by Wilder, L.
“Yeah. You’ll make another right couple of blocks down, and then the house is on the left.”
“Well, how about that. I actually remembered,” I replied proudly.
“Um-hmm. Sure ya did.”
It was odd how the different the area seemed at night. All the gang graffiti painted on the different businesses and homes and the various people lurking at every corner gave me an uneasy feeling. That troubled feeling only grew stronger as I continued towards Jack’s house. With only a few random street lights, his neighborhood seem so dark and dreary, like something you might see in a movie, and while it wasn’t so bad with him in the car with him, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of driving home alone. Feeling a little apprehensive, I pulled up in his driveway and parked. After he gathered his things, he looked over to me and asked, “You gonna be okay getting out of here?”
“I think so,” I answered hesitantly. “I have my GPS if I happen to get lost.”
“Don’t get lost. One wrong turn and you’ll find yourself in some real trouble,” he warned. “Use your GPS and use the shortest route to get home.”
“Okay. I will. Don’t worry.”
“I am worried.” His voice was filled with concern. “I don’t like you driving alone out here, especially at night. I should’ve never asked you…”
“Jack, stop. It’s fine.” I hated that he felt bad. It wasn’t his fault that he had car trouble and didn’t have a way to work. I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder as I tried to assure him, “I’ll be fine. I’ll even text you when I get home. How about that?”
“That would make me feel much better.”
“Well, consider it done.”
As he reached for door, he said, “My car should be ready tomorrow afternoon, so you don’t have to worry about coming to get me on Thursday.”
“Okay.” He got out of the car, and before he closed the door, I shouted, “You and Tony have fun tomorrow.”
“We’ll gonna try!”
After he closed the door, I waited for him to unlock the door and step inside the house, then I put the car in reverse and slowly started to back out of the driveway. I was just about to pull out onto the road when I noticed a car slowing down in front of a house with a crowd of people standing in the front yard. It looked like they were about to park when suddenly two arms extended from the windows and even in the dark, I could tell they had guns in their hands. My heart started pounding in my chest as I watched the bursts of light exploded from the barrel of their guns. Horror washed over me as I listened to the gun fire and terrified screams echoing in the darkness. I sat there completely stunned as I watched the car sped off, leaving death in its wake.
“Oh, god. Oh, god,” I muttered to myself, over and over again.
I simply couldn’t wrap my head around what I’d seen. I simply couldn’t comprehend it. I’d never experienced anything close to something like this and didn’t know what to think or do. I was still parked in his driveway when Jack and his boyfriend, Tony came rushing out their front door. When Jack noticed that I was still parked in his driveway, he came rushing towards me. Before he could reach me, I started backing out of the driveway.
“Alyssa! Wait,” he shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”
Ignoring him, I whipped my car out onto the road and raced in the direction the car had gone. I knew it was an absolutely crazy idea. I knew I was putting myself in danger, but I had to do something. I could hear my phone ringing in my purse, but I ignored it. I knew it was Jack calling. He had to be worried sick, but I didn’t have the time to talk to him. I had to try and get a better look at the men in the car. If I could just get the make of the car or the license plate number, I could tell the police what I’d seen.
As I drove by the house that had been hit, I spotted three men sprawled out on the ground. It was difficult to see their faces, but there was no missing the blood that soaked their clothes. I didn’t even notice the color of the house or the cars in the driveway. My sole focus was on the three bodies that laid sprawled out in the tall grass. There was no mistaking the fact that they were all dead as I watched their family members hover over them, crying hysterically as they pleaded with the heavens to heal their wounded loved ones. It was something that I might’ve seen in the movies, but I never would’ve expected to see it in real life. I had to do something, anything that might help these people in some way.
I was on the verge of tears as I continued forward, hoping to catch up to the shooters before they disappeared into the night. I never took my eyes off the car as I reached down into the floorboard and grabbed my purse. I needed to get my phone so I could call the police, but as I dug into my purse, I couldn’t seem to find my phone. I was still fiddling through my purse when I spotted them just a few blocks ahead of me. Adrenaline surged through me as I quickly slowed down and waited for an opportunity to inch closer.
Not wanting to take a chance on them seeing me, I kept my distance, doing my best to act like I wasn’t actually following them. When they turned down a deserted street, I waited a couple of moments before following behind. I’d just managed to find my phone when I spotted the car slowing down. Thinking they’d arrived at their destination, I turned off my headlights and waited as they came to a complete stop a few yards ahead. I took my phone and was just starting to dial 911 when the car doors opened, and the men started to get out. My hands were trembling as I pressed the first two numbers, and just as I was about to press the final number, something about the men in front of me caught my attention. I stopped and leaned forward as I tried to get a better look, and that’s when I noticed something oddly familiar about one of the men.
I couldn’t figure out what it was about him as the men grabbed a jug of gasoline from the trunk and poured it over the car. It wasn’t until they lit the car on fire and the glow of the blaze revealed their faces that I realized I was looking at my brother—and not only him, but Beckett, Shadow, and Murphy. I dropped my phone in my lap as the realization hit me that they were the ones responsible for killing those men. They done it all. It wasn’t something I wanted to believe. Both Clay and Beckett meant so much to me, and it made my blood run cold to even think that they could do something so malicious. I wanted to convince myself that I was wrong, that I’d made some terrible mistake, but it was impossible. I’d seen it all with my very own eyes.
