by Geri Glenn
“Yeah. You told me. Right before you tore out of here like a bat outta hell.”
“No. I mean gone. From her apartment. There’s blood on the floor and her cell is broken right beside it.”
“Fuuuuck. Ya think he’s got her?”
“I know he does.” Panic bubbles its way up my throat. I need to take a deep breath and figure out what to do. Where would he take her? What does he plan to do with her? I look down at the blood on the floor and I know in my gut that it’s hers. He’s got my baby girl and I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. What the fuck do I do?
“What do you need me to do, Ryker?” Jase’s voice brings me out of my panicked fog.
My mind scrambles for an answer. “Call the Devil’s Prez. Last I heard, Krueger’d gone rogue. They may have an idea where he’d be now. Let Gunner know what’s going on. If you have any other ideas, just go with it.”
“On it. You cool?”
I can hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. “He’s got her, Jase.”
“I know, brother.”
“She’s bleedin’.”
“We’ll find her Ryk. Take a breath. You’re not gonna be any help findin’ her if you’re freakin’ out, so you need to lock it down.”
I nod, swallowing down the bile in my throat. “I will. I’ll lock it down.”
“Alright. Text me that number.” He hangs up. I flip through my contacts and text him the one for Deed, the President of the Devils. Deed wants to find Krueger almost as bad as I do; I know he’ll help however he can.
I rack my brain, trying to figure out what to do next. Forcing down my emotions, I go back upstairs to lock Charlie’s apartment before hurrying to my bike. We need a plan; and fast. I need to find her. I need to find that fucker, Krueger; he’s gonna bleed tonight.
Chapter Seventeen
Charlotte
I slowly claw my way out of the darkness, my head pounding along with the beat of my heart. I move to touch my temple, where the worst of the pain is, but my arm doesn’t co-operate. Slowly, I work to peel my eyelids open with a groan. Dazed, I take in my surroundings.
I’m lying on a bare and filthy single mattress that sits on a rusted metal bedframe. My hands and feet are tied to it, spread eagle, with a dirty nylon rope. The bed sits in the corner of a tiny, wooden, one room cabin. There’s a little table with one rickety wooden chair, a small cupboard and a sink with no faucet. An old, beaten up love seat and coffee table sits directly across from me, the table holding several empty beer bottles and a small stack of magazines.
Lifting my head slightly, I try to get a good look at the bindings on my wrists. My head swims with pain as I tug and wiggle my arms, desperately looking for a way to get out of them. They don’t budge. Tied tight, the rope cuts harshly into my skin, and with every tug my skin tears more and more. I can’t stop though. I keep struggling with them, even as I cry out in pain when the blood starts trickling down my arms.
Fear overwhelms me, my breaths coming out in sobs and gasps. Lying my head back in defeat, my mind races for a solution. I need to get out of here! The door to the cabin opens, and there he is.
Krueger stalks into the room carrying a case of beer. Looking up, he smiles at me, baring his crooked yellow teeth.
“Well, rise and shine, sleeping beauty. I was startin’ to wonder if you’d ever wake up.” His friendly tone doesn’t put me at ease – it only freaks me out more. Is he delusional?
He approaches me, reaching to his hip as he gets closer. My heart stutters as he pulls a knife out of the brown leather case on his belt. Standing at the side of the bed, he holds it up, showing me the tool he’s used to end the lives of others. The smile on his face is wicked and cruel. I lose it. I scream, struggling and yanking on my bonds, not caring if I have to cut my own hands off with that filthy rope. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he doesn’t intend to let me leave this bed alive.
My mind flashes to Anna. What will she do without me? Who will take care of her? And Ryker. He is going to feel so guilty. He tried his hardest to keep me safe, but I’d ruined that with my stupid broken heart and wounded pride.
Krueger silences my scream by thrusting the blade of his knife against my throat. I freeze. I’m afraid to breathe. If I move even a fraction, his blade will cut into my skin, possibly ending my life. Staring at him, eyes wide, I try to get control of my breathing so that my throat doesn’t move. My chest burns from the effort.
With his free hand, Krueger reaches down and runs his finger along my body, daring me to squirm. “You know how I got my name?”
