Tate

by KJ Dahlen

  A lone man was cutting a hole in the chain-link. He then moved to the back of the clubhouse out of range.

  Tate felt his chest get tight as on the other camera he saw the guard was now knocked out on the ground. His breath hitched as he looked at the other feed. The man had gone around back. He stood up. “FUUUUCKKK!” He then turned to find Thor in the door.

  “The guard—”

  Tate slammed past him cutting him off. He rushed down the hall to his room. He opened the door.

  The room was in shambles and the window was smashed. He knew even as he called out for her that Nita was gone. “NITA!” he shouted as he went all over the room, looking.

  Creed came in and stared at the mess. “Fuck,” he muttered and looked over at Thor.

  Tate looked over at them. “Someone took her!” His voice was a wheezing hoarse whisper. He could barely breathe.

  Creed looked stricken.

  Thor lowered his head.

  “Scatter,” Tate said. “We hit the roads and see if we can catch...” His voice failed him.

  He turned and stared at the bed with blood on the sheets. It must have been her blood from her attacker. The very bed where he had been with his woman just moments ago, it seemed. With her again, in his arms, in his life.

  The next few minutes he saw nothing but red hot rage as he tore the mattress off the bed. Swinging around in a fury, he picked up a chair and crashed it against the wall. It splintered into kindling. He then shoved the table into the broken window while screaming, “NITA!” His fury at its peak, he stepped up to the wall next to Creed and punched a hole into it.

  Creed stood stockstill and stared at him. Pain on his face.

  Thor had backed out into the hall, leaving father and son alone.

  “Dad,” Creed whispered.

  Tate looked around his bloody fist dripping blood down to the floor.

  “Dad,” Creed spoke louder.

  Tate finally heard him and the room finally came back into focus as he saw the wreckage and his gut burned with fire from the absolute pure rage that took his sanity.

  “Dad, we will find her,” his son whispered quietly.

  Tate swung around to face him. “Will we? They took her from me before. For eight long years she was fucking dead!”

  Creed nodded. “But she is alive we will get her back.”

  Tate tried to get a grip. He fought for control of the animal inside him. The one that hated. The one they’d kept locked up in a cave for seven years. He let out a breath. “Get everyone here. They all need to...” He looked around. “Find Harry. We need him to track this fucker.”

  “You know who it is?” Thor asked as he stepped back into the room.

  “No. But I saw him yesterday morning. Then he is on the camera feed and maybe Harry can get what is that called?”

  “Facial recognition,” Daniel replied from the doorway.

  Tate looked up and nodded.

  “Dad... you need to wrap those knuckles,” Daniel stated quietly.

  Tate was disgusted. “I don’t care about that!” he shouted.

  His sons and his VP said nothing.

  He took a deep breath and let it out. “Let’s get started on...finding my wife...” He growled as he made his way out of the wrecked room.

  Nita’s eyes fluttered open and she groaned. She felt pain radiate through her head. The last thing she remembered was a fist flying and hitting her in the face. Then nothing. She groaned again, as her jaw ached along with her head. She could feel something sticky on her face and wondered if it was blood. The stench hit her. What was that smell?

  She then realized she was tied to a chair. She tried to move and found her hands weren’t free. Then she realized with a pain filled grunt that they were bound behind her back. Maybe to a chair? She attempted to move her arms and couldn’t seem to.

  “You’re not getting away, so don’t bother trying.”

  The masculine voice filtered to her and she peered out into the darkness to see if she could spy the man speaking to her. Blurry vision didn’t do much in the way of helping her see anything concrete. “Who are you?”

  “You don’t know? I would think someone like you would know.”

  “Someone like me?” She struggled to clear her head. Around her neck, she could feel what she would only guess would be a gag. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You are the Prez’s woman right?” he asked.

  She blinked her eyes. They must be talking about Tate. “Yes, but...” She tried to look around the room. It looked like a basement. “Why am I here?” She winced with pain in her jaw again.

  “Your old man has something in that clubhouse that we need. We figure he’ll trade it for you.”

  “I-I don’t know what—?”

  “Just save it.” The voice from the shadows spoke. “You are a means to an end and being an old lady doesn’t make you privy to what the MC men know. So, just be a good girl and shut the fuck up.”

  Nita blinked her eyes.

  “Besides, if he don’t give it to us we’ll just take it out of your body,” the same voice spoke from somewhere in the shadows of the room. “You’re older but you got some great tits. We will use you until we—”

  She didn’t want to hear any more. “Stop!” If she would have been able to, she would put her fingers in her ears. Of course, that would mean her hands would have to be free.

  The shadow man laughed. “Men like your old man knows the score. He’d better come across with our money.”

  “Why are you doing this?” She forced her slow moving body into a straighter position and squinted once more to see who this was.

  A man stepped closer to her chair and crossed his arms.

  She took a deep breath as she ran her gaze over him.

  He was large and muscled, but somehow handsome. How could this be? Maybe a few years older than Creed and he had blue eyes. Very intelligent blue eyes that pierced her. Definitely mean looking enough to carry out his threats. Not what she needed to focus on right now, though. She needed to survive and get out of here.

