by Brair Lake
“Good.” My blood has started to pump and I feel more alive than I have, since waking this morning. I am more than ready for this kill. No one hurts Baby Blu, that was their big mistake.
The MC Brothers are in the basement with Mickey and Toad. Like Dec and Tabby, Mickey has Irish background, all three had grown up together in the same district of Comfort Springs.
Mickey had been a two-bit thief, joining Black County Stewards while in prison for his second offence. He is roughly five eight with lanky greasy brown shoulder length hair, with wiry build. Toad is one fat fucker. His dark hair unwashed, and down his back, with streaks of gray. His face covered in hair, with his beard long, reaching his collarbone. Brown eyes, dead, but as he is shoved into one of the vacant chairs, they begin to show a little fear.
“Hello boys. Welcome to my house of fun” I smile at them. I am feeling elated, this is going to be fun.
“Tabby, Dec, tie them down tight, but leave one of Mickey’s hands free.”
Mickey was going first and Toad was to watch everything. He would not be touched for hours. Hell I might leave him until after the meeting with the Scarlet Runners. After all, he was already starting to sweat and leaving him to stew in his own juice was making me feel elated. All I could see is how Baby Blu had looked when I had left her in the bedroom. They had to pay for being responsible for the look of horror on her face.
Apprehension is good for the soul; well it is good for mine.
While I walk round Mickey, I play with the pliers that are in my hand, closing and opening the ends, snapping them shut, waving them under his nose. The adrenaline pounds through my body; I am on edge, eager to cause pain to these two bastards. Soon I forget about the wound to my shoulder or the pain that I am in, the euphoria takes care of that irritation.
Trax cranks the music up. The room may be sound proof, but, we still do not want to draw attention to what is going on down here.
“Welcome to Paradise City.” I whisper in Mickey’s ear, lifting his free hand to place on the table. As I place the pliers next to Mickey, I collect the hammer and nail his hand to the table. The six-inch nail goes through the center, now he is unable to move his hand. Then, with the hammer, I bang each finger flat, hearing bones break; next, I pick up the pliers again, to pull each fingernail out.
I am not a nice man; I never said that I was. The way I am today has nothing to do with the way my parents raised me. I come from a good home, both of them loving me. I chose this life freely, with no desire to change.
“You fuck with me and what’s mine, I fuck right back.”
None of the brothers interfere, nor will they stop me, from what I am doing or what I am about to do.
Leaning back, to take a long deep look at my handy work.
“What do you think VP, does it look good” I gloat.
“Do you think I should ask questions now, or should I go for a matching pair?”
From the corner, I hear Dec laugh or was it a snicker. That man was a master of torture and I had learnt a few tricks from him.
“Oh, play for a while Prez” My gaze drifts to where Dec is standing, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
With a raised eyebrow and a grin which spreads across my features, I flash my large white teeth.
“Yeah boys, lets play.”
The hours pass as I slowly break Mickey’s body. Questions are asked and questions are being answered. Before long, his body is lifeless, covered in blood, the plastic covering the floor collecting a dark red puddle. As I turn towards Toad, not one bruise covers his body. Neither my boys I, have touched yet. His jeans are stained and piss is dripping down him, pooling under the chair. There is the stench of shit coming from him. He has well and truly soiled himself.
“Time to clean ourselves up boys. We’ve a meeting to attend.” I announce to the room in general. As I wash my hands in the stainless steel sink, watching the blood run off them, swirling into the drain. I become aware of the cuts and bruises on them. Now that I have stopped, the adrenaline has dulled and once again I feel the ache in my shoulder. I need something to ease the pain, but will forgo any form of medication, as I need to have my full faculties about me for the upcoming meeting.
DCMC
I kept to myself all afternoon, having sent Cassie away. I had not wanted the company then and now I am restless, making my way down to the main clubhouse. The main hall is a hive of activity with families that I am unfamiliar with. They are gathered in their own little clusters. The previous night seems so long ago, that I find it hard to remember. Now I have to face a sea of strangers, all of them knowing what had happened this morning and I am not in the mood.
In the far corner I spot Cassie and make my way over to her, to sit in the vacant chair. Cassie watches me. Her eyes rarely leaving my face as we chat about general stuff. We discuss how she had met Linc in his Tattoo Studio. When she had gone to get her first Ink and how they married before dawn the next day.
“Do you ever regret it?”
With a far off gaze on her face, her smile dreamy. “No, it was the best twenty four hours of my life.” As she rubs her stomach, I glance down. “No,” she laughs with a shake of her head. “Even if we are doing everything possible for it to happen.” Here her tone gets a little wistful and there is a marked sadness to her face, which she soon shrugs off.
