Dixon's Resurrection (Hell Raiders MC Book 2)

by Lowe, Aden

  Dix choked back the retort burning in his throat. He'd learned from experience not to give Belial more ammunition. "Right, you think they're important. Got that. You forget, I learned some valuable lessons from you and Lilith. I don't give a shit about any of these people. If it gets too hot, I'll walk away. Otherwise, I stay as long as things work the way I want." He forced his shoulder to lift in a half-shrug. "In fact, I considered just getting on my bike and riding away a couple days ago, and decided to wait and see what I can get from the girl first. But I got the good stuff already. Have fun, fucker. I'm out."

  The demon face contorted with rage and a growl vibrated through the air. "I warned you, don't try to play me, boy. I invented the game."

  Dix grinned, ready to push the advantage of knowing he'd angered the demon. "Okay, you might have invented the game. Just means you're old as fuck. Does not mean the game can't be improved on. But don't worry. I'm not playing. Just telling you the truth." The air refused to leave his lungs, hanging tight in dread. If Belial figured it out, he was sunk. He needed to keep the fucker talking, gain information. "Just out of curiosity, your Sanctuary thing ever get going? Sweet little Sophie was really looking forward to that shit."

  Once more, anger twisted Belial's face. "Thanks to you, it's taken until now to get it moving. But Lilith and the others are preparing it as we speak."

  Dix's pulse quickened with triumph. "Cool. I'm glad. I bet Timmy is having a blast. Tell him hey for me when you see him." He turned as if to walk away.

  The savage snarl probably saved his life. He dropped to the ground in time to avoid the impact of Belial's demonic body. The creature landed off balance, skidded and wheeled back to face him.

  Rather than spring again, it faded away.

  A rough hand shook him, bringing him back to the physical world. What the fuck? Dix looked around, grateful to find the familiar surroundings of the clubhouse once more.

  Kellen stood over him. "You okay, kid? Where the hell were you?"

  Dix sighed in relief. "In a meeting with a demon in Hell."

  Beyond Kellen, Crank crossed himself and muttered something about God. Fabio dropped to sit in the chair across from Dix. "Man, I think you better tell us about this little meeting."

  First, he needed to deal with something else. "Crank, you crossed yourself. Catholic?"

  Crank glanced at the others and shrugged. "Not for a few years, but it's a habit."

  "You know any priests?"

  "Well, sure, but—"

  "We need one. Belial, the leader of that Satanist thing, knows about the Hell Raiders. We can't do anything until everyone is protected from him. He can reach out and touch someone from the safety of his jail cell, make them do things they would never consider."

  Kellen seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded to Crank. "Do it. No harm in taking the precaution." Crank left, already on his phone, and Kellen frowned at Dix. "What next?"

  Dix wondered that himself. What was the best way to get Georgie out and safe and still keep the Raiders safe from Belial? There had to be a way to protect everyone he loved. He tried to put it all into some logical order. The first step had to keep Belial from gaining more information than he already had.

  He would rather do just about anything other than what lay ahead, but saw no other choice. Mind made up, he nodded. "I need a few things. Until I give the go ahead, no one should make any new plans."

  Kellen's mouth twisted a little, as if the thought of someone else taking the lead irked him. Then he seemed to reach some decision and his face cleared. "Okay. You're the expert on this shit. What do you need?"

  Thrust back in time by memory, Dix named off the supplies he would need, the same things he had used to cleanse himself of the leftover influence from Belial and the others. After the trial and sentencing, horrible nightmares plagued him every night, and he knew exactly where they originated.

  His first instinct had been to hide his past, no matter the cost to his sanity. Most people refused to believe anything like Belial existed in the real world. Most people. Lucky for Dix, he stumbled across a few who not only believed, but knew beyond a shadow of doubt. They agreed to help him, teach him to protect himself. Slowly, he learned to shut Belial out of his head, out of his heart, and bring an end to the torment.

