by Bella Jewel
“Are you sure this is it?” Santana asks. “I’d hate to ambush the wrong house.”
“This is it, all right.”
“So do we just . . . walk in?”
I tuck the last gun in my jeans. “Yeah, we just fuckin’ walk in.”
When we’re loaded up, I give Tyke instructions to alert us of any newcomers. He nods, assuring me he’s got it covered. Then we make our way towards the fences surrounding the property. We find a break in one to the far left, and after a bit of reworking, we manage to slip through. The driveway is blocked with a large electric gate, no doubt equipped with cameras.
When we’re all in, we begin the long trek towards the house. My hand stays near my gun at all times, on alert. Santana stays by my side, but she’s barely said a word all morning. I know how she’s feelin’ inside; this is fuckin’ killin’ her.
“See the house,” I murmur to the guys, pointing.
“Looks fuckin’ big,” Krypt mutters.
“Jesus,” Rhyder comments. “I wonder how . . . many he’s got there.”
“Probably a good fuckin’ lot,” I grunt.
When we reach the thick trees surrounding the house, we all gather. I point to the front door, which appears to have no one near or around it.
“Oh my God.”
I turn at the sound of Santana’s voice; she’s staring through a gap in the thick trees. I step closer to her, seeing what’s got her so upset, her face white as a ghost’s. What I see has a curse ripping from my throat. There’s around twenty men and women working in a field of tobacco crops. They’re all quite skinny, and their skin is olive from hours in the sun.
Guess that means we’ve found the right place.
“I . . .” Santana’s voice trembles. “Oh God.”
“Hey,” I say, turning and taking her face in my hands. “You want to come with us, you need to get it together. I know what seein’ that does to you, but I need you to keep your shit under wraps. I need you alert and ready. If you’re cryin’, then you ain’t watchin’.”
She nods, straightening her back and swiping away her tears. I’m fuckin’ proud of her in that moment, so fuckin’ proud. I press a kiss to her forehead, before turning back to the group.
“Right, we’ve got two options. We ambush, or we walk right up to the door and just knock – see how we go.”
“I say we go right to the door,” Krypt says, thumbing the gun in his pants.
“I agree,” Rhyder says, staring at the large house.
“We’re stupid to start an attack if there’s a chance we can just get the girl back with a bit of force,” Zaid mutters, staring at me.
“Right, then lets do this. Santana, you fuckin’ stay behind me at all times. Don’t move.”
She nods, her face still pale. She’s fuckin’ terrified, but she’s holding it together...for now. I hope I didn’t make a mistake bringin’ her here.
“Let’s move in,” Krypt says. “Maddox, you go first. Santana can go behind you and we’ll tail her.”
“Let’s do it.”
We all move towards the front of the house. There seems to be nobody around, except for the people in the fields, the house seems almost dead. It’s a massive home, somewhat castle like with it’s square, jutting stone tops. The house is all a grey looking brick, no porches, few windows. We’re only twenty or so meters from the front door when they appear.
They come from behind trees, from inside the house, from the back. Every fuckin’ where. About ten, maybe fifteen, of them...I don’t know. They’re all armed, guns, and from the looks of them, we’ve just made a huge fucking mistake. Fuck. I go to clutch Santana’s hand, but one of them barks, “Move, I’ll blow your fuckin’ brains out.”
Shit. Fuckin’ shit.
“Set up,” Krypt growls.
A tall man with blonde hair, scattered with tiny pieces of grey, appears through the armed men. He’s got a small smirk on his face as he takes us in, his eyes particularly trained on Santana. He crosses his skinny arms, and his grey eyes twinkle with victory. This must be Atreau. Motherfucker.
“Well, isn’t this interesting,” he says in a low, girlish tone. “Butch said you’d show up, but I really didn’t think he was right.”
Butch.
FUCK.
It all falls into place like a fuckin’ bomb going off inside my chest. I close my eyes for a brief second, fuckin’ sick to my stomach with the reality of the situation I just put my boys, and my girl, in. This was a big, fuckin’ set up. The Tinmen weren’t chasin’ Pippa to get back at me, they were chasin’ her to get me here.
