by KJ Dahlen
Bullet always gotten what he’d wanted after he ceased to be the loser known as Joel Ridley, all those years ago. He even finally got his mother and that dammed Sheriff. He’d wished later that he had taped that one. He could still taste that sweet flavor of revenge and justice. It had been just about the best day of his life.
Now, he headed closer to the club house but not too close to seek out the next best day of his life.
He finally saw some of the bikers and his smile turned to a snarl at the sight of them. He quickly backed out of sight before anyone spotted him but he had to know if the Savage girl was here. And why the hell had these soldiers become bikers for fuck’s sake? It made no sense to him at all. They could’ve been bad ass criminals, making huge amounts of money off the skills they all had. Idiots.
He quickly ducked back into the shadows of the afternoon. The MC knew he was coming but he sure didn’t want them to know he was actually here yet. He had his usual plan for each fantasy hit all laid out, including his escape. He wasn’t going to go out that way, not by Wolf’s hand or anyone else’s. He had more people to kill. He snorted. He knew the time would come to make his final move but he also knew he would have to wait for his plan to unfold.
So wait he would, wait and watch. He had patience when the situation warranted, but he also knew he would need to take all the steps to achieve the goal then disappear, like Bullet always did.
So for now, he would just take step one.
He slipped into the woods and made his way through the trees. He didn’t meet anyone along the way but he knew there were eyes on him. He couldn’t see anyone but he knew they were there.
Or at least something was there. He wasn’t altogether sure whatever was watching him was even human. Whatever was watching him couldn’t be seen.
The place had vibes though that he wasn’t sure he liked. Animals? He just couldn’t be sure. If it were humans, he would have been sniped already.
He searched the area again, then moved under the brush and ducked down. As he sat there, he got another shiver down his back. Hearing an odd sound that was definitely an animal, he curled his hands into fists around his sniper rifle.
Bullet finally did catch movement out of the corner of his eye. When rose up a bit to confront it... He found there were eyes looking at him further in the darkness, deeper into the thicket of bushes. Then the eyes moved back and disappeared.
What the fuck?
He looked around the entire area more carefully. There wasn’t any sound, no birds singing, no crickets chirping... no breeze even.
He felt another shiver down his back and this was a strong one. The hairs on the back of his neck were actually standing straight up. He moved away from the bush cover and started going through the trees, back toward the compound.
Then he noted the feeling that he was being followed again. He paused but didn’t stop as he listened for footsteps other than his own. He frowned when he didn’t hear any but continued on his way. He kept searching the area around him, as he was sure there was something in these woods besides himself. Funny, how he’d never experienced this in the three times he’d done recon here before.
It was highly unusual for him, but he was getting nervous now and he moved a bit faster. He never got spooked unless something was about to go wrong. All those times, and there had only been a few, Bullet had immediately packed up his gear and took off. Like the time he’d never gotten to finish Eija off as a neighbor was pounding on the door and yelling. Yeah, he could’ve dispatched them easily, but when it went sideways... he simply got out.
He always knew he could get to the person again in the future. Even if they moved and changed their names or whatever. He always found his targets. Always.
Except...for her.
This fact may be why he was downright obsessed with Eija. The one who’d got away. Oh, be still my heart. His snigger was now back as the further out of the woods he went, the better he felt. Only this time, he just couldn’t pull out. He’d waited too many years for this 3 way kill.
Finally, he came to the edge of the trees and from here, he could see the clubhouse again. Yeah, he could now see his surprise was still there since the last time he’d been here. Dumb ass bikers. They never even knew it was there.
Bullet grinned.
Now, it was time for step one and they wouldn’t see it coming. Just like a bullet.
Chapter Eleven
Wolf and Apollo made it up to the roof. They both took position.
Wolf was searching the surrounding area for any sign of... well, Eija. It bothered him that she was out here somewhere. She could get hurt or worse and he did not know how he would take that or if he would get over it. He knew he loved her and yes, he now believed in love at first sight. Even though all of his life, he’d thought that was a bullshit fairy tale. He should be looking for that freak, and he was but he desperately wanted to spot her.
“You won’t see her,” Apollo whispered over to him.
Wolf turned his head to stare at his old teammate. “What?”
Apollo smiled. “I know who you’re searching for. But like I said, her daddy taught her everything. Recon, cover, search and hide. You ain’t gonna find her.”
Wolf raised his head as he sniffed the air.
Apollo watched him closely and remained silent.
Wolf then turned his head to the right and did the same thing.
This was one of the reasons they called him Wolf, he had tracking abilities, and senses most men didn’t usually have. It was said he could easily see in the dark, and even track someone or something that way.
“Someone different,” Wolf mumbled. “He’s here.”
“Damn,” Apollo believed him instantly, he had experience with this man before and he’d never been wrong. “How close?”
“Pretty damn close.”
Suddenly, there was a sound when all this time... it had been deadly quiet.
A bird whistle, but exactly like the one they’d all used in the unit.
Apollo and Wolf raised their heads up.
“What the fuck?” Wolf asked in a whisper, as they both crawled along on their bellies to look over the side. Apollo was on the back side and Wolf the front.