“I’m not saying it’s easy, but he makes my life fun. When I am with Linc, I know I can do and be anyone or anything that I want. He’s my strength.”
Holding my eyes “What about you and Inferno?”
I am not sure how to answer. Up to this morning, I would have said he was my other half. That he was what I had always wanted. Now I find I am questioning the decisions that I made and the life he leads. Is he just an illusion and is it time for me to grow up and get on with a life without Inferno.
“I’ve always loved him, from the age of fourteen. My dad lives next door to his parents. They needed a babysitter for Trax. I didn’t know anyone so volunteered.”
Reflecting back, Inferno has always been my idol. I had recently lost my mum and living in a strange country. Having to adjust and leaning to live with someone who was a stranger. I had been angry at life in general. I think my connection with Trax is that we are latch key kids. Trax was eight and getting into trouble at school. I was fourteen, causing trouble for dad. I had been babysitting Trax for roughly 3 months before I met Inferno. In addition, he was everything my hormonal body wanted. To me he is perfect. When he spent his time with us, he would play games and listen to my troubles. He became hero.
Had I put him on a pedestal and is he about to come crashing down.
“I love him Cassie, but I’ve been through death before. I’ve lost people I’ve loved and I’m not sure I’m strong enough to go through all that again” I tell her with a smile.
Going over to the bar, I order a soft drink. My leg is throbbing the painkillers not working not that they are wearing off.
“Give me a beer,” I say changing my mind. The young girl behind the bar, who is roughly the same age as me. With her short blonde wavy hair, bandana top and shorts, passes me a bottle removing the lid in the process.
“Here you are honey, need anything else just ask, I’m Angel.”
“Thanks Angel.” She is a pretty thing and notice that a couple of bikers are eyeing her up. She will have company before the nights over I tell myself.
Raising the beer to my mouth to take a sip. As I get a whiff of yeast, my stomach turns, reaching behind me; I place the bottle back on top of the bar. Hell a couple of days with Inferno and I am nearly back on the drink, trying to solve my problems.
My mind has come to a decision, Inferno is not here and I nearly had a beer. Its time for me to go home. Saying bye to Cassie, I turn my back on Inferno and his lifestyle.
As I breathe in deep, I open the door to the kitchen, glad to be back in my home. It feels like I have been away forever and not just twenty-four hours. With a hot chocolate for dad and myse
lf, I head into the lounge.
Dad watches me as I enter the living area, his arms open for me. I go and sit in his lap and cry. There has only been three times that I have done this. The first, when I came to live with him after my mum had died, the second, after the shooting, this is the third.
He does not say anything, just hugs and kisses me on the forehead.
“I’ve made a mess of things”
Rocking me in his arms, he listens, without saying a word or passing judgment.
“What am I going to do?”
As he is Comforting me, I cry harder. My heart is breaking and I do not know what to do. Part of me wants to find Inferno, to go back, to forget that this day ever happened.
The phone starts to ring, looking at the caller ID, its Inferno, I ignore it. It rings repeatedly and still I ignore it.
“You going to talk to him?”
“Not tonight dad, I don’t think I could,” switching the phone off I head for my room.
With one last hug for my day, “I love you, Night”
“Love you too petal, Night”
Chapter 8
Earlier in the evening Fudge and Twiggy had scoped the warehouse and surrounding area before giving the final all clear. As we pull into the warehouse clearing and park our Hogs. Sinbad and his brothers have already arrived and smoking their cigarettes while they waited for us.
Sinbad, AKA Roger Day is the president of The Scarlet Runners M.C. second-generation biker. On the day his father had been shot, he had taken on the gravel. In his early thirty’s, married with a couple of kids and was awarded his road name the day he joined the navy when he was eighteen. Very little is known about his discharge from the services.
As we greet each other with Slaps to our backs and shoulders, we head towards the warehouse. The Scarlet Runners are also experiencing trouble with Black County Stewards; the M.C. which was involved in today’s shooting. Black County hustling in on our drug business and I am not going to sit back and let them get away with their kind of shit.
“Heard you’d got shot” Sinbad mentioned, waving his shaved head towards the arm that is giving my problems.
“Yeah, it’s been one of them days.”
“What are you doing about those motherfuckers, Black County?”
“Dealing with it, the less you know the healthier for you, don’t you agree,” I warn him with eyes that have gone cold.
“As long as we still get our shipments I don’t give a fuck what you do. We’ve got our own shit to deal with.”
