The Longest Road (Book 2): The Change

by Thompson, A. S.

  Stitch was sitting, back up against the tree. Both hands were clasped around his throat, apparently unable to breath. His eyes showed signs of pure panic and fear, but Smalls couldn't understand why or even what happened. Stitch released one of his hands and extended a finger, attempting to warn Smalls, but the action was pointless. Both men were already marked with death.

  Sergeant Major Craig West had disabled Stitch with one precise punch and two knife wounds. The blow West delivered to Stitch's throat was so forceful that it damaged the larynx and subsequently impeded all speech. Immediately following the punch, West spun the biker around and executed a series of cuts, severing the man's Achilles tendons. He wanted to keep Stitch alive, but unable to move or communicate.

  As intended, the attack lured Smalls out of view and into his trap without suspicion of an exterior threat. When Smalls rounded the corner and discovered his friend, West had crept behind him and killed him with a five-point knife attack.

  Quick as lightning, West grabbed a handful of Small's hair, yanked his head back and sliced his throat. The blade found its next point of entry under the man's arm, severing his brachial artery. The next three strikes were just as lethal, fast and fierce as the opening two. West drew the blade back, punctured both kidneys and finished with a deep slice into the left femoral artery, where he twisted the blade before pulling it out.

  Stitch gargled and choked on his own words. He watched as Smalls collapsed to his knees, then fall on his face. Dead.

  The entire attack took less than three-seconds. Smalls bled out in ten.

  Stitch found an ounce of courage and attempted to flee toward the campsite and signal the others. But, the action was short-lived. Almost immediately after turning to crawl away, West drove his blade into Stitch's neck, splitting a pair of vertebrae.

  West used the man's shirt to clean the blade, and then sheathed it. After scanning the perimeter, making sure no bikers had stumbled into the area, West dragged the bodies out of view. Then, he grabbed his bag and continued on to the next phase of his guerilla operation.

  He ducked underneath the giant prison bus, found its fuel line and severed the rubber tubing. Diesel spewed from the line and collected nicely underneath. Following the vehicle sabotage, West pulled out the small bricks of plastic explosive that he had acquired from the RV. He placed them in strategic locations underneath the prison transport.

  After completing the tasks, West unlocked and opened the front gate. “Almost there, Chucky,” he whispered to himself, “Almost there.”

  ***

  At the sound of the Ranger station's holding cell door being unlocked, the prisoners stood and backed away. To their surprise, the door swung open to reveal Tyler, alone.

  “What are you doing here, bro?” Travis asked.

  “Honestly, I-I'm not sure. I just needed to see you. To make sure you were okay. Shit, bro, that was one hell of a fight.”

  “What's going on outside?” Collin asked, interrupting the two. “How’s Wally?”

  Tyler leaned outside the holding cell and replied, “From the sounds of the cheers, I'd say nothing good.”

  “How are the girls?” Steve asked, moving forward to the bars. “Have you seen Sarah? The one who rushed over to me earlier? Is she okay?”

  “The girls are fine. Sarah’s fine, too, for now. I can tell Jimmy likes her, so it's only a matter of time…”

  “That mother fucker! I'm gonna kill him!”

  “You got worse things to worry about, amigo,” Tyler declared.

  Collin, Steve, Travis, and Nick looked at him, perplexed. Larry remained in a seated fetal position near the wall, rocking back in forth.

  “Jimmy lied. I mean that's nothing new, but he isn't gonna let you go. He's gonna make you keep fighting. And if you still don't die, he's just gonna shoot you.”

  The prisoners were speechless. They half-expected this, but after hearing the presidential broadcast, they believed there to be a shred of hope.

  “You gotta get us out of here, bro,” Travis implored. “These are good people, they don’t deserve this.”

  Tyler's eyes darted back and forth from the cell to the door; becoming a traitor to his own gang was no easy decision. But, in the end, the love he had for his flesh and blood brother triumphed.

  “Okay. I’ll do it. I'll get you out of here, but I don't have this cell key, just the one to the outer door. When the guard comes back, I can take him out and get you guys outta here. We can probably sneak around and get to the bikes, maybe a car, but they'll hear us when the engines start up…”

  “No way!” Steve protested. “I'm not leaving without Sarah or the others!”

