by KJ Dahlen
“Hello.” Ben Savage’s voice was low and alert.
“Captain Savage, are you okay?” Wolf asked.
“Grant, is that you?”
“Yeah, Captain.”
“Thank God. Listen, I don’t have much time and I need you to watch for a special package I sent you. Bateman is coming after me and I don’t want him to kill my little girl.” Savage hesitated then said, “You were right about that psycho. No one wanted to believe it back then, but you were right.”
Wolf frowned. “What are you talking about Captain?”
“My headstone showed up at my front door two days ago,” Ben replied. “I contacted Apollo King and told him to take my daughter to you. Neither of them wanted to go but I made them. I wanted someone I trust to take care of the most important thing in my life. I sent them both to you because I know you can look after them.”
“What makes you think that Captain?”
“Let’s just say, I wasn’t impressed by the way the military let you boys down. After everything was said and done, they treated you boys like shit. I kept track of you guys and was happy to see you banded together under Jackal’s hand. Now you have to take care of my girl. She’s a spitfire I’ll tell you that right off the bat, but she’s got a heart of gold.”
“And Apollo? What did he think of all of this?” Wolf asked.
“He wasn’t impressed but he agreed to bring her to you guys. They left yesterday. I need you to take care of them both. Apollo was lost after the military booted his ass out and he just lost his mom about five years ago. I asked him to move closer to me and he did. We’ve been watching over each other ever since. He’s a good man. He wanted to stay here with me and fight this bastard but I told him I wasn’t going to watch him die. I hope he’ll find a purpose with you and your guys.”
“When will they arrive?” Wolf asked.
“They should get to you sometime today.” Savage assured him. “Don’t let her come back here. If I have to die, I want to do so knowing you’ve got her back at least. Watch over her for me.”
“Captain,” Wolf called out as they all heard noise in the background. Wolf looked over at Jackal as they all heard shots being fired.
When it was quiet again Wolf heard footstep echoing in the room. Then someone took the phone. “Is this Wolf?”
“Hello Bateman.” Wolf growled. “You lousy bastard.”
They all heard insane laughter over the phone speaker, “Yeah well, I’ve been called worse I suppose. I’m sorry but you’ll have to tell Eija her dad died a hero. Then tell her I’ll see her in a couple of days. That’s when I send all three of you to hell.”
“Fuck you!” Wolf growled.
“No thanks. I don’t root for the home team, never have, never will. Now if Eija said those same words, I might think about it even though she’s not my type. I’ll see you guys in a few days.”
They all heard him chuckling then the phone went dead.
Wolf wanted to throw his phone against the wall but he knew he couldn’t. He had to keep his shit together. He looked over at Jackal. “We got incoming.”
Jackal nodded. “So, we all heard.”
“You sure Savage is dead?” Shade asked.
Wolf nodded. “Bullet will make sure of that much, then he’ll come after the girl, me and Apollo.”
“How much time do we have before that happens?” Jackal wanted to know.
Wolf shrugged. “I have no idea but he always announces to his victims his intent by leaving a headstone with a date three days away. I haven’t gotten my headstone yet, so I’m assuming he needs time to get here from wherever Savage lived.”
“He didn’t live all that far away,” Cyber told them. “He called home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.”
“We don’t have time to worry about that right now,” Jackal stated. “Right now, we have to get ready for a visit from a psychopath. He isn’t going to let us get in his way and will take out anyone standing between him and his targets.” He turned to Shade and Beast. “Make sure the cameras are all set up and working. We want to see him coming.”
“You got it boss.” Beast nodded.
“I want men on the roof and in the woods in case he bypasses the cameras. I want to know when he gets close. I want us all on alert until this is over. I’m not losing anyone here to that sicko,” Jackal ordered. “Oh, and he’s not only a sniper but an expert in hand to hand combat. Just warning you guys, so I doubt you’ll catch him by surprise.”
“Sounds like so much fun boss.” Shade growled.
