Shade

by Jamie Begley

  Viper had everyone organized in a matter of minutes, sending Cash and Rider for the equipment they needed from the factory while Lucky called for an ambulance and Knox.

  They were in the living room when Shade stepped back outside where they had been digging first. “Everyone quiet!” he yelled.

  The members stopped digging, listening. The faint sound of Fat Louise could be heard, and they rushed to the side where the kitchen was located, digging hastily as her voice became clearer. Finally, they pulled back a board and found her lying with debris covering her.

  She rolled back, and Shade saw his son, still sucking his paci. He quickly and carefully bent down to pick him up, holding his son close to his chest as he moved away, his heart aching as his son’s arms waved in the air. His trembling hands ran gently over John’s body, checking him for any cuts or bruises.

  “Little man, you scared the fuck out of me,” Shade croaked. “You’re not allowed to take that particular trait after your mother.”

  “I was fixing us both something to eat when the house crashed around us,” Fat Louise said shakily.

  “The ambulance is here,” Lucky told him.

  They went down to the parking lot to have the baby and Fat Louise checked out. Other than a scratch on Fat Louise’s arm, both of them were fine. The EMTs cleaned and bandaged Shade’s hands when he refused to go into town to the hospital. He wasn’t willing to let go of his son just yet, holding him close and switching hands as they worked on him.

  Shade took his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to call Lily. I don’t want them pulling in and seeing the ambulance, or she’ll freak out.” He frowned when her phone went directly to voicemail.

  He was calling Razer when Lucky’s phone rang next to him. He stepped away as he talked.

  Razer didn’t answer his phone, either, and his heart began to pound in the same fear he had experienced when he had seen the tree limb fall onto his house.

  He called Beth. When she didn’t answer, he knew something was wrong. One of them should have picked up.

  The EMT found him as he was hanging up the phone. “They’re fine,” he said, nodding his head toward John in Shade’s arms, “but we can take them in for a doctor to check out if you want.”

  Shade shook his head, looking down at John. “I’d rather he stay here if you’re sure he’s okay.”

  “Doesn’t have a mark on him.” The EMT grinned. “I wish all my calls ended this way.”

  Fat Louise climbed out of the ambulance. “I’m fine, too. There’s no need for me to go to the hospital, either.”

  Shade swallowed the lump in his throat as he handed his child to her. “I need a big favor from you, Jane. Could you stay at the clubhouse with him until I get back? Lily isn’t answering her phone, so I want to go into town.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Stay in the basement. Jewell, take the rest of the women.”

  The sounds of a tornado siren were going off in town, and the sky had turned ominously dark.

  “Now! All of you, go!” Shade yelled.

  The women ran up the pathway to the house while Viper yelled for the men to get inside as Shade went to his bike.

  “Where in the fuck are you going?” Viper yelled at him.

  “I have to go into town. Lily, Beth, and Razer are there, and they aren’t answering their phones.”

  “The winds probably took down a cell tower.”

  “No, it wouldn’t have rung if it had. Something’s not right. They should have been back by now. Call Rachel and tell her to text me Cal’s address. I’m going to call Evie and see if they’ve picked the twins up.”

  Shade was about to call Evie when he looked up, seeing Lucky’s face as he approached.

  “They haven’t. I just called.” Lucky’s fierce expression told him the person on the phone hadn’t been the bearer of good news.

  “Who called you?” Shade asked, placing his key in the ignition.

  “My contact with the FBI. He sent me the satellite pictures of who trashed yours and Razer’s motorcycles.” Lucky stared down at the picture on his phone before turning it so Shade and the brothers standing near him could see.

  “Who the fuck is…? I’ve seen him before…” Suddenly, it clicked where he had seen that harsh, egotistical face before; however, Cash got his name out before Shade could.

  “That’s Saul Cornett, Beth’s father.”

  Chapter 93

  Knox led the way in the squad car with the blue lights flashing. It was crazy as fuck to be headed into the storm with tornado sirens blaring. Shade had told Viper and the others to go to the clubhouse, and he would call when he was at Cal’s. The brothers didn’t listen, though, climbing on their bikes and following him to town.

  The house was on the outskirts of town, up at the end of a rutted driveway they had to ride up carefully. It was easier to park the bikes and run the rest of the way. Hail pelted them the last few inches.

  The door was standing wide open when the men went inside. The smell of the place was horrendous. Dirty clothes were everywhere, unwashed dishes were in the kitchen with rotting food sitting on the counter, the coffee table was broken as if there had been a fight, and the Crockpot with its contents were spilled onto the floor. It sickened Shade that Cal was forced to live in this environment.

  A search of the house found it empty. No one was there.

  “Take cover!” Viper yelled from the doorway as he slammed the door.

  Shade saw the tornado touchdown in the yard a few feet away.

  “Get in the hall.” Shade pushed and shoved the men toward the hallway just as the tornado struck the house.

  The home shook, and the sound of breaking glass filled the air as the men covered their heads with their arms. The furniture in the room was tossed around by the wind screaming through the house.

  He was crouched down next to Train when a lamp flew toward them. Shade jerked him out of the way a bare second before it crashed against the wall where his head had been.

