Twisted Fate (Fortitude Memories)

by Tracey Jukes

  This compound is huge and derelict. Most rooms are pretty much empty, but you can tell that some are used as what can only be described as torture chambers. There are splatters of blood on the walls and floors and chains attached to the floor. Some rooms hold cages. What the fuck are they in to? I dread to think.

  We hear a commotion down a hallway and see some of our guys dragging a couple of Vipers into a room. Linc decides he wants in on the action, but I grab him around the neck and he starts scrabbling as he can’t breathe. I whisper in his ear.

  “Last warning, Linc. Stay with us and don’t fuck it up.”

  I release him, and he turns on me and takes a swing, but I’m too quick for him and he hits the wall.

  “What the fuck, man! I broke my knuckle.”

  “Deal with it.”

  I push him forward when I notice a door that looks like the others, and there is light streaming underneath it. I signal to Ash and Linc to keep their eyes and ears alert. The others are nowhere to be seen, and there are no Vipers around, so all’s good right now. In fact, it’s too good.

  We stand on either side of the door and there is nothing, not a sound. But then I hear a whimper. It’s faint, but I heard it, and I know it’s Esme. I look to Ash and Linc and they both nod. We count down from three, but I can’t wait, and I storm through the door only to be met by an entourage.

  “Welcome, big brother. Glad you could finally join us. Oh, and your guests, of course.”

  The door slams shut behind us and there are two Vipers now blocking it. In front of me stand Declan and Leo, and my girl is slumped on the floor with Effie holding her.

  The sight of her has my rage boiling. She is black and blue and pretty much naked. I also notice blood on the floor around her. I move toward her, only to be met with the barrel of a gun, so I back off.

  “Why? This is between us, so why involve her?” Pure silence. “Answer me!”

  “You’re right, Taylor. You are the main reason she’s here, and because of you, she won’t be leaving alive.”

  “If you think I’m letting that happen, then you really are stupid.”

  Jenkins doesn’t hesitate in bending down and grabbing hold of Esme’s hair then yanking her head up to show me her face. She’s barely conscious. Her face is black, and that eye is really bad, but I catch a whimper, and it breaks me.

  “Smiler,” she whispers.

  “Take a good hard look, Taylor, because I want you to remember this face when you fall asleep at night. I want this sight to haunt you day and night, knowing there was nothing you could do to stop it.”

  “What the fuck? Man, you are crazy. What happened to your sister was fucked up, but it wasn’t on me or Jack. Let her go. You have what you want… me.”

  “Not that easy, brother. You’ve got to pay for your bad ways.”

  “What the hell does that even mean, Declan?”

  “You know what it means.”

  He really does hate me over our parents’ deaths. The accident was not my fault. “Explain why, little brother, you seem to hold the cards here… along with him.”

  “You really are dumb. Must be all the punches to your head that’s fucked you up, but you never were the clever one, were you, Reid?”

  “Damn you, Dec! Spit it out.” My anger’s peaking, but I can’t lose my shit just yet.

  “The accident will always be your fault. Our parents dying, your fault. Me losing my shit, your fault. See a pattern that’s formed? You were supposed to be at home that night. Instead, you chose partying over me.” I try to speak, but he halts me. “You don’t get to talk. They were taking me to a sitter’s house just so they could have a night together, but we never arrived there.”

  The guilt from that night starts to seep into my body. He’s right. I did choose to go partying and drinking that night, and I feel sick with the realization that I could have prevented all this.

  “I became your responsibility and you didn’t try hard enough. You allowed me to go to juvie.”

  “Jesus Christ, Declan. What was I meant to do, lock you away? No matter what I did, you fucked up. You need to own your shit, man. I’m not being held responsible for that.”

  “Yeah, well, I do blame you. I lost everything that day. I had no one left because of you. So, when I met Jenkins in prison and we made the connection about you, everything else slipped right into place. We had the same goals; to take you down and make you suffer like we did. And I have to say, we’re doing pretty good so far.”

