Satan’s Fury MC - Memphis

by Wilder, L.

  The bitter wind howled through the trees, biting at my flesh as I headed towards the back gate. I wanted nothing more than to go back to the cabin and sit by the fire, but it would be hours before that happened. As I tromped through the heavy snow with my teeth chattering and my bones aching, I found it hard to believe that I ever enjoyed a single moment of winter, but when I was a kid, I loved the snow. Hell, I couldn’t get enough of it. There was nothing better than putting on a pair of my old man’s coveralls and heading out into the blistering cold with the kids from my neighborhood. We’d spend the entire day building forts and having snowball fights with our buddies. We wouldn’t head home until our clothes were soaked through and our fingers and toes were completely numb. But now, I was over it, and I was thankful that I’d finally made it to my post. We’d made two enclosures on either end of the property that were similar to deer stands. Each of them gave us a clear view of the grounds while protecting us from the elements. As soon as I’d climbed inside, I reached for the binoculars and started searching the woods for any sign of intruders. I’d been sitting there for over an hour with not so much as a critter climbing a tree when I heard Crow’s voice on the radio saying, “Guys … I think we’ve got company.”

  My stomach twisted into an anxious knot as I responded, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “I’m out here on the west bank of the creek, and there’s a UTV parked back here in the woods.” Everything came to a screeching halt as I listened to the sounds of his feet crunching through the snow. Seconds later, he told us, “And the engine’s still warm. Whoever is out here …”

  His voice had suddenly trailed off, and my blood ran cold when I heard a faint gurgling sound in the background. I had been coming down from my post when I heard Riggs shout, “Crow … Crow! You there, brother?”

  I already knew the answer. Whoever was out there had already ended him, and if I didn’t move fast, there would be more death to follow. I was racing towards the house when I heard T-Bone’s voice on the radio. “Murphy’s Law.”

  Since there was a chance that Crow’s radio had been compromised, we all changed our frequencies, which made it more difficult for the invaders to monitor our conversations. It was a plan I’d implemented for this very reason. Once we were all on the same channel, Riggs ordered, “Everyone to your posts!”

  My adrenaline was pumping at max speed as I rushed towards the house. Once I’d gotten inside, I met Gunner at the living room closet, and we started collecting the M249s and the extra ammo. We were both busy pulling everything out when Riggs had come up behind us. “Do you think it’s them?”

  “Got no idea,” I answered.

  His voice was filled with panic as he asked, “How in the hell did they find us?”

  “No way of knowing.” I tried to remain calm as I continued, “You gotta remember who we’re dealing with here, brother. If Navarro hired someone to take us out, he’d hire the best. Someone who knows how to watch for our mistakes. One fuck up is all it would take.”

  “We were careful! We played everything by the book!”

  Knowing we were wasting time, I ordered, “Keep one of these for yourself and give the other to T-bone. He may need something with a little more punch. He’s out on the front porch.”

  Before he walked out, Riggs asked, “Where’s Rider?”

  “Out back.”

  “Reece and Tate are upstairs in the closet.”

  “Good.” With a stern voice I told him, “I know you’re worried and I get that, but brother, we’ve prepared for this. We’ve got to stick to the plan. It’s the only way we’re going to get out of this alive.”

  He nodded and headed out the front door. From there, things had gotten interesting. Riggs had only been gone for several seconds when there was a commotion outside and shots were fired. It was clear to see that whoever was out there was getting closer. I didn’t realize how close until Riggs came busting through the front door and announced that T-Bone had been shot. As things started to escalate, we all knew time wasn’t on our side, which made each of us a little rattled. Once we’d tended to T-Bone’s wounds, I sent Riggs upstairs to guard Reece and Tate. After he was gone and in position, I grabbed two rifles and headed for the roof. One way or another, I was going to find the asshole who’d just put a bullet in my brother. He had to be dealt with before another one of us was taken out.

