by Vera Quinn
“We were just trying to let off some steam, Con. We haven’t had any downtime in a while. We need a party to lift this damn shit away from us.” Slinger has always been a slacker, but this shows how stupid he is. Then an idea pops into my head and I know I need to talk to Shine and to Red Cap. Red Cap is our intelligence and communications man. The bright red hair that hangs out of his cap explains everything.
“If our clubhouse is bombed again there will never be another party in here, and since you slackers are inside of it, you will be going down with the clubhouse. Does that open your eyes?” I see when the light come on in Slinger’s brain. I look to each of the brothers and they have the same expressions on their faces. Slinger and Lantern both walk out the front door without another word. I look at the club girls sitting around. “Get this place cleaned up. There’s no reason for Katie to need to clean up after everyone in the morning.” Shine and I are both sick of the way Katie cleans when she comes to the clubhouse. Katie and Shine both devote their selves to this club. Katie was an outsider who Lil took in and then the club adopted her even if she was a full-grown woman. She is sweet, kind, and everything good in this world, and Shine claimed her before anyone else could get any ideas and then he did it right by putting a ring on her finger and a baby in her belly. I have never heard them argue after Katie got used to the idea of being claimed. It took her a minute, but she is all in now, and they’re having my niece or nephew soon. Katie is everything that Shine needed but I think Katie needed Shine just as much with no family. They get each other, and all Shine has ever wanted is a woman to share his life with and start a family with. The thought used to be something I couldn’t even think about without getting a chill, but Faith makes me wonder for about half a second and then I know I’m no good for Faith.
The things that I witnessed on the streets when I lived there growing up and things I had to do to survive is only the tip of the iceberg of reasons I’m no good for Faith. I shake my head to try to empty my head, so I can get done what needs to be done before I get back to my room. I reach in my pocket and send Shine a short message and then head up the hall to Red Cap’s office.
It doesn’t take but a few steps when I hear the front door open and I turn, and all hell breaks loose. I see Lantern’s body pushed in the front door, but I hit the floor and roll to my side trying to avoid gunfire. I still have my phone in my hand, so I send out a 911 to anyone available. Damn, it’s happening again. I push my phone in my pocket. and have both my 9mm and my 380 in my hands and start shooting and then everything goes black. Red Cap must have shut the electricity down. I crawl towards Shine’s office. I hear a female scream and then three gunshots. I stay low but get on my feet and open Shine’s door. I know this office like the back of my hand and I make my way to the gun cabinet. I hear shots going outside. I take my keys out and unlock the cabinet. I get an AR 15 and a set of night goggles, which I put on, and I turn to leave but the door opens and Red Cap walks in. He has his own rifle and night goggles. Neither one of us, say a word but leave the room and make our way to the front room. I go right, and Red Cap goes left. No one is in our sight. I just hope Shine doesn’t have Katie with him when he arrives. I hear Red Cap shooting off rounds and I make my way into the kitchen. I haven’t caught sight of any of our men or the club girls. I think the room is empty when I hear whispers coming from the pantry. I open the door slowly and I don’t even think before I fire off round after round and men fall. I look at each one and they all have Hell Keeperz MC cuts on. I don’t recognize any of them. There are no officers here just three members and one prospect. I don’t know what their plan was in a pantry but then I see it, I take a step back. There’s enough C-4 there to blow this building to rubble. The cavalry better arrive soon.
Chapter Four
Con
I’m not sure what to do with a box full of C4. My only focus is making sure this damn thing doesn’t explode and kill every damn person in this clubhouse or anywhere close to us. I know it needs to have a detonator to set it off and it doesn’t seem that it has one on it, but I’m not taking any chances. I walk further into the pantry and check each of the men to make sure they’re dead and then I check their pockets. I find a bag under one man and the detonator is inside along with a few other things. I’m no expert on explosives, but I know the C4 in front of me is military grade by the way it is packaged and by the color of it. I also know until a detonator is attached it isn’t going to explode, so that is a plus but what I don’t know is if this is the only explosive in the compound. I grab the bag and back out of the pantry. I shut the door and get the key out of the drawer we keep it in. I back away from the door and send all the brothers a group text. I don’t know who the person is that betrayed our club again, but everyone needs a warning in case this isn’t the only place that a bomb was placed in or the only location. I make my way out of the kitchen and walk a few steps to the door that goes into the laundry room. Just as I open the door I am hit hard from behind and I go down. The gunfire going on outside kept me from hearing anything very well inside the clubhouse. I try to focus but then I just fade to black.
