He stood and dropped the bottle into the trash can. “Yes, it is.” He stood tall and squared his shoulders. “It is on me. But that’s the cost of being a leader.” He stepped out from behind his desk and opened the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find a hot shower and some clean clothes. I smell like one of the Zulus.”
The pair watched him walk out and pull the door shut behind him. Candy looked to Vicky and shrugged. “At least he made it home unscathed.”
Vicky raised a brow. “Did he?”
Simon could still feel the effects of the alcohol and had to shake his head to clear his vision. He could smell the booze seeping out of his pores and he really wished he could puke again. He knew it would just be coffee and stomach acid, but somehow he knew he would feel better.
He waited while the rest of the men armed themselves and mounted their bikes. He had heard the chopper blades slow their rhythmic beating and then increase again. He assumed that it either dropped somebody off or picked somebody up again, because they didn’t stay low for long.
He cursed himself silently for not having snipers set up on the perimeter who could have taken shots at the craft. They might not have been able to bring it down, but perhaps they could have crippled the craft. Maybe he could find out for sure where they landed, who they were carrying, or what they were doing in his backyard.
“Let’s move it, you sons of bitches!” He revved the engine on his Harley and kicked it into gear. He pulled up to one of his lieutenants and barked, “They can catch up. Whoever’s ready now, follow me!”
He throttled up and pulled away from the camp, a dozen motorcycles pulling out behind him. He drove in the direction the chopper had been spotted approaching and rode full speed when the roads were straight enough to allow it.
Simon slowed as he came to a larger intersection and tried to get his bearings. “It looked like they were dropping down somewhere over there.” He pointed and his lieutenant nodded.
“I can send a half-dozen men that direction and we can go straight to see if we can spot anything?”
Simon considered splitting his forces up so soon but nodded. “Do it.”
While his man barked orders, Simon considered his options. If he could find either the people or the location the chopper had gone, he could always rally back at the camp and gather his men for an assault. First, he had to identify the target.
He watched as the men turned left and headed away from them. Four more men were catching up to the group from the camp when he kicked his bike into gear again and crossed the intersection.
All he needed was a sign. Something that could point him in the right direction.
Savage rode toward the camp and could see dust rising in the air in the distance. He knew that the members were on the move and clenched his jaw.
He goosed the bike and tried to close the distance. He slowed the bike for the next intersection, and was actually surprised to see a handful of riders heading toward him. He could just see another handful pulling through the intersection and going due west. He pulled his bike out slowly and watched as the men slowed their machines.
Savage held a hand up to them as they approached.
“Where the hell did you run off to?”
Savage raised a brow at the man and gave him a stern look. “Do I answer to you?”
The man seemed to deflate slightly. “Well…no. But Simon wasn’t happy that you just took off.”
“Well, he should be fucking happy that I did. I saw that chopper again.”
The men seemed to perk up. “Where is it?”
Savage shook his head. “It took off again.” He pointed behind him. “They landed about two blocks that way, picked up somebody in a camo uniform, then took off again.”
The lead man pulled his radio and tried to raise Simon. He called repeatedly, but to no avail. He glanced over his shoulder. “Simon went straight through that intersection. Maybe if we hurry we can catch him.”
Savage wasted no time kicking his bike into gear and heading in the direction the man pointed. The rest fell into place behind him and turned at the intersection they had just come from.
Savage sent a silent prayer to whatever god might be left that they could find Simon before he found Roger’s people.
Roger slid his motorcycle to a stop at the locked chain link gates and waved at the guards. They quickly opened the gates and Roger pulled the bike in and through the staging area. He practically leapt from the bike and turned to the guards, “We could be having company! I’m sure they spotted the chopper. We need to seal the gates and make ourselves invisible!”
The guards scrambled to secure the gates and two men dragged rusty pieces of tin roofing in front of the entrance along with other large pieces of trash that they often used to disguise the place.
Roger ran into the warehouse and grabbed the nearest sentry, “Where’s Candy?”
“I think she’s in the office with—”
“Thanks!” Roger was gone before the man could finish his sentence.
Roger threw open the door and startled both women as he tried to catch his breath. “The chopper.”
Candy gave him a surprised look. “What about it?”
“Simon and his gang are just across town. I’d bet money they saw it approach.”
“Oh hell…”
Daniel nearly screamed when Vicky threw back the shower curtain. “We got a problem!”
Daniel pulled the chain and rinsed the soap from his body then turned and gave her a hateful glare. “I’m sure you do, but couldn’t it wait another damned minute?”
“Danny, those marauders you ran into on the highway? They’re in town.” She waited for him to put the pieces together. When he gave her a so what look she elaborated. “The chopper? It just dropped you off…they probably saw it.”
Daniel’s heart fell into his stomach and he pushed past her, quickly dragging a towel across his body. “Put the guards on alert. I want spotters on the roof and people in ghillie suits on the perimeter. Make sure they’re armed to the teeth.”
“Roger says he’s got a man on the—”
“Who the hell is Roger?” Hatcher asked as he pulled his pants on.