  “Hold the fuck on to each other!” Viper yelled over the roaring noise.

  All the brothers linked arms and scooted farther down the hallway, bracing themselves against the shaking walls. A picture fell down, hitting Shade on the shoulder. He grimaced yet brushed Viper’s concern away, more worried about the time they were losing.

  It only lasted a few seconds, but it seemed like minutes as the brothers huddled together. When it passed, more than one man stood in disarray as they came out of the hallway to see that, fortunately, only part of the brick walls and front porch were gone.

  The men filed out with the wind still blowing, but the sky was gradually clearing.

  “Where could he have taken them?” Shade asked harshly, not shaken by the ordeal and near death experience they had just gone through, only concerned with finding his wife.

  “I’ve called the FBI in, but they’re over an hour away and the storm is slowing them down. We can’t use a plane like we did last time for the same reason. Saul Cornett was a pastor in Treepoint for years, so he could be holed up anywhere with another of his followers,” Lucky said with frustration lacing every word.

  “I think I know where he is. This time every year, he would always go to a sister church. It closed years ago, but I believe the building is still there.” Cash quickly called his grandmother who confirmed the church was still standing.

  The men ran back down the driveway toward their bikes, gaping as they drew closer to the destruction the tornado had caused. They had to climb over one tree which had fallen across the driveway, and as they did, the carnage of their motorcycles hit them like a slap in the face.

  “Can I please catch a fucking break?” Shade yelled up at the sky before he looked at the mangled motorcycle he’d had delivered only two days before. He didn’t care about the bike, only the delay its destruction would cause.

  “Look and see if any of them are still able to ride,” Viper ordered the men.

  Out of forty bik
es, three were working.

  “Shade, you, Lucky, Rider, and Train ride with Knox. Knox, call and have your deputies give the rest of the brothers a ride back to the clubhouse. I’ll stay here with them then follow.”

  Shade saw the conflict in Viper’s eyes as he directed the men. He wanted to go with them, but he had a responsibility to the brothers left behind.

  “Cash, you take one of the working bikes. If the roads are blocked, you might get through easier on it. I’ll call the FBI and give them the address. Maybe, with the weather clearing, they can get there to back you up.”

  The brothers climbed into the sheriff’s car as the others threw the pieces of their bikes out of the way for Knox to back out of the driveway. Once on the main road, Knox turned on his lights and siren, speeding through town.

  Shade looked out the window at the passing town. Most of it had been spared. It seemed the destruction had only happened toward their side of the valley.

  It took an hour for them to reach the sister church. Knox turned the siren and lights off two miles before they reached the large building sitting on the hillside.

  “Don’t get to close, or they are going to see us coming,” Shade warned. “Pull over here and let me out.”

  Knox pulled off the road behind two large trees, and Cash parked the bike he was riding behind the squad car.

  The men went to the back of the car where Knox opened the trunk. Shade and the men reached inside, pulling out weapons. He hadn’t taken the time to run to his house for his own, knowing it would take too much time to find them in the wreckage.

  Cash took out a rifle, loading it, and Shade tucked a Glock into his waistband before reaching for the M4.

  “You need a gun?” Cash asked Train.

  “Fuck no. I had mine in my saddlebag.” Train pulled his leather jacket back to show his revolver.

  Knox slammed the trunk closed.

  “Take no chances, brothers. Shoot to kill.” Shade changed his mind. “Except for Beth’s father if you can. If not, then blow the motherfucker’s brains out.”

  The men took off at a fast clip. Knox, even being the biggest, kept up with Train and Rider, who were the fastest; however, the rest of the men weren’t far behind. Each had diligently kept their bodies in the same shape they had been in during their military service.

  As they came up on the building, Shade motioned the men in the direction he wanted them to take. As they moved into their positions, the growing darkness did what Shade had thought would be impossible: provided cover enough to allow them to go unseen.

  Shade nodded to the side of the house. Using the tree line to shield him, he stopped by the largest one. Handing Knox his rifle, he shimmied up the tree and reached down for the rifle then climbed several more inches before he stopped moving.

  Bringing the rifle up, he used the scope to look through the church window. Quickly counting, he raised his hands, showing five fingers then another four, indicating there were nine people he could see.

  Shade recognized a few of the faces inside, many he had seen on Sundays when he would wait for Lily at the diner after church. Some of those same people she had attended church with were inside watching something, their fanatical gazes turned toward the front of the church.

  Shade had learned earlier from Knox that the diner’s owner had explained how his and Razer’s bike had been destroyed without it being caught on video. Then Dr. Jones, who was in practice with Lily’s obstetrician, had showed how they had managed to get near to Lily at her appointment. However, it was from the bitch standing toward the front of the church—Kaley, that really set his trigger finger to itching.

  He couldn’t see Lily or Razer, but he could see Beth.

  Shade’s hand tightened on the trigger as he watched Saul use the belt in his hand to beat Beth. Her dress had been torn down the back, and her head had fallen forward. She was unconscious.

  He almost fucking shot everyone through the window when he saw one woman standing in the group, watching Beth being beaten. The only reason he didn’t kill the evil bitch before he climbed down was the promise he had made Lily.