I feel like my damn head is going to explode. I reach up and then I hear laughter. I try to open my eyes slowly, but the light is bright, and I shut them again. I take my hand and rub my eyes, and I hear the laughter again. I would know that damn laugh anywhere and I’m pissed. I open my eyes and wait for them to focus and I come up off the bed and hit Shine in the gut.
“Damn, brother, I guess I deserve that one. How was I supposed to know you were sneaking around with night goggles on? I didn’t have goggles on, so I just hit everyone. You would’ve done the same damn thing.” Shine isn’t laughing now, and he has moved out of my reach.
“There’s C4 in the kitchen pantry and a lot of it. I had a bag with me that had the detonator in it. Did you find it? Is everyone alright. I know Lantern looked dead when they threw his body through the front door. I heard one of the club girls cry out. Where’s Red Cap? He went the opposite direction from me.” I ask trying to put the pieces back together. Shine has a grim look on his face.
“Red Cap is in another room. He took a slug to the leg and Chief knocked him out. Red Cap had made it to the private room hall. The Hell Keeperz MC members knew what rooms belonged to which members or at least some of them. They ransacked Cap’s, yours and mine. Red Cap was trying to protect Red. She had been stabbed in the gut and the man was still cutting her up. Apparently, someone snuck in behind Red Cap while he was fighting the other one.” Shine stops. I know he’s trying to let me absorb what he has told me.
“How’s Red? She was in my room waiting for me.” I know I’m not going to like the answer, but I need to know. Then a thought comes to me. “I know they cut the electric lines but why was it so smoky in here?”
“One question at a time. Red stayed alive long enough to tell us that the man, Trask, was asking about Faith and Charity. The Hell Keeperz MC want Faith and their patience has run out. We found empty canisters of smoke bombs. We have a traitor amongst us and it’s time to use some rat bait. Doc says you’re going to be fine. You might have a slight concussion, but you’ll live so, quit being a slacker and let’s set some traps.” I see the concern in Shine’s eyes and I know he wants to play it off, but I get off the bed. I think about Red, and if I hadn’t been such an ass Red might still be alive. It’s time I get my shit together. I need to act and quit reacting... Isn’t that the difference in men? That’s what Cap and Lil always taught us, it’s time I use my skillset and get my head out of my ass.
“First we need to discuss with everyone that we’re still at war. When I arrived back at the clubhouse, all the patched brothers here, were watching Sizzle put on a show on the pole. There were two prospects on the damn gate. I sent Slinger and Lantern to split the prospects up and one to do gate duty and the other walk the perimeter. Red Cap was in his office. Who is left? Where are Cap, Lil and Katie?” I ask, and I see Chief and Sarge walk in the room. Shine turns and lo
oks at them and his look is surprised.
“Don’t worry, Shine. Cap is talking to Red Cap about security. We left Shield and Stealth with Lil and Katie along with some of your members to keep things safe. Rebel, Brody and Kaden are tightening the security in Quitman. Rebel will be here as soon as that is straightened out.” Chief eases Shine’s worry.
“I have my brothers looking for more bombs on the premises. They also checked out Cap’s place. They’re going to remove the C4. Do you have a warehouse where you want it stored? If you don’t get caught with it, then it could come in helpful down the road. The Hell Keeperz MC wants to set bombs we can come up with a few of our own.” Sarge makes sense. Shine shakes his head and then looks at me.
“Sounds like a plan.” He’s talking to Sarge, but his eyes are on me. “Lantern, Slinger, Jaws, three prospects and all the club girls that were here are dead. One prospect is missing, and Red Cap is shot in the leg. Did you see anyone else here when you came in?” Shine asks me, but my mind goes back to sending Lantern and Slinger to their deaths along with Red. I should be dead along with them. We all would be if we hadn’t found the C4 in the pantry. I think about what Shine has said. I jerk my head towards Shine.