“I don’t really know what’s so good about the girl, that would make all of you would show up, but I’m not sad about it. I need some new workers, and all this muscle will do the job.”
“Like fuck,” Krypt growls.
Atreau laughs, looking around him as if to say, “Are you serious?”.
“One click of my fingers,” he laughs joyfully, “and you’re all minced meat on the ground.”
I can feel Santana behind me, her fingers trembling as she places them on my back. I’ve fucked up. Now we’re all going to pay for it. The only good news we have is that he wants us as slaves and not to kill us here and now, that gives me some hope that the boys will come for us.
“Don’t say another word, Krypt,” I mutter, low and deadly.
Atreau laughs again, fucker. “Yes, you should listen. I’ve been known to kill men for less. But, like I said, I could use your kind of muscle. So, if you will...”
He waves a hand towards the door. That’s when Mack shoots. I don’t see it coming; he’s behind all of us. But suddenly he’s firing, shot after shot into the men surrounding us. It takes them a moment to respond, by this time Krypt, Zaid and Rhyder are all shooting. I spin, pulling out my gun, shooting a man aiming at Santana. His brains scatter as his body falls into a heap on the ground.
“Fuckin’ run!” I roar at her.
She doesn’t hesitate, she knows better. She turns and runs towards the thick trees we came from. One of the men raises his gun and shoots at her, he’s not quick enough to hit a vital part, because I blow his fuckin’ brains out. I can’t tell if it’s a graze or if he got her good, because she disappears. Her scream rips a fuckin’ hole in my heart, but I can’t go to her. If I do, we’re dead.
“She can’t go alone, Mack,” I bark over the gunfire. “Go after her.”
Mack, two guns in his hands, doesn’t hesitate. He disappears into the trees, too. There’s only a few of us left now, and a whole lot of them still standing. Atreau must have made some sort of call, because suddenly another twenty or so men appear.
“You fucking put those guns down, or we’ll blow you to fucking pieces,” he roars.
Machine guns. They’ve got machine guns. We’re no match for machine guns.
“Drop the guns,” I growl, low and throaty. My leather is covered in blood splatters.
Zaid, Krypt, Rhyder, Grimm and Austin all drop their guns. Atreau steps forward. “Get on the fuckin’ ground!”
We do as we’re told, lowering to our knees. My pride rips to pieces as I get closer to the grass.
Turning to his men, Atreau roars, “Go and find that fuckin’ girl, now.”
About six of the men run off in the direction Santana went. My heart tears to shreds. Please, Mack. Fuckin’ make sure she gets to safety. Atreau’s boots crunch in the dirt as he nears.
“You just killed eight of my best men, I can’t let that go unpunished. I need your muscle, but not all of it. Which one of you will pay for the lives you just took?”
My stomach coils and I lift my head. “Don’t you fuckin’ kill them. You want revenge, you kill me.”
“That would be no fun. I mean, you’re the President after all. Isn’t it your job to protect them?” he laughs high and delighted. “I think you need to watch one of them die. Now, which will it be?”
His eyes scan over my guys. My hand goes to my gun, and he spins back to me. “
You fuckin’ put that down, right fuckin’ now, or I’ll kill the fuckin’ lot of them and let you watch. What’s it goin’ to be?”
“Take me,” I growl, my voice a low hiss.
He ignores this, turning back to the guys. My heart races and my entire body feels like it’s going to explode with rage. I shoot, they kill us all. I don’t, they take one of my men. I have to come up with something else, something better, something he wants more.
“I’ve got girls,” I bark.
He looks down at me, his face serious a moment. I want to bellow with relief when he laughs, no longer amused, but deadly. “I’ve plenty of girls, biker.”
Then he turns his gun, without hesitation, and he pulls the trigger. An agonized cry rips from my chest, as Rhyder slumps backwards, his head no longer whole. Agony, the kind I’ve never experienced, rips through my body, collapsing me to the ground. Krypt bellows in rage, and if it weren’t for Ash, he would charge...life or not.
