by Tess Oliver
A polite, but rather unnecessary, knock sounded on the metal door. Rick followed behind it. “Hey, Angel, do you need to use the restroom again?”
“No, Rick, I’m good. Bu- but do you think you could untie my hand?” My shredded chin trembled from the fever, and my words stuttered out. “I’m sick and I ca- can’t even cross my arms to stop the chills.”
He stepped into the room. The glow from the television in the next room gave his face a yellow, ghostly appearance.
Without warning, he pressed his palm against my forehead. “Shit, you’re burning up. I’ll get you some more aspirin and water.” He turned to leave but came back. “To hell with Gunner.” His thick fingers worked the knots in the rope until they came loose.
My hand tingled as if hundreds of caterpillars were crawling across it. I brought it around myself and my shoulder cracked with relief.
“Your grandfather knows that you’re here. I delivered the message to Mickey, the bar owner, and he was to hand it to Dreygon.”
“I’m curious, I won’t say anything, but what did the message say? I don’t think Gunner will get anything in exchange for me. I’m not worth a bag of onions to Dreygon.”
“The message made no sense to me. It said ‘I’ve got your ticket to jail. Come and talk. It’s time for you to give up the presidency.’”
“That’s bold. But I can’t imagine what Gunner has that would put Dreygon in jail . . . or what the hell any of it has to do with me.”
“I’ll get that aspirin.” He got to the doorway. “By the way, Mickey had just as strange a message from Jericho. It was for you.”
I lifted my head. It felt as if it was filled with whipped cream. I could barely focus on the silhouette in the door. “Is Richo all right? What did he say?”
“Jericho is fine as far as I know, but he said that you should stop worrying about Reno.”
Rick left the room. I dropped my head down and stared into the dark room. My head was spinning from fever and my thoughts were muddled enough that I worried I might start hallucinating. Jericho’s message was absurdly cryptic, and I wasn’t completely sure what it meant. Again, I found myself suppressing the idea that it meant Luke was alive. It would be too much to believe it only to find out that it wasn’t true. I had no idea why Jericho had said it, but in my weak state of mind and with aches and chills wracking my body, it was too much to think about.
Chapter 12
Luke
Obviously, being my twin brother, albeit a twin who couldn’t be more different, Seth had grown up with the same dad. He’d gone to the shooting range with us, but his interest in the hobby petered out early on. He’d never had the knack or the patience to be as skilled as me, even though he’d gone the military route and I’d gone the college route. After some consideration, I decided to let Seth have a gun under the strict rule that he only use it in self-defense. Seth was there to keep the motor running on the car so that once I had Angel, we could get away quickly. It was just like a bank robbery movie only the loot was a priceless girl instead of a bag of cash.
Dreygon’s mention of dawn being a good time to surprise them seemed logical. Even without trusting a gray hair on the man’s head, he was cunning and rarely made wrong moves himself. Otherwise he’d have been behind bars long ago. After I’d absorbed the reality that I was about to find Angel, I couldn’t sleep a wink. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as if I’d drank fifty cups of strong coffee. Seth dozed off on the couch only to be woken every few minutes by floorboards creaking beneath my incessant pacing.
It was barely four in the morning when my phone rang. I snatched it from the coffee table. It was Carson.
“Look, Carson, I’m in the middle of something, and I really can’t stand to be lectured right—”
“Shut up, Barringer, would you? You don’t even know what I’m going to say. What do you mean you’re in the middle of something?”
“I’ve found out where Angel is, and Seth and I are about to go get her. But listen, I know her grandfather is going to come after her. I think I’m going to need some protection around the house until I can decide where to hide her.”
“Holy fucking moly, Luke, what the hell have you gotten yourself into? You start digging deep into the inner workings of these clubs, and you’ll be hard pressed to claw your way out safely. Surely, you’ve already discovered that.”
“I have, and none of that matters.”
He paused. “She must be something else.”
“What did you call for?”
