by Leslie Chase
“Hi, mom!” She called out as she opened the door and stepped inside, luxuriating in the warmth after the cool evening air of her walk. “I’m here!”
“In the kitchen, dear,” came the reply. “You’re just in time to help out.”
The kitchen smelled of baked goods and home, and Lisa smiled as she stepped inside. “Mom! You should have waited for me.”
“I didn’t want to,” her mother said defiantly. “I can manage on my own!”
She rolled her wheelchair around the central counter to let Lisa hug her, a small cloud of flour rising around them, and Lisa chuckled fondly. “I know you can do it, mom, I just like helping.”
“You’re a good girl, Lisa, but I need to practice doing things for myself. It’s been too long since the accident, I shouldn’t be relying on you for everything. After all, you aren’t going to be here forever! You’ll have your own life to live, somewhere better than here.”
“We’ve been over this, mom, I’m not going anywhere.”
The mention of the accident cooled the air a little, and Lisa had to struggle to keep a smile on her face. She admired her mother’s ability to keep a positive attitude, but she knew neither of them would forgive the Serpents for that terrible night when they’d forced Hazel's car off the road into a tree. Just one of those things, they’d said, and the police had been no use. It was just a ‘regrettable accident’ but it had left her unable to walk.
Her mother smiled. Perhaps it was a little bit forced, but it lightened the mood again.
“You say that now, darling, but just wait until you’ve been swept off your feet by a gentleman who wants to take you away from all this.” Hazel chuckled and let Lisa come around the counter to help get the plates out for dinner.
If she noticed Lisa’s blush, she was kind enough not to mention it. Lisa felt like her face was lit up like a beacon at the thought of Marcus, but tried to keep her voice under control.
“Mom, we’ve been over that,” she said, setting the table. “I’m going to look after you no matter what, and any man who doesn’t understand that isn’t going to be sweeping me anywhere.”
She wished she could be certain of that. Yesterday she had been, but now, today, she couldn’t help wondering what she would say if Marcus asked her to leave with him. Could she say no? Who would help her mother if she said yes?
Not now, she told herself firmly. It’s time to enjoy an evening with my mother, and that can all wait until tomorrow. She put Marcus firmly from her mind and settled down to dinner.
Riding out towards the Serpents’ compound gave Marcus a chance to assess the area, which was half the point. The place was off in the woods, down one of the many old logging trails that crisscrossed the area. An old lumber camp converted into a compound, he couldn’t help assessing it from a military point of view, and found it lacking. The fence was strong and high, barbed wire making it hard to climb, but the forest grew far too close to it, and blocked line of sight. Anyone trying to creep up on the base would have an easy time of it, and cutting a hole in the fence would be easy, too.
None of that would matter to the Serpents, of course. They weren’t worried about being attacked by a military unit, they were worried about rival bikers or possibly the cops, and neither of those were likely to approach through the woods. The road itself was pretty well watched, and Marcus was sure they’d get warning from someone in town if any group big enough to be a threat was coming through. But he couldn’t keep his training from looking at it as a military problem, and seeing how easy it would have been for his old unit to take the place.
He watched for a moment from the trail. A lot of the gang were off on their ride, but there were still a few around - of course, they wouldn’t leave the place unoccupied. Especially not with him arriving, welcome guest or not. Taking a deep breath, he let his inner senses take a peek, the bear inside him grumbling awake and tasting the air. It was foul.
His normal human senses just picked up the forest scents, the crisp smell of wet leaves and the earth underneath it. But to the bear, there was a deeper smell of darkness and evil, corruption lying beneath the surface. He bared his teeth, halfway between a smile and a snarl.
This was what he was here for, after all. Mere criminals wouldn’t call for his special skills; the FBI would do. But whatever was happening near Coldwood wasn’t entirely natural. The way any investigations against the Serpents simply vanished was a sign that they had some kind of protection. It was just fortunate that he and his partners had made the connection of the missing persons without investigations - all pointing back to the Serpents.
