by Brook Wilder
“Man, that does sound amazing,” Emmett said. “There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“Even if we did manage to get out of town, what about Lizzy? I’m all for putting as much distance as possible between us and Black Rock, but each of those miles puts me further away from my daughter.”
“Well,” I said carefully, “I’m sure Jon can help you and your ex figure something out. Maybe you could convince the two of them to move out to California with us.”
“I doubt it,” he said with a sigh. “Lizzy’s mom needs the support her family offers. Well, it’s still a good dream. Maybe in a couple of years, when Lizzy’s older. Besides, we have a whole list of other problems to figure out before we can even think of leaving town.”
With that, Emmett stood from the bed and went into the bathroom. I felt some of the magic of the past hour slip away from me. It had been a nice escape to lay there and plan our future together, but I knew it was only a temporary reprieve from the frankly deadly reality that surrounded us. I was determined now, though, to do my best to make it more than a just an idle dream.
When Emmett returned with his boxers on, I dressed for bed. We finished off the last of the beer while watching the news before Emmett turned off the light. We had a busy and potentially dangerous day ahead of us, and we both wanted to get as much sleep as possible. Rest eluded me, however, and I laid there in the dark for almost another hour listening to Emmett snore softly next to me. My mind wouldn’t latch onto anyone thought; it was just spinning with anxiety for what the next 24 hours would bring.
When sleep finally came to me, my last thoughts were of the feeling of dread growing within me. I knew we needed to warm Knox, but, as I listened to the rumble of thunder in the distance, I could help but feel that maybe we were making the wrong move.
Chapter 20
We left the motel right as the sun broke over the horizon. Emmett had shaken me awake an hour earlier with a grim look on his face that told me I wasn’t the only one who thought that this adventure might be a bad idea. Instead of abating, the uneasy feeling from the night before had only multiplied as I slept.
“I’m getting this weird feeling,” I said as I finished the last of the crappy cup of coffee I’d brewed in our room. We had just dropped the keys off at the front desk and Emmett had quickly paid in cash before we started toward the bike. “Maybe we should just turn back.”
“I’ve been getting that feeling too like I missed something important. But we’re already out here. We might as well keep going.”
“Can’t we just call Knox?” I asked. It was a long shot and Emmett gave me an annoyed look.
“No land line at the trailer,” he said, “and no cell service. The post office doesn’t even know it exists. The only way to contact Knox is to haul our asses out there.”
He finished speaking with a finality in his voice that didn’t invite an argument, but I pressed on anyway. I usually trusted my gut and, right now, it was screaming at me.
“But Emmett…” I started.
“Look, Olivia,” he said, stopping to face me. “I’m going to Knox, and that’s final. If you don’t want to come along, I’ll leave you here. You can either wait for me to come back or walk back to Black Rock.”
He turned and started walking again without waiting to see if I would follow. I deliberated for half a second before starting to trot after him. He’d saved my ass yesterday, so I at least owed him my cooperation. I had no intention of waiting in this dingy motel all by myself. Besides, if something happened to him I’d be stranded here.
We hopped onto the bike and roared down the highway, away from the motel. The morning air was still slightly cool as it whipped past my face, but I knew that it was only going to get hotter as the day pressed on. Slowly, as we drove, the desert started falling away from us replaced by a backdrop that grew increasingly greener. We also started to climb in elevation and, before long, we were in the middle of an actual forest.
We took a turn off the highway onto a rutted dirt road that led us deeper into the trees. It looked like we were driving out into the middle of nowhere, and I realized how far off the grid his brother truly lived. I heard another rumble of thunder off in the distance, much like the one I had heard last night, and wondered vaguely what we would do if we got caught in a storm. I didn’t have much time to think, though, because all of a sudden Emmett cut the bike engine. He motioned for me to hop off and as soon as I did, he started to wheel the bike off the road and into the bushes that lined the sides of the road.
“We have to go the rest of the way on foot,” he said he arranged some branches to hide the motorcycle. “This is what I meant about it being a bitch to find in the dark.”
“Why hide the bike, though?”
“Just to be safe,” he replied, brushing the dirt off his hands. “I don’t think anyone followed us, but I also don’t want to draw unwanted attention.”
I followed him as he started to pick his way through the trees. The path seemed random, but I could tell by his relaxed attitude that Emmett knew where he was going. Suddenly, a trailer seemed to materialize out of nowhere. It looked like an old airstream traveler trailer that had once been silver but was now covered in a mix of rust and splotches of brown and green paint. Emmett strode right up to the door and knocked several times. The door opened instantly and Knox stepped into the doorway. It was surreal, seeing the two brothers together. They hugged quickly before Knox motioned for us to enter. I tried my best not to openly gape at them and followed Emmett into the trailer.
