by Jordan Marie
“What the fuck is going on here?”
I recognize the voice. He’s the man from yesterday—the one whose voice sounds vaguely familiar. It does today… even more so, but I still can’t place it. It’s on the tip of my tongue but, I can’t fight my fear enough to concentrate.
“Having a little fun,” the man laughs, yanking my head harder and pulling me to him.
“I told you to not fucking—”
“I’m going to let her show me what she can do with her mouth. Hell, I’m only warming her up for—”
He doesn’t finish his sentence. A gunshot rings out through the room and it causes my ears to ring. I scream, sure I’ll feel blinding pain at any time. That never comes. Instead, the man lets go of my hair. I feel his body jerking against me and then I hear a large crash as he falls back and his body hits the floor.
“Fuck, Crash. Why did you do that?”
“Because you don’t take orders. I gave you one fucking job you, asshole. You couldn’t manage to do that and now you’ve used my fucking name!”
Crash!
The name rings in my head as loud as a damn siren.
Crash is a member of my dad’s club. My father knew someone was trying to kill him, to bring him to his knees. That’s why he put me in the convent to begin with. He wanted to keep me safe and out of harm’s way while he found the source of the threat. I don’t know Crash that well; I’ve talked to him a few times. I do know he was a respected member.
“What does that matter? There’s nothing she can do about it. Not now!” the other guy yells, but another gunshot rings out. This one is so loud it is almost like I can feel the bullet whizzing past me. “Crash,” the man adds, but this time his voice is filled with more pain and fear… I hear it, I recognize it at once, because it’s choking on me. “Why are you…”
“You’ve fucked things up for the last time, motherfucker,” Crash answers and then three more shots go off, one right after the other. I can feel a spray of liquid hit my face and I know right away it’s blood.
Then Crash grabs me and hauls me back up on my feet.
“Don’t… Don’t do this,” I stutter, knowing in my heart that I’m going to be next.
“Shut up, you stupid cunt. It’s all ruined now. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to play out. Your death isn’t my fault. It’s that stupid fuck’s. You were supposed to survive this,” he growls and bile begins to rise in my throat. I’m going to throw up. I don’t want to die. There’s so much more in life that I wanted to experience. I really wanted to see my dad again. I even wanted the chance to see Devil again—as hopeless as that whole situation is… I really liked him… I wanted….
He pulls me from the room. I keep waiting for the death blow, but that doesn’t happen. Instead he shoves me back into the box. I may not be able to see but I definitely know when the lid closes, because any light I see through the shadows fades and I’m left with nothing.
Nothing but darkness.
Dodger
“I still say we need to go in together. We can let the gunfire rain down on them. We’re stronger together,” Wolf mutters.
We’re parked on top of a hill, off the main road. Through the brush and the trees, I can see the outline of the old marina. Our club’s not from here. This is not our territory but we made a temporary spot in this region the minute I lost contact with Torrent. I researched the area fairly good and I know the only real club presence is that damn Savage crew—which is really just made up of a bunch of nomads and under the protection of two clubs, whose strongholds are in Kentucky. They fly the Savage banner, but I don’t think they have the full charter’s protection. Dragon, the club president for the Savage crew in Kentucky, backs them though, and I know that fucker’s firepower is impressive. I didn’t seek them out for help and that might have been a mistake.
I can’t trust my club now. Crash might have been identified, but does he have people within my club? Are there others I need to worry about? When you can’t trust your own men, the last thing you want to do is trust others. So I purposely didn’t announce our presence here. I left everyone in the dark. Now, I’m wondering if that was smart. If I had met with them, maybe I would have been able to trust them. It would have been good to have more firepower at my back. I get Crash was my weak spot and he went against me. It hurts that any man under my command would do that, but it feels better knowing who it was—instead of being left wondering. I can’t even truly pinpoint when this shit started. I suspect it has something to do with the contract I turned down funneling women into Mexico. My men didn’t like it. It meant a fuck of a lot of money for all of us. I’m a bastard and my hands are about as dirty as they come. I had to draw the line at that though. The women these men were paying for are my daughter’s age. Turns out that even after all these years, I have a conscience.
“We can’t go in shooting. I only have one goal here, Wolf. I want my girl safe.”
“Damn it, Dodger. Are you listening to yourself? We don’t even know if Torrent is in there.”
“That’s why Skeeter and Red are up ahead scouting it out. Hopefully they don’t fuck up and get caught.”
“They won’t. They’re the best, you know that. We both trained them.”
“I can’t fucking be sure of anything anymore.”
“Crash might have been a motherfucking traitor, but it doesn’t mean all of your men are, Dodger.”
“Not my problem anymore. That will fall to you.”
“Will you fucking quit talking like that? Are you really so damn eager to die?”
“Fuck no. But I’ve told you before—”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that shit. You’ll excuse me if I try to keep your sorry ass alive.”
“As long as Torrent is your number one priority.” I shrug.
“She always has been,” Wolf says and I don’t respond.