  Collin put a hand on his cousin's shoulder in agreement. “I'm with Steve, it's all of us or none of us.”

  “Ditto,” Nick said, standing strong next to the cousins.

  At the idea of liberation and self-preservation, Larry jumped up.

  “What! Are you guys crazy? The girls are as good as gone. If we stick around, so are we! He's giving us a way out and I say we take it!”

  The others looked to Travis for his vote.

  The second lieutenant turned and walked toward Larry. He jabbed two fingers into the CFO's chest and said, “You're a fucking coward. Those girls are innocent and there’s no way in hell I’m leaving without them. You piece of shit, you don't deserve to live.”

  Then, he turned around and walked back to the others. “Steve’s right, Ty. I'm not leaving without the girls. These people are just as much my family as you are.”

  Tyler threw up his hands.

  “Shit, then I'm lost, bro. Any suggestions would be helpful,” he said, pausing. A distant gunshot pressed the issue. “Doesn't look like your friend made it. We can't wait around forever.”

  Collin shouted out the first idea that came to his head. “What about luring Jimmy in here. We can hold him hostage and bargain our way out?”

  It was more of a suggestion than a full-fledged plan, but it was the best any could come up with.

  “Okay, I'll get Jimmy and…”

  “Man, my ears must be burning,” Jimmy Sanchez said, stepping into the room.

  ***

  The prisoners gasped and backed up.

  Tyler's eyes opened wide and he tried to swallow but his throat dried up.

  “Ji-Jimmy, what are you doing here?”

  The Grim Reaper scanned the room, and then met the eyes of his second in command.

  “Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

  Behind Jimmy came a woman's sarcastic voice.

  “Ya, Tyler, whatchu doing here?” Estrella asked.

  Tyler was completely stunned. He wasn't sure what to do, more importantly, what to say. So, he said the first lie that came to him.

  “I-I was just getting the next guy for the fight, jefe…”

  “Liar!” Estrella screamed. She followed with a string of indiscernible curses in a mix of Spanish and English.

  “Fuck you, bitch!” Tyler cursed, spitting on the floor in front of her.

  “Gordo!” Jimmy shouted, requesting the presence of his obese communications officer.

  Carlos was waiting just outside the room but came forward at the order of his leader. “Si, jefe?”

  “Take Estrella and wait outside this room. And close the door behind me.”

  “But, Baby…” Estrella protested, but Jimmy wouldn’t hear it.

  “Now!”

  Without hesitation, Carlos grabbed Estrella by the arm, but she shook off the attempt. She excused herself, and then Carlos did as ordered and closed the door.

  Jimmy dropped his chin to his chest. After a long pause, he sighed and lifted his head.

  “How long we known each other, Ty?”

  “Años, Jimmy. It’s been years.”

  “I know. I stopped counting a long time ago. You know why?”

  Tyler shook his head.

  “Because we reached a new level. You fought for me. Bled for me. Stayed by my sid
e through thick and thin. After everything, you became a brother to me…”

  Tyler tried to speak, but Jimmy held up a finger, silencing him.

  “So that's why I am gonna give you one chance. This is a one-time offer, that I ain’t gonna give again, entiendes?”

  “I understand,” Tyler replied, softly.

  “Good. Tell me what is going on here. The truth.”

  Tyler looked at Travis, then at the other men behind bars.

  “I'm sorry,” he whispered to the prisoners. Then, he admitted everything.

  “This guy here isn’t some random guy. He’s my brother, Travis. I was gonna help him and the others escape. But I don’t give a shit about the others, just let my brother go. Please, Jimmy.”

  Jimmy didn't appear nearly as shocked as Tyler thought he would be. On the contrary, Jimmy’s face creased into the same sinister smile he always seemed to carry. The muscle reaction also pulled back the tissue around his scarred, dead eye.

  “I believe you,” he answered, bobbing his head up and down. He turned to the cage and pointed a finger at Travis. “So this is the guy that bailed on you and your family? The one who abandoned you? The one you told me died?”