“Just don’t any of you forget what this bastard is and does,” Jackal warned them. “Or the fact that he’s coming here to kill, not only one of our own but a woman given to Wolf to protect. We can’t lose sight of that boys.”
“Apollo King is bringing her here,” Wolf announced. “He’s the other man in our unit on Bateman’s death list.”
“So, what’s he like?” Shade asked.
Wolf snorted. “He’s the biggest, baddest black man I ever knew. He was the best of the best though and that’s the one thing Bateman hated. King knew he was good and he never pushed it, Bateman thought he himself was the best and that he had to prove it every day. It drove everyone in the squad crazy. The only one Bateman could never goad into proving himself was King.” He shrugged. “King just never cared. That drove Bateman particularly crazy. Now he’s got a chance to finally make King come after him. He thinks King will fail, but I have a feeling King will be the one to show him up. King always had something Bateman never did.”
“Oh, yeah?” Beast stared at him. “What was that?”
“Humanity. King didn’t show off his skill because he didn’t have to, Bateman always wanted to be in the spotlight because he felt he deserved it. That, my friend, is the big difference between the two men. And I have a feeling this fact will be Bateman’s failing point.”
“You could be right about that,” Jackal agreed. “But now, Bateman has had years to perfect his skills. He could be quicker.”
“Captain,” Wolf called him out quietly. “Have any of us lost our skills over the years? Have we forgotten the things we were taught?”
Jackal studied the other man for a moment then shook his head. “If anything, we’ve increased our skills but that might not be what King did.”
“I know Apollo King,” Wolf stated. “I knew the kind of man he was. Believe me when I say, he kept up his skills, especially since he went to join Savage after his family was gone.”
“At least, we have the element of the battle being on our home ground,” Shade spoke out. “The camera system we have in place is well hidden and we have heat seeking cameras as well as night vision cameras. We should see him long before he can detect us.”
Just then, they all heard a vehicle pull in to the parking lot. There was a short horn blast. Everyone got up and went to the front doors.
Jackal, Beast and Wolf stood in front of the rest of the brothers.
Wolf glared at the driver for a moment, then smiled as a huge black man got out of the truck.
“Wolfie, you are still the ugliest white bastard I ever did see,” the big man yelled out as he stomped his way over to the trio. Holding out his hand, he waited for Wolf to take it.
Wolf did right away. “And you are still the ugliest black bastard I ever saw, Uptown. You haven’t changed a bit in the last dozen years have you? He grinned.
“Oh, I’ve changed...don’t doubt that for a moment.” Apollo snarled. “Circumstances changes everyone. It’s just I got nothing to lose anymore.” He hesitated then informed them all, “Got something for you from the Captain.”
Wolf nodded. “He told me.”
Apollo snapped his head around to study the other man, then he looked beyond him to the other men standing there. He could read the truth in their eyes. “Bateman got to him, didn’t he?”
Wolf nodded. “After he took out Savage, he said he’s coming here for all three of us.”
“The fuck he will.” Ap
ollo growled. “He may come here but here is where he’ll die. And he’ll die crying like the little lost baby he is.”
Wolf sighed heavily and he felt his rage rise again. “Captain said you had a package for me?”
“Yeah, Angus old man, I got a package for you.” Apollo shook his head. “You might not want it but I got it.” He walked back to the truck and opened the back door. Reaching inside, he bent over to throw something over his shoulder then he carried her in a fireman’s hold, back to the men. When he got on front of Wolf again, he bent down and lowered the bundle to her feet, then stepped back.
Wolf was stunned. The package was a woman indeed. Apollo had tied her hands behind her back and hobble tied her. She was gagged and just now, her blue eyes were as cold as ice. Her lustrous red hair fell down to the middle of her back and she looked pissed.
Wolf took notice of her figure and decided he liked what he saw. She wasn’t a skinny little thing, she had a full figure, her breasts were full and round, her waist a little bigger but so were her hips and ass. But none of that took away from her beauty, in fact in his eyes, she was the perfect woman.