  I crawled out of one of the upstairs’ windows and carefully stepped out onto the snow- and ice-covered roof. After taking several treacherous steps, I spotted Crow’s body sprawled out in the snow. He was planted face down with blood pooling around his neck and chest, leaving no doubt that he was dead. Anger surged through me as I scanned the woods, searching for the man who’d killed one of our most promising prospects, but my view was obstructed by the low-lying branches that were weighted down with snow. I eased forward and adjusted my footing in the snow and then lifted my rifle. As soon as I looked through the scope, I saw a slight movement coming from the west side of the creek. I zoned in on the area, and just as I noticed a branch start to quiver, the gunman stepped out into the open and started shooting several rounds towards the rear of the house. He was aiming for Gunner and hadn’t noticed that I was on the roof. Taking the opportunity, I aimed for his head and quickly took the shot.

  A sense of satisfaction washed over me as I watched the motherfucker’s lifeless body drop to the ground. I was checking to see if there was anyone with him when Riggs’s voice came over the radio. “What’s happening out there?”

  After one last look around, I answered, “I just got him.”

  “You sure?” he asked sounding hopeful.

  “He’s got a bullet between his eyes, so yeah, I’m sure.” I was just about to tell him that we still needed to stay vigilant until the grounds were checked when the radio clicked over, letting me know that he was no longer listening. I cursed under my breath as I radioed over to Gunner, “We need to do another perimeter check before we head inside.”

  “You got it, brother. Jed’s just showed up to give us a hand. I’ll take him along with me.”

  “Good.” Remembering our fallen prospect, I ordered, “Rider … tend to Crow. Don’t want him left out there alone.”

  “I’m on it.”

  I turned and started back towards the window, and just as I was stepping inside, I heard several rounds of gunfire followed by the shatter of glass coming from beneath me. My blood ran cold when I realized there was a second shooter, and he’d made his way into the house. Fuck. Horrified that either Riggs or Reece might’ve been hurt, I hurried through the window and raced down the stairs. I was almost to the second floor when I heard more shots being fired. Panicked, I continued towards Riggs’ room, and just as I was about to come up on his door, I ran into Gunner. It was clear from his expression that he was just as worried as I was. “Any word from Riggs?”

  “Nothing.”

  I eased over to his door and listened for any sounds coming from the other side. All I could hear was silence, so I took a step back and kicked the door down. Gunner and I charged into the room but stopped dead in our tracks when we found Riggs on the floor. A man dressed in all black was lying next to him with a bullet wound in his head. I wasn’t sure how it had all played out, but Riggs had managed to kill the second shooter on his own. As soon as we realized the second shooter had been taken out, we quickly turned our attention to Riggs. He’d been shot numerous times, and it was clear from all the fucking blood that he was in pretty bad shape. I said a silent prayer as I knelt down beside him and placed my hand on his arm. “It’s gonna be all right, brother. Just stay here with me.”

  Gunner walked up next to us and asked, “How the hell did he get up here without us seeing him?”

  “He must’ve crawled up the side of the balcony. I should’ve known something was up when I noticed the light was out.”

  “Not on you, brother,” Riggs tried to comfort me. His voice was weak as he continued, “I should’ve been watching f
or him.”

  My chest tightened when Riggs closed his eyes and groaned. Unable to hold back any longer, Reece tapped on the closet door and asked, “Murphy? Is that you?”

  “Yeah. It’s me.” I motioned over to Gunner, giving him the okay to open the door. I heard Reece gasp as soon as she saw Riggs, and when I turned to look at her, she was as white as a ghost. Fearing she’d pass out, I told her, “You’re gonna have to keep it together, Reece. I know this looks bad, but Riggs needs you to be strong right now. You got me?”

  She nodded and lowered herself down on the floor next to Riggs. As she wiped the tears from her eyes, she whispered, “I need you to stay with me, Jackson. Do you hear me? You can’t leave me.”

  He tried to reach for her, but simply didn’t have the strength. “I’m right here, beautiful … I’m right here.”

  There was no denying that they both loved one another. Hell, you could almost feel it whenever you were in the room with them. I’d accepted the fact that a love like theirs wasn’t in the cards for me, but that didn’t stop me from feeling a little envious from time to time. At that moment, though, jealousy was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I felt nothing but remorse for them both. I sat there silently and listened to them whisper back and forth, telling each other those little things that needed to be said in this difficult situation, and as much as I knew they needed this time together, time wasn’t on our side. We were out in the middle of fucking nowhere with very few medical supplies and no fucking doctor, and if we didn’t tend to Riggs’s wounds, we were going to lose him. Reece had been pleading with him to hang on when Jed came barreling through the door. “Just did another check. No one in sight. You boys got ’em all.”