I don’t answer. I can’t move. I just continue to stare into his eyes. They scare me more than his knife does. They’re cold and empty; dead. It’s like staring into the eyes of a shark.
“With this knife? I do shit that makes Freddy Krueger look like a saint.” He sneers down at me and grabs my breast, squeezing painfully. A squeak escapes but I manage to hold still, the knife still at my throat.
Releasing my breast, he moves the knife from my throat. Plucking the front of my shirt away from my body, he runs the knife along it, slicing it open from hem to neckline. He does the same with my shorts, leaving me in only my cotton thong panties and a see through, white lace bra. He hums his appreciation low in his throat, causing my stomach to churn.
“I’ve fucked your sister in every position you can imagine.” I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to block the mental image from my mind. “She’s a good lay, but every time I fucked her, I pictured it was you I was fuckin’.” He runs the tip of his blade across my stomach, stopping to flick it across my belly button. I lay there, fear freezing my body solid, goosebumps racing along my skin.
“Hottest fuckin’ bitch I ever laid eyes on. I almost had you last time. I woulda kept you too, but then you knocked me over the fuckin’ head and kicked me in the balls.” He growls in anger, bringing the knife up and placing the tip against my breast. “Then that fucker Ryker calls, and suddenly my Prez tells me to leave you alone. I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE YOU?” He’s screaming at me now. His eyes wild, chest heaving as he glares down at me.
“I’m gonna have you though,” he whispers. His face splits into a wide, crazy grin. “Just can’t keep you.” He brings the knife down to the right of my belly button. “They can’t do shit if they can’t find a body.”
The pain overwhelms me when he plunges that knife deep into my soft belly.
***
Ryker
I’m clutching my phone, waiting to hear something, anything, when it rings. I don’t even look at the caller I.D. to see who it is. Selecting the “Accept” option, I put the phone to my ear. “Yeah?” My voice sounds hoarse.
“Ryker? Deed.” Deed and my old man had hated each other. The two clubs had never gotten along. Since I became vice president of the Kings, I’d worked hard to mend that relationship. Allies were always better than enemies. I considered Deed a friend; maybe not a close one, but a friend nonetheless.
What’ve you got?” It’s five o’clock in the morning. Krueger had taken Charlie around ten o’clock the night before. He’s had her for seven hours now. Each hour my hope of finding my girl alive dwindles just a little bit more.
“Well, it could be nothin’. Then again, it could be exactly what you’re lookin’ for.”
“What the fuck’ve you got?” I don’t have time for fucking riddles. My skin is crawling with dread, and I pray to whatever fucking God may be out there that he can tell me something useful.
“We managed to track down a cousin of Krueger’s. They ain’t close, but he wouldn’t tell us shit. Had to rough him up a bit. Guy’s a fuckin’ pussy. Said Krueger had come to him for money. Mentioned he was in some hot water. Was goin’ to stay at their Grandpa’s old fishin’ shack for a while.”
I sit up in my seat. “Where?”
“About forty five minutes west of Ottawa. He showed us on a map. I’ll text you the GPS co-ordinates.” He pauses. “I don’t know if he’s there or not, but it�
�s the best I’ve got for ya.”
Hope floods me, replacing the despair I was feeling. This is the best lead we’ve had. This has to be it. Charlie’s life depends on it. A remote fishing shack would be the perfect place to take a hostage. “Text me the details.”
“On it. And Ryker?”
I’m already heading for my bike. “Yeah?”
“As much as you’re gonna want to … don’t kill him.” What the fuck? “That sick fucker has a lot to answer for, and we need to talk to him first. You’ll get your blood, but we need a chance to interrogate him.”
Fair enough. “Done.”
“Texting you now. Good luck, brother. I hope you find your girl.”
I manage to bark out a quick “Thanks”, adrenaline coursing through me. Disconnecting, I swing my leg over my bike and start it up. The text comes through with the location. Copying it, I send a mass text to all my brothers with the details, calling everyone to action. Then, I take off to find my baby girl.
