Endgame (Book 2): Alekhine's Gun

by W. A. R.

  “Because of you she’s dead. They are all dead.” Brian’s voice was growing louder. He swallowed the food that was in his mouth and glared at Ryder when he held up a bottle of water, offering him sweet relief. Ryder looked stricken and very well he should have. “I’m not sure why you are being so kind right now, but I promise you that once I am free, you and Justin will get what’s coming to you.”

  Ryder sighed, almost frustrated, and pushed the bottle of water to Brian’s lips. He drank it greedily. He was thirsty, and he knew that if he wanted to defeat anyone, wanted any chance of being free, he was going to have to get his strength up. “I am sorry that Justin did this to you. I never intended on anyone to get hurt.”

  “Bullshit.” Brian spat hotly, his eyes and temper flaring.

  Ryder looked at Brian impassively. “You think I tricked you? That I’m lying to you?”

  “I think you tricked them.”

  Ryder shook his head, replacing the cap back on the water bottle. “I didn’t. You have me all wrong.”

  “You took away my family.” He spat out bitterly. Ryder sighed and shook his head, once more stealing glances around.

  Finally, he turned back to Brian, the intensity in his eyes a little frightening. “Look,” he began in a low cold whisper. “There is stuff at play here that you have no idea about.”

  Brian scoffed. “Oh yeah? Like the fact that you are participating in a twisted dictatorship? Do you want to know what really happened to your buddy Cory?” Brian was trying to be menacing, to be angry and spiteful but he was finding that hard to do considering how very malnourished he was. Still, the anger was there under the skin, scratching and begging for release.

  Regret flashed across Ryder’s face. “I’m afraid I already know.”

  “Justin put a bullet in his head and claimed his authority. That’s what happened.” Brian spat out and though there was a heavy remorse and a deep anger in Ryder’s expression he didn’t say anything. This infuriated Brian even further. How could he be so callous with a man’s life? “Don’t you care?”

  Ryder tossed him a heated look. “Of course I care.”

  “Then why…”

  Ryder cut him off angrily. “Because if I play even one wrong hand we are all dead. Understand? I found his body on the way in this morning but he was so deformed from being eaten that there was nothing I could do for him. I will grieve over it later. Right now, there are more important things at hand. Things he died for.”

  “Like what? What could he have possibly died for?” Brian asked hotly.

  Ryder growled and Brian tensed a little, taken aback by the intensity offered by Ryder. Ryder glanced around once more before saying lowly through clenched teeth. “Keep acting angry and normal, regardless of what I am going to tell you. Do not repeat it.”

  Brian began to furrow his brow curiously, taken aback, but quickly caught himself. “OK…” he trailed off, trying to maintain his angry demeanor. His stomach was twisting up in knots much worse than before and the excitement ran through his veins like a drug, making him far more alert. His blood roared in his ears as he awaited an explanation.

  Ryder offered him another piece of meat, one which he slowly took and chewed on. “First things first. I did not trick you…not in the way that you think.”

  “Alright…” he mumbled through a mouthful of food.

  Ryder shifted in his seat, edging closer over the edge of the cushions. “The day that you guys made a break for it, Miles and Shelly did make it out.” He began. Brian had stopped chewing, his jaw hanging slack. His heart was pounding harder and harder against his chest as Ryder continued. “Amber, my brothers and Miles’s son…”

  “His son?” Brian asked, vaguely recalling the things that had occurred on the bridge and the many conversations that he had with the man, his friend. The images from the bridge were blurry at best.

  “Yes, his son.”

  Brian shook his head. “But I thought…”

  “I know you have a lot of questions but we don’t have the time or opportunity to address them right now. I am just going to tell you what you need to know and we will go from there.” Ryder glanced over his shoulder and cleared his throat before turning back to Brian. “We had all created a plan. Everything that happened, has happened, was part of that plan…except for you. You were supposed to get out too.”

  Brian’s eyes widened slightly. “I didn’t.”

  “No,” Ryder shook his head, “you didn’t.” He leveled his gaze at Brian, handing him some more meat. He looked at Brian and smiled. “Brian, Shelly is alive. Miles is alive. Your whole family is alive and well and living in a walled in community. It was all part of our plan to make these assholes think that they are dead.”