“He’s, uh…this guy that…well, he and Candy are…” Vicky turned away and refused to meet his gaze.
“Spill it, Vic! We don’t have all day.”
“He was one of them.” There. She spit it out. Now maybe she could fix it.
“He’s WHAT?”
“He was a cop that went undercover to infiltrate the motorcycle gang. While he was with them, all of this happened and…well, like he said. There was safety in numbers.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means he stayed because he had nowhere else to go. But he stumbled upon us and he didn’t say anything to them about us. Now he’s trying to keep it that way.” Vicky shrugged. “At least until their leader is removed. He thinks that the people following them could make a go at—”
“At what, Vic? Spit it out.”
“At joining us. Helping us create a community here.”
Hatcher’s mouth hung open as he stared at her. “The last I recall, we could barely feed the people we have already. Now you want to add more?”
“About that.” Vicky gave him a tight-lipped smile. “While you were gone, we found plenty of food.”
“Well, isn’t that just freakin’ dandy?” Hatcher jerked his shirt on and fumbled as he tried to button it. “Nice to know some of this stuff, dontcha think?”
“Don’t start with me Danny. You were the one who came in all slumpy and decided to take a shower before getting caught up on—”
“Roof sentries have spotted people on motorcycles.” Candy interrupted. “Throw your boots on and get topside.”
She disappeared back into the hallway and Hatcher glared at Vicky. “Tell me that didn’t sound bossy?”
Vicky shrugged. “You were the one who put her in charge when you left.”
&
nbsp; Chapter 20
Hatcher raised the binoculars and stared at the two men meandering their way down the street. They paused at the intersection where they had dumped the burnt-out car and one man stepped off his bike.
“Shit. They noticed something.”
“What?” Candy asked.
Hatcher watched as the man stepped to the front of his bike and grasped his crotch.
“Oh. Nevermind. He’s taking a leak.”
Roger reached for the glasses and peered in the direction Hatcher had been watching. “That’s a little too convenient, don’t ya think? Of all the places to stop and take a piss, he chooses our front doors.”
“Ours?” Hatcher reached out and took the spyglasses from him.
Roger cast his eyes away and sighed heavily. “For what it’s worth, I was on my way out of town when you came back.” He avoided the open-mouthed stare that Candy gave him. “I knew you needed to be warned.”
“Fat lot of good that’s going to do us if they discover us.” Hatcher lowered the binoculars and radioed the men posted at the corners of the intersection.
Candy reached out and pulled Roger back and away from the group. “What the hell did you mean you were headed out of town?” Her narrowed eyes warned Roger to shoot straight with her.
Roger cleared his throat and avoided her eyes. “I knew you’d never look at me the same. I felt it best if I just—”
“What? Leave?”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah.” He glanced around and gave her a lopsided grin. “You were doing great until I showed up. I figured you really didn’t need me around to screw things up for you.”
“For a cop, you are really stupid, you know that?” She punched him in the arm and turned her back to him. “You better pray those guys show up and beat the hell out of you.”
He gave her a confused and shocked look. “What do you mean?”
She spun and poked him hard in the chest. “Because if they don’t, then I’ll have to, and trust me, you don’t want an ass-whoopin’ from me.”
Roger fought the urge to smile and gave her a curt nod. “Yes, ma’am.”
“They’re moving on.” Hatcher announced. “Let’s clear the roof of everybody but the one sentry. We’ve got four men on the ground with eyes on each road leading here. We won’t get much warning, but we’ll get something.”
“I still have a man on the ground.” He met Hatcher’s questioning eyes. “I trust him. If there’s any way he can defuse this, he will.”
Hatcher studied the new man’s face, then glanced at Candy who gave him a slight nod. “Fine. I’m not hedging my bets on anything right now, but I’ll cross my fingers and hope your man can pull this off.”
Hatcher marched past the pair and grabbed the ladder handles. “Everybody off the roof. We can’t risk any of them spotting us.”
Savage bounced his headlight between hi and low beam until he caught Simon’s attention. He actually breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the man’s brake lights come on and his bike slide to a stop.
Savage rolled up alongside him and cut off his engine.
“Where the fuck have you been?”
Savage glared at him. “Not that it’s any of your business, but me and Stella got into it. I hit the road to clear my head before I snapped her in half like a dry twig.”
Simon raised a brow at him, unsure of whether to believe him or not. “Tell me you seen that chopper.”
Savage nodded and pointed with his chin. “It landed over that way about a block and a half. Seen a guy in a camo uniform run out to it and board the thing. Then it took off again.”
Simon stared at him, hoping for some sign that the man was lying. Savage remained stoic. To the others in the group, they might have appeared to be in a staring match. Finally, Savage threw his hands in the air. “What?”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re jerking my chain?”