Zaid, Grimm and Austin have their heads bowed, their bodies shaking. With rage or emotion, I don’t know. My chest heaves with emotion, swirling with the rage inside, making me want to kill every fuckin’ one of them. I can’t do that, though. I can’t leave Santana. I drop my head, letting a single, agonized tear slide down my cheek for my brother.
They will pay for that. I vow it.
“Get them inside, now!”
Someone grabs both of my arms, jerking me up. The butt of a gun connects with my temple so fuckin’ hard my world goes black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
2014 - Santana
My leg burns like it’s on fire as I head into the thick trees to the west of the property. I don’t think the bullet went in, but it kills all the same. I can’t run to the driveway, the land is open and I’ve not doubt someone has come after me. If I’m in an open field, I’ll get shot before I make it. The sounds of gunfire still echoes, breaking me with each loud, ringing shot.
“Santana!”
I hear a familiar voice and turn to see Mack running towards me, two guns in his hands. He’s covered in blood and his hair is whipping wildly in the wind. He stops when he reaches me, staring down at my bloody leg. “Fuck, you’re fuckin’ bleedin’. We gotta get outta here, I don’t have time to stop and fix that. Can you run a little further?”
I don’t hear his words clearly; my eyes are trained on the field of workers behind him. I let my gaze settle on one in particular. A small blond girl. I can’t be. I start running in that direction without thinking. Gunfire and shouted voices are all I can hear, but I don’t stop. Mack grabs my arms, but I shove him away so forcefully, his fingers drop away.
He turns, shots ring out, and then he barks, “Santana, we’ve got company.”
My mind is in a haze, the blond girl...so familiar. I don’t think, I don’t feel, I don’t fucking care. I turn, pulling my gun from my pants and I shoot the two figures in the distance that are running towards me. I hit them with a precision I shouldn’t have. Their bodies drop into the overly long grass.
“Fuck me,” Mack mutters.
I charge onto the field, not caring if I get shot. Not caring about anything but the blond girl I’m getting closer and closer to with each step. I can’t feel the pain in my leg anymore; the only thing letting me know I’m still here is the pounding of my heart.
The fields are filled with lines of stout trees. Slaves are scattered through them in groups of four or five, all chained together by the ankles. They’re all working, and I see the reason they can’t go far, is because their chains lead to a massive post at the end of each line of trees, stopping them from being able to run.
They call out to me, pleading voices, but I only have eyes for one. The blond girl turns as I near closer and I know, I just know. A pained cry rips from my throat as I take her in. Ratty, damaged blond hair, a body so tiny she’s undoubtedly mal-nourished, and the biggest, bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
“T-T-Tana?” she croaks.
Her voice is like music to my ears. I skid to a stop when I reach her, my arms going out to launch her tiny body into mine. She’s so skinny, God, so skinny. Agonized cries leave my throat and my legs go out from beneath me, taking her down into the dirt, too. Her tiny arms are around me, her crying loud and pained.
Gunfire erupts.
“We gotta go!” Mack bellows, reaching me.
I pull back, and through blurred vision stare down at Pippa’s chains.
“We need to get them off...we need...”
The other slaves attached to her, are staring at us, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion. I look at them, then to Mack.
“Hurry!”
He growls, “Move!”
I do, and he aims his gun at the chain, pulling the trigger. It explodes. It takes a few shots to get the second one, but in seconds, Pippa is free. She launches herself into my arms, sobbing hysterically. I could nearly lift her she’s so tiny. Mack does just that, sweeping down and lifting her into his arms.
“Santana!” she screams, so loudly and so full of fear it makes my entire body ache, knowing what she must have been through.
“He won’t hurt you, but we have to go. It’s okay, shhh.”
She stops screaming, but her tiny body continues to shake. I turn to Mack, hearing voices getting closer and closer. We’re protected from the trees right now, but it won’t take long for them to figure out which row we’re in.