  Dix had put those old skills out of mind, roughly three years back, expecting to never have need of them again. Too late he realized the error. Had he kept the abilities sharp, Strafer might not have ever found him for Belial and Georgie might still be safe. It wasn't a mistake he intended to make again.

  "Dix? You hear me?" Fabio leaned forward and slapped Dix's knee.

  Pulled from his thoughts, Dix nodded. "Sorry, man. Trying to figure out what to do first."

  Fabio raised a brow. "I heard that." The big ex-Marine sat with his elbows on his knees and looked up, as if checking the whereabouts of the other Hell Raiders. "Look, man. I… uh…" He sat back and ran his palms along the thighs of his jeans, then leaned forward again. "A few years ago, I'd have been the first to think you were crazy or something, but I learned that kind of shit is real. I know a little about it, so if there's anything I can do, just holler." The faraway look in his eyes promised he did indeed know about real evil.

  "Thanks, man, I appreciate that."

  Fabio rose and lifted a hand in a mock salute. "Later."

  "Hey, Fabio?"

  "Yeah?"

  "I'm sorry you know about it. No one should have to."

  "Yeah." The polished wood floor echoed with Fabio's long strides as he headed for the front door.

  Dix spared a moment to wonder if Fabio's legendary past had anything to do with how he'd come to know evil. Everyone in the club, including hang-arounds and the girls who came to party, knew there were times when Fabio was best avoided. Lost in the depths of whatever haunted him, he could kill a man as easily as he could take a piss. Yeah, all considered, whatever evil he knew probably caused the volatile moods.

  Dix let his head drop back against the chair. He would have to get up soon, and find a place to do what had to be done. As soon as they brought everything he needed, he had to get it over with so he could get on with finding Georgie. Time passed without his noticing, and he watched the Hell Raiders move through the room on their various tasks as if from a distance.

  Eventually, Crank returned, and took the chair Fabio had vacated. "Hey, kid. I found a priest."

  Fully alert, Dix raised his head. "Is he here?"

  "On the way. I called in a big favor to get him out here. He was a little reluctant, some malarkey about the Church not acknowledging cases of possession anymore. I promised that wasn't what this was about. I hope I didn't lie to a priest." Crank leaned back and took a cigarette from the pack rolled in the sleeve of his t-shirt, and lit it with an old Zippo.

  "You didn't. This is not about possession."

  Crank exhaled a cloud of blue smoke and rested one foot on his knee. "So what is it about? I know you said Satanists, and that's what I told the Father. But for some reason, I get the feeling there's more to it."

  Dix nodded and counted five breaths. "Satanists… Most aren't that different from Christians. They have their beliefs and their rituals, and that's about it. Belial is different. He has very real abilities, things that normally only happen on TV."

  Another cloud of smoke. "Like?"

  "Like he can take the physical form of the demon he's named after. And other things, like take little trips into the minds of others to gather information, create nightmares, and I'm sure he never revealed all he could do. He's probably developed other abilities by now." Listening to himself, Dix had to admit, it sounded crazy as fuck. He wished it was.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The one who called himself Abaddon stepped into the room. "Hey, Verin, take her to the bathroom, then bring her in the kitchen. Breakfast time."

  Timmy stood and pocketed his game again. "Okay." He refused to meet her eye when he reached down and grabbed her arm to lift
her to her feet. "Come on."

  Pain shot through her hip as she straightened, causing her to wince and pull back a little. "Please, I need a minute. My leg hurts really bad."

  Timmy allowed her stand still a moment and convince her leg to work. "We have to hurry. Lilith doesn't like when we're late to eat." He tugged at her arm again, only slightly more gentle than before.

  Georgie had bigger worries. If her leg or hip was actually injured, not just extremely sore from the bruises and then sitting for so long, she was screwed. Healthy, she might have a chance of getting away, but otherwise, that slim hope withered to zero.