If no one else was going to look into it, well, that was what he’d founded Guardian Bears Security for. To handle these problems which people outside the supernatural community weren’t equipped for.
All I need to do is track down the source of their power, he reminded himself. Undo whatever rituals they’ve got to keep the cops off their back, and the rest should take care of itself.
It was tempting to deal with everything himself, but he didn’t have to. If any of the disappeared women he’d connected to the gang were still here, their best hope was for the FBI to rescue them.
Marcus had a nasty feeling that whatever darkness the Serpents were dealing with wanted sacrifices, and those girls were long gone.
He swallowed his anger, twisting the throttle on his bike and roaring into the compound. No one was surprised to see him, confirming his belief that they’d had warning of his arrival. Good to know they are watching for people headed this way.
Lewis was there to greet him again, all smiles and a big hug. Marcus figured it must be doing his old friend’s reputation a world of good to know that he’d brought in a big contact. Of course, things would turn sour soon enough, but he wasn’t sorry for Lewis. He was involved in what the Serpents did, like everyone else here.
“Come on Marcus, let me show you around,” Lewis said, gesturing around the compound as proudly as if it were his.
Marcus smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “Sure, let me see the place,” he said. The more I see, the more chance of tracking down that smell.
It was stronger here, and he could feel the angry stirrings of the bear inside him. But not strong enough. There must be something else somewhere around here. Somewhere the Serpents did their rituals, or whatever they did.
But wherever it was, Lewis didn’t go there. The compound was heavy with the scent, heavy enough that Marcus’s bear was constantly on edge wanting to do something about the place. Not strong enough to be the site of a ritual, though, and that made Marcus want to snarl with frustration. He’d hoped he could find it and get things done today, but no such luck. Apparently the Serpents were too smart, or too lucky, to lead him right to it.
Instead he saw a gang compound, with plenty of space to work on bikes, places for the club’s members to sleep, even a bar for them to get drunk in - not that it stopped them going into town to harass the locals at Lou’s Bar, of course. And there were areas he wasn’t shown, but nowhere large enough to hide the source of that stench.
It’s not here. Marcus hid his frustration as he settled down in the Serpents’ bar with a beer. Looks like I get to spend an afternoon telling my lies and sticking to my cover story instead of doing anything useful.
After this day, he knew he’d want to see Lisa again. Maybe he could catch her after she left her mother’s? He didn’t want to intrude, but he was drawn to her and knew that she was drawn to him. There wasn’t any way he’d stay away from her for longer than he had to.
4
Despite the darkness, Lisa felt a lot better on her way home from her mother’s. Spending time with her always made Lisa feel better about things, and the calm of the house rubbed off on her. Maybe I should have talked to Mom about Marcus being with the Serpents? That might have settled my mind there, too.
But no. Even with her mother’s peaceful attitude, Lisa wasn’t going to raise a subject that would mean talking about the Serpents. She couldn’t
face reminding her mother of them, and the pain that they’d caused her. It was the same reason she had never talked about being harassed by Cal.
No sooner had she thought of him than she heard the sound of a motorcycle on the road behind her. She winced, glancing back, and sure enough, there he was.
Is he following me now? How did he know where I’d be? She didn’t want to think that Marcus had told him, but who else knew that she’d be visiting her mother tonight?
On the other hand, she wouldn’t put it past him to have lurked in the area on the off chance of catching her. He was the right kind of creep, she thought, to waste his evening like that.
She put her head down and hurried up. Maybe she couldn’t avoid him, but the sooner she was home, the sooner he would be out of her hair.
The bike crept up on her slowly, the sound of the motor low and menacing. As he approached, she looked back at him over her shoulder.
Cal’s dark eyes looked out at her from a grim, weathered face, black hair framing it. He was a big man, bulky and muscular but nothing like the sculpted muscles on Marcus’s lean frame.
Parking his bike, he got off and stepped towards her, a nasty grin on his narrow mouth. She turned without a word and set off again, trying not to let her anxiety show as she walked away.