  “Because you were in the wrong bed at the right time,” Blue eyes answered.

  A menacing chuckle came from the shadows.

  “The president of that club owes us,” he explained.

  “B-but that is someone else. My...my husband wasn’t there when this deal was made, whatever it was. He has just come back recently and took his club back.” She wet her kips. “He took it back five days ago. Whatever beef you have with the President has to be with Bandit.”

  The voice from the shadows replied, “Yeah the deal was made under Bandit’s watch but he’s gone now isn’t he? We don’t fucking care, if it was his deal, because now its your husband’s worry.. That compound is the same. The money is inside it. We want it back. Your old man will give it to us or you will be dead.” Then from those shadows, something was slid along the cement floor.

  Nita stared down at it as if it might be something that could hurt her.

  The other man turned and picked it up. He raised it to his face as he stepped closer. He stood right in front of her, making her tip her head back in order to maintain eye contact, which she did, even though she wanted nothing more than to close them.

  He then clicked the camera he held. “We advise you to just... sit here and wait,” he spoke in a low tone as he turned and slid the camera back into the shadows.

  Nita blinked as the bulb light flare still danced in front of her eyes. “What choice do I have? Why are you doing this to me? I just got my family back after that bastard Bandit took all of it away from me for eight years!” she shouted. “Then he made some deal with you that landed me here?” She started to cry as she let her head roll back. “Don’t any of you have mothers? Ones that are gone? My kids missed all these years with me. I just got them back!” None of this was making any sense. “You broke in, hit me over the head, and kidnapped me. By your own statements, I’m not getting out of here alive.”

&nbs
p; His chuckle was less than comforting. “It is what it is. We are sending a message out to your old man.” After glancing at his watch, he shrugged carelessly before grabbing a chair, plopping down in front of her then straddling it. He rested his blue long-sleeved covered arms over the top of the chair and stared at her.

  She took that to mean there was a little bit more time left in her life before he decided to end it. She went back to the tears that threatened to fall. This wasn’t how she intended to go out or how soon. She’d gotten one afternoon with her husband and family. Just hours, when they had all missed years apart.

  “We have time as we gotta wait to hear back from your old man, so let’s talk about you. Like how could this Bandit have stolen years from you? Did you leave town because he forced you out? Or how exactly did he do it?”

  “Man, just give it a rest,” the voice in the shadows advised.

  “Nah, man it could be a while before we hear back. I am hating this god dammed smelly hole. It’s worse than the hole I just got out of. I wanna know what she was yapping about. I mean I got a mother too, ya know?”

  The man in the shadows snickered. “Man, you ain’t even human.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be sending that fucking photo out?” Blue eyes gritted. “So we can leave this stink? Get our money and go?”

  There was some noise then a door slammed shut from somewhere close.

  The man in front of her then turned his attention back onto her. He gave her a smirk.

  Nita understood he was toying with her and he seemed to be enjoying it immensely. She’d had enough. Moving her gaze from him, she closed her eyes once again and allowed her chin to drop towards her chest. She may be bound and unable to escape, but she didn’t have to play this game.

  “What are you doing now?”

  “Ignoring you. Go away. I’ve nothing more to say to you.”

  He kicked the legs of her chair until she looked up again. His grin unsettling, she wished she were anywhere but where she was at this very moment in time. Again, she ignored him while refusing to engage.

  Whoever he was, did it again, as he raised the chair, and slammed it back down. “I liked you better when you were crying.”

  Everything within her rose to the not-so-subtle challenge, but she tamped it down. Tate would find her. This she knew. She had that much faith in him. She shuddered just to think of what he was like right at this minute. He would tear apart the whole town to find her, she just knew it. These men didn’t realize what Tate could and would do. She knew him well, even with the eight year separation. He would kill these two if they were lucky. She settled into the chair further as if she were getting comfortable, as if she were unconcerned about what was going to happen now.

  Nita was suddenly tired of uncertainty and fear. She refused to shed another damn tear. These men had no souls, no heart. She needed to wait this through and Tate would be here.

  Silence went on for a minute or two.

  “I can tell that you just got your shit together,” Blue eyes noted.

  She cracked one eye open. “I have been through hell. Bandit ran my car off the road years back. I was in a coma for two weeks. I was broken inside. My memory was gone too.”

  “So, now you feel you can stand up to this?”

  She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well, I can’t exactly stand up now can I?”

  He tilted his head back and laughed. “Point taken.” He nodded.

  Nita lowered her head but didn’t verbally respond. She was figuring him out. He seemed to have a sense of humor but after what both men had said here, she wasn’t giving him any benefit of a doubt. Great, a serial killer with narcissist propensities, and a sense of humor. Just what I needed in my life now. Not that it will be a long one according to this crazy right here.

  He rocked forward on the two back legs. “Tell me why this Bandit did all that. And I’ll tell you something you want to know.”

  She sighed and raised her head. “Why would I want anything from you or that shadow guy over there? You intend to rape and abuse me. Then end my life as I know it.”