  He had never in his life felt such relief. His breathing became heavy and his eyes watered, the tears brimming on his lashes. “Are…are you serious?”

  Ryder grinned and nodded. “I am very serious.” He glanced around before leaning in. “We couldn’t have these people coming after them, thinking they were alive. Amber wouldn’t have it.” He stated before offering him another piece of meat. Brian stared tearfully at Ryder, gauging his reaction and he knew in an instant that the man was telling the truth, that he was sincere.

  The tears spilled over his eyelashes and he found it hard to breathe. They were alive. His Shelly, she was alive. Cassie, his mom…. they were all fine. He lowered his head and closed his eyes tightly, letting the waves wash over him. It hurt greatly and yet it felt so damned good. He couldn’t withhold the sob that escaped his lips, not that he wanted to. They were alive. He couldn’t have asked for a bigger surprise. The disbelief that followed acceptance was difficult to swallow and he questioned whether or not Shelly was mad at him for doing what he had done to save her life. His heart pounded and he wasn’t sure how to control it. All he knew then that there was absolutely something worth fighting for. He sniffled. Shelly would always be worth fighting for.

  “Look, you’re supposed to be mad at me.” Ryder said then, interrupting the silence that had stretched between them for several minutes. Brian slowly brought his gaze up, looking Ryder in the eyes. He looked a little torn. “Circumstances being what they are, I need you to be mad at me.”

  And then an idea hit Brian and he straightened, his face wet with tears. “If you’re in charge here why don’t you just let me go? Let me go to her.” he asked. He knew that he was grasping at straws but it was better than nothing. He had to try. “Please.” He begged meekly, his voice rough and broken, a reflection of his physical ailments.

  Ryder shook his head sadly and looked around. “We don’t have much more time. I hear the other trucks coming.” He glanced back at Brian. “Again, circumstances being what they are, I can’t. Among the majorly obvious, I have a family in there. I have to go through with this. I’m sorry. There are so many more people we need to help in there and if I take down these men now, I can’t help them and my family will be killed.” He paused, sighing and relating to Brian’s agony. “But…I can assure you that Shelly is safe now.”

  He lowered his head, angry but humbled. “Will I ever see her again?”

  Ryder shrugged. “If the plan keeps going the way it’s supposed to, then yes.”

  Brian grinned warmly at Ryder, feeling at ease for the first time in a week and a half. “Thank you…thank you for saving them. I will die before I say a word to anyone. This goes to the grave with me.” He stated softly, trying his best to appear frustrated and almost uncooperative.

  Ryder nodded once to show his understanding. “I know. That was never a doubt in my mind.”

  Every word Ryder spoke was like a drug, easing the pain that he felt. And then, another thought hit him and his stomach sank. “But, what about Amber…what happened with her? Is she…” He couldn’t even get the word out of his mouth.

  Ryder stared at Brian deviously. “Who do you think is coming to save your ass?”

  Brian opened his mouth to ask so much more; he had so m
any questions. He wanted to know why they were obsessed with Amber and him, what the plan had been, when and how they had formed all of this. He wanted to know so very much but he couldn’t, not then, as once he opened his mouth, the sounds of truck engines filled his ears and he watched as three trucks whipped in beside them. He knew Justin was in one of them. Ryder watched, stared rather, at these trucks, his eyes searching for something or someone. All at once his eyes landed on something and a small, angry crease formed on his brow. He offered Brian another piece of meat before laying the carcass down and grabbing something from the seat beside him.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I have a promise to keep.” Ryder stated hotly before opening the driver’s door with a click and pushing it open wide. He left it open, uncaring, Brian realized, as he quickly and thoughtfully advanced on one of the trucks. Its passengers were climbing out, and just as Brian had thought, Justin was in it.

  Brian watched with intense interest as Justin climbed out, his eyes widening upon seeing Ryder. He could see the man’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed thickly, and his eyes grew heated and defensive. Brian wondered so many things, things like why Ryder was in charge and why he couldn’t just take out all of these men if he was. He knew that it was more than that, deeper, and though he was still angry, it was no longer at Ryder, it was instead directed at the asshole with the neck tattoo. The man who lied and tortured him, beat him, and raped women right beside him where he couldn’t escape. Brian, waiting with anticipation, watched and wondered what it was that Ryder was going to do to the man.