“Hey, wait up,” he called after her. His long legs caught up with her in a couple of steps and his arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her in her tracks. “You gotta hear what I’ve come to say.”
Lisa struggled in his grip, and he laughed as she pulled herself out of his grip. She spun around to face him, face hot with anger.
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested!?” She spat the words. “I don’t want you, I don’t want any of your Serpent friends, I’m not going to be anyone’s old lady. Just leave me alone!”
Cal laughed, undeterred by her protests. “Don’t worry, babe. You’ll like it,” he promised, a nasty smile on his face as he reached for her again. She gasped, pulling away, but this time he wasn’t letting go.
That’s enough, she thought, anger overwhelming her fear as he dragged her closer. Calling up memories of a self-defense video she’d watched once, she lashed out with her foot, kicking at his knee hard, and slammed her fist into his stomach with as much force as she could muster. Cal howled in surprise and pain, stumbling backward.
Lisa didn’t wait for him to recover. She turned and bolted, hearing heavy booted footsteps behind her as she sprinted away.
She didn’t get far before he caught up, and his hand grabbed her hair, yanking her back against him. Lisa tried to elbow him in the stomach, but she was off balance and only glanced off his hard muscle. She couldn’t fight against his strength, struggling helplessly as he pulled her close.
A car passed by, and she tried to get the driver’s attention, but it was futile. In a town like Coldwood, the odds of happening across someone willing to stand up to a member of the Serpents were slim to none. No one was willing to take on the gang, and that left everyone else on their own in the world.
“You bitch,” Cal hissed into her ear. “You’re going to pay for that!”
He slammed her into the wall, driving the air out of her lungs. Lisa struggled for balance, trying to remember anything else from that video that could help.
Behind them, another Harley engine roared to a halt, and she lost all hope. She didn’t have much chance of fighting off Cal on his own, but with one of his friends backing him up it was hopeless.
“Get off her. Now.”
The voice was low, angry, an inhuman growl. Lisa almost didn’t recognize it as Marcus’s. Twisting in Cal’s grip, she watched in shock as Marcus stalked closer, fury written across his face. He looked terrifying, eyes intense and narrow, fists balled, broad chest rising and falling as he struggled for control.
Cal dropped her and stepped back, snarling at Marcus as he approached. He didn’t look like he was about to back down. “This isn’t your business. Fuck off back to the compound, and get out of my hair.”
Marcus reached out to shove him in the chest, sending him back a couple of paces. “It is my business. This is my girl.”
“No she ain’t,” Cal said. “She’s no one’s yet. Could choose me as easily as you.”
“Doesn’t look like you were giving her a great reason to choose you,” Marcus pointed out with a snarl. He stepped forwards again, and Cal took another step back, watching his opponent. Marcus stopped once he was safely between Cal and Lisa, planting himself to defend her, waiting.
Cal didn’t have the patience to wait out a confrontation. Losing his temper, he stepped forward and shoved Marcus, hard. Marcus turned slightly, letting Cal’s push glance off him, and didn’t move. He wasn’t quite as bulky as Cal, but he didn’t need to be. His reflexes were enough to give him an edge, and his taut compact muscles looked more powerful than Cal’s heavy bulk.
Lisa watched, heart in her mouth, as the two men squared off to fight over her.
“You don’t want this to be a big deal, Cal. Trust me. Aside from what I’d do to you, what would Big Jack say?”
“Who gives a shit?” Cal snarled, circling Marcus. “You aren’t a Serpent, and this is our town. He doesn’t get to give my girl away.”
“She isn’t your girl,” Marcus said, voice low, calm, dangerous. “She’s not his to give away, either. She’s mine.”
Cal jumped forward at that, slamming a punch towards Marcus’s jaw. Marcus stepped back, letting the fist pass harmlessly through the air in front of him, and retaliated with a quick jab to the bigger man’s ribs. Cal stumbled back, gasping, but kept his guard up.
