Beginning of the Reckoning

by Vera Quinn

  “We are at the four-way intersection and we are getting shot at.” I don’t think about it. I just hang the phone up. “Roll out! Rome and the women are under fire at the intersection going into town. Bo call Devil and tell him Rome needs backup and stay here,” I yell. Every brother there runs to their bikes and I am the first one out of the gate. My mind goes to every scenario. My woman is in trouble but Rome is there with three prospects. I know Joy and Tara have protection but my mind is playing out too many scenarios in my head. It’s a fifteen-minute drive any other day but we make it in ten. We see Jay’s bike down and it looks like he is pinned under it in the middle of the road. I know from the way Jay’s body is lying he is either out cold or dead. I drive by knowing one of my brothers will stop. I am on a mission to find my woman. I hear sirens in the distance so I know help is on the way. I pass Gully right after Jay but he is waving me on. He is hunkered down behind his bike using it for cover. I see Joy’s truck up ahead and Joey at the passenger side door. I see Joey’s bike is down in the opposite side of the road. I also see that the passenger side door is dented in but I don’t see either woman. I pull right up next to Joey and I see that he is trying to get Tara out of the floorboard. “Where’s Joy?” I ask the prospect. He looks at me with a crazed look in his eyes.

  “They took her.” I grab him by the shirt and I see blood dripping from his arm from a shot and then notice he is bleeding from his leg also where I am guessing he has been shot but I don’t care.

  “Let me the fuck go!” Joey yells. “I tried to stop them but they had me pinned down. Tara is bleeding and I need to get her out.” I am furious and sick with worry but I can see the blood in the truck floor. I look on the other side and see Rome is passed out and he is bleeding from his head. I push Joey out of the way and try to see if Tara is awake.

  “Tara if you are conscious close your eyes. I need to pop this air bag but the chemicals inside will burn your eyes if they are open.” I look but I can’t see Tara’s face so I pull my knife out. I see Bowie is over on the other side trying to get Rome out and then I hear the ambulance is there. “Bowie just pop the airbag and let the paramedics do this. We could hurt them worse if we do it wrong.” Bowie and I both shield our faces and pop the air bags. A paramedic steps over by Bowie to look at Rome and the other comes to our side. I move back and get Joey to sit down before he falls.

  “Gentlemen, step away so we can do our job.” I go over by Joey to get information. I see Devil approaching.

  “What the hell happened?” I look at our newest prospect. Devil is standing behind me now. “Gully stopped at the stop sign and proceeded to pull through the intersection and Rome was stopped in the truck. A man jumped out of a car and start firing on Gully and he went down. Rome drove through the stop sign and we were hit from behind by some men in an SUV and they were firing on us. I drew my gun and killed the man from the car but by that time Jay had been hit. They took out my tire and I managed to lay my bike down and get out from under it. I took cover and was firing at them. The SUV was closing in on Rome. They were trading gunfire but the SUV hit the truck hard from behind and another car came in from the side and hit the passenger door and Joy’s truck just stopped. I couldn’t get a shot on the far side of the truck so whoever it was got the door open and took Joy. Then the SUV backed up and swerved out and left. I kept firing my gun and I think I got the driver but he was still alive and driving. I hobbled over here and was trying to get Tara out. There is blood in the floorboard where Tara is, but she wasn’t saying anything.” We let Joey get it all out. I take out my phone and call Oz. He picks up on the first ring.

  “Track Joy’s phone and let me know where it goes.” I see Joey is fading fast. I take my cut off and pull my t-shirt over my head and then put my cut back on. I tear my shirt in half. I lift Joey’s leg and put one half of my shirt around the leg right above where he is shot and tie it up. I then take the other half and put it on his arm where he is bleeding. I see that his jeans are shredded where his bike went down. He is going to have one hell of a case of road rash. I look back at the truck and I see they have Rome out and he not only has a cut on his head but I hear the paramedic say something about a gunshot to the side. They are trying to get Tara out and they finally do but I can see that she is covered in blood. I see red. I will kill the motherfuckers that dared to hurt our women and take my woman. Devil is talking to the paramedics when my phone rings. I see it is Oz and answer.

