by L. Wilder
“Okay.” He got out of the car, and before he closed the door, I shouted, “You and Tony have fun tomorrow.”
“We’re gonna try!”
After he closed the door, I waited for him to unlock the door and step inside the house, then I put the car in reverse and started to back out of the driveway. I was just about to pull out onto the road when I noticed a car slowing down in front of a house with a crowd of people standing in the front yard. It looked like they were about to park when suddenly two arms extended from the windows. Even in the dark, I could tell they had guns in their hands. My heart started pounding in my chest as I watched bursts of light explode from the barrels of their weapons. Horror washed over me as the sounds of gunfire and terrified screams echoed in the darkness. I sat there completely stunned as the car sped off, leaving death in its wake.
“Oh god. Oh god,” I muttered to myself, over and over again.
I simply couldn’t wrap my head around what I’d seen. I couldn’t comprehend it. I’d never experienced anything even remotely close to something like that and didn’t know what to think or do. I was parked at the end of Jack’s driveway when he and Tony came rushing out their front door. As soon as Jack noticed I was still there, he came running towards my car, but before he could reach me, I had completely backed out and was turning the wheel.
“Alyssa! Wait,” he shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”
Ignoring him, I whipped my car out onto the road and raced in the direction that the car had gone. I knew it was an absolutely crazy move and that I was putting myself in danger, but I had to do something. I could hear my phone ringing in my purse, but I ignored it. I knew it was Jack. He had to be worried sick, but I didn’t have time to talk to him. I had to try and get a better look at the men in the car. If I could just get the make of the car or the license plate number, I could tell the police what I’d seen.
As I drove by the house that had been hit, I spotted three men sprawled out on the ground. It was difficult to see their faces, but there was no missing the blood that soaked their clothes. I didn’t even notice the color of the house or the cars in the driveway. My sole focus was on the three bodies that lay sprawled out in the tall grass. There was no mistaking that they were all dead as I watched their family members hover over them, crying hysterically as they pleaded with the heavens to heal their wounded loved ones. It was something that I might’ve seen in the movies, but never would’ve expected to see in real life. I had to do something, anything that might help these people in some way.
I was on the verge of tears as I continued forward, hoping to catch up to the shooters before they disappeared into the night. I never took my eyes off the car as I reached down to the floorboard and grabbed my purse. I needed to get my phone to call the police, but as I dug around, I couldn’t seem to find my phone. I was still fumbling through it when I spotted them just a few blocks ahead of me. Adrenaline kicked in as I immediately slowed down and waited for an opportunity to inch closer.
Not wanting to take a chance on them seeing me, I kept my distance, doing my best to act like I wasn’t actually following them. After they turned down a deserted street, I waited a couple of moments before following behind. I’d just managed to find my phone when I noticed the car slowing down. Thinking they’d arrived at their destination, I turned off my headlights and waited as they came to a complete stop a few yards ahead. I was just starting to dial 9-1-1 when the car doors opened and the men started to get out. My hands were trembling as I pressed the first two numbers, and just as I was about to press the final one, something about the men in front of me caught my attention. I stopped and leaned forward as I tried to get a better look, and that’s when I noticed something oddly familiar about one of them.
I couldn’t figure out what it was about him as the men grabbed a jug of gasoline from the trunk and poured it over the car. It wasn’t until they lit the car on fire and the glow of the blaze revealed their faces that I realized I was looking at my brother—and not only him, but Beckett, Shadow, and Murphy. I dropped the phone in my lap as the realization hit me: they were the ones responsible for killing those men. They’d done it. It wasn’t something I wanted to believe. Both Clay and Beckett meant so much to me, and it made my blood run cold to even think that they could do something so malicious. I tried to convince myself that I was wrong, that I’d made some terrible mistake, but it was impossible. I’d seen it all with my very own eyes.
As soon as the car was engulfed in flames, they rushed over to a different car that was parked directly across the street. Seconds later, they were all inside and hauling down the street. I, on the other hand, couldn’t move. I was too shocked and completely distraught. It was as if the whole scene replayed itself in slow motion as I thought back to the moment I saw their car creeping down the street, the shock I felt when their hands extended through the windows, and as I sat there, I could almost smell the scent of burning gunpowder. I tried to shake the thoughts from my head, but I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t stop thinking about the gut-wrenching sounds of the screams and the gunfire exploding around me. It was all so surreal, and I couldn’t imagine how Clay or Beckett could do something so terrible. It just didn’t make any sense.
I have no idea how long I sat there on that abandoned road, crying as I watched the flames engulf that car. Hell, I probably would’ve still been sitting there if I hadn’t heard the police sirens roaring in the distance. The last thing I wanted was to be pulled into the craziness that had unfolded before me, so I turned on my lights and started driving.
13
T-Bone
When we got to Desmond’s place, it was just like Riggs had said it would be. He was out in the yard, smoking dope with a couple of the other Genocide members, and they had no clue what was about to go down. As we pulled up to the house, I could almost feel the eagerness radiating off my brothers, and rightly so. These assholes had made the mistake of thinking that they could get the best of Satan’s Fury, and we were about to prove them wrong. Murphy looked over to me as he said, “Let’s do this shit.”