The interior was exactly what I had expected from a bachelor pad in the middle of the woods. There were no dishes in the sink, but the trash betrayed the fact that Knox was partial to paper plates and microwave meals. He quickly cleared some of his junk off of the bench seating that lined one wall of the trailer, and I could definitely tell that the two brothers didn’t share the same attitude toward cleaning. They also didn’t look completely identical after close inspection. Though their hair and general build were the same, Knox definitely looked scrappier than his brother. He also had a proliferation of tattoos peeking out from under his clothing, and I caught a glimpse of the damning tattoo on his bicep. Their eye color was also different, and I saw why the couple who owned the diner hadn’t been able to forget Knox’s green eyes. They definitely looked like they were glowing.
“What the hell are you doing here, Emmett?” he asked. “And who’s the chick?”
“This is Olivia, my lawyer, and we came here to warn you,” Emmett replied. It was definitely weird to hear them converse since their voices sounded identical. If I closed my eyes, it would be like one person having a long conversation with himself.
“Warn me about what? That you have a new girlfriend?” Knox asked, a grin forming on his face.
“Look, man, I tried my best, but the police are going to really start looking for you now. They know you’re the one who did it.”
“What the hell? Don’t tell me you snitched on me!”
“I didn’t, Knox, seriously,” Emmett said. Knox had stood from his seat and was pacing the length of the trailer. “They had a video for Christ sake. You knew as well as I that it was only a matter of time.”
Knox didn’t reply and, instead, sent a pile of empty boxes flying off the counter with a sweep of his arm. I could tell he was hunting for something else to destroy so I jumped in in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
“It’s not Emmett’s fault,” I said calmly. “It’s mine. I’m the one who brought it to the police’s attention that the video clearly shows a man with a tattoo shooting Wildcard. The diner owners also saw your eyes and clearly remember that they were green, not blue like Emmett’s. I’m sorry we put you in this position, I really am, but it’s my job as Emmett’s lawyer to do everything in my power to prove his innocence.”
Knox was considerably calmer now, and I wondered if it was my speech or if he had just needed to blow off some steam. He was stand
ing in front of us now with a sad look on his face.
“No, you don’t need to be sorry. I’m the one who should apologize. You and Emmett should have never been put in that situation and it was selfish of me to throw my own brother under the bus like that.”
“It’s alright, Knox,” Emmett said as he stood to hug his brother. After they separated, he continued. “Also be careful who in the Martyrs you talk to. Apparently, word got out and now Wendell wants both Liv’s and my head over this for snitching.”
Just then, a rumble sounded in the distance. This time, it was less like thunder and more like the sound of approaching engines. A lot of engines.
“Shit,” Knox said. “I bet it’s the police.”
“Did they follow us?” I asked.
“Maybe, but I doubt it,” Knox replied. “I’ve been less than careful lately coming back from my restocking runs. Look, I’ll dash and you two give the force the run-around. If it’s not too much to ask, that is, to save my ass one more time.”
“No problem, brother,” Emmett said and Knox was out of the trailer like a flash.
“I guess we’ll tell them that we’re the ones who’ve been living here?” I asked. The engines had died down, but that probably meant that whoever had come here was now following the same route through the forest that Emmett and I had taken. Emmett barely had a chance to nod before an oddly familiar voice called from outside.
“I know you two are in there!” the voice said. “Come on out quietly and we won’t incinerate the place.”
I glanced out the window and saw none other than Capone standing with his back to the tree line. He had a smug grin on his face and a shotgun in his hand.
“He’s alone!” Emmett whispered. “The gun aside, we could probably knock him out long enough to get away.”
“He’s not, though, look,” I hissed back, pointing to the trees. As if on cue, a circle of bikers stepped into the clearing, effectively surrounding us. Each one carried some sort of firearm and it looked like Capone had chosen the biggest and meanest looking men the club had to offer.
I shot a worried glance at Emmett but he just gave me a grim nod. He started toward the door and exited, holding his palms to the sky. I followed suit and stepped out of the trailer and toward my fate.
Chapter 21
“Well, well,” Capone said as soon as we stopped. We had come a couple of paces out of the trailer and now stood in the middle of the ring of bikers. “Looks like we have a two for one deal. Too bad it wasn’t three. I take it Knox bugged out as soon as you told him?”
Emmett didn’t reply, stubbornly staring at the ground in front of him. I kept quiet too since I had no idea what to say next. I noticed most of the bikers had red gasoline containers in hand, along with their guns. I wondered what exactly Capone had in mind for us.
“Answer me, boy. Where the hell is your brother?” Capone continued. His voice seemed calm but it had a razor sharp edge to it.
“He ran, that’s all I know,” Emmett replied, “Didn’t slow down enough to tell me where.”
“Don’t like to me, you know exactly where he went.”
“Truly, I don’t,” Emmett said. “We just came here to warn him about the cops. I’m surprised you didn’t run into him, considering how quickly you descended on us after he left.”
“We’ll catch up to him eventually. What matters is we got a hold of you two.”