  “Thanks, Jed.” I looked behind him and asked, “Rider with you?”

  “He’s still taking care of your boy, Crow. Sure am sorry you lost him like that.” Then he stepped towards Riggs and said, “Looks like we might lose him, too, if we don’t get moving quick. We need to get him downstairs, now, before he loses any more blood.”

  We all gathered around him, and as we lifted him up, Riggs said to Reece, “Tell Tate about me … tell him how much I loved him.”

  Reece didn’t like that one bit, and she let him know it as we carried him downstairs. Jed motioned us towards the kitchen, and once he’d swiped everything onto the floor, we lay Riggs down on the kitchen table. As Jed started to survey his wounds, he said, “He’s losing a lot of blood. I need one of you to run and get Sue Ellen. He’s gonna need a blood transfusion, and since I don’t know his blood type, we’re gonna need Sue.”

  “Why do we need her?”

  “She’s O+ blood type, so she’s compatible with anyone. Blood transfusions are usually done with packed red blood cells and not whole blood, but this is our best option.”

  “How the hell do you know all that?”

  “I’ll explain later. For now, we need Sue.”

  “I’m on it,” Gunner told him as he rushed for the door.

  Before he ran out, Jed shouted, “Tell her to grab my medical bag out of the closet.”

  Just as the door closed, T-Bone came shuffling into the kitchen. He was still holding the blood-soaked towel to his chest as he looked over to Riggs. “What the fuck?”

  “Riggs was shot.”

  “Yeah. I can see that, Murph.” He stepped towards him as he said, “He looks like he’s barely hanging on.”

  “That’s because he is.”

  “Then, what the fuck are we gonna do about it? We can’t just let him lie here and die.”

  Reece gave him a scolding look, then whispered, “Jed is going to help him.”

  “Jed? How the fuck is Jed gonna help him?”

  “T-Bone,” I warned.

  “I was a medic in the Army,” Jed informed him.

  “And that was how long ago?” T-Bone snapped.

  “I’ll admit … it’s been awhile, but there are some things a man doesn’t forget, T-Bone. And I’m not completely out of practice. The nearest hospital is two hours away, so people around these parts come to me when they need a doctor. Since I’ve retired, I’ve delivered more babies than I can count, set broken bones and stitched up wounds. That doesn’t even count the cattle I’ve tended to.”

  I looked over at Riggs lying on the table. Reece was whispering to him, but I found it doubtful that he was actually hearing anything she said. I understood T-Bone’s concerns. Our brother looked like he was hanging on by a thread, and I found myself saying, “This is bit more serious than setting a broken bone or delivering a baby, Jed.”

  “Maybe so, but trust me when I say, I’ve dealt with worse under harsher conditions.” A confident smile spread across his face, “Besides, I’ve always liked a challenge.”

  It wasn’t like we had any other option, so I asked, “What do you need me to do?”

  “Put some water on to boil and grab me some towels.”

  “And me? How can I help?” T-Bone offered.

  “Go back and lay down. I’ll tend to your wound as soon as I finish with Riggs.”

  T-Bone hesitated, but eventually nodded and headed back into the living room. I gathered up some towels and put on some water to boil while Jed removed Riggs’s clothes. He was completely out of it as Jed checked his pulse once more. I could hear the concern in his voice when Jed looked over to me and said, “We’re losing him.”

  He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Gunner returned with Jed’s wife, Sue Ellen. She was calm and steady as she walked over with Jed’s medical bag and said, “Where do you need me?”

  “Pull up a chair and sit down.” Jed started riffling through his bag, and as he pulled out an IV kit and other supplies, he told her, “We’re running out of time, so we need to move fast.”

  To my relief, Jed was right when he said that there were some things a man never forgets. As soon as he inserted the IV line into Sue Ellen’s arm, his entire demeanor changed. His every move was precise, like it was something he’d done a thousand times before. In no time, he’d completed the first transfusion and was preparing to remove the bullets from his shoulder and abdomen. I was in complete awe as I watched him shift from one wound to the next, taking every precaution to ensure that he’d done everything he could to repair the damage the bullets had caused. There were several touch and go moments, especially when Jed had removed the bullets from Riggs’s abdomen. Jed informed us that none of his major organs were hit, but his blood loss was significant and Jed worried that Sue Ellen’s donation wouldn’t be enough. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only thing he was concerned about.