I have a lot of shit on my mind, but I do know Wolf will take care of my little girl. I’m not worried about that. I just wish I could be here for her too. My skin feels like it’s burning. I look down at my watch. The time I was told to be here is close. I’m going to have to get moving. They’ll be looking for my guns and weapons. I’m going to be brought to them like a lamb to the slaughter. I have a couple of surprises though, and maybe if luck is on my side it will be enough to survive this—or at least for my baby girl to survive.
“She’s in there, Dodger,” Skeeter says and I look up to see him and Red coming my way. “They have her in a fucking crate in the back of the building.”
“She’s alive?” I ask, the thing that matters the most causing my heart to turn over in my chest.
“She is. We couldn’t see her that good, but she’s moving, Dodger.”
I close my eyes as relief sweeps through me.
“Then I guess it’s show time. You guys get in position.”
“Dodger—”
“Save it, Red. Wolf already tried to talk me out of it and it’s not happening. I’m going in front and I’ll be the distraction. You guys have only one job and that’s to go in the back and save my girl.”
“Damn it—”
“Enough!” I growl, my frustrations boiling over. “I’m done discussing this shit. You know your job. Do it and I’ll do mine.”
I take off walking, leaving my club behind me. They don’t matter anymore—nothing does.
Nothing but Torrent.
Torrent
“Wakey-wakey,” I hear him yell before the top comes off of my crate. God, I hate him. I can see better this morning—not exactly clear, but I can make out faces. For instance, the guy grabbing me and pulling me from the crate is as ugly as I imagined he was. Most of his features are blurry, but I can make out his beard, which is bushy and unkempt. His eyebrows are much the same and his eyes are small and even though I can’t focus on them I know that they are as cold as the rest of him.
“Ow!” I cry when he grabs me by the hair, pulling it.
“You got a date with your daddy,” he
growls and fear grips my heart so tightly I can’t breathe.
“Please, don’t bring my dad into this. You don’t have to—”
“Good thing you’re pretty because you sure are stupid as fuck. This has always been about your daddy, you bitch.”
I let him drag me, I don’t bother fighting—not now. I try my best to keep my head clear because I know I’m going to need it soon. He drags me to the wall that faces the front entrance and thankfully pushes an old tattered T-shirt over my naked body. It’s not much—but I’m thankful for it.
My eyes are watering, but I can clearly make out a bright red double door. The man brings his knee up and plants it into my stomach. I go down instantly, gasping as the wind leaves my body. Once I hit the floor, he grabs one of my wrists, pulling it to a chair. Then he slaps a shackle on my wrist. I yank it, trying to get away, but I can’t. It’s attached to the leg of the chair. It’s not like the chair is lightweight either. It’s heavy and big enough that two people could probably fit into it. I pull again and again, hoping something is off and I can get free. The man punches me in the face and I instantly feel blood begin to seep from my lip. I go down, the world moving too swiftly and the pain colliding with nausea.
“Dodger’s walking up the dock,” another voice says.
“Please,” I start, wanting to beg for my dad’s life. I’d be willing to promise anything. I don’t want my dad to die because of me.
“I really like it when you beg,” the man laughs. He tightens his hand on my chin, lifting my head up, pulling me to him. My face is inches from him and he’s leering—even through my bad vision and panic I can see that. “Give me a kiss. If you’re good enough I might make you my pet,” he says and his breath washes over me. With all the other odors around me I shouldn’t be able to smell it as much as I do, but it’s so strong it makes me sick. His teeth are black, as if he spends his time doing Meth. His bad skin would indicate that too. I can’t even pretend to go along with him. Instead, I spit at him. He slaps me hard, my face jerking to the side with the force of the hit.
“Torrent!” my father yells from the door and he tries to make it to me, but two men grab him almost instantly. They’re big men, but even then my father nearly drags them to get to me—that is, until one of the men hits him over the head with something and my father goes down, instantly knocked out.
I scream; I can’t do anything else.
I’m powerless to help him… or myself.
Dodger
“Fuck,” I growl.
My head feels like there’s a damn Greyhound bus running through it. I look around, my eyes slowly and painfully adjusting to the light.
“Well, look at that. You rebound pretty good, Dodger—for an old man. You were only out a couple of minutes. Here I thought you’d sleep through all of the fun.”
I look up and see a face I never thought I’d look at again.
“I should have known you’d be behind this.”
“You should have known not to back out of the deal I brokered.”
“I didn’t ask you to broker it.”
“But you’ve been around. You know the game. You wanted to roll the dice in your neighborhood, you got to play the whole game—not just parts of it.”
“I will not run women in my city. I told you that. Fuck, most of those women are younger than my daughter,” I tell Carter.
Carter is low-level slime. The Korean Mafia use him to broker their deals. He came to my club wanting to work out a deal with some petty shit. I’d use some of my pledges and younger members to act as enforcers for their illegal gambling and extortion rackets. It tried out my boys before I made them full-fledged members and kept our coffers filled with easy cash. Eventually Carter approached us about some drug smuggling. That turned into a more lucrative business and I didn’t have a problem with it. When sex trafficking was on the table I said no. Most of my men were for it, but I didn’t put it to a vote. I vetoed that shit immediately. That wasn’t something I ever wanted to get into. I’m not a fucking saint and I’m about as dirty as they come, but I draw the line at kidnapping women off the street and shipping them out of the States. There’s plenty of bitches that choose to spread their legs for money; I’m not about to force innocent girls into it. If someone did that to my daughter I’d cut their body into little squares and feed it to my fucking fish.