  “Si, jefe. Hewas dead to me, but it wasn't like what I thought. He told me some shit earlier, and it wasn't like that at all. H-he had to leave.”

  “Had to leave,” Jimmy repeated, softly. Then he came back with a roar. “You NEVER leave family! EVER!”

  A long pause filled the room. No one dared to talk.

  Jimmy moved forward and wrapped his left hand around the back of Tyler’s head, then brought it in to his.

  “Please, Jimmy. Just let my brother go. I can explain everything later…”

  He kissed the top of Tyler’s head, like Judas to Jesus.

  “You know I loved you like a brother,” Jimmy whispered. “I would have laid down my life for you. But you betrayed your family. You betrayed me...”

  No one could have guessed what came next. A lone gunshot rang throughout the small concrete room.

  “...But I forgive you, hermano,” Jimmy said, looking into Tyler’s horrified eyes. The Grim Reaper pulled back his revolver from Tyler's chest. “Vaya con Dios, hermano.”

  The .357 caliber bullet smashed through Tyler's ribcage and exploded his heart. Tyler put a hand to his chest, but his dying mind was unable to process what the pooling of blood coming from the crater in his chest meant. Tyler took a series of shallow breaths, and then dropped to his knees. He gazed at Travis through the bars, and then collapsed to the ground, his skull bounced softly on the concrete.

  “TYYYYYLERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!” Travis screamed in deep pain. But no tears fell from his eyes. Travis reached through the bars, desperately trying to grasp onto his brother's hand. Sadly, Tyler was just out of reach. Then he looked up at the animal who murdered his brother and screamed, “I'm gonna kill you! Hijo de puta! You hear me! You are dead!”

  At the sound of a gunshot, Carlos flung open the door and peeked his head in.

  Estrella brushed past Carlos and entered the room. She looked down and saw Tyler's body surrounded by a pool of blood. She smiled and asked, “Está todo bien?”

  “No! Everything! Is! Not! Okay!” he shouted back. “I just killed my brother!”

  The words were so powerful they practically blew Estrella back through the door. Neither Carlos nor Estrella were about to utter another consoling word.

  Jimmy inhaled deep and exhaled slow. Then, out of nowhere, like a complete schizophrenic, his entire demeanor changed. He was happy, upbeat, and somehow well-over the loss of the person he called brother.

  “But what are you gonna do? Can't dwell on the past, am I right? Life must go on, and so will the fighting!”

  Steve, Collin and Nick knelt down next to Travis and offered their condolences.

  “We won't fight,” Collin protested. “We know you’re just going to kill us anyway.”

  “Ahhh,” Jimmy said, tapping the barrel of his revolver against his temple. “I should have known. Tyler spoiled the secret didn't he? It doesn't matter. Because you will fight. You know how I know that? Because I know you don't wanna see my men rape your women in front of you. You don’t wanna see your bitches get dragged in here and watch my men ride them until they’re raw…”

  “Fuck you!” Steve shouted. He reached through the bars intent on ripping Jimmy’s throat.

  Jimmy backed up just out of reach and laughed, finding the attack amusing.

  “Oh and your girl, what's her name? Sarah? Mmmm that señorita is banging. And ifyou don't fight, I will personally bring her in here, rip off her clothes and fuck the shit out of her doggy style. Right in front of you. And when I'm about to go, I'll slit her pretty little throat and you can watch her bleed out. How’s that sound?”

  Steve's right eye twitched with hate. His teeth were grinding so hard the enamel was almost gone. His fists were white from squeezing so hard.

  A long time ago, a friend told Steve that, “A life is a life. Human or animal. We all have souls, and we are all connected.” But Steve no longer believed this. His own psyche had reached a boiling point. Jimmy Sanchez wasn't a person. He wasn't even human. Steve swore to the Heavens that he would end Jimmy Sanchez's life before dawn. Hell or high water, he would kill The Grim Reaper.

  “So, do we have a deal? You fight and give my men and me some quality entertainment, or do we need to start a train on your girls?”

  Jimmy took the silence as binding, and then continued on with his psychotic rant.