He glanced over at Apollo in confusion. “Why is she tied and gagged?”
Apollo shook his head. “Cuz she wouldn’t stop trying to turn the truck around to go back. Captain told me to get her out, so I did what I had to do, to follow his orders.”
Wolf grabbed the knife in his pocket and flipped it open.
The woman saw it and took a step back.
Wolf shook his head and said, “I’m just gonna cut the ropes darlin.’ I’m not going to hurt you.” He then carefully cut through the ropes that bound her.
She groaned as the blood rushed back to her limbs. Reaching up slowly, she took the gag out of her mouth. Snapping her raging gaze, she glared at Apollo. “You big bastard. You left my dad behind. Why would you do that? Why?”
Apollo glared back at her. “Because he ordered me to.” He growled at her. “If he had to die, he didn’t want you to die as well. I had no choice but to follow his orders. He was my Captain.”
“He was my dad!” She screamed. “We have to go back for him.”
Wolf grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward him. She looked just a little lost now. “You can’t go back. You’re safer here.”
She glared and began to struggle. “I’m going back. I need to be with him. You can’t stop me. I’m going back!”
Wolf held on as she fought against his hold. “Sweetheart, you can’t go back.”
“You don’t understand—he’s all alone. I-I have to go back! He needs me.”
Wolf pulled her closer as his arms wrapped around her body and his hand went to push her head into his wide chest. Then he whispered in her ear, “He’s no longer there. He isn’t alone anymore.”
Chapter Four
Eija Savage froze in his embrace as his words sank in. She heard them but they didn’t seem real. They couldn’t be real. She couldn’t imagine her life without her dad in it. Slowly, she pushed away from him and lifted her face to look at him. Then she looked beyond him and read the same message in the eyes of the men around her. Looking back at the one they called Wolf, she slowly lifted her hand and slapped him hard.
Wolf took the blow without flinching. Her hand mark stood out against his pale skin. He didn’t raise his hand to strike her back but instead he pulled her close again and crushed her lips under his.
Eija gasped and he pushed his tongue deep into the recess of her mouth.
When the kiss broke, he turned and walked away from her, pushing his way back inside the clubhouse, he stood there with his back to the men in the doorway as he got control back. That kiss had stunned him. Her lips had started a domino effect on him. She took his breath away and heated his blood like nothing else ever had before.
Reaching down, he adjusted himself in surprise. He’d never been this turned on by a single kiss before. Then he heard her yelp. He turned and rushed back outside to see Apollo stalking toward her.
She was backing up until she ran into a wall and she turned her head to see the wall had been Wolf. But Wolf wasn’t gazing at her, he was glaring at Apollo. “What’s going on Uptown?” His voice was low and calm, too calm.
The men around him took a step back.
Apollo stopped in his tracks. He read the intent in Wolf’s eyes and he slowly raised his hands. “She thinks she’s going back home to find her dad.”
Wolf slowly reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her even closer. For once, she didn’t struggle or try to put space between them. “She isn’t going anywhere. We’ll make our stand here.”
“You can’t stop me,” she told him quietly.
A moment later, Wolf felt a splash of moisture hit his wrist and he looked down to see tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I have to take care of my dad.”
“I promise he’ll be taken care of. I respected that man, so I won’t let him just sit there,” Wolf promised her.
“Why don’t we all go inside and discuss what our next move will be?” Jackal suggested.
Eija turned to glare at the man and said, “I think we should hunt the bastard down and take him out. Take the fight to him don’t wait for him to come here. The world will never miss scum like him.”
They all entered the clubhouse.
Jackal turned to her and shook his head as he placed his hand on her arm. “We can’t do that.” He quickly glanced at Wolf at the low growl he let out. Then he chose to ignore it as he explained, “There’s too much open ground between Broken Arrow and here. We could walk right past him and not see him but he would see us. We’d be sitting targets for him. We’ll wait right here for him to find us. Here, we have the home ground advantage. We know this land and he doesn’t. We know where to hide to get the jump on him. This way, he’ll walk right past us and never see us.”