  Timmy pulled on her arm, a bit more insistent, and she followed with a painful limp. After a few steps, the pain started to retreat as the movement loosened everything. Still, Georgie maintained the limp, even exaggerated it. If they thought her incapacitated, they might not be so wary of her.

  "Come on, we have to hurry more." He led her through a narrow passage and opened an exterior door. "The real bathroom don't work. We have to use the outhouse." He snickered a little. "Naberius is mad about it."

  Georgie followed, still limping heavily, out the door and across an overgrown yard. A clear dawn waited just beyond the horizon, the faint glow providing scant light. Dew quickly soaked her jeans from the ankles down. Her captors had at least taken the time to cut down the weeds for a narrow path. Otherwise, the waist high grass would have drenched her in the first two steps.

  About twenty yards out, a tiny ramshackle structure waited. Timmy opened the door. "There's a flashlight on a string. Turn it on and you'll be able to see."

  As soon as she clicked on the dim light, the door swung shut. Her skin might be crawling in disgust, but she still had to piss. Besides, she needed the chance to check the bruises on her legs. Biting her lip to keep from groaning aloud, Georgie shoved her jeans down, gingerly took care of business and somehow managed to avoid touching the rough board seat.

  Turning to take advantage of the light as much as possible, she inspected her hip and thigh. Lurid bruises marked her skin and a swollen lump throbbed on the point of her hipbone. The deep ache warned she would be lucky if there was no permanent damage.

  Timmy knocked on the door. "Hurry. We have to go."

  Shit. Georgie pulled her jeans up, trying to be careful of the bruises. Following him back to the house, she exaggerated her limp even more, giving herself a little more time to look around.

  In the few moments she'd been in the outhouse, the sky had brightened considerably, giving her much better visibility. At a slight distance to her left, what looked like a rundown barn hulked over everything else, and beyond that, the land stretched flat into the distance, disappearing in the faint light. Before she could get a better look at anything, Timmy took her arm and led her back to the house.

  The kitchen looked surprisingly clean, given the condition of the other room, even if it was primitive by modern standards. A gas grill stood just outside the door on a porch that might have been screened at some point in the past. A big ice chest sat on the floor next to neatly labeled plastic totes. All the dirt and debris had been cleaned up, and a plastic sheet draped part of the room presumably beyond help. One of those vinyl table cloths covered a long table surrounded by mismatched chairs.

  Lilith sat at one end, and the new guy, Abaddon, sat at the other. Naberius and the other guy sat on one side, and a pair of empty chairs waited opposite them. Timmy led Georgie to the table, and indicated she should sit.

  Her stomach picked that moment to spasm with hunger, convincing her to sit even though she would have preferred to refuse their hospitality. The logical side of her brain reminded her she would need every advantage, every ounce of strength, to get away. That made her feel a little better about eating with them.

  She sat, careful to avoid eye contact with Abaddon. Not that he would care, but she didn't want to do anything to encourage him to make more remarks like the ones earlier that seemed to piss Lilith off. Besides, she could do without him paying attention to how she looked anyway.

  Timmy took his seat at her side, and Lilith began to speak. At first, Georgie thought the beating she took might have messed up her hearing, but after a few words, she realized it was the words that were fucked up. The woman used a reverent tone, like a prayer, but the acts she mentioned hardly seemed like things anyone would give thanks for.

  Finished with her little speech, Lilith passed bowls around the table. Scrambled eggs, fruit, sausage, and other foods made the rounds, each person serving themselves. Revulsion made her hands shake, but Georgie loaded her plate up, and fully intended to eat every bite. Strength and energy.

  The others waited, even after Lilith started eating. Georgie looked around, unsure what the issue could be, but she wasn't waiting for anyone. She took a bite of her eggs.

  Every eye at the table drilled into her. "We wait until Lilith gives permission." Timmy didn't bother to keep his voice down.

  Georgie shrugged and chewed, then took another bite. "Good thing I'm not in your little club, then, isn't it?" She almost hoped Lilith would object. Starting a fight would feel better than this sort of limbo state.