As soon as the car was engulfed in flames, they rushed over to a different car that was parked directly across the street. Seconds later, they were all inside and hauling down the street. I, on the other hand, couldn’t move. I was too shocked and completely dismayed to even move. It was like everything was in slow motions as thought back to the moment I saw their car creeping down the street, the shock I felt when I saw their hands extend from the windows, and as I sat there, I could almost smell the scent of burning gunpowder. I tried to shake the thought from my head, but I couldn’t. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about the gut-wrenching sounds of the screams and the gunfire exploding around me. Tears streamed down my face as I remembered the blood seeping from the men’s wounds and how pitiful their loved looked as they wept over the bodies. It was all so surreal, and I couldn’t imagine how Clay or Beckett could do something so terrible. It just didn’t make any sense.
I have no idea how long I sat there on that abandoned road, crying as I watched the flames engulfed the car. Hell, I probably would’ve still be sitting there if I hadn’t heard the police sirens roaring in the distance. The last thing I wanted was to be pulled into the craziness that had unfolded before me, so I turned on my lights and started driving.
CHAPTER 13
T-Bone
When we got to Desmond’s place, it was just like Riggs had said it would be. He was out in the yard, smoking dope with a couple of the other Genocides, and they had no clue what was about to go down. As we pulled up to the house, I could almost feel the eagerness radiating off my brothers, and rightly so. These assholes had made the mistake of thin
king that could get the best of Satan’s Fury, and we were about to prove them wrong. Murphy looked over to me as he said, “Let’s do this shit.”
Seconds later, Murphy had pulled up to the house. Hyde and I rolled down our windows and extended our weapons, aiming directly at Desmond and the other two members of the Genocides. A wave of satisfaction washed over me when Desmond first noticed us pulling up to the house. His eyes grew wide with surprise as he tried to dart away, but we were too quick for him. Hyde and I started shooting, being careful not to hit any bystanders, and after only a matter of seconds, we’d annihilated them—all three of the men were dead and there wasn’t a single ounce of me that felt bad about the fact. They’d brought it on themselves.
As soon as the deed was done, we sped off and headed to the street where we’d left the second car. Once we’d parked, we got out and torched the car we’d been driving, making sure to erase any evidence that we’d actually been in the vehicle. Even though there would be little left of it, we knew the cops would still be able to use the VIN number and the license plate to trace the car back to the owner, so we left, leaving it completely engulfed in flames as we headed to our second location.
We hadn’t be driving long when Hyde said, “Is it just me, or do y’all with there had been more of those motherfuckers?”
“Not alone there, brother.”
“It pisses me off those motherfuckers got Gus like that.” He grumbled with frustration. “It’s like fuck, man. Don’t be a fucking pussy and go after the man when he’s getting goddamn dinner for his family. Who does that shit?”
“Cowards that do that, Hyde. Fucking cowards.”
“Well, it’s only a matter of time before they see just how big they fucked up.”
“You got that right. These motherfuckers are going down. Each and every one of them,” I growled.
“Damn straight,” Murphy growled.
As we got closer to the location of the second hit I felt a slight twinge of guilt. The club hadn’t had any trouble with the Fallen, but then I remembered that two we were about to kill were far from good guys. Riggs had done his research and had chosen, Chris Carter and Johnny Hobs, two of the Fallen’s worst for us to take down. Carter was a known child sex-offender who’d killed his entire family when a drug deal went bad. Hobs had a thing for getting high and robbing the elderly. He’d kill them in their sleep, then swipe anything valuable in their home. Add in the fact that they’d both kept their neighborhood up in arms with all their fucked-up antics, and I wasn’t feeling the slightest bit guilty as Murphy turned to me and asked, “You ready?”
“Absolutely.”
We drove by the house to make sure the two were actually outside and within range, and when found them both sitting getting blazed, Murphy pulled us back around. As we approached the house, Hyde and I rolled down our windows and prepared to take our shot. The second I had Hobs in my line of sight, I pulled the trigger, sending a round of gunfire in his direction. Hyde did the same with Carter, and once we were certain they had both been taken out, I gave Murphy the signal, letting him know the job had been done.
As we sped down the street, Shadow said, “I’m ready to be done with this shit. Let’s ditch this fucking car and get back to the clubhouse.”
“You got it.”
Murphy drove us over to an isolated street where a prospect was waiting for us in the club’s SUV, and once we’d torched the Mercedes, we were on our way. We hadn’t gotten far before Hyde asked, “How long are we gonna have to wait before we make our move on the Genocides?”
“Shouldn’t be long,” Murphy asked. “You know how things get out, especially with shit like this.”
“I hope so, cause I’m ready to make those asshole rue the day they fucked with Fury.”
“You and me both, brother.”
With everything that was going on, none of us had really talked about the lockdown. I wanted to ask Hyde about Lyssa, but didn’t want to make him suspicious, so I was relieved when Murphy turned to Shadow and asked, “You guys ready for the lockdown?”