“Please!” One of the slaves calls. “Please help us.”
“You have to help them,” I cry.
“No,” Mack bellows, taking my arm and jerking me away.
“Mack, please!”
“We take them, we’re fuckin’ dead. Not to mention the shit they’ll do to the guys if they come out and find their slaves gone. You wanna risk Maddox?”
I can’t argue. I turn to the slaves, calling, “We’ll come back, I swear.”
Their cries trail after me as we disappear into the thick trees only twenty or so meters away. A shot hits the trunk right beside my head just as I get in. I scream, and Mack pulls me harder and faster. The pain in my leg is back with full force now, burning to the point vomit rises in my throat and escapes my mouth before I can stuff it back. I don’t stop running, Mack doesn’t even notice.
He pulls us through the trees with a ferocity I’m not sure I’d have without him. More shots ring out, coming too close. I smother my cries, forcing my legs to move when they really don’t want to. We run towards the road, trees and rocks causing damage to our bodies as they scrape along our skin. We reach the massive fence and Mack doesn’t hesitate, he lifts Pippa and throws her over.
“Mack!” I cry, hearing my sisters pained wail as she lands on the other side.
“No time to fuckin’ wait,” he barks, lifting me and hurling me over as if I weigh nothing.
I land on the other side with a thump; my arms go out, finding Pippa. She clutches me and we watch as Mack hauls himself over the massive fence, dropping on his feet. He reaches down, scoops Pippa up, and runs towards the car sitting over the other side of the road. We reach it, flinging the door open just as a few of the men appear, aiming their guns at us.
“Fuckin’ go!” Mack roars.
He’s just barely in when the shots ring out, smashing the windows. Tyke doesn’t hesitate; he plants his foot to the floor and skids off onto the road so fast my body is launched backwards into the seat. I cry out, clutching my leg. My jeans are soaked in so much blood it’s alarming. Pippa shakes, her eyes wide as she stares around. She’s in shock.
“It’s okay,” I soothe, pulling her close. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
“What happened?” Tyke roars over the screaming of the engine.
“Set up,” Mack grinds out. “Tinmen set us up, they didn’t want the girl at all. They wanted to fuckin’ take Maddox down and they succeeded.”
“Fuck, no,” Tyke rasps.
“They ain’t dead, at least, I don’t think they are. We got out, but I don’t know how shit
is goin’ to go down. We’ve gotta get a fuck load of men, and we gotta do it fast.”
“Makin’ the calls as soon as we stop.”
“We need a hospital, but it’s the first place they’ll look.”
Tyke nods as I stroke my fingers over Pippa’s hair. My relief is smothered and drowning with my fear for Maddox and the guys. Tears leak out of my eyes and I begin to shake, too. Mack notices and his arm goes around me, pulling both Pippa and I closer to him, until we’re all bundled together.
“There’s another town around about four or five hours from here – I checked it out before we came. We’ll go to the hospital there.”
Mack nods, I can feel it against my head. “Just hurry.”
~*~*~*~
My leg burns in a way I’ve never felt before. I’ve tried, tried to hold it back, but I can’t. I begin sobbing about an hour into the trip, biting my lip to stop it from becoming wailing screams. My mind is spinning, my body aches, and it feels like my leg is on fire. My vision is starting to waver, and my heart is pounding so hard it’s starting to scare me.
“You’re going to be okay,” Mack soothes. “You’re going to be okay.”
“It...hurts...” I wail.
“I know, darlin’. I know.”
He strokes my hair; it’s all he can do. Pippa is dead still in my arms, but she’s breathing and that’s the main thing. I can’t focus enough to move my mouth anymore. I close my eyes and let darkness take me; the pain goes away there.
CHAPTER THIRTY
2014 - Maddox
The dried blood on my face makes every movement painful, even blinking feels like running a God damned marathon. My cheek bone is broken, my nose is broken, and I wouldn’t know, but I could guess I’ve got a fuck load of slashes on my face. My ribs, collarbone, and arm have also been snapped.
They didn’t go easy on us.