“So we’re still the ones to wait.” She scoffed. “We have to wait until he gets here and from what I know of this bastard, waiting is good for him, and bad for the ones doing the waiting.”
Jackal nodded. “We may very well be the ones who wait but we got something here Bateman will never have.”
Eija turned her head and snarled, “Oh yeah, what do you have here that he doesn’t?”
“We have a network of people that watch our backs. He thinks he can just come here and kill one or two of our own and walk away? That’s not going to happen sweetheart.” Again, he ignored Wolf’s low growl. “We’re going to know the moment he comes to this place and we’re going to be the ones to hunt him.”
Apollo nodded. “That’s something that Bateman won’t expect. He’ll think we’re just sitting here waiting for him to come and kill us.”
“Did you get your headstone yet?” Wolf wanted to know.
Apollo nodded. “I found mine before we left Broken Arrow. He left it in the front seat of my truck.”
“Where was your truck?” Jackal asked.
“In the alley behind the Captain’s house,” Apollo stated. “I’m next on his hit list.”
Eija hung her head. “As am I, he won’t leave me alive, not now. He’s already murdered my father and now he figures he has to kill me too.” She raised her head and stared at Wolf. “My father has been following this Bateman bastard. He’s been talking to his military buddies about it as well. Bateman isn’t as unknown as he’d like to be. With my father’s death, the military is going to get involved.”
“As long as they don’t get in our way before we’re done, I can live with that.” Wolf shrugged.
Apollo made a few calls and got in touch with Savage’s military connections. They were very upset about his death and told him they would implement their plan. He contacted an old friend of Ben’s, Colonel James Garden.
“I can’t believe that fucker did this,” James sounded enraged. “Ben was right about him all these years.”
“Yes, sir,” Apollo agreed. “And I’m next. I found my headstone this morning when
I got Ben’s daughter out of the line of fire.”
“Where did you take her?” James wanted to know.
“I brought her with me to an old friend of ours, Angus Grant. Angus and I both served under Captain Savage in the sandbox. He and I are the last ones in our squad.”
“Damn it,” James swore. “Well, the one thing Ben and I did discuss was the fact that Bateman hid behind a screen of secrecy and no one knew who he was. That gave him the opportunity to move around at will. If we tear that away from him and tell everyone who and what he is, he won’t find it so easy to hide what he does anymore. I can get started on that while you and Grant protect not only yourselves but Ben’s kid.”
“Yeah about Grant,” Apollo chuckled. “You aren’t going to believe where we found him.”
“And just where was that?” James wanted to know.
“Ben told me where to find him, in Baton Rouge, with an MC club called the Devils Advocates, he’s a biker now,” Apollo told him. “The MC is made up of ex-military members and the President is actually Sam Flint but they call him Jackal now. He was the leader of the squad that rescued us from that enemy camp.”
“Yeah, I remember him.” James sighed hard. “Ok, let me get the pony show going on my end. Tell Eija, we’ll take care of her dad’s body and do what we can to bring this bastard out into the light. We need to stop him once and for all.”
“Well, I’ll be damned if he’s gonna find me so easy to kill, I’ll tell you that right now,” Apollo claimed.
“I can send in some men if you think it’s necessary,” James offered.
Apollo shook his head even though the caller couldn’t see it. “No I think we’ve got things covered here. These men are protecting their own home and they are all ex-military.”
“You need to stop Bateman once and for all,” James urged him.
“We will.”
“No, I mean you have to stop him for the final time,” James emphasized his earlier statement. “If he goes to trial, he could walk under an insanity plea. He could essentially walk away in a few years and reinvent himself then start killing all over again. Literally, pick up where he left off. We were able to uncover something that disturbed us.”