“I’ve been lying here awake for hours. I just wanted to say, if I’d been in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. But I have to put you on suspension, you understand, right?”
“So you called hoping I’d forgive you.”
“Uh—”
“I forgive you, Carson. Now about that protection?”
“I’ll get some squad cars to park out front and deter any unwanted visitors. But be careful, I’m tired of having to worry about your ass.”
“Then stop worrying about it. I’m heading out now. I’ll talk to you later.”
***
The abandoned industrial park loomed ahead like a forgotten city of cinderblock houses and garages. Seth turned my Camaro into the lot. Faint sunlight peaked through a flat layer of salmon colored clouds. Like a giant pair of simultaneous flashlights, our headlights lit up the neglected surroundings as we navigated slowly through the maze of empty buildings. The garage style doors had all been pushed up or dented to scrap metal, leaving gaping openings in each building. One place, which must have been an automotive shop, reminded me of Pompeii where the inhabitants had fled suddenly. A shop vacuum sat pitched on its side, its long black hose wrapped around it like a coiled snake. Old tires lay like rows of fallen rubber dominoes, and a rusty old truck was still stuck up on the lift, suspended indefinitely five feet above the ground.
“It’s almost as if the landlord just walked in one day and said everyone out. You have ten minutes to gather your belongings and then we’re shutting it down,” Seth said.
“That’s probably a pretty accurate description of how it went.” I pointed ahead. I’d caught the smallest flicker of movement in the distance. “Drive down to the end.”
“Should I cut the headlights?”
“Nah, I’d rather they know we’re out here. It’s always better to have them come out to us than to go in after them. Otherwise, they have the distinct advantage of seeing us coming. And since I don’t know who’s in there, or where Angel is, I’d rather bring the danger out here. Gunner is somewhat of a knucklehead, but he obviously had balls big enough to take on Dreygon.”
“A big balled, knucklehead,” Seth repeated, “sounds like a dangerous combination.”
We reached the end of the lot, but other than a black cat tiptoeing across the roof of the carport, there were no other signs of life. I looked over at Seth. “Remember that old monastery up on Green River Road we used to cruise around at night in your old Mustang?”
“Seems like an odd topic for this particular moment in time, but yeah, I remember it. We used to drive doughnuts on the lawn until someone came out to chase us away.” As he spoke, he understood my reason for bringing it up. He smiled and put the car in drive. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
“Just go easy on my tires.”
Seth spun the car in a series of tight circles. Tire squeals sang through the air and bounced off the brick buildings. A light went on inside an office where a soapy residue had been smeared over all the windows to keep people from looking inside. Cheaper than mini-blinds, I supposed. A shadow raced past the white streaked windows, and I put my hand on Seth’s arm. He slowed the doughnuts. A cyclone of dust swirled around us and the acrid smell of burned rubber drifted through the vents.
“Way to go easy on the tires.”
“Did you want doughnuts or not?”
I waved off his question. “We got their attention. I’m getting out here. Drive to the corn
er so you’re not in any line of fire, and be ready.”
“Check. Wait. When do I get to use the gun?”
“Seth, we’re not out here playing cops and robbers. These guys have real ammo and real weapons. I told you to use it only if you think your life is in danger.”
“Aside from burning doughnuts in your Camaro, this is not the adventure I was expecting.” He grabbed my wrist before I got out. “Be careful, Bro. And get the girl.”
“Believe me, I’m not leaving here without her.”
I slipped out of the car and gave Seth the cue to drive off. A gunshot whistled through the air. I hit the ground and rolled behind the side of the carport. The cat jumped down in front of me and ran off into the semi-darkness. I ran across the carport to the opposite wall and peered around it. Gunner’s pale yellow head poked around the side of the office. His gun came up, and he fired without much aim. His bullet ricocheted off of a building several hundred yards away.
“I told you, you need to find yourself some bigger bullets, Gunner.” My voice echoed through the deserted complex of buildings.