Chapter Eighteen
Charlotte
So much pain. My body shakes violently, pain taking over, erasing my fear. I can’t breathe. Krueger yanks his knife free and lifts it to his face. Grinning, he runs his tongue along the length of the blade, my blood collecting on the tip.
“Fuckin’ delicious.” Lowering the blade, he slices it through the center of my bra, leaving a deep cut directly between my breasts. The cups fall to the side, baring my breasts to the chilly air, and his hungry eyes. Those eyes drink the sight in with greed.
Fast as lightening, he darts down and wraps his lips around my nipple, sucking deep. Revulsion courses through my veins.
“You fucking cocksucker!” I scream at the top of my lungs. Rage dulls the pain in my belly. I struggle and flail, once again desperate to release the bindings on my wrists and ankles.
Pulling away, he licks his lips before sneering at me with cold, hate filled eyes. His blade comes down again, plunging deep into my side. I scream in pain, squeezing my eyes closed. Blood gushes from the two puncture wounds in my torso, sticking me to the mattress like cheap glue.
His teeth are on my nipple at the same time I feel his blade at the crotch of my panties. Slicing the tiny piece of fabric, he rips away the last bit of covering I have left. He bites down, hard enough to draw blood. I struggle with everything I have in me, pulling and straining, praying the blood from my wrists acts as a lubricant to make my hands slip free. I can’t feel my hands and feet anymore, blood pouring from beneath the rope. Gasping, I can’t get enough air to fill my lungs and my head swims.
I hear him doing something at the side of the bed. Looking over through blurry eyes, I see him undoing his pants. He climbs up onto the bed, fitting himself between my legs, dick in hand. I try to scream, but the sound is muted from my lack of oxygen. Blackness fills my vision. I’m fading.
Just as I give up, letting the darkness rescue me from the horror of this nightmare, a crash comes from the other side of the cabin. A roar of fury fills my ears as I drift away into the peacefulness of the dark, thanking God for the escape.
***
Ryker
I’d sent the message to all of my brothers, rounding up the troops from wherever they were, to come and meet me at the cabin. I arrive first, Reaper close on my tail. We pull to a stop at the entrance to the path. It’s a three kilometer hike in and I can’t wait for back up. I need to get to Charlie.
Without a word, Reaper and I climb off our bikes, check our guns and take off down the beaten trail. As we get closer, a scream breaks the silence. I break out in a run, Reaper right behind me. She sounds like she’s in pain. Terror rips through me as I push myself to run faster.
We come to a clearing, seeing the cabin several hundred feet away. Slowing, we take in our surroundings, looking for any signs of danger. That’s when I hear her scream again. The sound is quieter; weaker. Fuck.
As one, Reaper and I hurry to the door. I stand aside as he lifts a giant foot and boots the flimsy door in. When I look through the open door rage overwhelms me, a roar of fury escaping my throat. The scene before me is straight out of a horror movie.
Charlie lays tied to an old bed, spread eagle, blood covering her torso. Her eyes are closed, skin white as a sheet. Krueger kneels on the bed, right between her legs, his filthy cock in hand. His turns his head to the door, a look of surprise on his face.
Aiming my gun at his head, I place my finger on the trigger. Reaper clamps his hand down on my arm, a silent warning that we can’t kill him. I don’t care. One look at Charlie and I want nothing more than to rip his guts open with his own knife, then hang the son of a bitch with his own shit filled intestines.
“Stay back!” he roars, raising his knife high over his head, a clear threat that he won’t hesitate to bring it down into her chest. I lower the gun slightly. His body relaxes just before I squeeze the trigger, shooting him in the shoulder.
The knife drops from his hand as he clutches it with shaking hands. His scream of pain fills the tiny cabin. I rush him, knocking him off the bed, away from Charlie. Climbing on top of him, I raise my fist and punch him in the face. Then I punch him again. And again. And again. I grunt with effort every time I land a blow. Blood coats his face and my knuckles. At first he tries to fight me. I don’t even notice when he stops fighting back. I keep punching him, blinded by rage; all reason gone. I’m not aware of anything but my need to kill this motherfucker.
“Ryker!” Reaper’s anxious voice roaring my name slows my fists. He’s on the edge of the bed, untying the last of Charlie’s bindings. My rage clears, panic taking its place. I jump to my feet.