“Look, Prez,” Emmett said. “Can we just talk this over?”
“The time for talking is long gone, Emmett. If you had only kept your mouth shut from the beginning, none of this would have happened.”
“Fine, then, hurt me all you want, but let Olivia go. She was just doing her job.”
“I don’t care!” Capone yelled. “If she wants to just waltz into our territory any old time she pleases, then she’ll have to face the consequences.”
“Why do there even have to be consequences!” Emmett yelled, his voice rising to match Capone’s. “Why does it matter so much if Knox goes to jail over something you told him to do!”
“Because it ruins everything!” he screamed. Capone’s eyes were wild now and small flecks of spit were flying from his mouth. “You’ve been against me since you could walk, Emmett. How I had prayed that you could be more like your brother. He was the perfect soldier, the one I’d chosen to take over the club after I retired. You were always the evil one, though, set out to ruin all my dreams.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t you play stupid, boy. I know what your real plans were. You just couldn’t stand that Knox was going to be the one in charge, so you made up this phony excuse about going to college. All you wanted to do was run off and start a rival club of your own. If I let you go, it’d only be a matter of time before you rode back into Black Rock to overthrow the Martyrs and take my post.”
“That was never…” Emmett sputtered, “I just wanted to get out! I never wanted anything to do with the Martyrs or your position! You and Dad were the ones who forced it on me!”
“I told Knox to kill Wildcard,” Capone continued as if he hadn’t heard Emmett. “We needed that spy taken out and I saw the potential to kill two birds with one stone. I paid off a couple of higher ups in the force to steer the search away from Knox.” Capone then shot a quick glance at me that was full of disgust. “I knew the court would assign some dumb bitch to defend you, so I figured the case was in the bag. You would rot in jail, Knox would become my second in command, and that would be the end of any insurrection. What I don’t understand, though, is how everything went to shit. I never took you for the type to snitch on your brother. In fact, I planned everything on that.”
“That’s my fault, sir,” I said boldly. Emmett looked at me with panic in his eyes, but I figured that maybe if telling the truth had worked on Knox, it might work on Capone. It was a long shot, but we were out of options at this point. “I was the one who pointed out to the police that it was clearly Knox on the security footage, not Emmett. I think once they realized that I had figured out what happened, they couldn’t ignore the evidence any longer without revealing their corruption.”
“Good,” Capone said, “All the more reason to burn you alive.”
Without another word, Capone slammed his fist into Emmett’s face. I could tell by the way Emmett reeled from the blow that Capone was a seasoned fighter. He kept on hitting Emmett, with one well-aimed punch after another with Emmett making no attempt to defend himself. I tried to run to them, but another biker appeared from behind me and held me back.
“Just hold still,” he whispered in my ear. “You’ll just get hurt if you try and jump in there. It’s best to just let Capone have his way, for now. Not everyone here agrees with what the Prez is doing, myself included, and I’m going to do my best to see that you two survive this afternoon, at least.”
I stopped moving, too stunned and afraid to do anything else.
“There,” Capone said with a final kick to Emmett’s side, “If you thought that was bad, girly, this is only act one! Tex, Buster, get these two into the trailer and make sure to get their valuables. Charles, get the ropes and tie these two up. Make sure the knots are tight. If they get loose, I’ll be gunning for your head next.”
Charles led me into the trailer while the other two bikers dragged Emmett behind us. They sat us back to back in the middle of the floor and Charles wound two thick hemp ropes around us. After Tex and Buster had left, Charles finished the knots.
“I left everything loose,” he said in a hurried whisper. “Capone has had a flair for the dramatic lately, so I think he’ll make this a long, slow burn. Get yourselves loose as soon as you smell the fire and hop out the back window. I’ll make sure you two can make a clean getaway.”
Emmett was still unconscious but I gave Charles a grim nod of thanks before he darted out the door. I started to examine the ropes with my fingers and found that it would be relatively easy to get free. What I didn’t fully understand, though,
was how I even came to be a trailer in the middle of nowhere waiting for a gang of ruthless bikers to burn me alive. The pungent odor of gasoline started to waft in, causing panic to spring up within me. I heard the flick of a lighter just before the acrid smell of burning pine needles hit my nose. I turned my head as far as I could, trying to peek out the still door. I could see flames dancing bright orange in the clearing and the receding shadows of the bikers as they left us behind to burn.
I started to fumble with the knots as the sweat and adrenaline make my hands slip again and again. After what seemed like an eternity, I was making some progress. Emmett slumped onto the cabinet next to us as I undid the last of the knots and I jumped over him so that we were face to face.
“Emmett!” I screamed, smacking his cheeks. The smell of burning was growing stronger by the second and the air around us was already stifling. If I couldn’t get Emmett to wake up now, escape would be impossible. I started crying, still screaming his name at him as I held his face in my hands. Just when I was about to give up hope, he roused, eyes fluttering wildly.