  “They’ve stopped at an abandoned business in town. It’s the old game room.” I stand up and look at Devil. He walks my way. “Joy’s phone has been track ed to the old game room in town,” I say only loud enough for Devil to hear. I see another ambulance and the sheriff car stop close to us. I am not waiting to talk to Sheriff Taylor.

  “Take Bowie, Crockett, and Cowboy. I’ll stall the sheriff and be at the hospital. I’ll text Bo and Thrasher to meet you,” Devil says and steps away from me, so he can head the sheriff off. I motion for Bowie and he gets Crockett. I grab Cowboy’s attention and we are on our bikes and gone before the sheriff has a chance to stop us. I have only one thing on my mind, getting Joy back and then showing the assholes who did this some club justice. The ride to the old game room seems like it takes forever, but in actuality, could only be minutes. We find a place down the street to stay out of sight. I send Crockett in one direction to get a closer look to see if there is anything he can tell us. Bowie goes around the opposite direction. I want to go but I know if I get my eyes on Joy or hear anything that I am not going to wait until we are set. On the ride here, I have thought about the way that Joy and I came together and we have had nothing but chaos around us since the first day we met but she has gotten under my skin and into my heart. I can’t imagine not having her in my life, I won’t let someone take her from me. She is my woman and that is the way it is going to stay. I feel my phone vibrate and see that it is a text from Devil.

  Devil: Jay was D.O.A. No other word yet. They found Micah. Rye headed your way. I don’t respond. There is nothing to say. Crockett comes back. “I don’t see any security cameras but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. We are going in blind. No way out over there. I only see the one way in, everything else is boarded up,” Crockett tells all of us. Bowie comes running back.

  “The Black SUV and gray car are in the back alley. I cut all the tires. I didn’t see any security cameras but doesn’t Oz have one of those signal scramblers? Everything is boarded up and no way out over there.” Bowie is right. I text Oz and get an immediate response that Tito is already on the way with toys. That is code for heavy fire power. We just need to wait for him to arrive. I hear a bike approaching but it isn’t Tito. I know the sound of all my brother’s bikes. It must be Rye.

  “Bo, go show Rye where we have our bikes so he doesn’t give these assholes a heads up. Wait for Tito too,” I tell the prospect. I want to run over to the building and bust in the doors but I can’t take the chance of getting my woman hurt. It seems like we have been waiting forever. No one has gone in or out of the building. I look up at the second floor and there’s not even a window without a board over it. Whoever picked this building is not a very smart person from what I can see. If there are no more doors out and no windows then that means there is only one way in and out. A feeling of fear sneaks its way into me. The only reason that a person would chose a place like this is if they aren’t looking for a way out. What if they have it booby-trapped to blow when we enter? There are too many variables and too many ways for them to go wrong. What if I get my woman killed and some of my brothers too? I’m going to need to go with my gut. I just hope whatever Tito is bringing will work.

  I’m pacing back and forth in the same damn waiting room that I have been in too many times before. Another person dead for following my orders. How many have there been now? I thought when we pulled away from the outlaw side of a motorcycle club lifestyle that the violence that threatened our family would lessen in severity but our family members are still dying and s
till suffering. Rome has still been shot for trying to take his woman to the doctor to hear their child’s heartbeat for the first time. A child Rome and Tara will never know because the innocent life was taken away from them before it ever had a chance to live. Rome is having a bullet taken out of his body and has no idea the sorrow that will be waiting for him when he wakes up. Tara hasn’t woken up yet but I can only imagine the anguish she will face. Joey and Gully are both being looked at now. I know Joey is shot but I am still not sure the extent of Gully’s injuries. I should be with Hacksaw and the other brothers helping to find Joy but someone needs to be here too. I am walking the floor like a caged animal when I see Bourbon and Slick walk in. I know Bourbon is going to want an update on Tara but the nurse hasn’t come back in and given me an update yet to let me know what room she is being moved to yet. Bourbon walks up to me. “Where’s my girl?”