“There were only supposed to be two prospects left here. They were on the front gate when I came in. The other two prospects were supposed to be at Cap’s and making sure his house was guarded. What the hell were they doing here? Trick and Boozer were here too.” Shine take his phone out and starts to call someone and Cap walks in and shuts the door behind him.
“We have a problem bigger than a little C4, I went in Red Cap’s office after the Doc gave him something to knock him out. I think we may have a problem with Red Cap, but I need someone to verify it before he’s back on his feet and gets back to his office. I can’t pinpoint what it is exactly and why it is setting off my alarms, but something isn’t right. I was looking at the security feed of the different rooms of the clubhouse when it was attacked. The feed looks tampered with especially, Con’s room when Red was attacked. I had rather be safe than be caught with our damn pants down again.” I can tell this is wearing on Cap. It’s putting us all on edge and we can no longer trust anyone.
“I’ll get Shield over here if one of you can send someone to replace him there.” Sarge tells us. Cap looks at Shine and then Shine nods his head.
“Chief, you feel like taking a ride with me? We need to iron out some details and then we can send Shield and Stealth both back here.” Shine and I both look at Cap and then Chief. Those two have something up their sleeves. They’ll let us know when they’re ready. I shake my head again. This is going to be a long night.
Chapter Five
Faith
I jerk myself awake and I feel like someone just walked over my grave. I have an eerie feeling that someone I love is in danger. That only means Charity. I’m tempted to take the chance to call her. I need to find out. I reach for my cheap flip top phone and I put in her number. My hands are shaking so bad that I have difficulty putting in the right numbers. I hold my breath as the phone goes unanswered on the first ring. My heart beats faster as I hear the second ring. I’m on the verge of losing the crackers I ate earlier when I hear Charity’s voice. It’s the sweetest sound I have heard since I left the bunker. I want to have a long talk with her, but I don’t have that luxury. I start to hang up when I hear the pleading in Charity’s voice.
“Faith if this you, please just listen, I miss you like crazy and it isn’t safe for you to be out there alone. The Tyler Demented Revengers clubhouse was hit tonight. They lost some brothers.” I can’t breathe. Con, is Con alright? I started to ask. “Con was injured, but he’s alive. I don’t know what you’re up to but please, please, be careful. I can’t lose you. I love you. If you don’t want to talk to Brody or me then call Rebel, 9039381961. Memorize the number and use it.” Charity sounds desperate.
“I love you and I’m good.” I hang up before she or I can say anything else. I let myself have the luxury of a few tears and then take my bottle of water out and along with some cheese crackers. I eat the crackers in a hurry and take a wash rag out of my backpack and pour a little water on it. I take the diaper wipes that I picked up at the store I went in. It’s not the best rag bath I have had but it will have to do. The diaper wipe cleans me off and the rag rinses me off. I apply deodorant and then use the rest of the water to brush my teeth again, never know when I will get the next chance. I take my hair down from its ponytail and brush it out and put it back in a messy bun. I clean up around me to try and cover up any traces of me being here. I look around one last time. I know I need to change clothes, but I need to make the ones I have last. I could only bring a few things with me. I wash my panties and bras out in bathrooms. I’m not trying to impress anyone but when I get to the people I’m looking for I hope I don’t smell too bad.
I slap myself in the back of my head. What the heck am I thinking? I don’t even know for sure who I’m looking for. I only remember bits and pieces of conversations I heard when I was still with my Ma and Pop. If I had been caught listening to private conversations I would’ve been given lashes. I never was caught doing anything to cause myself to get the lashes, but all the children and teenagers were made to watch when anyone stepped over those lines. Charity had received them one time when I was young. I had witnessed them more than once, but I always scrunched my eyes close and put my hands over my ears. It didn’t stop me from hearing the screams or from seeing the results on the bodies afterwards. The one-time Charity received lashes was my fault. She took the punishment for something that I did. If the elders ever found out that she lied to them, Charity would’ve received more lashes, and I would’ve received mine. I wanted to tell, but Charity begged me not to. The crime Charity was punished for was leaving the gate open to our goats. I loved the small goats and would sneak in and pet them even when I wasn’t supposed to. Pop explained to us that the goats weren’t pets, they were food, and not to be playing with them. I was less than four and I just couldn’t understand Pop’s reasoning. I was almost caught in the pen and in my hurry to hide from Pop and his friends, who were checking on the animals, I left the gate open. I know Pop knew that I was the one that left the gate open, but Charity stuck to her story and when I was asked, I just shook my head yes in agreement with Charity’s story.