  There’s no way this is going to go their way. I now know my brother’s drive for all of this, and we know Leo’s motivation.

  “And Esme and her family. Where do they fit into all this?”

  “Well you see, that was purely a coincidence and part of the initiation, but meeting my brother’s woman just spiraled things, and she had to be hushed. I mean, we can’t have her talking, so she needs silencing. And what better way than to be fucked quiet.”

  I surge forward before they realize what’s coming. I knock Declan to the ground, but he’s been working out and knows how to fight back. Fists are flying and Jenkins is shouting at us.

  “Get the fuck up now, both of you.” He fires his gun and silence falls over us all.

  I grab hold of Declan, pulling him up off the floor, but he knocks me away.

  “Get the fuck off me! This is far from over, brother.”

  “This is how it’s happening. My boys will be back any second and they’ll be taking Esme. This will be the last time you see her,” Jenkins says.

  Hell, no. This isn’t happening. I promised Nyla I would bring her back and I promised Esme I would always protect her. It’s time. Making my hand signal for Ash and Linc, movement happens. Declan realizes, but it’s too late. Effie runs from behind Jenkins towards me and I manage to grab her hand and pull her behind me.

  “Effie!” He has a pained look on his face.

  He loves Effie more than anything, and she will be our bargaining chip in all this, only she won’t be staying, either. She told me what she’s endured being part of the Vipers, and that she tried telling her brother about all the abuse, but it was like he chose not to accept it.

  “You want her back, Jenkins, then you give me Esme. That’s the deal, and then we all get to leave.”

  “You really think you hold all the cards now, Taylor?”

  “Actually, I’d say I do. What do you reckon, Ash?”

  “Definitely, brother.”

  Declan laughs sarcastically.

  “You laugh, Declan, but he’s more of a brother. I know what you tried to do to Esme, you sick fuck.” More demented laughter pours from his tainted mouth. “What is wrong with you? I tried, but you can’t help someone who’s mentally unstable.”

  “You never tried, not really, and if you’d have come back to her apartment that day, you’d have seen just how much your girl would have enjoyed fucking a real man.”

  Ash has already moved next to me so I can’t attack the bastard. He is pushing every button inside of me and the rage is becoming uncontrollable.

  “She was wet for me, and I hadn’t even touched her then. But the other day, that pussy was tight as fuck.”

  “You’re a dead man, Declan.” I charge forward, only to be yanked back by both Linc and Ash.

  “Reid, man, remember why we’re here.”

  I look around to see Effie scared to death. I also forget her attacker from ten years ago is now in this room. She knew he was coming, and when I told her why, she agreed, reluctantly. He, too, is going to pay for what he did. It doesn’t change that she’s staring at him like she’s seen a ghost and he has no idea who she is, or the trauma he caused.

  I then look across to my girl, and she’s breathing, but not moving. I need to get her out of here fast.

  “This is the deal. You want your sister back, I get to leave with Esme. It’s that, or I will hand her back to the guy who caused all this in the first place.”

  Effie looks up at me with tears in h
er eyes. She’s shaking now. I know saying it is a bastard move, but she agreed it was needed in order for Jenkins to believe what we’re doing.

  “You fucking knew who did this to her and never came forward?”

  “No, I didn’t know straight away, and I had no proof, just word of mouth. But I know it to be true, trust me.”

  “Trust you. Are you fucking with me? Look what you’ve put her through and you’re asking for trust? Tell me who it is…”

  “Give me Esme and I will gladly tell you his name.”

  Jenkins looks at Declan and they talk in hushed voices. They’re planning something, but I’m ahead, I have to be.

  “Be warned, Taylor, we aren’t finished by any means, and you can be assured that I will be coming for you again.”

  I make my way towards my princess and remove my top to cover her as much as possible. I gently pick her up. She makes some sort of wheezing sound and I realize she desperately needs a hospital. I pass her to Ash.

