned and my legs were growing numb, but I kept pressing forward. When I felt certain that I’d finally lost them, I slowed my pace, and for the first time since I took off running, I looked to see where I was. I didn’t need a map to know that I was in the heart of Orange Mound—a place where a young, white female should never be alone, especially at night. Damn. I’d just jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
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17
Murphy
The club always comes first. Always have your brother’s back. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t buy into other people’s bullshit. Never let your emotions rule you. Those were the rules I’d lived by for years. They’d gotten me through some tough spots, in and out of the club, so it didn’t make sense why I’d ignored them when it came to Riley. But I had. To make matters worse, I knew I was doing it, and now, Murphy’s Law had come back to bite me in the ass, and I had no one to blame but myself. I’m the one who’d let my guard down. I’d let her draw me in, making me want again—need again, and I couldn’t deny that I liked the feeling. I liked it so much that I never thought about the possibility of something going wrong. I knew what was at stake. I knew I’d let my emotions rule me. I hadn’t pushed harder. I hadn’t stayed on Nichols until I’d persuaded him to do something about his lack of security, because I let my focus get blurred. Now, the time had come for me to pay the consequences for my actions. Only it wouldn’t just be me who had to pay the consequences—my brothers would be there right by my side, putting their lives on the line to help me get Riley back. My chest tightened at the thought, and I eased my foot down on the accelerator, increasing my speed as we turned out of the Nichols’ driveway.
Knowing time wasn’t on my side, I called Riggs and quickly explained the situation with Riley and the motherfuckers who’d taken her. Just as I had hoped, he had an idea for tracking them down. “I need you to call Nichols. See if he’ll give you the number he used to get in contact with Devon.”
“You gonna try to track him with his cell?”
“Yeah, maybe, but there’s no guarantees it’ll work. If the guy is using a burner, I won’t be able to pick up his location … at least not with any real accuracy. But if the number we have is from a regular cell, then I can track him in a matter of minutes.”
This wasn’t exactly news to me. Hell, all the brothers used burners so no one could trace our calls or monitor our location. We weren’t the only ones who took such precautions. Anyone who wanted to keep their identity a secret used burners—at least, anyone with half a brain would use one. If my gut was right, Devon wasn’t thinking anyone would be checking up on him. “I’d guess a guy like him would think he was fucking invincible.”
“Only one way to find out,” Riggs replied. “Call me as soon as you get the number.”
“Give me two minutes.”
As soon as I got off the phone with Nichols, I called Riggs back and gave him the number he’d given me for Devon. We were just leaving the city limits of Somerville when he finally returned my call. “You were right. The dumbass was using a regular cell.”
“Does that mean you have his location?”
“Right now, he’s on Park Street … just a block or so down from the Little General. Looks like they’re sitting in an empty lot.”
“Damn. Right in the middle of Orange Mound,” I grumbled.
“Yep. That’d be the place,” Riggs confirmed.
“I’m headed that way now. See if you can find out anything about Devon and these fucking Hurricanes before we get there.”
“I’m on it.” Before he hung up, he said, “I’ll let you know if his location changes.”
“Thanks, brother.”
As I soon as I hung up the phone, I shared Devon’s location with the others, then glanced up at my rearview mirror to check on Shadow and Gauge. Just as I’d expected, they were right behind me and following my lead as I drove towards Park Avenue. The further we got into town, the more traffic I had to contend with. It seemed like everyone had forgotten how to fucking drive, and it was making me lose what was left of my patience. I whipped around several slow-moving vehicles, and by the time I got in front of them, my knuckles were completely white. The uneasiness building inside me was growing with such fervor and intensity that I was afraid I’d explode right there on the spot. It was almost too much to bear. I looked over to Blaze and wondered if he or Shadow would feel the same anxiety if it were their ol’ ladies who’d been taken. Knowing them the way I did, I had no doubt that they’d be just as wound up as I was.
We were ten miles away from the location Riggs had given me when my burner started to ring. I put it on speaker so the others could hear as Riggs announced, “They’re on the move … They’ve left the empty lot and are headed east on Park. They’re moving slow, like really slow. You’d think they were pushing the car instead of driving it, so you shouldn’t have a problem catching up to them.”
“Got it.” As I gassed it, I told him, “We’re getting close. Just now passing the Little General.”
