Shade

by Jamie Begley

  The ones in front slid into the vehicle while the others still kept his body covered with their own.

  Shade adjusted his sight a millimeter as Digger took a step up into the SUV. Then he squeezed the trigger, and the bullet soundlessly left the rifle before hitting his target between the eyes. Shade regretted the son of a bitch wouldn’t have felt a thing; just lights out, sending his soul on its way to Hell.

  Shade was already sliding backward and was almost out of the shaft before the officers realized Digger was dead. He dropped out of the shaft, landing on his feet in an empty closet used by maintenance. The janitor had called in unexpectedly sick after receiving an inheritance from a long-lost relative.

  Shade retrieved his canvas bag where he had hidden it behind a large shelf containing cleaning supplies. He placed the cap on his head, dumping his canvas bag into the trash can then putting the lid on top. He opened the door, wheeling the trash can down the hall as he heard the sirens.

  “Hey, Marcus. How are you liking the new job?”

  “Fine, sir. Anything I can do for you?” Shade asked humbly, keeping his head down.

  “I left a box by my trash can; would you make sure it gets taken out?”

  “Sure thing. I’ll do it right now.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. I’d be happy to take care of that for you,” Shade said, whistling as he went down the hall to the supervisor’s office, which was conveniently next to the exit.

  * * *

  Shade lay on his belly on top of a railroad car, staring through the night scope at the group leaving the warehouse.

  He had tracked Rabbit the day before, knowing the sneaky shit would lead him to the buy. Cash had texted him, telling him Evie wasn’t answering her messages. It didn’t take a fucking rocket scientist to figure out why Rabbit was acting cocky. He had insurance—Evie.

  He had followed Rabbit, realizing it was his only hope of finding Evie. When Rabbit had arrived at the warehouse and Shade had seen the Predators in hiding, watching the same building, he had known his theory was right.

  He had quickly surveyed the surrounding area, finding the best spot. He believed in planning every detail, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t get the job done on the fly.

  He shifted the rifle slightly, adjusting his trajectory for the hellacious wind.

  After Evie and King, Rabbit and then the Predators came out of the building, Shade saw Max, another Predator, come out holding several bags.

  Shade moved the rifle a fraction of a centimeter. His target stopped, saying something, but he would never hear what Evie replied because Shade pulled the trigger and Rabbit fell to the ground.

  Shade sighed; the wind was a motherfucker. He had aimed for the back of his head, but the bullet had hit the side. He would compensate more on his next target.

  The Predators were running like ants. Most were running for their lives, but Shade easily saw a couple of them heading his way, trying to discover where he was shooting from.

  Shade moved the rifle to his next target—King.

  Frowning, he saw Evie had thrown herself in front of King, plastering herself against him. Then she yelled out, telling them not to move. Shade’s brow arched over his scope.

  King pulled away from her as his car stopped by them and then opened the door. Evie shook her head, refusing to get in. King didn’t budge.

  Evie turned her head, staring in his vicinity.

  “Please,” she mouthed. “Please, don’t.”

  “Fuck,” Shade hissed.

  Taking out his pin light, he gave her a quick flash, acknowledging he wouldn’t kill the son of a bitch.

  Evie reluctantly climbed into the car while King paused, staring in the same direction Evie had before getting inside.

  “Don’t tempt me,” Shade muttered, moving backward.

  Dismantling his rifle, he placed it back in the canvas bag. He saw the Predator who had kidnapped Penni and Ice drawing nearer. He silently dropped between the railcars, crawling on his stomach underneath, stealthily moving forward under them until he reached the end.

  Shade heard running footsteps pass by, freezing in place. He pulled his .50 caliber Desert Eagle he had tucked into his pants. The first one who looked under the rail car was going to get his face shot off. The second would get one in the artery of a leg. Shade saw the two pairs of feet moving closer to his position.

  “Hold up, Jackal.”

  “Max, keep your voice down,” Jackal hissed.