Seconds later, Murphy had pulled up to the house. Hyde and I rolled down our windows and extended our weapons, aiming directly at Desmond and the other two members. A wave of satisfaction washed over me when Desmond first noticed us pulling up to the house. His eyes grew wide with surprise as he tried to dart away, but we were too quick for him. Hyde and I started shooting, being careful not to hit any bystanders, and after only a matter of seconds, we’d annihilated them—all three of the men were dead—and there wasn’t a single ounce of me that felt bad about the fact. They’d brought it on themselves.
As soon as the deed was done, we sped off and headed to the street where we’d left the second car. Once we’d parked and everyone got out, we torched the car, making sure to erase any evidence that could cause us blowback. Even though there would be little left of it, we knew the cops would still be able to use the VIN number and license plate to trace the car back to the owner, so we left it—completely engulfed in flames—as we headed to our second location.
We hadn’t been driving long when Hyde said, “Is it just me, or do y’all wish there had been more of those motherfuckers?”
“Not alone there, brother.”
“It pisses me the fuck off how they got Gus like that.” He grumbled in frustration. “It’s like—fuck, man, don’t be a fucking pussy and go after the man when he’s getting goddamn dinner for his family. Who does that shit?”
“Cowards do that, Hyde. Fucking cowards.”
“Well, it’s only a matter of time before they see just how big they fucked up.”
“You got that right. These motherfuckers are going down. Each and every one of them,” I growled.
“Damn straight,” Murphy growled.
As we got closer to the location of the second hit, I felt a slight twinge of guilt. The club hadn’t had any trouble with the Fallen, but then I remembered that the two we were about to kill
were far from good guys. Riggs had done his research and had chosen Chris Carter and Johnny Hobs, two of the Fallen’s worst, for us to take down. Carter was a known child sex offender who’d killed his entire family when a drug deal went bad. Hobs had a thing for getting high and robbing the elderly. He’d kill them in their sleep, then swipe anything valuable in their home. Add in the fact that they’d both kept their neighborhood up in arms with all their fucked-up antics, and suddenly I wasn’t feeling the slightest bit guilty as Murphy turned to me and asked, “You ready?”
“Absolutely.”
We drove by the house to make sure the two were actually outside and within range, and when we found them both sitting on the steps getting blazed, Murphy pulled us back around. As we approached the house, Hyde and I rolled down our windows and prepared to take our shot. The second I had Hobs in my line of sight, I pulled the trigger, sending a round of gunfire in his direction. Hyde did the same with Carter, and once we were certain they had both been taken out, I gave Murphy the signal, letting him know the job had been done.
As we sped down the street, Shadow said, “I’m ready for this shit to be over. Let’s ditch this fucking car and get back to the clubhouse.”
“You got it.”
Murphy drove us to an isolated street where a prospect was waiting for us in one of the club’s SUVs, and once we’d torched the Mercedes, we were on our way. We hadn’t gotten far before Hyde asked, “How long are we gonna have to wait before we make our move on the Genocide?”
“Shouldn’t be long,” Murphy asked. “You know how things get out, especially with shit like this.”
“I hope so, ’cause I’m ready to make those assholes rue the day they fucked with Fury.”
“You and me both, brother.”
With everything that was going on, none of us had really talked about the lockdown. I wanted to ask Hyde about Lyssa but didn’t want to make him suspicious, so I was relieved when Murphy turned to Shadow and asked, “You guys ready for the lockdown?”
“Alex is there now. What about Riley? She coming tonight or waiting until morning?”
“Should be there now.” Murphy turned to Hyde as he asked, “What about you? What’s your plan with Landry?”
“She had to work late but should be there by the time we get back.”
“What about your sister? You gonna have her come down?” Murphy asked.
“I don’t know. She’s got a lot going on with her new job. You really think there’s a need for that?”
“It’s your call, but if she were my sister, I would. I’d do whatever I could to keep her out of harm’s way.”
“She isn’t gonna like it.”
“Hell, nobody does, but at least she’d be safe.”
“You have a point there.” I had no idea if Booker and his boys knew about Alyssa being his sister, so I was pleased when I heard him say, “I’ll go by there tonight and get her.”
It was at that moment I realized that I needed to talk to Hyde and tell him about the situation with Alyssa. He had a right to know that I was spending time with his sister, but there was too much going on, too many distractions. Between Gus and taking down the Genocide, I needed to wait until we both had a clear head, so I kept my mouth shut. When we got back to the clubhouse, Riggs and the others were already back and waiting for us inside.
As soon as we walked into the conference room, they were all sitting around the table talking. The second Riggs noticed us come in, he asked, “Well?”
“It’s done. Everything went as planned.” I answered. “How did it go with you guys?”
“The same.” Blaze chuckled as he told everyone, “I gotta tell ya, Gauge showed some real fucking talent painting those gang signs. The man’s got talent.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, brother,” Gauge argued. “Just doing what needed to be done.”