  “Get her out of here now, and brother, you know what to do, right?”

  “I’ll make sure she’s okay, and yeah.” Effie follows Ash, but not before Jenkins bellows at her and raises his gun… and that’s when I raise mine too. Now we’re evenly matched.

  “Where the hell are you going, Effie?”

  “I’m leaving. Please don’t stop me. I love you and hate you all at once, but I can’t do this anymore. What happened to me has destroyed you and us. I can’t carry on like this anymore.”

  “I did everything for you, Effie. You are my little sister.”

  “No, Leo. Making me stay in this dirty place with these fucked up guys and him.” She points to Declan, “It was torture, and nothing about it was you looking out for me.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? You want a detailed description of how they dragged me into rooms, held me against my will, and took every ounce of my soul that was left? You can work out the rest, Leo. But him…” Her eyes are trained on Declan now. “He was the worst of them all.”

  Dread hits my stomach, thinking about what he did to her just to get his kicks, especially seeing the damage he caused to my girl.

  “I have to get away from all of this and from you. I need to find myself again and I can’t do that around you, Leo. It’s not just me I have to think of anymore.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She looks at all of us and then back at Declan and then down at her stomach.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Shit, this really has fucked things up. Declan’s obviously the father, going on her deathly look at him just now and what she said, but Leo is seething and turns the gun at Declan’s head.

  “Ash, get the girls out of here now! Go!” I tell him.

  Linc goes to help him, but I grab him and pull him back to my side.

  “You’re staying.”

  “What the fuck, Taylor?”

  Jenkins still has his gun aimed at Declan’s head and he’s spewing words at him with pure hatred. It’s obvious Declan was just a pawn in his plan to get to me, but right now, I don’t care. I want to get to Esme and take care of her the way I promised.

  “Who’s the big lump, Taylor?” And here is where I play my ace card.

  “Now, this is how it’s going to happen. I’m leaving and Declan is coming with me.”

  “Like hell I am,” Declan says. “Time for happy families is well and truly gone, big brother.”

  “See, Declan, that’s where you’re wrong. Your family is waiting for you back at the prison. Get used to it, because you’re going to spend a very long time there.”

  “You can’t prove anything. Jenkins wiped my record clean of everything related to that bitch. Sorry to burst your bubble.”

  I start laughing, which makes him more aggravated. I walk towards him with Linc right at my side. He is uneasy and glances back toward the door.

  “Move back, Taylor!” Jenkins screams at me.

  But I want to end this all now.

  My gun is still pointed in the direction of them both, while still have my grip on Linc so he can’t bolt.

  Jenkins starts swinging his gun between us. I take this opportunity to remove the listening device the police gave me to help take all of them down. Declan decides to make a run for the door, but it’s slammed shut and there stands my real brother, Ash.

  “Going somewhere?” says Ash, as Declan runs into his fist and hits the floor.

  Jenkins looks defeated. He knows he’s not getting out of this in one piece.

  “You and your brother will pay for what you’ve done to my sister,” Jenkins sneers.

  “You only have yourself to blame for what that piece of shit called my brother has done to her. You brought him into her life knowing how fucked up he was, so that’s on you.”

  “A deal’s a deal. Who raped my sister ten years ago at the underground, Taylor?”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot to introduce you. Linc, meet Leo. Leo, meet your sister’s attacker.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about, Taylor? I never raped anyone.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Linc. You should be more careful when showing the evidence. You never know who’s watching.”

  “It wasn’t me, I swear.”

  Linc was stupid enough to show some idiots who get off on shit like that. He had a video and I happened to see it.

  “Give me his phone NOW! You get down on your knees!” Leo roars at Linc. As Jenkins has the gun, I don’t hesitate. “You mother fucker piece of shit! This is my goddamn sister you were raping.” He smacks Linc clean across the face over and over. That’s when we leave. As we shut the door, we hear the sound of two gunshots as the police storm the building.