“Shit,” he muttered. “Is that you Reno? Thought Angel’s desert stray was dead.”
“I’ve made a miraculous comeback. I don’t have any beef with you, Gunner. I just need Angel and then I’ll be on my way.”
Gunner had always had a laugh that grated like fingernails on slate. “Not happening. I need her. I’m just waiting for Dreygon to show up for a meeting.”
“Got news for you, he’s not coming. He sent me.”
“Sonavabitch.”
“He told me I could kill you if I wanted, but I don’t really feel like it. We both know who the better shot is, so why don’t you save us all a lot of time. Then you can go back to sleep.”
The idiot took another wild shot. None of his lackeys had joined him, so I could only assume that none of them were that keen to face who they must have figured to be Dreygon and his men.
“You always were a cocky asshole,” Gunner said. He fired again, and it seemed that his aim was getting worse with each attempt.
I stepped out into the open. The morning light was no more than a cold, gray whisper, but he could see me plain as day. “I feel like I should at least give you a chance because, frankly, I’m starting to feel a little embarrassed for you.”
His angry face came around the corner, and he lifted his arm. I had no intention of hurting the idiot, but I was losing patience. I fired and grazed his shoulder. He dropped his gun and grabbed his arm. Rustling and shadows inside the office told me his men had finally decided to help out their leader.
I stood there with my arms out to my side. I took the risk of figuring that Gunner had only a fragile hold on his men. Loyalty didn’t grow overnight, and I doubted that Gunner had anything to lure men to his side except for the possibility that they felt anyone would be better than Dreygon. “I’m right here, if you’re stupid enough to shoot a DEA agent. Just remember, if you do, then the last words you’ll ever hear are ‘dead man walking’. Come on out and put down your guns. Otherwise, I’m coming in there, and I can’t remember the last time I missed a target.”
Gunner had dropped to his knees. A thin, rather pathetic stream of blood dribbled from his arm over his thick fingers. I picked up his gun and stared down at him. “If she’s hurt at all then I’m coming back out here to finish what Dreygon asked of me.”
“She’s scraped up because she ran from me,” he said, his words nearly blurred together in his attempt to explain. “Not my fault and she’s sick.” His men piled out of the office as Gunner spoke.
One of the big guys, who looked too young and completely out of place, nodded. “Glad you’re here to get her. She’s got a real bad fever. I think she needs to see a doctor. She’s in the backroom.”
I raced inside and flicked on a light to find my way. There was a metal door that was slightly ajar. I pushed it open and warm air rushed out of the dark, brick lined space. There was a bed in the center of the room. I swallowed hard with worry as my eyes focused on the thin, frail body lying on the bed. I crept up to the side of the mattress not wanting to startle her. Her long black lashes curled up on her sallow cheeks. Beads of sweat covered her forehead and nose and her lips were chapped and pale pink. I crouched down next to the bed and smoothed my palm over her forehead. Her eyes opened slowly as if it took a great deal of energy. She stared at me for a long moment.
“Reno, is that really you?” My throat tightened at the sound of her fragile, shaky voice.
“Yeah, Baby, it’s me.”
Even in the weak light, I could see the vibrant blue of her eyes as she gazed up at me. “What took you so long?”
I smiled. “Sorry, you forgot to leave a trail of bread crumbs.”
“Did I? Might be cuz I thought you were dead.” The staccato roar of motorcycles pinged off the back of the building. Some of the kidnappers had obviously grown bored with Gunner’s half-witted plan and had decided to leave before they got in trouble for it.
Angel’s lips trembled as they tipped up in smile. “Reno?” I pulled her backpack up over my shoulder. She slipped her arm around my neck as I lifted her from the bed. Her body was warm with fever, and she fell against me like a rag doll. “I’m really, really glad you’re not dead.”
“Yeah, that’s been working pretty well for me too.”
She pressed her lips against my neck.