“Charlie!” She’s motionless. Her skin’s so pale, I can see the blue of her veins beneath it. “Baby girl! You need to wake up!”
Helpless, I look to Reaper. He whips off his t-shirt, ripping it in half. Glancing at me quickly, he moves to put pressure on two large gashes on her torso. “Call 911. Give them the co-ordinates. We’ll carry her out to the road to meet them.”
In a daze, I make the call, giving them the address, only telling them a woman’s been stabbed before hanging up.
“Put pressure on these.” I move to press the ripped t-shirt over the two gaping holes. “She’s alive, but barely.” Reaper is anxious, but in control. “She’s not good, brother. She needs a hospital, fast.” Grabbing a ratty afghan off the loveseat, he throws it over her, covering her nudity. “We need to move her to the road without jostling her too much.”
I nod, eyes locked on Charlie’s lips. Those beautiful lips that have given me the most amazing kisses I’ve ever received; they’re turning blue. Reaper looks quickly around the room, then hops off the bed. He moves to the center of the cabin and kicks over the coffee table. Picking up the edge of a ratty pea green area rug, he drags it over beside the bed.
“Help me lift her,” he demands. I stop putting pressure on just long enough to grab her under the arms while Reaper grabs her feet. Together, we lift her down and place her in the center of the rug. “Give me your belt.”
I yank my belt off, handing it to Reaper. He wraps it around her belly, using it to hold the wadded t-shirt in place. He takes off his own and does the same with the other wound before looking up at me. “You know the cops will show?”
I nod, heart hammering in my chest. I can’t speak. The words choke me, stuck in my throat. Charlie may not make it. Deed may not get his interrogation right away, but I don’t give a fuck. Charlie needs an ambulance, and an ambulance means the cops will get involved. I may go to jail for this. I don’t even know if Krueger will live. He may be dead right now for all I know, and it was me that beat him. None of that matters though. Not my freedom. Not my club’s shaky relationship with the Devils. Nothing matters but helping Charlie.
We each take an end of the rug, folding Charlie up in it, and hurry out the door. Jase is running up to the cabin just as we exit. He looks down at the rug, a question on his face.
I finally find the words to speak. “We’re taki
ng Charlie to the road to meet the ambulance. Stay with him ‘til the cops show.”
“Cops? We’re lettin’ the cops in on this shit?” He sounds surprised.
I look down at Charlie before answering. She’s wrapped up in that filthy carpet, covered in blood. She may not live and I don’t know if I can live with that. “Charlie’s in rough shape, Jase. We had to call an ambulance. The cops will be right behind them. We didn’t do this so we have nothin’ to worry about. Krueger is the one that kidnapped her, likely raped her and stabbed her, not us; we stopped him. Just tell ‘em the truth.”
Anger fills his features when I describe what happened to my girl. He nods, then stalks into the cabin.
We make it to the road, arms aching from the long hike, carrying our precious parcel, just as the ambulance approaches. The cops come screaming along right behind them, sirens wailing through the woods.
In a flurry of activity, Charlie’s loaded into the ambulance, tubes sticking out of her everywhere. In the commotion, I hear them mention a possible collapsed lung and internal bleeding. I barely manage to scramble in behind them just as they shut the door. The medic starts to protest, but I glare him down, grab my girls hand and squeeze.
Leaning into her, I kiss the tip of her perfect little nose, and press my forehead into hers. “Stay with me, Charlie. You hear me? You can’t fuckin’ leave me.” Every beep of the machine gives me hope. Fuck. I love her. I didn’t realize it before, but now that I face losing her, I can’t deny it. I can’t imagine a life without Charlie in it.
The beeping in the background becomes a long, steady buzz; her heart monitor. The medic flies into action, beginning CPR. “Sir! You need to sit back. I need to get at the patient.” I blink up at him, my heart dying right along with hers. “Sir! Move!”
He elbows me back, bringing forward the pads of the AED. I slump back against the wall, defeated. Running my hands through my hair, I watch as he tries to shock life back into the only woman I’ve ever loved.