  “Ice texted. He said King told us to haul ass out of here.”

  Shade shook his head. The Predator had barely lowered his voice.

  “I saw,” Jackal said, “but I want to find the shooter.”

  “Doesn’t matter what you want. Ice ordered us back to the clubhouse. We’re lucky the cops aren’t here yet.”

  Shade saw one pair of booted feet moving away.

  “Coming?”

  “Fuck, I’m coming.” The second pair of boots moved away.

  Shade remained still for the remainder of the night, slipping out before dawn to run toward his hidden rental car. Changing in the car and placing his canvas bag in a specially made suitcase, he then pulled out, driving to the airport.

  Returning the rental car, he wheeled his suitcase to the front of the airport. He stared at several employees behind his sunglasses, standing out front. He wheeled it toward the one standing by the closest door.

  “Bruno?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “How’s the food here?”

  “A little salty for my taste.”

  “I like mine salty.”

  “Can I check your bag for you?”

  “Thanks.” Shade let him take the handle of the suitcase. An envelope of cash was placed in his pocket as he brushed against his side.

  “Elmo will meet you at your destination,” Bruno said, holding the door open.

  Shade nodded, going inside the airport to check in.

  The plane was on time and Shade boarded, handing the stewardess his coat as he went to first class while ignoring her flirting smile.

  After the plane took off, she leaned over provocatively, showing her full breasts.

  “Did you enjoy your business trip, Mr. Burns?”

  “It could have gone better,” Shade said, looking out the window.

  She lowered her voice seductively. “Would you like something?”

  Shade turned back to face her, his eyes dropping to her tits before rising to her eyes. “Just a whiskey,” he said coldly.

  * * *

  Shade sat on his haunches on the roof of the supermarket, watching the man Digger hired to kill Lily place his groceries in the car. He had taken the money to kill Lily, and he had a reputation of always finishing the job. He was good, just not good enough. One simple mistake had led to his downfall. Knox had tracked him down, giving Shade the information he needed.

  Shade felt not an ounce of regret when Ray raised his head. He took the kill shot, placing the bullet in the exact same spot he had put Digger’s.

  His wife screamed as he fell to the pavement. Shit, he had done her a favor. Her husband had been stashing the money he made for his assassinations in offshore accounts. Shade was willing to bet, when he retired, he would have disappeared and left her behind as his last victim.

  Crawling across the roof, he tore his rifle apart and placed it in the metal box. When he was finished, he stood and picked up the box, before climbing down the metal ladder. The supervisor stood below, waiting.

  “Well?” he asked impatiently.

  “All done. I took care of the problem. The motor that keeps the freezer cold had a clog in the coolant line. I flushed it out, and your freezer should be cold enough to freeze your balls off before you get back inside.”

  “Thank Christ. I lost my bonus this month and had to run a meat sale the last two days to get rid of the meat in the freezer.”

  “Well, it’s all fixed now.” Shade reached in his pocket, pulling out a pre
-made bill then handing it to him. “You can pay that online if it’s easier for you.”

  “Thanks. I will.”

  “Have a nice day.” Shade placed his metal box in the back of the borrowed truck before climbing inside then shutting the door. He would clean it down and dump it not far from the owner’s house. They would think it had been taken out for a joyride, and it had.

  * * *

  Shade held his rifle steady, slowing his breathing one heartbeat at a time, focusing only on the woman sitting at the picnic table. Watching her smoke the cigarette, he let her take six puffs before he pulled the trigger. It was the longest shot he had ever made at almost three hundred meters.

  When her head hit the table, he knew he had succeeded in making the kill. Loosening his legs which had been gripping the tree trunk for sixteen hours, he slid the strap of his rifle over his shoulder then climbed down the tree to land on his feet.

  Hurriedly, he broke down the rifle, placing it carefully in the canvas bag as he heard the loud blasting of the sirens.