  “She’s not in a room yet. They are still watching her and waiting for a room to open on the floor. She lost the baby, has a concussion, and her collarbone is broke. Rome is in surgery to remove the bullet that entered his side. They think he has a concussion also. Joey was shot twice but they were through and through. He also has some serious road rash and they still have him in the emergency room and same with Gully. I’m not sure what Gully’s injuries are but he was awake and talking to them. Did you get Maddie here alright?” I give them the update and make sure that Bourbon had no problems on his trip. Only Bourbon, Rye, Chief and Hacksaw knew that Bourbon was making the trip to pick up Maddie and her daughter. Maddie needed to be close to Callie with Micah missing. I knew I couldn’t keep the fact that Micah was missing from Callie and once Callie knew she reached out to Maddie but it was Rye’s idea to have the girls together. If we don’t come up with some leads soon we may need to reach out to more clubs for manpower.

  “Has Tara woke up yet? Does she know that she lost the baby?” Bourbon asks. “She’s still out. It may be because of the concussion or her body’s way of protecting her but the doctors are hoping she wakes up soon. I just hope Rome is out of surgery by then,” I tell Bourbon.

  “Blade, Rizer, and Gator are at your house. Stump is in the parking lot here keeping an eye out for trouble. Bear and Gage rode with Rye,” Bourbon updates me on his brothers.

  “Ridge is doing a sweep of the hospital.” I wasn’t fool enough to come alone. “Possum and Edge have the clubhouse secured,” Slick adds.

  “Did Chief give you more information about Micah? All I got was a text she was found. How is she?” Bourbon smiles. “Chief said that Micah got away from whoever was holding her and went through the woods. That one is more like our Callie than Maddie.” Bourbon’s fondness for Callie shows through his words but still doesn’t explain much. I wait for him to continue. “Someone jumped her and drugged her when she came out of that truck stop. She’d stopped to grab something to eat and to water her horse. When she came out someone hit her from behind. She told Trigger that she heard two men talking where she was being held but that was all. They said something about getting a cut so they are some club’s prospects. Micah didn’t let them know the drugs had worn off. When they left her alone she got out of the ropes she was tied with and shimmied down a damn tree and flattened their tires and then took off in the woods. She got to a farm market road and got picked up and she phoned her aunt Deb who called Sarge. Trigger and Sarge picked her up. The damn woman had cuts and scrapes all over her but she is going to be fine.” Bourbon laughs. “The only clothes she had on was a damn bra, panties, and socks. Yeah, that girl is ol’ lady material.”

  “How are Maddie and Rebie?” I ask about my other sister-inlaw. “I thought if Micah was found that she would wait for her at Chief’s.” “Micah is coming to Oklahoma. The sisters want to be together. Trigger will be hanging around for a while.” I don’t have a problem with Trigger being around. The man is quiet and stays to himself. He was a lawman at one time so his contacts may come in handy.

  “What have you heard from Hacksaw? They have eyes on Joy yet?” Slick asks. I look around to make sure there are no unexpected ears. “They are at the abandoned game room and waiting on Rye and Tito. Hacksaw is on the edge and he is not a patient man so I am hoping they can get Joy out of there alive. If not Hacksaw may burn the whole damn town down.” I don’t blame Hacksaw at all. If that was my woman I would be the same way. My phone vibrates and I take it out and see it is Oz. I hope like hell he has something. I open the text and I read it and then reread it. I see red. Blood is what I see. “Slick stay here and keep me updated. Bourbon let’s roll. Text your men at my house and tell them no one gets in or out of my house without my okay. Oz has news and he is going to meet us at the game room.” I see Bourbon and Slick both want to question me but I am not waiting. Bourbon can either follow me or not but it is time to end this or least face my demons from the past.