“That’ll not be a problem. Shipments are still on time, but there is a 7% increase, got to cover costs you understand?”
Sinbad, glances towards his brother, he, and his VP, Mace, discuss the matter.
“5% then once we’ve got the Black County issue under control, we will open the discussion again.”
“The drugs are coming through a new pipeline and are an alternative to the guns. Again we’ve got cost, so the price has to go up. A different crew will be used to the one handling the guns.”
“Can this crew be trusted?”
“Yeah, you know them, they are still part of Devils Comfort outfit.”
As we discuss a few more matters and previous issues are resolved. Sinbad and I come to an understanding and shake hands, and with his brothers, they head off for their Harley’s.
When The Scarlet Runners are out of sight, I turn to Devils Comforts VP and SAA.
“This issue with Black County, needs to be dealt with smartly and swiftly.”
“I’ll take a ride over with Fudge, Tabby and a few of the brothers. We’ll take a spin through their territory a couple of times, leave a calling card or two.” Linc smirks, as the other nod their heads in agreement.
“Think I’ll come with you, might take the whole crew. Give the fucker’s something to think about when they dare to venture into our home territory.”
Now that business has concluded, I need to head back to the compound. Baby Blu has not answered her phone, although I have called her of times. This is causing we to worry about my baby girl.
“I’m going for a spin to clear my head.” I inform Linc and the rest of the brothers as we withdraw from the warehouse.
“I’ll join you.” Tabby utters as he comes alongside me. “We can’t be too careful, never know who’s out there, and your shoulder must be giving you aggro by now.”
Having cause to laugh, for the first time since the incident earlier today, helps to relieve some of the tension that has built up in me. Still, I need this ride, to help me relax and then, when I get back, I am going to have a little spoiling from Baby Blu. Yeah, just thinking of her gives me a hard dick and my shitty mood lifts.
As we spend the next couple of hours riding the open country roads. Before long the silent and empty roads, has the desired effect on my body and I head back to Baby Blu. Although I have tried calling her again, the last couple of calls going straight to voice mail. By now I am starting to become feel frustrated, what is my baby playing at.
As I enter the clubhouse, I remove my leather gloves and search the room for Baby Blu, without success. Linc and Cassie are dancing close together. Whenever those two are in the same vicinity, they always end up wrapped around each other. Studying them, as they almost move as one, Cassie’s head resting on Linc’s shoulder, her arms hooked round his neck, his arms tight around her waist. Almost as if they are glued together, nothing was going to come between them. Cassie’s eyes are closed and from here you could see they are kissing. Linc’s hand moving down to cup Cassie’s ass. They are in a world of their own. That is what I want with Baby Blu. Linc whispered something in Cassie’s ear, causing her to turn her gaze towards me. A startled look in her eyes. Trax and Dec have also noticed my arrival and there was something about their stance that I did not like. The room suddenly silent, turning uncomfortable. Running up the stairs I go straight to my room, flinging the door open. I find it empty. My heart is beating loudly I am sure everyone can hear it. I reach for my phone to try Baby Blu again, and still there is no answer.
“She’s gone Dad”
Sinking on to the bed, I reach for the phone one more time. When it goes unanswered, I fling it across the room, smashing it against the wall.
A hot rage begins to burn in me, because I know what Trax means when he says, “She’s gone.”
I need to vent my anger, on something, remembering Toad is still in the basement and this mess is his fucking fault. He is the reason Baby Blu is not longer here.
Going to the basement, the stench of stale piss, shit and blood hits me, but it does not stop me from doing what I want to do. On the table the hammer is still there. As I pick the instrument up, I smash it against Toad’s skull. The fucker did not even see it coming. Repeatedly, I smash the hammer against his skull. By the time I am finished there is nothing left of his skull and my anger has depleted. To be taken over by another emotion, one I could do without.
Dropping to my knees, I cry. When I had lost Baby Blu the first time, she had left town, gone to college. Not knowing the sweet haven that can be found in her arms, her smile and her body. This time I had tasted heaven. She had been mine for three days, in my bed and now she is gone.
“Trax get someone to clean this mess up, bag the bodies and return them to those Black County bastards with our thanks.”
Chapter 9
It has been a month since the shooting and since I had been with Inferno. Each night, I miss his body next to mine and I have nearly given in to temptation. The first week, when I had left him. he had constantly rung me, each call went unanswered. If I heard is voice I am aware that I will break and go back to him, if he would have me. By the second week, the calls had become less constant, by the third, they had stopped. I am missing both the call and Inferno.