  He took a brief glance at his wristwatch before smoothing out the leaves beneath the tree. Jogging in a zigzag pattern through the wooded area, he increased his speed, jumping over the water to land on the other side of the creek. Once on the other side, he walked downstream several feet before deftly jumping sideways into the creek. Turning in the other direction, he began walking upstream.

  He was two miles up before it started getting deep. Shade pulled on the straps of his bag so it would ride higher on his shoulders. When the water became waist-deep, he came to the tree he had been looking for. Jumping up with all the strength in his legs, he managed to grip the low-hanging limb and climbed up onto it until he could reach the trunk of the large tree. Shimmying down, he took off running through the woods for three miles. As he turned the bend, he came to a campfire with two men sitting on the riverbank, fishing.

  “What took so long?” Rider asked, taking a hit from the joint in his hand.

  “Kiss my ass,” Shade said, going inside the tent where he took off the canvas bag and placed it in a trash bag, zip-tying it closed before placing it inside the cooler. The fish inside were four days old. Shade had to hold his breath when he opened it. Anyone opening it would puke their guts out from the smell, assuming it was rotten fish inside the trash bag. If the dogs did track him there, the fish inside the cooler would throw them off the scent.

  Shade slammed the cooler shut then took off his camouflage pants and shirt. He dressed in jeans and a T-shirt before packing his wet clothes back outside, throwing them into the campfire after dousing them with lighter fluid.

  Placing a metal grate on top, he set a frying pan with fish in it onto the fire. It didn’t take long before the smell of frying fish filled the air.

  Shade stood up, stretching before walking toward Rider. He crouched down next to him, taking the joint held out to him.

  Cash tossed him a cold beer, which he caught with the other hand.

  “We heading home in the morning?” Cash asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What are you going to tell Lily if she smells weed on your clothes?” Rider joked.

  Shade grinned back. “I’ll tell her I didn’t inhale.”

  Chapter 76

  When Rider pulled his truck to a stop in The Last Riders’ parking lot, Shade opened the passenger side door and got out as Rider and Cash hopped out alongside him. Shade opened the back door, reaching inside and pulling out his canvas bag, looping it over his shoulder before slamming the truck door closed. He then moved around to the bed of the truck, helping Cash pull out the big ice cooler.

  “You go ahead. We got this.” Rider grinned, coming around the back of the truck.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. Have fun.” He smiled mockingly as he reached inside the truck bed for the fishing poles.

  “Later,” Shade said to both men, turning toward the path which led to his house.

  He was halfway there when he saw her running toward him down the path lined with spring flowers she had planted, her purple dress and black hair blowing in the breeze.

  His somber expression broke into a smile as he came to a stop, lifting his shades to the top of his head so he could see her clearly. When she got close, he held out his arms and Lily jumped into them, her mouth already turned up for his kiss. He gave her the kiss he knew she wanted; he’d take his when he got her inside their home.

  “Did you have a good fishing trip? Did you catch anything?” Lily asked, gazing up at him with love shining in her violet eyes.

  “Yeah, two big fish and a small fry.”

  “Was it fun?”

  “Always.” He looked down into her shining, violet eyes. “Did you miss me?”

  “Always.”

  Shade grinned down at her, placing his arm around her shoulder as they walked up the path toward their house.

  “Anything exciting happen while I was gone? Find anyone to give all my money away to?” he reminded her, keeping the promise he had made to himself when he had left.

  “I’m not going to get angry with you today. I missed you too bad.” Lily shot him a glare then slipped her arm around his waist. “Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat,” Lily changed the subject.

  “Sounds good. I’ll shower and change. I’ll help you fix dinner, and then you can help me later,” Shade teased.

  “I don’t think that’s an even trade. Cooking is easy, while you require a lot of hard work.” Lily’s idea of dirty talk didn’t match his.

  “Angel, I promise to do my part tonight, too. While you’re giving me a blowjob, I’ll suck that pretty, pink clit of yours.”