  The kitchen wasn’t exactly sterile, so the strong possibility of infection setting in was a huge concern. We’d have to monitor him closely until Mack, the club’s doctor, arrived with the antibiotics. Once Jed had done everything he could for Riggs, he gave us the okay to move him into one of the bedrooms while he tended to T-Bone’s wound. By sunrise, we’d cleaned up the mess, and the pandemonium of the night had turned into an eerie calm. We were all gathered in the living room, trying to make sense of everything that had happened, when my burner started ringing. I looked down at the screen and saw that it was Gus. As soon as I answered, he said, “How’s it going over there?”

  “Things are starting to settle down … at least for the moment.”

  “Riggs?”

  “Jed did everything he could, but Prez … he don’t look good. What if he doesn’t have the strength to pull through this?”

  “You gotta remember, Riggs has a lot to live for. No way he’s gonna give up without a hell of a fight,” he assured me. “Just give him some time.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I am. You’ll see.” He paused for a moment, then said, “I know you boys went through a lot last night, but we need to think about our next move. Your location has been compromised, and whether we like it or not, it’s only a matter of time before he sends someone else to finish the job his hired men started.”

  He was ri
ght. Reece and Tate’s lives were still in danger, and they would have to be moved to a safer location. I just had no idea where. “What are you thinking we should do?”

  “I’ve already spoken with Cotton. He’s expecting us to be in Washington with Reece and Tate by late tomorrow night.”

  “And what about Riggs? He’s in no condition to travel, especially not a run like that. From the looks of him, it’ll be a while before we can move him.”

  “I already thought of that. Shadow and Blaze will stay behind with Mack to keep an eye on things.”

  “You know … Reece won’t be happy about leaving him. When we tell her, she’s liable to pitch one hell of a fit, and if Riggs was able, he’d probably do the same.”

  “I’m sure she won’t be happy about it, but she doesn’t have a choice. I told Riggs that we’d keep her and their son safe, and I plan on doing everything in my power to keep my word—no matter what the cost.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Riley

  Helping my father raise and breed horses was my greatest joy. From the time I could walk, I spent every waking moment out at the stables—not only because I was crazy about the horses, but because my father was there. I loved my father dearly, but seeing the way he handled the horses, how he cared for them and talked to them like they actually understood what he was saying, made me love him even more. I also loved the fact that he was sharing the splendor of these beautiful creatures with me. There were so many wonderful things about breeding horses, but nothing tickled me more than a pregnant mare. Nothing compared to the hope and excitement that came after seeing a fetus on an ultrasound. I would spend months anticipating the delivery, and when the moment finally came, my heart would nearly leap out of my chest when I saw the new foal stand and nurse for the first time. It was one of nature’s greatest gifts, and almost as rewarding as the smile it brought to my father’s face.

  While our life on the farm had its advantages, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. It took a great deal of hard work—lots of blood, sweat, and tears—to keep a farm like ours going. The day was never truly done, and when things didn’t go as planned, they could be both emotionally and financially crippling. Like all horse breeders, we’d encountered many misfortunes over the years, but some more tragic than others. We’d dealt with countless failed in vitros, many difficult, life-threatening pregnancies, and stillborns. Each time they were hard to accept, but we always found a way to move forward. Unfortunately, the same didn’t hold true when we lost my mother. I was nineteen and in the middle of my first year of college when we got the news that Mom had stage-three breast cancer. I was devastated by the thought of losing her. Not only was she beautiful, she was kindhearted and always put everyone else’s needs before her own. Mom loved each of us without question or condition, making us all love her even more. Hunter, my older brother, and I adored her, and my father worshipped her. When she’d started to get worse, I decided to move back home. I wanted to spend every second possible with her and had even made plans to put school on hold so I’d there if she needed me, but she was totally against it. She’d wanted me to graduate on time, so I continued taking my classes, commuting back and forth each day. It wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it to have that extra time with her. As time went on and Mom’s health had worsened, my father was determined to save her, and over the next three years, he’d take her to see every specialist he could find. They’d tried every treatment known to man, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough. The cancer had won out, and we were all heartbroken, especially my father.