  “Each of you get to a window. We’ll attack at the same time.”

  “Weapons?” Knox asked.

  “I only saw two,” Shade answered. “One by the front door and one by the back.”

  “A church with a lot of windows isn’t the brightest place to hide out,” Rider commented.

  “Saul needed a church to carry out his judgment,” Cash reasoned. “The sadistic bastard uses God as an excuse to do what he gets off doing—hurting someone.”

  “It will be the last time that bastard touches Beth.” Shade took off, heading for the left window. It would be the hardest to get through, but it was the one closest to Beth. If he could get to her, he could untie her and get her behind the podium for cover, if she was still breathing.

  Shade raised the rifle in his hand, taking aim. He pressed the trigger as Saul began to hit Beth again. He had told the men not to kill Saul, but he had no compunction about shooting him in the hand.

  While the minister screamed out in pain, grabbing his blood-soaked hand, Shade flipped the gun around, using the butt of the rifle to break the rest of the glass. Expertly spinning the rifle back around, he raised it to fire at the man by the front door who had raised his own gun to fire at him. Shade shot him between the eyes then jumped through the window.

  Once Knox kicked in the door, pushing the dead body out of the way, the women in the church began to run and scream, trying to find somewhere to hide. He heard shots and looked up to see Rider had killed the one by the back door. Then Train killed two who tried to pull guns from their waistbands. They were inept, the members relying on the pastor who was kneeling on the floor, believing he would protect them.

  Shade ran to the cross where Beth had been tied, checking for a pulse. As soon as he felt the weak beat, he cut Beth down, carrying her behind the podium to lay her flat as Lucky ran to stand over him, giving cover.

  He looked up in time to see Cash backhand Brooke as she tried to run away. Then he dragged her to the podium where both he and Lucky were standing.

  Rider, Train, and Knox forced the ones still alive onto their knees in a circle. Rider and Train stood over them, watching to make sure no one ran away or tried to save their pastor while Knox placed zip-ties around their wrists, securing them until backup could arrive. Train ignored Kaley as she begged him not to tie her up, his face a furious mask.

  “Where’s Lily and Razer?” Shade asked Brooke.

  “She’s dead!” Brooke screamed at him, her eyes crazed.

  Shade raised the handgun. If Lily was dead, he had no promise to keep any longer. Rage filled his mind as agony tore through his heart. He forced back the crushing grief, taking aim at the woman who had finally succeeded in destroying his life.

  “Shade…” Beth whispered, drawing his attention. “They’re locked in the basement. Dad was going to punish us one by one. He saved Lily for last. Razer… he’s hurt, Shade. Please help him.”

  Shade took off, looking for the basement door, flinging them all open and checking for anyone else hiding until he came to one which was down a small hallway. It was locked, so he took the Glock out and shot the lock off before flinging the door open. It was pitch-black inside.

  “Here’s a flashlight,” Cash said, coming up behind him.

  Shade carefully went down the old steps. When he took the last one, he used the beam of the flashlight to sweep the room, finding Razer lying on the dirt floor.

  His hands and feet were tied, his shirt had been torn off, and he appeared to have been severely beaten. He was covered in cuts and lash marks with blood seeping from them. Razer’s nose had been broken, and the son of a bitch had even carved “Sinner” on his chest.

  Shade took off his jacket and covered him before Cash could see then, knowing Razer would want it that way, then turned his gaze away.

  “Lucky’s already called for some ambulances,” Cash to
ld Shade, bending down to Razer and untying his hands and feet. “He’s still alive.”

  Shade nodded.

  “Lily?” Shade yelled then went quiet to listen.

  When he heard banging, he went to an old wooden door in the back of the dark basement and shot at the chain locking it closed. Opening the door, he saw Lily tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth. He untied her, ripping the gag away.

  Smoothing back her tumbled hair, he studied her appearance. Other than the terror in her eyes and her clothing torn where she had struggled, the only bruises he could find were on her wrists. Thank God he had reached her in time.

  “Shade.” Lily’s voice was a painful croak.

  “Woman, just one time I’d like you to leave the house without me having to come and rescue you,” he teased, lifting her into his arms.

  “Razer and Beth?” she asked with wide and terrified eyes.

  “They’re in bad shape, but they’re alive. Let’s get out of here.” Shade led her into the other room where Cash was lifting a now conscious Razer to his feet. His painful groan had Shade wishing he had remained unconscious until they had been able to get him out of there. Cash held him steady as Shade helped him put his jacket on.

  “Shade…”

  Shade cut him off. “Later, brother. Let’s get you and Lily out of here.”

  He helped Lily out of the basement first, afraid the steps would collapse under the brothers’ combined weight.

  When they came around the corner, Lily saw Beth and pulled away from him to run to her. “Beth!”

  Beth took Lily’s hand in hers. “I’m okay, Lily. He’s given me worse before. I’ll heal.”

  A tear slid down his wife’s cheek as she smoothed Beth’s hair from her face and pulled her dress back up her shoulders.

  “Why did you make him take you after Razer? I begged him to take me, but you called him that name—”

  “Because he is an old douchebag.” Beth gave a soft laugh.