  Lily blushed bright red, rushing into the kitchen.

  “I’ll go get changed.” Shade climbed the steps, grinning when he heard a pot drop on the floor.

  He took a couple of minutes to place his canvas bag in the hidden compartment of his cabinet before changing.

  * * *

  Shade was about to sit down to eat lunch at the clubhouse when his phone vibrated. Taking it out, he stared down at the text message.

  “Viper, I need to borrow your computer for a minute.”

  “Help yourself,” he said, staring at the same text Shade had read. “Door’s open.”

  Shade left without another word, running upstairs to Viper’s room. He went to the computer, going to their security footage, smiling when he saw Evie until he saw who she was talking to. Closing the computer, he went back downstairs to the kitchen.

  “Evie’s back. Anyone want to go welcome her home?”

  “Hell yeah!” Train said.

  “Let’s go.” Raci bounced out of her chair.

  The members all stood up one by one.

  “I have a PTA meeting. I’ll stop by and see her afterward,” Winter said, picking up her dirty plate.

  Shade followed the rest of the members outside.

  They rode to Beth’s and Lily’s old house which Evie had purchased before she had left for Texas.

  As they pulled up in front of the house, the door was flung open.

  Evie came running outside, and Jewell and Raci jumped off the backs of the bikes they were riding on.

  “Why didn’t you call? We would have picked you up at the airport,” Jewell complained.

  “I didn’t want to get you guys in trouble for missing work. I know what a slave-driver Shade can be,” she teased as he sat watching the commotion of her greeting everyone from his bike.

  “How did you know I was back? I was getting ready to call,” Evie asked him.

  “I saw you when the security alarm went off,” Shade stated matter-of-factly while his eyes searched her face.

  “I forgot to key in the code.”

  “Your visitor must have distracted you.” He caught her eyes with his.

  “She didn’t stay long.”

  “Who stopped by?” Jewell asked curiously.

  “No one important.”

  Knowing better than to push fo
r answers Evie wasn’t going to give, they all filed inside her new home. All the members had areas of their lives they wanted to remain private.

  “So, what’s first?” Raci stared around the empty room.

  “The first thing is the furniture store. Want to go with me?”

  Raci, Jewell, and Ember all agreed to go, while the brothers were going to head back to the clubhouse.

  “You going to come by tonight?” Train slung an arm around Evie’s shoulders.

  “Not tonight. I’m tired from the trip and want to get unpacked,” Evie replied evasively, moving away slightly. She smiled at Train’s frown. “I’ll be there for work bright and early tomorrow, though, so don’t worry.”

  “It wasn’t work I was thinking about. I’ve missed having you around.”

  “I missed you guys, too,” Evie admitted with a smile.

  “If we’re going to get this house furnished, we need to get to the store,” Raci reminded her.

  “I’m coming.”

  Evie picked the keys up off the counter. Beth had dropped Evie’s car off for her the day before. Razer and Shade had followed her and drove her back in Rider’s truck.

  “Let’s go spend some money.”

  The women yelled while the men groaned as everyone trailed out of the house.

  Shade was the last one out the door and waited for her to lock it. “Brooke cause any problems?”

  “Same old Brooke. What can I say? Shade, she’s really sick. I can’t believe she’s my sister.”

  “She’s not sick; she’s an evil bitch. I wish I had known who she was married to. I would have talked Lucky out of letting Merrick take over for him.”

  “It’s too late now. We’ll just have to deal with her.”

  Shade turned to walk back to his bike, but Evie grabbed his arm. “Shade, she’s still fixated on you. Watch out. I’m worried with Lily being around her so often.”

  Shade’s face darkened. “I didn’t want to talk to Lily about Brooke until I spoke with you first.”

  Evie sighed. “You’re going to have to tell her everything. I understand. I don’t want her hurt because you want to respect my privacy.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Lily won’t talk about my past with anyone, and she of all people will understand me not wanting to talk about it.”