“Alex there now. What about Riley? She coming tonight or waiting until morning?”
“Should be there now.” Murphy turned to Hyde as he asked, “What about you? What’s your plan with Landry?”
“She had to work late, but should be the by the time we get back.”
“What about your sister? You gonna have her come down?” Murphy asked.
“I don’t know. She’s got a lot going on with her new job. You really think there’s need in that?”
“It’s your call, but if she was my sister, I would. I’d do whatever I could to keep her out of harm’s way.”
“She isn’t gonna like it.”
“Hell, nobody does, but at least, she’d be safe.”
“You have a point there.” I had no idea if Booker and his boys knew about Alyssa being his sister, so I was pleased when I heard him say, “I’ll go by there tonight and get her.”
It was at that moment that I realized that I needed to talk to Hyde and tell him about the situation with Alyssa. He had a right to know that I was spending time with his sister, but there was too much going on. Between Gus and taking down the Genocides, there were too many distraction. I needed until we both had a clear head, so I kept my mouth shut. When we got back to the clubhouse, Riggs and the others were already back and waiting for us inside.
As soon as we walked into the conference room, they were all sitting around the table talking. The second Riggs noticed us walking in, he asked, “Well?”
“It’s done. Everything went as planned.” I answered. “How did it go with you guys?”
“The same.” Blaze chuckled as he told us, “I gotta tell ya, Gauge showed some real fucking talent painting those gang signs. The man’s got talent.”
“I would go that far, brother,” Gauge argued. “Just doing what needed to be done.”
“Well, he did it, and did it well.” Blaze leaned back in his chair. “We made sure the Fallen’s bar was empty before we torched it, and did the same for Booker’s liquor store. Overall, I’d say we did all right.”
“Great.” Moose stood, and there was no missing the relief in his voice as he said, “You boys did good tonight. Really good.”
Riggs nodded. “Yeah. Every gang in the city is gonna be talking about what went down tonight, and when the cops find those two torched cars, it’ll only be a matter of time before they are looking into the Fallen and the Genocides.”
“And when that happens, we set our sights on taking down the Genocides for good,” Moose added.
“So, what’s the plan there?” Murphy asked. “More drive-bys and bullshit, or are we gonna get a chance to give them a real taste of Fury.”
“Oh, we’re going to give them more than just a taste. We’re gonna draw them into their own warehouse and take them out one by one.”
“And how exactly we’re gonna draw them in?” Shadow asked.
“Still working on that.”
“You said Booker has a security system at the warehouse, right?” I asked.
“Yeah. Pretty damn good one, too.”
“Then, why don’t we use it to our advantage?” I leaned forward as I looked across the table at my brothers. “Booker has to know that’s it only a matter of time before we start putting two and two together. I saw we go on and do the drive-by, and when we’re done there, we head straight to the warehouse. Make it look like we’re just there to poke around and get info. Booker and his crew will come thinking he’s gonna get the jump on us, but in reality, we’ll there waiting to take them down.”
“It could work, but it would be risky—especially for those who are inside,” Murphy replied with concern.
“Not if we play it right.” I looked over to Riggs as I asked, “Have you been able to break into their security system?”
“No, but I will.”
“Well, there’s no point in even trying to figure this shit out until you do.”
“Bo
ne is right,” Moose agreed. “Besides, it’s late. We’ve done all we can tonight. You boys go see about your families, then try to get some rest. We can get back at it first thing in the morning.”
We were all exhausted, so none of us disagreed. As we started to disperse, I noticed Hyde rushing out of the room. He was talking on his burner, so I assumed he was calling Alyssa—or so I hoped. Several of the other brothers followed him out the door, but Moose remained seated at the table. I walked over and sat down next to him. “You heard anything from Samantha?”
“She said the doctor wanted to run some tests tomorrow.”
“What kind of tests?”
“Not exactly sure, but from the way she was talking, I could tell she was worried about it.” Concern filled his eyes as Moose continued, “I’ll go by there in the morning to see if I can find out anything more.”
“Let me know when you’re going, and I’ll go with ya.”
“Sure thing.” He gave me a brotherly pat on the shoulder. “Let’s plan to head over after we meet for church.”
“Sounds good.”
I headed out of the door, and as I started down the hall, Alyssa crossed my mind. Usually by this time of night, I was already at her place. We would’ve had dinner and had been in bed for at least a couple of hours. I hadn’t had a chance to let her know that I was coming, but I hoped to be able to explain when Hyde brought her to the clubhouse. Wanting to make sure that he’d made it over to her place, I took out my phone and sent her a message.
Me: Hey. Have you talked to Hyde?
I waited a few minutes, and when I didn’t get an answer, I messaged her again.
Me: You okay?
When she still didn’t answer, I tried calling her, but got no answer. Worried that something might be wrong, I left my room and started out to the parking lot. I’d just made it out to my bike when I heard Murphy call out to me. “Hey, Bone. Where you headed?”
“I was gonna go check on Alyssa.”
His brows furrowed. “And why’s that?”