“And that’s your downfall, Dodger.”
“What’s that?” I ask him, sitting up. A wave of dizziness falls over me, but I fight back. I can’t be sure how long I’ve been out. I know Wolf and the boys are probably already working their way through the back of the building. I need to keep Carter distracted. I suspected it was an enemy. I had no idea it was the Koreans that called for my head. I actually feel better knowing it’s this fucking punk. I’m even feeling better about my chances of survival knowing Carter here is calling the shots.
I move my hand to my back, feeling for my gun under my cut. I didn’t really expect for it to be there. I know disappointment when I confirm that it’s gone.
“Looking for this, Dodger?” Carter asks. I jerk my gaze up to him and see him waving my Glock. “You really are slipping, old man. Walking in here to try and save the day and instead you’re at my mercy.”
“I don’t have much of a choice seeing as you have my daughter,” I tell him and that’s when I know I might have a concussion because until now, I haven’t been looking for Torrent. “Where is she?” I growl. “I want to see her!”
Carter laughs as he takes a hit off of a blunt.
“You’re in no position to demand anything, old man. The bitch wouldn’t stop screaming when I knocked you out. I had to contain her.”
Carter’s smile is so fucking creepy that fear seeps into my bones.
“What did you do with my daughter?” I demand, doing my best to stand up. A man goes to grab me but I push him away. I sway on my feet, but I remain standing—even while Carter is laughing.
“Jin, bring Torrent in. I think dear old Dad should be able to see his daughter,” he says with another grin. “At least one last time.”
I try to still the chaotic beating of my heart and calm down. I can’t lose my head here and I can’t let fear rule me. I still have one weapon that Carter won’t be expecting. Plus, my men should already be riding in to save Torrent. I have to stall for a little longer.
That’s all… just a little longer.
Torrent
I’m dragged back into the room. My dad’s rough, unshaven face is the first thing I see. He’s worried; there’s even fear in his eyes and that looks wrong on him. His dark hair is marred with the dark stain of his blood from where he was hit earlier. I breathe deep, choking on my fear, but trying not to show it.
I’m holding onto one thing.
If my dad is here, that means his club is close by.
If I can keep my head and help him, we can survive this. It’s a matter of holding on and not losing control.
“My girl,” Dad all but moans.
His voice is filled with pain and I can see tears in his eyes. I can only guess how bad I look and I know that’s what is causing his pain right now. I try to keep my own tears at bay. I don’t really succeed. I stumble as I make it beside him. Dad wraps his arms around me and I go to him willingly and I hate that I cry, but I couldn’t stop it now if I wanted to. I never thought I would feel his arms around me again.
“I’m okay, Dad,” I lie. “I’m okay.”
He pulls me in tight, tucking my head under his chin.
“I’m so sorry, Tor. I’m so sorry, my little angel,” he says brokenly. “I’m so sorry I got you involved in this.”
My dad sounds tortured and his body is shaking. My knees are weak and I know I’m leaning on him too much—but I can’t stop myself.
“Isn’t this touching? Too bad I don’t have all day to watch it.”
“Carter, you bastard. Let my daughter go. This shit doesn’t have a damn thing to do with her,” my dad yells. I close my eyes t
ightly, knowing the worst is coming quickly and not ready for this small reprieve to be over. I always thought I was brave, but right now I don’t feel brave at all.
“It has everything to do with her,” the man my father calls Carter responds. I process his name, commit it to memory, because somehow I want to be the one who takes his life… to take everything from him, like he’s trying to do to me. Before I can do anything else, or even urge my father to quieten and wait for his men, I’m yanked away.
I scream because the hold on my hair is even more painful than before. My dad tries to pull me back, which causes more pain, but I do my best to hold onto him. For a split second I think we’ll win the tug of war. Then fear blooms over Dad’s face. I can see it take over his features, leeching into the characteristics on his face centimeter by centimeter—as if in slow motion—and draining the color from him. Then I feel the barrel of a gun pressed against my temple.
My dad lets me go. His hands go up to show he’s not resisting as I’m pulled away. I try to beat the panic down, but a sob escapes because I know the farther I get from my Dad—the more these monsters gain control over the situation—the more likely neither of us will survive.
Where are his men?
My dad would never wade into this situation without backup, especially with my life on the line.
“Carter, stop this. Let Torrent go. This is between the two of us, not her. Let her walk out of here. You have what you want. You have me, let her go.”
“You always were so damn short-sighted, Dodger. That’s what has really caused all of this,” Carter responds.
“Torrent doesn’t have a damn thing to do with this!” Dad literally spits out.
“She has everything to do with this. You thought you could back out on the Koreans. You’ve built your life by showing people you’re strong. Did you expect them to let you get away with making them look weak? You can’t step in this world with one foot, Dodger. You know that shit. Now you have to pay the price.”