Wolf spotted her. Eija. He cocked his head at her.
She gave him the perfect hand signal for Fire In The Hole. Then she took off and disappeared.
“Shit!” Wolf muttered. “Uptown...”
Apollo turned to look at him.
“Incoming and hot.” Wolf motioned his head out to the forest.
“Well, fuck me!” Apollo laid flat down on the roof and reached to his pack to pull out his lead vest. He covered the top part of his body with it.
Wolf did the same—they had no choice. They didn’t know what part of the fan the shit was going to hit— then he changed his mind and stood up. Fuck it. He wanted this to end now.
Eija was out of breath as she flew past the two bikers guarding the door.
One of them called out, “What the hell?”
She called back, “Fire in the hole!” Then she kept on running through to the main room. She suddenly skidded to halt as her shoes even made that squeaking noise across the floor.
Everyone in there turned their heads to stare at her.
“Fire in the hole!” she shouted then dove under a metal table. She had actually seen Joel. He was grinning and standing at the edge of the woods while holding a remote in his hand. She then knew she had to at least try to warn everyone. Her heart had been beating a hundred miles an hour when she rose up out of hiding and took off to warn Wolf on the roof. As she glanced back, she could see that Joel had seen her.
His eyes had widened and then he cackled with laughter. “You can run little girl, but you can never hide!”
The only thing she could think at the time, was that she had a little time maybe, since he was distracted but she knew that span of time would probably not be enough.
Now, as she ducked down in the main room,
she could hear men shouting and moving around. Abruptly, her body was actually lifted off the floor by an explosion.
Walls caved inward while parts of the ceiling came down, as windows blew in and glass scattered all over the room.
Women screamed and men shouted as the building rocked on its foundation.
Eija covered her head and prayed that Apollo and Wolf were safe as she couldn’t see or tell where the bomb had gone off.
After a moment or two, dust rose up as the noise died down. Then she heard gunfire.
Oh, God! Wolf! She rose up to scramble through debris and glass as she headed back outside.
Apollo yelled, “Wolf, take cover!”
Wolf ignored it and set his eye to his scope, spanning it around until he found his target.
Bullet spotted him then and grinned as he raised a remote.
Wolf managed to get his aim but then the building rocked and his bullet went a little wide. The explosion knocked him off his feet and he flew back. Landing hard on the roof, his breath knocked from him.
For a few moments, the sound was horrendous, but not new to Wolf. He’d been here before and had never wanted to go there again. His vison went awry and he couldn’t see anything. He felt pain somewhere in his body but he was so scrambled, he couldn’t even tell where.
Suddenly, he heard other sounds. Gunfire and men yelling but he wasn’t sure from where, as at the same time, he saw it all behind his closed eyelids. It was the ambush. He was unwillingly taken there as he could hear his buddies screaming and dying. Voices of men who were long gone. Ghosts of the past. Ones he’d heard and seen over the years in the deepest darkest of his nightmares.
He tried to tell himself he wasn’t back there anymore. It didn’t help. He heard them all and recognized some as everything grew louder.
“Wolf!”
His body was being shook. That voice... he knew it but he’d never heard it before in this nightmare.
“Wolf!” the voice pleaded.
He felt warm water droplets drop onto his face as a new sound came in... weeping. He wondered at this, he never heard a woman weeping in these nightmares before.
Wolf then realized all the different sounds had stopped and all he could hear was this weeping. His eyes shot open and his vison was still fuzzy for a long moment.
“Oh, my God! Wolf...”
The weeping got louder as more drops hit his cheek. Eija! He finally understood what was happening. His eyesight cleared and he focused on her crying face. Reaching up, he tugged her head down and kissed her. The flavor of her mouth sparked through his body. He delved his tongue in and kissed her desperately.
Placing her hands on his face, Eija kissed him back, just as desperately.
Wolf realized that this woman could literally burn him up in a God dammed flame.
“Oh, man! He needs mouth to mouth. Fuuck...Nooo!” Apollo shouted.
As much as Wolf felt more than alive and wanted this kiss to go on forever, he set her away. Looking up at Uptown’s face, he said, “Oh, shut the hell up, you ugly ass bull.”
Apollo halted then grinned. “God dammit, you fucking fuck! Don’t ever pull shit like that again!” Despite the goofy grinning, the words were a cuss out.
Shade and Beast showed up on the roof.
Shade halted when he saw Wolf. “No, man!”
Beast slowed his roll too.
They both then rushed over.
Kneeling down, they tried to get around Eija.
“Please move, Eija?” Beast urged. “We have to get him some help.”
She swiped her tears away and slid back.
Beast looked at his face. “Do you hurt anywhere?”
Wolf grunted. “I thought I felt pain but I’m not sure.”
Beast felt around along the back of his head. Then he felt along down the back of his neck. He asked, “Can you move?”
Eija sat wide eyed and never moved as this went on.
Wolf tried to sit up.
Beast and Shade tried to help him.
He batted their hands away.
“Welp,” Apollo quipped. “He can move his arms.”
Wolf finally managed to sit up, but sweat rolled down his face.