“I don’t care how much business you’re bringing in,” he spat. “We’re settling this here and now, and if that fucks up Big Jack’s plans, he’s just gonna have to deal with that.”
He backed off, pulling off his leather jacket and throwing it aside. Rolling up his sleeves, he showed off the tattoos covering his forearms. Lisa saw the feral grin on Marcus’s face as he took off his own jacket and dropped it.
He glanced back at her, and she shook her head, afraid. She didn’t want to see him get hurt over her, not if there was any other way. And winning here wouldn’t keep him safe, not from the Serpents, not once he’d picked a fight with them. He gave her a little nod of understanding before turning back to Cal.
“We don’t have to fight,” he said. “We can settle this another time, just walk away. But if you want to settle things, let’s get it done once and for all.”
“You walk away,” Cal sneered, seeming to draw confidence from Marcus’s reluctance to fight. “I promise I’ll look after your little friend here just fine.”
He stared at her and licked his lips, and Lisa shuddered in disgust. “No chance, I’m not spending another minute with you!”
“You’ll learn to like it, you’ll see,” Cal said, leering and stepping forwards. Before he could say any more, Marcus was between them, shoving him back and snarling. Cal grinned with a sadistic pleasure, and the fight was on.
The two men leaped at each other, fists flying in a blur Lisa could hardly follow. Cal’s jab smacked into Marcus’s blocking arm, and Marcus’s answering swing rocked his opponent back, but before he could take control of the fight, Cal twisted aside.
The two men snarled at each other, and she backed away, wondering if she should run. But she could hardly abandon Marcus when he was fighting for her.
Cal grabbed for Marcus, trying to use his bulk to immobilize him, but Marcus twisted aside with a grace she wouldn’t have expected from a man so big. He’d always been quick on his feet for a man his size, but now he was like lightning, his fists darting out in controlled punches to Cal’s side as he moved past.
Roaring in rage and pain, Cal turned, lashing out wildly. Marcus ducked his head, stepping closer and letting the blow glance off as he continued to pummel Cal. The big man roared in pain and grabbed Marcus, arms circling him in a powerful bear hug and squeezing.
; Marcus grinned and slammed his head forwards, hard. His forehead struck Cal’s nose with a sickening crunch, and Cal dropped him, staggering back. Marcus shook his head and glanced back at Lisa.
She saw the glint of steel in Cal’s hand. Quick as a snake, the biker had pulled a knife while Marcus’s attention was on her. Blood streaming from his broken nose, he leaped back into the fight.
“Look out!” she shouted, heart in her mouth, watching the blade as if it was in slow motion. She was sure she was watching Marcus die.
But he was faster than she’d thought possible. No sooner had she shouted her warning than he was twisting out of the way, his arm coming up to block. The blade bit into his flesh, scoring a bloody gash along his right forearm, but he kept it away from his body. His left hand came up in a short, sharp arc, smashing into Cal’s face with enough force to lift him off his feet and carry him backwards to land in a heap six feet away.
Lisa blinked, caught between shock at his wound and surprise at his strength. That punch just didn’t seem possible. No one could be that strong, could they?
It looked like something out of an action movie, and even there she’d have thought it was unbelievable. But here, in the street, it was very real. Cal was lying on the ground, flat on his back and unmoving apart from the slow rise and fall of his chest. She was glad of that - if Marcus had killed him, there’d be all kinds of trouble for both of them.
“We’d better go,” she said, trying to focus on the immediate and leave worrying for later. “We shouldn’t be here when he wakes up. And I’d better have a look at that arm of yours.”
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d patched him up after a fight, after all. And someone had to.
He looked at her as though he was surprised by the invitation, and then nodded. Picking up the knife Cal had dropped, he frowned at it and then threw it away before following her home.
Marcus made a quick phone call to Lewis before sitting down to let Lisa tend his wounds. He couldn’t just leave Cal lying there unconscious, no matter how much he deserved it. He didn’t go into details, just let Lewis know the basics before hanging up.