Savage rolled his eyes. “Well, fuck me. How am I supposed to know what’s rolling around in that sick paranoid fucking head of yours?” He leaned back and spread his arms wide. “Maybe I’m in cahoots with the damned military. Is that what you’re thinking? Maybe I’m just waiting for you to fall asleep or get piss-drunk again, and then I’ll stick one of those alien implants into your head so they can track you.” He crossed his arms and glared at the man. “You have plenty of reasons to wrap your fucking noodle in tin foil. You don’t need to go inventing new ones.”
He started his motorcycle again and Simon snatched his handlebars. “Where you going now?”
Savage glared at him and leaned in close, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I’m going back to the camp and screw Stella’s brains out. I don’t give a shit what you do. You can run all over this piss-ant town and chase shadows for all I care.” He pushed his hand away from his handlebars and with his eyes dared him to reach for them again.
“I ain’t done with you,” Simon barked.
“Well, I’m done with you.” Savage kicked the bike into gear and pulled away from the crowd. As he rode away, he glanced at his side mirrors, half-expecting some of the men to peel away from the group and give chase.
He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or nervous that none did.
As he rode back to camp, he hoped that his bluff had worked. He knew that Simon was paranoid and half a bubble off. He couldn’t know if he had crossed the line by making such a strong stand in front of his lieutenants, or if he had gained more respect for refusing to lick his boots.
In the end, he knew that he’d done what he could to throw him off of Roger’s scent. He could only pray that Simon accepted what he had told him as truth.
He tried not to replay the interaction in his head during the ride back. He couldn’t help but imagine how things might have ended if he’d just gone ahead and blown Simon’s head off there on the street. Would his men be too shocked to react, or would they retaliate? He couldn’t begin to guess.
He knew that if he was going to kill Simon, he’d either have to call him out in front of the entire gang or kill him in his sleep. At the moment, he couldn’t decide which would be the best way to go about it.
Savage had been so lost in thought that he was actually surprised when the camp began to come into view. He slowed the bike and coasted up and over the curb. He pulled the bike to his trailer and slid off the saddle.
Stella nearly tackled him when he walked in the door. “Where have you been? Did you know that nearly everybody took off like a scalded cat a bit ago?”
He nodded and shut her up with a kiss. “I know. They spotted a chopper and went chasing it.” He peeled his jacket off and tossed it across the worn-out sofa. “I’m pretty sure I knocked them off the track.”
Stella shot him a confused look. “Why would you do that?”
“The fresh start? The new beginning? That’s why.”
She climbed into his lap and straddled him. “I’m so confused.”
He pulled her close and held her. “It’s okay, baby. So am I most of the time.” He ran his hand up and down her back as his mind raced. “Just do me a favor? I doubt he’s smart enough to ask, but if Simon asks you why I left, just tell him we got into a fight and I stormed out.”
She pulled back and shook her head. “We never fight.”
“He don’t know that.” He planted a peck on her nose. “Just do it for me.”
She nodded and laid her head back on his chest. “Tell me we aren’t in trouble, Savage.”
“We aren’t in trouble.” He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m just not sure how to do what needs doing.”
Roger followed Candy into the main body of the warehouse and finally pulled her aside. “Hey, we need to talk.”
“Do you really think that now is the best time to do that?”
He nodded and lowered his voice. “I do.” He turned her so that his back was to the masses that passed by. “Look, I get it, okay. You have every right to be pissed at me, but if I hadn’t been out there, I wouldn’t have run into
Mike and got a plan put in place.”
Her narrowed eyes softened somewhat. “Go on.”
“We’re in a bad position here.”
“We can defend this place.”
“That’s not what I mean.” He glanced around and motioned to the people rapidly setting up their makeshift defenses. “These people, they’re trying to hunker down, defend their home…they’re trying to protect what’s theirs.”
“Exactly.”
“They have something to lose. Simon doesn’t. He knows that. If his people want to eat, they have to take it. If they need ammunition, they have to steal it. If they want weapons—”
“I get it. So what’s your point?”
“It’s going to be ten times harder for us. We’re trying to stay alive, but we’re also trying to protect what we have here. Simon will use that against us. If he can’t get what he wants right away, he’ll start destroying things until he does. To him, it’s no loss because he doesn’t have it. Yet.”
Candy’s eyes widened as the situation came into focus for her. “He’s the scavenger…”
“And we’re trying to make something worth saving.” He gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Our best hope is that Savage drops Simon right away. Yeah, there will be a bit of chaos amongst Simon’s true believers, but once they get a taste of what we can build together here, I think they’ll come around.”
“And if they don’t, you and Savage will take care of them.”
Roger stiffened. “That isn’t fair.”
Candy flushed and looked away. “You’re right.” She stared at the floor and reached for his hand. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”
“No, I didn’t.” He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. “Or maybe I did. I don’t know.”
“Can we pretend I didn’t say it?” She looked at him hopefully and he knew that whether she had said it or not, she felt it in her heart.
He gave her a weak nod. “Sure.”
She pulled him close and wrapped her arms around his neck, tiptoeing to reach him. “I really am sorry.”
Caldera Book 4: Countdown To Oblivion Page 18