  “Ryder…when did you get back?” Justin asked as he closed the door behind him. His stature was immediately tense and alert,

  Ryder folded his hands behind his back, keeping them from being seen. “About fifteen minutes ago.”

  “Oh.” Justin nodded before crossing his arms and shifting on his feet. The tension was so thick it could be felt by everyone. One by one Brian saw the others stop what they were doing to witness the scene occurring before them. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

  Ryder smirked. “And then some.” He countered and Brian couldn’t help the small surge of pride he felt. Regardless of what Ryder had been looking for before for the compound or Adrian, he had also found Brian’s family. Ryder narrowed his eyes at the man. “I have a few questions for you.”

  Justin shifted uneasily on his feet. “Alright.”

  Ryder smirked and clenched his jaw. “First of all, what happened to Cory?”

  A nervous expression flitted across his face briefly. “He just took off a few days ago.”

  Ryder studied him for a moment before nodding. “No idea where he went?”

  “No. He just…” sigh “left.”

  Ryder nodded once more. “Alright. What happened to Doug and Rich? Tracy was stitching up their faces when I showed up. Why did that happened?”

  Justin shrugged as if it were no big deal. “Because they killed Amber.”

  “Did they?” And Brian knew that that Ryder knew the answers to every question he asked.

  “Yes. I told you that over the radio.”

  Justin seemed nervous now. Ryder shifted on his feet. “I remember. But why the torture?”

  “They deserve worse.”

  Ryder’s eyes flashed. “That is for Adrian to decide, not you.”

  Justin scoffed. “Too late to do anything about it now.” He commented, and the cocky look in his eyes told Brian that Justin thought he had it in the bag, that he was going to get away with whatever wrong-doings he had done. Brian hoped that he didn’t. Still, Ryder had no proof of anything because none of his men would admit to it for fear of Justin’s threat and the prisoners couldn’t be trusted, not to them and not to Adrian anyways. Even Brian knew that.

  “True.” Ryder stated. Justin laughed mockingly and turned, shaking his head in amusement, clearly believing their conversation to be over.

  “Glad we could chat.” Justin commented before moving and allowing his eyes to scour the prisoners. Brian knew that he was looking for him. Justin stopped and turned back to Ryder, his eyes angry.

  “Where is he?” he growled hotly. Ryder hadn’t move, only watched on in amusement. Brian had to say that Ryder’s expression worried him more than if he looked angry.

  Ryder never wavered. “He is in my charge now. Just as you are.”

  “Excuse me?” Justin asked bitterly, advancing on Ryder. Ryder never flinched or moved. Instead, he leveled his gaze at the shorter man.

  “You heard me. You were not left in charge, Cory was.”

  “But…”

  Ryder’s eyes narrowed threateningly. “You will never have authority.”

  Justin’s chest heaved as he stood there and glared at Ryder. He was angry…so very angry. He had to be a little insane Brian reasoned. After a moment, he growled and turned away. Brian watched on in excitement. “Fuck you.”

  “Oh, Justin?” Ryder called. Justin stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists at his sides. Brian edged to the end of his seat to see more clearly. “One more thing?”

  Justin turned and glared up at Ryder who walked closer towards Justin. “What?”

  All too suddenly, so much so that Brian jumped back into his seat, Ryder swung around, his fist connecting with Justin’s jaw. Brian grimaced when he heard the crack of bone. Justin fell to the ground immediately and Ryder stepped forward thoughtfully, precise movements masking his indifference. Everyone watched on as Ryder gripped Justin’s shirt and lifted his arm again. Brass knuckles. Ryder wore brass knuckles and every time he swung the shattering of bones could be heard. Ryder didn’t look angry; no, he appeared to be a man on a mission. Justin cried out in agony and brought his hands up to shield himself, trying desperately to get Ryder off of him.

  He spit out blood, his torn skin and shattered face causing him to scream…to scream like he had made Brian scream, like he had made those women scream…like he had made his sister scream. Brian couldn’t take his eyes from the sight and neither, it seemed, could anyone else. No one intervened, however, didn’t even try. After a few minutes, Ryder stood and reared back kicking Justin in the ribs, in the stomach. Justin never fought back. Instead, through the blood and the gore, he cried and whimpered, rolling to vomit. Brian grimaced at the brutality of it and yet felt entirely grateful for Ryder.