The day the punishment was to be administered, my Pop made me sit right up front with Ma sitting beside. This is how I knew Pop knew, I was the one who left the gate open. Ma never sat beside us during anything but church. I expected Charity to scream like the others when they received punishment, but Charity never made a sound. She had tears running down her face, and I knew she was staying silent for me. My Ma wouldn’t let me close my eyes or I would get punishment. My Pop gave Charity four hard lashes across her back. It tore her dress and I could see the blood running from the lashes. I was devastated but when it finally was over Ma handed me the salve and told me to tend to my sister. Pop carried Charity back to our room and I washed her and put the salve on the cuts and then we held each other as we both cried. I knew then that Charity and I would go through everything in life together. Charity has carried her load and mine and it’s time that I carried the load for a while. I will do whatever it takes to protect my sister, and my niece or nephew. That’s the exact reason I’m out here alone looking for people I don’t know.
Tonight, I am walking into Saltillo and finding a place to hide until morning, and then I will find someone to tell me what I need to know. I know I’m grasping at straws, but that is more than all the bikers have. I feel safe when I’m at the Demented Revengers MC clubhouse, but I never relax. I always feel watched. I know the bikers watch me to keep me safe, but I always have a feeling someone has eyes on me and the one lesson that did stick with me is to rely on my gut feeling. I could’ve shared what I remembered with Charity, Brody, and the Demented Revengers, but they would go charging in and I don’t think this situation calls for guns a blazing.
From
the things I have remembered and pieced together is that before I was ever born that the community was in Saltillo, but the people in our community split into two smaller groups, and Pop took his followers and they split the group. Ma and Pop were always talking about the “lost ones” whatever that means, and their old home. Charity remembers living somewhere else and then moving but she was very young. It was something in my Pop’s voice that told me that he was concerned with these people, not necessarily afraid of them, but apprehensive. I did a little digging on my laptop, and what I found out wasn’t much. The things that I learned on the computer when we were in Dallas has become a lifeline for me. I know these people now own the XXX store and tomorrow I am going to walk into that store and try to be discreet. The only name that I could remember was Cooper Dean and the adult store is in Cooper Dean’s name and he owns the land it sits on. In fact, he owns most everything in Saltillo, and other properties in surrounding cities and smaller towns. I know I took a chance on snooping, but I’m hoping that I flew under the radar. I’m not sure what I expected to find, but I have been told to unravel a puzzle to go back to the beginning and follow the leads. This was as far back as I could go and the chances I took eavesdropping may be worth it if it pays off. The Demented Revengers MC, the other clubs that are helping, and Brody, keep coming up with dead ends and people keep getting hurt, my friends, and I don’t want to lose anyone else. In my head, I’m thinking as soon as I get one good lead I will call in the cavalry, but not until then. I won’t be laughed at or mocked by one certain biker who thinks I’m a child. He’s right, in some ways, but I am more afraid for my sister and friends than I am for myself. I don’t see how that can be considered childish. I try to pull my mind away from that drop-dead gorgeous man. The time I was around Con, he kept pushing me away, but he made me feel things I have never felt before. I’m so attracted to Con, that he takes my breath away, but I will chase no man, especially one that keeps pushing me away. Especially one that’s a man whore like Con. When I witnessed with my own eyes the way he hung on the club girls, but he pushed me away, I felt something inside me break. I will not concentrate on Con in a time like this. My mind needs to concentrate on the task at hand because I’m no martyr, I just want to do my part this time. Today I start getting my answers.