  Lilith glared at her for a moment, then lifted one hand. The men immediately raised their forks and started to eat. "It is a good thing, since I would have killed you for breaking the rules just now."

  Despite the chills running down her spine, Georgie smiled and took a bite of her sausage. "This is pretty good. You cook it yourself?" She paused as if waiting for a reply. "Well, if being… well, whatever this is, doesn't work out, we can always use good cooks at the Rattlesnake."

  The other woman's face flushed, but she still refused to take the bait. "Abaddon, is everything on schedule with Belial?"

  "It is. He's being transferred this afternoon. Our team is already in place to intercept. He'll be headed this way by dark." He grinned and directed a wink toward Georgie. "Plenty of time for you to get reacquainted before he meets her."

  Lilith's mug slammed onto the table. "Abaddon, why do you insist on trying to start trouble? I told you before, it's just a vessel. Nothing else matters."

  The beautiful man rested one elbow on the table. "Sweet little Georgie, how would you feel about Dix fucking another woman, even if it was just his body doing it, not him?"

  Oh, hell. Georgie didn't know whether to be more afraid of the implication, or of being pitted directly against Lilith that way. She should probably make an ally of the other woman. The only problem was, how the hell could she do that? "I wouldn't be very happy about it, I don't think, but if it's not his intent, I think I'd see it a little differently."

  Lilith shot a glance in her direction. "This stops now. Abaddon, when you finish eating, you can go with Naberius and start preparing the ritual area. Belial wants a good bonfire and the ground needs to be cleared more. No stones or sticks in the way. And the altar slab must be cleansed. Strafer, you will go to town and secure the rest of the supplies we need for when the others arrive. Timmy, you will start collecting firewood and making sure everything else is ready."

  Silent, the men nodded, and ate their food without another word from Abaddon. Georgie had to admit, she didn't mind the quiet, but she needed information. "Can I help with something? I'd rather not sit in there in the floor all the time. I'm used to working. I can do dishes maybe, or sweep?"

  Lilith looked her way again. "I don't think so."

  "Please? I won't make trouble. I just can't sit still for long periods. Too much restless energy, I guess." Now that the possibility existed in her mind, she wanted it with shocking desperation. The prospect of just sitting and awaiting whatever cruelty fate had in store for her made her stomach roll threateningly.

  A nasty smile curved the other woman's mouth. "Why should I make this easier for you?"

  Why indeed. In her position, Georgie probably wouldn't want to do anything to help her either. "I don't know. I probably wouldn't if I were you."

  The reply seemed to surprise Lilith. She wa
tched Georgie for a full minute before saying anything more. "Then why would you ask? I don't get it."

  Again, Georgie was at a loss for an answer. She sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to start trouble or anything like that. I just have a problem with sitting still. I'm asking you to be a decent human being and not make me do that."

  "What makes you think I would want to be a decent human being?"

  Georgie laughed aloud at the question. "Well, I don't know. Why wouldn't you want to be? And if you don't want to, then think of as making you captive work for you. Condemned person building their own gallows or some shit like that."

  Lilith actually nodded. "I can see the irony in that. I like it. Okay. You can start by washing the dishes. You'll have to carry water from the well and heat it on the grill."

  The sense of relief nearly brought tears to her eyes. Whether it was the sense of having some sort of ally, or just the prospect of being able to look around for weapons or a way out, Georgie didn't bother to examine it too closely. "Okay."

  The rest of the meal passed with no conversation. Accustomed to the hubbub of the Rattlesnake, the quiet seemed creepy to Georgie. Who ate like that, without saying a word? Prisoners maybe. Not ordinary people.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sitting there in the living room after telling Kellen and the others about his vision or dream or what the hell ever it was, Dix couldn't prevent the paranoia that swept over him. If he were any of the Hell Raiders, the last man he would want beside him as a brother would be a rat who'd been in a cult. They might be on the fringes of society, but motorcycle clubs were pretty conservative in many ways.