  Chapter Twenty

  Reid

  Handing my brother over to Officer Evans was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but it was nothing compared to what he and Jenkins put Esme through. She was taken to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, and Ash called Nyla to meet her there, as we were being held for questioning. I needed to get to her fast and these idiots were pissing me off. I involved them for crying out loud, and I did what they asked and wore the listening device, which gave them the evidence they needed to put Declan away for a very long time. He’s going down for three counts of murder, the attempted murder of Esme too, and now her assault.

  “You have what you need from me, so I’m leaving. Anything else, you can contact me at the hospital.”

  I start walking away when Officer Evans calls my name.

  “Mr. Taylor, you don’t get to say when it’s time to walk, I do. That being said, you’ve cooperated fully. There is just one discrepancy with your turn of events and what we found in the room after you left.”

  “Really? And what’s that, Officer?”

  “Your comms went dead before any gunshots were heard. Why was that? And why did we find Lincoln Fletcher and Officer Jenkins both dead from the same gun bullets?” She eyes me suspiciously, but before I can answer, she does it for me. “I believe there was a struggle and your comms fell out during it, in which Officer Jenkins took it upon himself to destroy it so as he couldn’t be implicated. Am I right so far?”

  “I believe that is right, Officer.” Who am I to argue? I just want to get out of here.

  “Am I right in also believing that Lincoln Fletcher is the man who raped Officer Jenkins’ sister, Effie Jenkins, ten years ago and he became aware of this when they met in that room tonight?”

  I look toward Ash then at Officer Evans and nod. But I get the impression that Evans knows exactly what went down tonight and is on our side.

  “Yes, that’s correct, but we were forced at gunpoint to exit the room, leaving only the two of them in there, so we can’t say exactly what went down in there after we left.”

  “Hmm, I see. Okay, well, you can be on your way for now, Mr. Taylor. I’ll be in touch should there be anything else. Same goes for you, Mr. Adams.”

  I’m pretty sure
we’re far from out of the woods, but as I turn back to look in the officer’s direction, she is still watching us walk away with a smile on her face.

  I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that finally there is an end to all this. Actually, the end is not over yet. My girl is fighting for her life, according to Nyla and the text that just came through.

  We speed through the city, not giving a shit for lights at all. Esme would kick my ass if she knew, and she’d have every right, too. I was careless, but I’m not thinking straight. She’s my life. Every last second of it belongs to her.

  We race inside to the emergency department and find Nyla pacing the floor with Jase. She sees us as soon as we enter, and she races toward us and straight into Ash’s arms.

  “They said she has some internal bleeding, and that was the last we heard before she crashed on the trolley as they were bringing her in.”

  Jase starts sobbing. I go looking for someone who can give me some answers. No one will tell me anything, so I sit and wait with the others for what seems like hours. Finally, after about two hours, a doctor appears, and we all go into a smaller room.

  “Hi, I’m Doctor Felix. I take it you are all Miss Lewis’s family?”

  “Yes, we are,” I reply impatiently.

  “Okay, the surgery went well considering how much blood she lost, and that was due to a number of issues she presented with when she arrived here. The main being the internal bleeding caused by the beatings she received. We have managed to stop the bleeding, but she needs full bed rest in order to heal fully. But with the help of her loved ones and counseling, I’m sure she will recover fully.”

  “Can I see her now?”

  “Of course. Follow me.”

  We follow him up to the next floor where the wards are and it’s far quieter.

  “Here is her room, but only two in the room at any one time, okay?”

  Nyla and I enter. The lights are dimmed low and the curtain is pulled around her bed slightly. We draw it back and the sight we see is a shock and brings tears to my eyes. Nyla squeezes my shoulder and we take a seat on either side of her bed. She must sense we’re there because she tries to open her eyes, but one is swollen so badly it’s almost closed.