  I wake up and I am in a storage room or a closet. All I know is it small, dark, and it has a bad smell. My head hurts and my body aches. I try to remember how I got here or what happened. The last thing I remember I was riding with Rome and Tara to Tara’s doctor’s appointment. Then it comes rushing back. The gunfire and Tara was in the floorboard of my truck and I was shooting at an SUV and then we were hit. My leg starts throbbing and I see the blood. I’ve been shot in my leg. How long have I been here? Where are Tara and Rome? I remember the prospect in front of us going down. I don’t know what I should do. Should I yell out for help or stay quiet? I start to beat on the door but then I remember what Hacksaw told me about staying safe and the things that happened to Sarah. I stop and go still. My leg is bleeding and throbbing. I look around in the small room and try to find anything to try and stop the bleeding. I stand up and see there are shelves against the other wall. I see a box and lean over to get it and drag it to me. I look inside and I put my hand inside it to see what I can find. I see a small piece of fabric sticking up under some empty smaller boxes. I grab at it and pull it. I don’t know what it is but it isn’t much bigger than a dish towel. It’s not a lot but I will take it. I take it and push it up against my bleeding leg. It hurts like the dickens but I apply as much pressure as I can. I know Hacksaw is looking for me by now. I just need to hold on until he gets here. I know I need to stay awake but I am so groggy. I lean back against the wall. I am going to rest just for a few minutes. It’s hard to keep my eyes open. I’ll shut them for just a second. My eyes are burning from trying to keep them open. I’ll shut them just for a second…

  I have been sitting here and nothing has changed around the building. No one in and no one out. The brothers have it surrounded but every time we start to rush the place I get a text. Tito is here and brought some smoke bombs and masks. Then Rye wants us to wait until we have word that Bourbon has made it to the hospital. Then Devil said he and Oz are on the way. We have been here close to three hours and I know Joy is in that building and I want her out and with me. I don’t know if she is hurt or what they have done to her. The waiting is a hell all on its own. I see Devil approaching me and I can see by the look on his face he is here to handle shit. I see Oz coming up behind him and I am hoping it means that he finally has something new to help us. Bourbon is the last one to make it to us. I thought he would be at the hospital with Tara but maybe this means we are finally going in. “Tell me that we can go in now.” I look at Devil and wait for an answer. Devil waits until Oz and Bourbon join us. Bowie, Tito and Bo join the group too.

  “Oz bring us up to speed,” Devil says but I can see the way he is clamping his jaw together. “I got the sealed records report. That Lisa woman is adopted and her mother’s maiden name is Linden.” We all wait for him to say more. “Her family is from Oklahoma. She is the blood sister to Bri and Kizzy Linden. Bri and Kizzy’s last name was Linden but I am digging for Lisa’s father’s name. Their mom gave her up for adoption. We all know how the two sisters met their end and it all goes back to Devil and Callie. That was a little bit too much of a coincidence for me so I put that with Lisa lying about b
eing away with work longer than she told the cops.” Kizzy was Stone’s ol’ lady. Devil’s blood brother and the man that betrayed the Feral Steel MC. Stone was a cold-blooded killer who used anyone he ever met. He was jealous of Devil because he was given more responsibility in the club. That jealousy consumed him and then overtook his life when he turned to using drugs and decided if he couldn’t control the Feral Steel MC he would destroy it. Bri was Devil’s ol’ lady and the whole reason that Devil first married Callie. Devil was led to believe that Bri was kidnapped by Diamondback and was being held against her will until Devil married Callie and got her pregnant. Diamondback was Callie’s biological father but she was raised and adopted by Chief. Diamondback was the President of an outlaw biker club. Callie didn’t know anything about Diamondback but she did know she was adopted and the piece of shit that her mom, Karen was. Callie never knew who her father was. It was a big mess orchestrated by none other than Callie’s mom, Karen, with the help of Kizzy and Bri. During the chaos of the whole situation Devil fell in love with Callie but it has cost us all.

  “How would Lisa have anything to do with a motorcycle club? Nothing came up in her background check,” Tito asks. “Lisa in her life that she lived with Becky, no ,” Oz says and hesitates. “But Kizzy and Bri were cousins to Duke and King. Duke was killed by Sarge just like Kizzy, Bri and Karen, but King wasn’t. King took over as President of the Possessed Blood Souls MC in Sedalia. Chief sold them that piece of land right outside of the BlackPath MC territory. If Kizzy and Bri were his cousins then so is Lisa. I don’t have any connections to get any information on the club but I called Brain in Texas and he is on it.” Brain is Chief’s tech guy and he is the BlackPath MC’s go-to guy.

  “Trigger may be able to get some information. He’s at Devil’s house. He was a US Marshall. He should have contacts if the BlackPath’s don’t have anything already,” Bourbon says. Devil has his phone out and sends a text. I can’t wait any longer.