  “Let's see here. I want you to stay,” Jimmy said, pointing at Travis. “I feel you have a lot of self-reflection to do, seeing how your actions killed Tyler 'n all. So who's left? How should we do this? Aha! Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!” He said, pointing from person to person, finally landing on Ranger Nick. “Look who's up next! Our very own Redskin warrior! I bet you have some fight in you, don't you, chief?”

  “No, take me,” Collin petitioned.

  “Well what do we have here? A volunteer?” Jimmy asked, smiling.

  Then Carlos wobbled back into the jail cell and interrupted. “Jefe, you should come out here. A bunch of the guys are puking. I think they might be overdosing or something.”

  Irritated, Jimmy growled and stormed out.

  ***

  “Collin, what are you doing?” Nick asked, taking advantage of the momentary privacy.

  Steve shared the same confusion. “Ya, what was that all about?”

  “It's my fault that all of this is happening. It's my fault Jimmy is back. I should have killed him when I had the chance, but I didn't. Good people are dead and we are in here because of me-”

  Both Nick and Steve tried to interject, but Collin continued.

  “This is on me. If I can spare your lives just a minute longer, then I'm good with that. I’ll drag the fight on as long as possible, hopefully you guys can think of a way to get out of this cell.”

  Steve embraced his cousin and whispered, “Get your ass back here, okay? We areallmaking it outta here alive! You hear me?”

  Then, Nick and Collin exchanged a handshake and half-hug. The Native American man whispered a prayer, asking for the spirit world to watch over Collin and the others.

  Jimmy entered and witnessed the exchange. “Oh, what do you think, Estrella? Romantic isn't it?”

  Estrella found the situation erotic. “Why not take 'em both, baby?”

  Jimmy hadn't thought about that. In the entire twelve months of raping and pillaging, he had never put two men in the pit at one time.

  Jimmy pulled his girlfriend in close and kissed her passionately. His free hand made its way around her breasts and down to her groin where he rubbed back and forth, stimulating her.

  “That is why I love you.”

  “Y tú también,” she replied, licking her lips and rubbing his groin.

  Then, Jimmy turned and yelled out the door, “Carlos! Get Ruben and get these two putas out of here. We are doubling up the pit!”r />
  Carlos peeked his head inside, nodded and a minute later, he returned with Ruben.

  “Damn, what happened here, jefe?” Ruben asked, noticing the body of his fallen captain.

  “Less questions, more getting them into the fuckin’ ring. Vamos!”

  Carlos fumbled for the cell keys, hands shaking as it took him two tries to insert the correct one.

  “Oh, and in case you are getting any ideas about charging me when the gate opens, we have guns,” Jimmy said, holding up his sidearm.

  “You and you,” Ruben ordered, pointing to Steve and Travis, “Get the fuck back!”

  Travis just watched his baby brother get murdered in front of him. The same man promised Steve a rape/murder of the woman he was going to ask to marry him.

  Despite their individual reasons, both Steve and Travis shared a collective hatred for Jimmy. But they weren't stupid. As much as they wanted to rush out of the cage, they knew it would be suicide. Any brash attack would surely result in death, and if they were going to die, it would not be in vain. So, they complied, for the time being.

  1939 hours

  After Collin and Nick were pulled away, Carlos Rodriguez locked the cell and remained on duty. He lifted a spoonful of seafood soup to his mouth and slurped down the contents, again and again.

  “What are these? Clams or something? Whatever they are, they’re delicious. I bet you wish you could have some!” he said, mocking the prisoners. “Mmm one bowl down, four more to go!”

  “And here Iwas wondering how you're such a fat fuck, but you pretty much answered that question,” Steve quipped.

  “Hey! I'm not fat, just big boned!”

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Travis said, taking a turn.

  There wasn't even enough time for Carlos to muster a counter. It was like a tandem wrestling match, and Steve reentered the ring.

  “I bet you're one of those guys, aren't you?”

  Carlos bit. “What guys?”

  “The guys that are so fat they can't even see their own dick!”

  Carlos was furious. The laughter at his expense only compounded his anger.