“Well, he did it, and did it well.” Blaze leaned back in his chair. “We made sure the Fallen’s bar was empty before we torched it and did the same for Booker’s liquor store. Overall, I’d say we had a successful night.”
“Great.” Moose stood, and there was no missing the relief in his voice as he said, “Good work tonight, boys. Really fuckin’ good.”
Riggs nodded. “Yeah, every gang in the city is gonna be talking about what went down tonight, and when the cops find those two torched cars, it’ll only be a matter of time before they start looking into the Fallen Ones and the Genocide.”
“And when that happens, we set our sights on taking down the Genocide for good,” Moose added.
“So, what’s the plan there?” Murphy asked. “More drive-bys and bullshit or are we gonna get a chance to give them a real taste of Fury?”
“Oh, we’re gonna to give them more than just a taste. We’re gonna draw them into their own warehouse and take them out one by one.”
“And how exactly are we gonna draw them in?” Shadow asked.
“Still working on that.”
“You said Booker has a security system at the warehouse, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, pretty damn good one too.”
“Then why don’t we use it to our advantage?” I leaned forward as I looked across the table at my brothers. “Booker has to know that it’s only a matter of time before we start putting two and two together. I say we go on and do the drive-by, and when we’re done there, we head straight to the warehouse. Make it look like we’re just there to poke around and get info. Booker and his crew will come thinking he’s gonna get the jump on us, but in reality, we’ll be there waiting to take them down.”
“It could work, but it would be risky—especially for those who are inside,” Murphy replied with concern.
“Not if we play it right.” I looked over to Riggs as I asked, “Have you been able to break into their security system?”
“No, but I will.”
“Well, there’s no point in even trying to figure this shit out until you do.”
“Bone is right,” Moose agreed. “Besides, it’s late. We’ve done all we can tonight. You boys go see about your families, then try to get some rest. We can get back at it first thing in the morning.”
We were all exhausted, so none of us disagreed. As we started to disperse, I noticed Hyde rushing out of the room. He was talking on his burner, so I assumed he was calling Alyssa—or so I hoped. Several of the other brothers followed him out the door, but Moose remained seated at the table. I walked over and sat down next to him. “You heard anything from Samantha?”
“She said the doctor wanted to run some tests tomorrow.”
“What kind of tests?”
“Not exactly sure, but from the way she was talking, I could tell she was worried about it.” Concern filled his eyes as Moose continued, “I’ll go by there in the morning to see if I can find out anything more.”
“Let me know when you’re going, and I’ll go with ya.”
“Sure thing.” He gave me a brotherly pat on the shoulder. “Let’s plan to head over after we meet for church.”
“Sounds good.”
I walked out the door, and as I started down the hall, Alyssa crossed my mind. Usually by this time of night, I was already at her place. We would’ve had dinner and been in bed for at least a couple of hours. I hadn’t had a chance to let her know I wasn’t coming, but I hoped to be able to explain when Hyde brought her to the clubhouse. Wanting to make sure that he’d made it over there, I took out my phone and sent her a message.
Me:
Hey. Have you talked to Hyde?
I waited a few minutes, and when I didn’t get an answer, I messaged her again.
Me:
You okay?
When she still didn’t answer, I tried calling her, but got no answer. Worried that something might be wrong, I left my room and started out to the parking lot. I’d just made it out to my bike when I heard Murphy call out to me. “Hey, Bone. Where you headed?”
“I was gonna go check on Alyssa.”
His brows furrowe
d. “And why’s that?”
“I just wanted to make sure she knew about the lockdown.”
“Hmm. Well, Hyde’s taking care of it. He’s headed over to her place now.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I just saw him leave about half an hour ago,” Murphy answered. “Should be back any minute.”
“Good. Glad to hear that.”
“What’s with you and this chick? ’Cause I got the feeling that something more is going on with you two than what you’ve been lettin’ on.”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure it is.” He shook his head. “You gonna talk to Hyde about it?”
“Yeah, just haven’t had a chance with all that’s been going on.”
“Well, Hyde thinks a lot of you. I’d hate for that to change, and it will if he thinks you two have been keeping shit from him,” Murphy warned.
“You’re right. I’ll talk to him in the morning.”
“Good. You won’t regret it.” He paused for a moment, then said, “You think this shit we did tonight is gonna play out the way we want it to?”
“Certainly hope so.”
We continued talking for several minutes and were on our way back inside the clubhouse when Hyde rolled through the gate. Murphy and I stopped and watched as he pulled up to the front door and parked. The second he got off, he let out a stream of curses as he took off his helmet, making it clear that something was wrong. Curious to see what was up, we walked over to him, and before I could form the words, he grumbled, “It’s official. My sister is the most stubborn woman on the planet.”
“Why’s that?”
“I went over there, told her that she might be in danger and that I needed her to come here for the lockdown, but she refused.” He ran a hand through his hair and grumbled. “And if that’s not enough, she basically told me to fuck off and give her some fucking space. Hell, I hadn’t seen or talked to her in over a week, but what-the-fuck ever. I tried.”