“Ok...” Beast studied him. “Is that all right? Any pain?”
“Just the normal fucking headache from being thrown five feet,” Wolf joked.
Eija still sat very still and the only sign of life was her trembling body and clenching hands.
“Beast,” Shade spoke up. “I think I found the injury.” He pointed at Wolf’s leg.
They all swung their gazes over.
Blood had pooled under his jean clad leg.
Scooting forward, Eija peered down. “Oh God, he’s lost a lot of blood.”
The three men then all reached in and lifted him up. They were so strong that his feet as tall as he was, did not hit the roof top. They carried him over and maneuvered him to the hatch.
Shade peered down through the hatch of the roof. “It’s still viable.” He then moved to the hatch.
“Nah dog,” Apollo spoke up. “I am the magnificent machine here. I’ll catch him and take him down.”
The two men raised their brows at this.
Not Wolf however, he grinned even as he winced. “Yep. I’ve seen him carry men off the felid of battle, one on each shoulder.”
“Yeah,” Shade replied. “But can he fit his large ass through this hatch?”
“Hey tiny, how the hell you think I got up here?” Apollo went down the hatch. “I like to keep my beautiful black ass just like it is. The ladies love it!”
Wolf laughed then he winced.
Shade was 6 foot 5, 265 pounds, so he furrowed his brows, as he was by no means... tiny.
They handed Wolf down to Apollo.
Chapter Twelve
Bullet had gotten hit but it was just a flesh wound on the side of his arm. He made it through the woods as fast as he could, while holding his shoulder as he’d had to sling his rifle over the other.
Out of nowhere, he heard a loud metallic snap as pain like nothing he’d ever felt before radiated up along his leg. He was toughened by injuries in the sand box, so he didn’t even cry out. It could ultimately give his position away. He dropped down onto his belly and his face hit the hard dirt of the path.
He went blind with pain as sweat rolled down his temples. He groaned long and low. It was the worst thing he’d ever felt. He tasted blood and dirt in his mouth.
Grunting and panting, he tried to get up and then had to smother his scream. He slowly tried to flip over and he couldn’t do it even after several tries.
Resting for another ten minutes as tears rolled from his eyes, he finally rose up slowly on his hands and knees to look under his body. His eyes widened.
A fucking bear trap?
After several minutes, he finally turned his body, though he did let a scream out. The pain had to be at least ten doles on the scale of ten. He sat and caught his breath. Panting and heaving he almost couldn’t catch his breath. He hung his head back and eventually got his breathing to even out. No fucking way, would he get caught here. He had to get this fucking trap off.
So now came the hard part, he stood up by leaning on his rifle. Then he reached down and pulled the stake up that had held it into the ground and bit his lip so hard it bled. “Those fuckers are gonna pay,” he spat the words out literally, along with blood from his mouth. He winced again and clenched his teeth as he finally got it out. Then as he was heaving for air, he felt shocked, as he had to spit two teeth out. They were busted from the fall on his face.
Bullet growled with rage. “I hope to fuck, some of those bikers lived, so I can kill them myself.” He then used his rifle as support and tried to walk, while dragging the trap along with him. He needed to get somewhere to be able to get this fucking thing off his ankle.
Bullet then took a torturous path further into the woods. All the way, all he saw in his mind was Wolf dead, Apollo dead and Eija’s face f
ull of fear as he—halting, he raised his head up. He heard the growling again. “God dammit, that has to be wolves.”
He now tried to move faster to a place where he had stashed his equipment, so he could find a tool to get the trap off. Those wolves would scent his blood and move in to tear him to pieces. Slowly, he neared to the spot. Then he had to rest before he made it all the way to the large tree with ferns and bush cover in front of its base. He chose this earlier today as it would be perfect cover and no one who even walked by would ever see him.
Lowering himself down while using his rifle and the side of a tree, he finally sat on mossy ground as he released a loud gushing breath.
Exhausted and weak, the killer known as Bullet-Azrael the Angel of death passed out.
They got Wolf into the infirmary where the Advocates’ medic, Viper was busy as hell. Some of the brothers seemed to have glass on parts of their bodies, while a few had bandages on their heads or faces.
“Look out,” Apollo roared. “This is serious!” He stopped with Wolf in a fireman’s carry and stared down a brother who was holding a bloody arm.
The man peered up at the large, wide black man who wore a furious look on his face. The brother got up and moved away from the bed.
“That’s more like it.” Apollo laid Wolf down gently.
Viper walked up as he put a fresh pair of gloves on his hands. “What do we got?”
“His leg is bleeding,” Eija spoke up.
Nodding, Viper turned to his surgical tool table. “You need to flip him over onto his stomach.”
Apollo approached Wolf.
“Be gentle man,” Wolf warned.
Apollo rolled his eyes. “Me? I am known for my amazing hands and fingers.”
The men in the infirmary all chuckled.
The big man scooped him up like he wasn’t 250 pounds and gently turned him over onto his stomach. “There, see? Gentle as a baby.”
Grabbing scissors, Viper stepped close to the bed. He started at the bottom of the pant leg and then cut his way up.