  Ryder jerked the brass knuckles from his hand breathlessly and wiped his bloodied hands on his shirt. “I told you that whatever you did to him I would do to you. I am a man of my word.” He shoved the brass knuckles into his back pocket and stepped over his writhing body to kneel at his head. “Now, I am going to give him the food and water that he has been denied.” He looked up at everyone else. “And the other prisoners are to be fed and given water also.” He turned back to Justin, his gaze even and impassive. “I suggest you have Tracy see to that. It’s going to hurt in the morning.” He stated and with that he stood and ambled back to the truck where Brian waited anxiously. And in awe, Brian watched as the others begrudgingly did as they were ordered to do. He watched in amazement as the sister was given food and water.

  He looked at Ryder as he climbed into the truck, his eyes holding a new life to them. “What do you need me to do in this plan of y’all’s?”

  Ryder stared at him for a moment before one corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. “I was hoping you would ask.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  George stood resolutely still, the voices of his friends hammering away in his head like metallic drums, the echo unbearable. Still, he marched forward, closing his eyes in exasperation at Rusty’s loud antics. Buddy groaned from ahead of him before turning and tossing him a knowing smile. They had drunk too much the night before, though he couldn’t deny the fact that he had slept better that night than he had in a very long time. He felt better, even, with the hangover and all. He felt…renewed…after the shower and the settling in. He knew they still had their weapons to sort through, their belongings that they had been ab
le to acquire over the last two weeks and even what they had been able to load up before they had to leave the other house in Thurston. Even with this and other duties hanging over their heads, he felt as if everything he had been through before was gone. He had accepted it and it no longer haunted him. He felt as if he could build from it, and he liked that feeling. As he opened his eyes and looked around at the shell of a woman that Shelly and Bobby-Jean had become, along with Buddy’s remorseful eyes, and Derek’s and Rick’s guilt, he realized that he may be the only one to feel that way. He squinted up into the afternoon sky, ignoring the voices that were coming towards them. If he were honest, he didn’t really want to meet more people. His amount of caring had reached a critical point and he thought that he didn’t have much room left for more.

  Slowly, he turned around, looking behind him as Rusty did the same. George lifted a brow at the young man, curious as to why he was looking towards the house where Amber and Miles had remained behind. Though George wished for the two of them to be there with him, to deal with the annoyance of new people with him, he knew that they needed some time alone. And yet, once Rusty took off in a sprint towards the house, he knew that the time for them to talk would have to be later…if they ever got the chance. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and hanging back, Buddy falling back beside him. He thought back to the night before and how things had gotten heated between the two of them, the things that were said, the plan that was revealed. George had to admit that he didn’t like it much either, but he understood that she felt it was something that she felt she needed to do and besides…one way or another, someone had to do it. He could see the depression settling deep within both her and Miles, the sadness gripping Bobby-Jean and Shelly and Cassie…these people…his people, their family that was them before the others even came along, the ones that had saved one another, were now in needing of being saved from themselves and their own guilt ridden dreams.

  The voices grew closer and he witnessed the rest of their people fall back, unsure and unprompted. There were footsteps behind him, he heard, and slowly both he and Buddy turned to watch as Amber, Rusty, and Miles ambled up to them, Amber limping slightly. It was obvious Amber had been crying, and George glanced at Buddy, both men sharing a look at their stature. Still, regardless of her emotions or her thoughts they would follow her. She had brought them that far…had risked her life for them all and had agreed to it readily. She was their leader. And so, whenever she stepped up to them, both men and women parted for her and Miles, Rusty gracefully falling behind to remain with George and Buddy. George watched then as the townspeople advanced toward their group and as Amber and Miles lead their path to them, Michael and Riley at their sides. They weren’t going to back down, George saw, and he hoped that the townspeople created no problems for them. Shelly looked back at them, a hand on her abdomen and Bobby-Jean placed a hand on her back, urging her forward. Without a word the others followed, Jacob placing a reassuring arm around Cassie’s shoulders, Lacy and Chloe sticking close together. This was it; these were their people in all of their glory. Amber shifted the weight of the swords on her back as they came to a stop stepping forward to shake hands with a man and a woman. That was when the conversations began.