  She’d gotten him with that one as his expression changed. Yes, he was quick witted, but his amusement left quick too.

  “But since my old man will be here to rip out your throats,” she went on, “I will try to explain. Tate said it was greed. Bandit wanted everything he had. To start that process, he took me away first. Then him and his whole crew beat him down until he almost died.”

  The biker stared at her. “So how did he survive?”

  Nita stared back at him without blinking. “They put him in a fuckin cave for years. They framed our oldest son and he spent seven years in federal prison for a crime he never committed. He just got out a few weeks ago.”

  The biker paused and some undefinable gleam came into his eyes.

  The shadows said nothing. Maybe he was still gone. She shivered and felt glad he was. “Your turn. Tell me why you would be doing this kind of thing. You have an intelligent look in your eyes. Why would you help to kidnap women and threaten to rape them?”

  He stared at her and shook his head. “Hey, I never threatened that.” He motioned his head at the shadows. “My partner did the threatening.”

  “You are still involved though right?”

  He shrugged. “I also spent time behind bars. When I got out, I found someone had taken all my funds.”

  “Bandit?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “A man that runs with him. Snake. Or so I’ve been told anyway.”

  She was confused then she finally remembered the man. “Yes, I remember him a little. He did all of Bandit’s shit work from what my sons told me.”

  “Your sons...How many you got?” he asked.

  “What is this Family Fucking Feud?” the shadows guy finally spoke up again.

  He was back apparently. Nita tried not to show her fear as she trembled inside.

  “Hey!” Blue eyes snapped. “I can spend my time how I fucking want. I’m bored and this story is god dammed exciting.”

  Nita wondered now, why this man was allowing her to see his face when the other man definitely was hiding his. “Tell me one more thing then I will tell you all about my kids. If I don’t get out of here alive, talking about them would be good for me.”

  Blue eyes turned back to study her. “Okay...ask.”

  “Why are you allowing me to see your face while shadow chicken shit stays in the dark?”

  He stared at her then laughed again.

  The shadows man grunted. “Shut up, you fucking bitch!”

  Nita swallowed heavily. She’d better keep the insults down or he might come out and reveal his fists.

  The man in the chair was grinning as he answered, “I got nothing to hide so I’ll tell you what you want to know. When I got released early I had a plan, I planned to head out of the country when I got my money back. As an ex-con I wouldn’t have ever found a decent job or had anyone trust me again, so I’m headed to a place where my past didn’t matter.”

  “Oh...” She wondered if it was the truth. How could she believe anything a kidnapper said? Was he the one that would kill her and he didn’t care that she had seen his face? He looked like he could kill. Yet, with all his genuine questions, she had to wonder how a man like this could be a stone cold killer.

  Blue eyes met her eyes steadily with a look that was... indefinable. “So tell me about your kids.”

  She paused, as those eyes seemed to bore into hers. “Well there’s Daniel, Jack, Harry and my oldest, Creed.”

  He did not blink at the names, as he seemed to just take it in. “K. And do you have any daughters?”

  She titled her head. She knew she should not ever be having this conversation but something about him made her feel it wouldn’t hurt any more than the trouble she was in now. Something in his eyes told her, he wouldn’t be going after them. “Kimber. She’s...” Her voice faltered as she pictured her beautiful but now grown daughter. “...still young.”


  Chapter Five

  The man leaned back in his chair. He knew who she was now and suddenly... this plan didn’t seem like such a good idea. Oh, he still wanted his money back but what Racer was going to do to her wasn’t sitting so good now. He really didn’t know Racer all that well, he’d been young and stupid when he went into business with him fourteen years ago. Then when he went to jail ten years ago Racer told him he’d be waiting for him to get out and he’d never have to worry about money again. He’d gotten out early when the truth finally came out and Racer had kept his word. He’d been there waiting for him the day he walked out of that fucking prison.

  The sound of a door opening in a different part of the building pushed a chilling change over his thoughts. He rose and flipped the chair around without a sound. As he shook out a bag, she assumed he was going to put on her, he leaned close and whispered to her, “Just so you know. My creed is that I will take it all back. I want what I had before I went to that hellhole of a prison. And I will get it back, one piece at a time if I have to, but I will get it all back.”

  The bag went on after a gag was put in her mouth and her world went dark.

  He regretted most of this deal now. It wasn’t his usual. He remembered vowing to be a better man when he got out. Then he found his money gone and the plans for the beaches of Belize had been ripped away from his vison of his future. He, at the time, had only thought of revenge, then he found that Snake was out of reach, as he was finally behind bars where he fucking belonged.

  That left him with little choice. He didn’t like this Racer at all. Yet, he had paired with him. First mistake. He might make another, but...hell, life was full of mistakes... now wasn’t it?

  “Okay, they got the message,” Racer spoke now as he stepped out of the shadows of the room. “You lady, with all the sweet ass kids, have, 24 hours now.”

  Tate was fit to be tied. He’d been on the phone on and off for a long while. He called every contact he knew. There had to be a way to find this fucker.

  It had been hours and Harry finally arrived, looking tired and upset. “Dad...I’m sor—”