“By the way, I did some digging. The Hurricanes only have fifteen to twenty members, but they’ve made a name for themselves around the Mound. They have a habit of causing all kinds of mayhem over there.” He paused for a moment, then said, “Hey … they’re just a few blocks ahead of you now. They’ve stopped at a red light on the corner of Park and Second. I still have no idea why they’re moving so fucking slow.”
“We’ll find out soon enough.” As I continued forward, I asked, “What else did you find out?”
“They’ve been in a turf war with Arañas, one of the local Hispanic gangs, for months. A guy named Malek Harrison seems to be running the show. He’s a local. Folks were killed in a drive-by. He’s got a rap-sheet, but nothing out of the norm there.”
“We’re coming up on First.”
“Keep straight ahead. Looks like they’re only a quarter of a mile or so ahead of you.”
I was chomping at the bit as we grew closer. There was a nagging voice in the back of my mind that told me something wasn’t right, and all I could think about was getting to Riley. The motherfuckers who had her better pray that she’s okay, because if she wasn’t—if they’d touched one hair on her head—I’d kill every last one of them. Just as we were coming up on the next stop sign, Riggs announced, “They’re right in front of you.”
“I see ‘em.”
The black BMW was in the middle of the fucking road with the back doors wide open. I stayed behind and watched as two guys came running out from the back alley. Paying us no mind, they hopped into the backseat and closed the doors. Blaze leaned forward and asked, “What the fuck are they doing?”
“Hell if I know.”
When they started to move, I told Riggs, “I’ll call you back.”
I hung up the phone and slipped it in my pocket as I drove up on the BMW, just inches from their rear bumper. I put on my high beams and eased up even closer. It was difficult to see through their dark-tinted windows, but I was almost certain that Riley wasn’t in the backseat. I turned to Blaze and asked, “Do you see Riley in there?”
“I don’t know, brother. It’s hard to tell for sure.”
The BMW continued to creep forward ever so slowly, but they quickly caught on that we were tailing them when they started to pick up the pace. It wasn’t long before we were in a high-speed chase. Hoping to lose us, they took several quick turns, but I hung tight. There was no way in hell I was letting them get away, not without knowing if Riley was in the car with them. When we came up on a side road, Blaze turned to me said, “We aren’t getting anywhere with this bullshit.”
“We gotta try something different.” Gunner eased up from the backseat and said, “Hell, nobody uses this road anymore. Let’s see if we can shoot out their back tires.”
He was right. The road was practically abandoned with no one around for miles, but I wasn’t sure that shooting the tires out was a good idea. “I don’t know, brother. Riley might be in there, and if they wreck, she might get hurt.”
“A few bumps and bruises are better than a bullet,” Blaze replied flatly. “We need to end this thing, brother.”
“Do it.”
Blaze rolled down his window and a rush of cold air filled the truck. I took in a deep breath, hoping to slow the adrenaline that was surging through me as he leaned out the window and took his shot. The back end started to swerv
e back and forth as the driver appeared to lose control of the vehicle. They hit a loose patch of gravel, causing it to jar to the side, and seconds later the car took a nose dive into a ditch. As we pulled up next to them, I could see that the front end had crumpled like a fucking can when it hit the embankment, and smoke was billowing out from under the hood, making it clear that the car was done. I parked on the side of the road and killed the engine. As Gunner started to open his door, he warned, “Take it slow. You know these guys are packing.”
I didn’t want to take it slow. I wanted to run straight for that damn car and open every fucking door to see if Riley was inside, but there was no way in hell that was going to happen. None of us knew what was waiting for us in that car, so we had to play it safe. I took a deep breath and let my instincts kick in. “I’ll take the front with Blaze. You and Shadow cover the back with Gauge and Rider.”
“You got it.”
My heart was beating a mile a minute as we eased out of the truck with our weapons drawn. We all quickly realized that those dark-tinted fucking windows weren’t going to work in our favor as we proceeded towards the car, but that didn’t stop us from advancing forward. With every step we took, they were watching us. I could feel it. Their eyes were making the hairs prickle across my skin. Blaze slowly came around me. He was just a few steps away from the front passenger side door when it flew open. My breath caught when one of the men shot several rounds in his directions, but as I expected, Blaze was sitting on go. As soon as the asshole pulled the trigger, Blaze returned fire, killing him instantly. He kept his weapon trained on the vehicle as he growled, “Fuck!”
Tension crackled around us as the driver’s door slowly started to open. With my gun aimed at the driver, I shouted, “Don’t even think about it, asshole.”
“Hold up!” He held his hands in the air like he was being arrested and pleaded, “Don’t shoot!”
“Get out of the car!”