I shut my eyes for a second, reveling in the feel of her in my arms. “God, Angel, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”
She laughed and it sounded more like a kitten’s tiny mewl. “I know the feeling.”
We got to the door of the office. I had Gunner’s weapon on one side of my waistband and my own on the other. Gunner and the two remaining men had congregated outside. “Do you think you can walk? I need to have a hand free in case I need to pull my gun. And if I do, dash behind the building.”
She nodded. I lowered her feet to the ground and kept one arm around her for support. I pushed open the door. Gunner glanced the other direction, probably more embarrassed than disappointed.
“Hope you get what you’re looking for,” I said to him as we walked past.
Angel clung to me as we crossed the lot to the car. We were only halfway to the Camaro when a black van roared through the abandoned complex. Its tires spewed gravel and smoke as it came to a screeching stop. I pushed Angel behind me. Her fingers clutched at my shirt in an attempt to steady herself. She badly needed to get to a doctor, and now another impediment had been thrown in our way.
Gunner and the two men stepped out from the shadows of the office to see what was happening. Seth got out of the car. The door to the van slid open. Morning light was just breaking over the buildings, making it hard to recognize the bloodied man that was pushed from the van. Another man held tightly to his victim’s arm, more to keep him upright than to keep him from running. Then the beaten man’s face turned enough to catch the light.
“Jericho!” Angel screamed and stumbled toward him. I followed close behind her. She wrapped her arms around him. He was barely conscious. Blood was smeared across his chest and a fountain of blood poured from a leg wound that could have been a bullet or a blade.
A voice rolled from the passenger side of the van that made everyone freeze. “Angel, get in the van,” Dreygon spoke in that cool measured tone that could send a shiver down a dead man’s spine.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Gunner and the two other men run behind the building. Seconds later, their bikes fired up and they fled from the lot. Dreygon watched them with amusement.
“Gunner’s little overthrow attempt is done,” Dreygon snarled to the man behind Jericho. “We’ll deal with him later.”
The man he spoke to peered around Jericho’s lolling head. “Remember me?” he sneered. “I thought something about you didn’t seem right.”
Recognition took a second, but his grainy voice helped to remind me. “Oh yeah, you’re that stupid, old fart wh
ose ass I nailed to the fucking wall at Dreygon’s party.”
Rage nearly made him lose his hold on Jericho, which had been my intent. But he kept his grip.
“We’re done here,” Dreygon said. “Angel get in the van, or Richo is going to look even worse.”
“How could you?” she tried to yell but she was too weak.
Dreygon snarled impatiently. He stepped out of the van. He walked over and lifted a pistol to Jericho’s head. “Believe me, I can. I’m done with every traitor in this club. Jericho’s been talking to Cash behind my back. He talked to this one too.” He motioned toward me with his gun and then stuck it against Jericho’s head again. “And you’re the biggest traitor of all, little girl.”
Angel swayed on her feet as she clung to her even more unsteady friend. Jericho’s blood covered her clothing now. My fingers tensed as I considered how I could pull my gun and shoot Dreygon without harming the others. The situation was too fraught with difficulty.
As if the bastard could read my mind, he issued a grave warning. “I may not be as good as you, Jesse James, but I’m right behind you in skill. I can take out both of them before your fingers go around that grip.” He scowled at Angel. “Now get in the van before your buddy, here, bleeds to death.”
Angel dropped her arms and shuffled to the van. My body was wound tightly, and my mind raced for a solution. She climbed into the back, and Dreygon slid shut the door.
Dreygon took hold of Jericho’s arm and motioned his partner to get into the driver’s seat. He kept ahold of Jericho as he pulled him back along toward the passenger door. The gun stayed pressed against Jericho’s head as he climbed back up into the seat. Then he swung the gun down hard on Jericho’s skull. He dropped to the ground as Dreygon pulled shut the door.
Angel screamed as the van circled around. Seth ran forward. “I’ll help him. You get the girl.”