by K. C. Lynn
“He will fucking talk,” I reply before getting out of the truck.
Cooper curses and quickly follows me out. “Listen, Walker, you let me try first. If he doesn’t talk then you can have at him, but don’t cross the line and make me intervene.”
“I will let you talk to him first,” I respond, making no promises because I will fucking cross any lines that I need to.
I ignore the sounds coming from across the parking lot, by the chick getting her brains fucked out, and enter the dim-lit bar that’s clouded with smoke and littered with fat, greasy bikers. Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks at us like the outsiders we are.
“Pig,” someone calls out, while others make snorting noises. I’m assuming they know Cooper, considering he isn’t in uniform.
Coop rolls his eyes and looks at me. “That shit gets old so fucking fast, it would be nice to hear some new ones.”
I watch his eyes scan the place before his gaze lands on someone at the far end of the bar. I know that’s our guy when he starts making his way to him. The three of us follow and make sure to keep our eyes on our surroundings.
Evans leans over, “Yeah, these assholes aren’t Sons of Anarchy, they’re too fat.”
I grunt, knowing what he’s trying to do. Trying to lighten shit up, because I’m sure he can tell I’m close to fucking losing it. The problem is, nothing can calm the rage that’s threatening to erupt, not until I have Red and the kid back safe.
“Silas,” Cooper greets a short, pudgy asshole with long, brown, greasy hair, and the most pathetic skull tattoo I’ve ever seen, on his meaty bicep.
“Sheriff,” he mimics back with a smirk.
“Do you have any idea where Spike and Dennison are ton…”
“Nope,” the prick answers before Coop even finishes the question, and it’s easy to tell he’s lying.
I step forward but Coop holds his hand in warning. “So you don’t know anything about the kidnapping of a woman and kid they did tonight, or where they might be holding them?”
“Nope, and I wouldn’t fucking tell a pig like you if I did.”
I feel my temper spike, waiting for Coop’s word, but he doesn’t give it to me. Instead he lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Here’s the thing, Silas. I’m not here as a cop tonight. I’m here with some friends of mine, ones who you don’t fuck with, and your friends ended up fucking with one of them by taking his woman and kid. So if you don’t start talking and tell me what you know, I’m going to let you see what exactly my friends are capable of.”
The guy glances briefly at us before grunting then goes to take a long pull of his beer.
“Okay, time’s up.” With lightning speed, I knock the bottle from his mouth and catch it in the air before slamming his head into the counter. He howls as blood spews from his nose, but I don’t let up. Wrapping my hand around the motherfucker’s throat, I slam him to his back on the table behind him before shattering the beer bottle in my hand and holding the broken glass to his throat.
I briefly register a commotion going on behind me before glancing back and seeing Jaxson, Sawyer and Cooper’s guns trained on three guys. Splintered tables around them, and another three guys on the floor. Knowing they got it under control I turn back to the fucker in front of me. “You tell me what I want to fucking know or I will gut you like the fat pig you are.”
“I don’t know anything,” he grinds out.
“You’re fucking lying!” I shove the sharp glass under his jaw, giving him a good slice, making him howl again in pain. “That’s a fucking millimeter next to your major artery, one little fucking nick and you’re dead. Tell me what I want to know, or I fucking swear it’s next.” Pure fear sparks in his eyes but he still doesn’t talk. I shake my head. “Fine!”
“No, no, wait! Listen, I had nothing to do with it, I swear. They asked me if I wanted in. Dennison said we’d split the three mil equally but I turned them down, I’m not into fucking hurting kids, man.”
I like how he says nothing about hurting women. “Tell me where he’s keeping them.” I shove the bottle higher, slicing him again when he doesn’t answer immediately.
“Ow fuck!”
“Quit wasting my fucking time and tell me where they are! This is your last fucking chance, asshole!”
“Okay, okay. Dennison has a cabin about thirty minutes from here. It used to belong to his wife; Spike said that’s where they were keeping them. I swear I know nothing else, that’s all.”
I lift him by his bloody throat, bringing him back to the bar, then shove a napkin in front of him. “Write the fucking directions down.”
“I don’t have a pen,” he wheezes. Suddenly, one gets thrown in front of him from the bartender, who looks about ready to piss himself.
After he’s done, I look at the napkin then hand it to Cooper. “You better not be fucking lying to me, because if they aren’t there I will come back here and bleed you of every fucking organ you possess. Do you understand?”
He grinds his teeth and nods.
“Good.” I look over at the others. “Let’s go!”
After the three of us get back in Coop’s truck, he guns it and calls in for backup. “If we’re lucky I can make it there in under twenty minutes.”
“Make it ten,” I tell him, but even that is too long. The closer we get, the more I allow my darkness to surface. For those bastards’ sakes they better not have hurt either of them in any way, or what I did to those motherfuckers in Iraq will look like nothing in comparison to what I will do to them.
CHAPTER 35
Faith
I pull at the rotted wood, my fingertips swollen and bloody, pulsating to the same rhythm of pain in my head, but I don’t give up. “We’re almost there, Christopher, a little more and I think we can make it out.” The problem is the higher we get, the dryer the wood is, and that is not easy to rip out.
“Shit!” he curses when the next board won’t pull and shakes his head in frustration, his body exhausted. “Here, back up!”
I move out of the way and he starts kicking at the dry board. It does more than what our hands were doing but still not enough, at least not fast enough. I try to assist, but since my feet are bare I’m not much help. Finally, after a good few minutes of non-stop kicking, I hear the wood crack. He stops and we both move forward, pulling with all of our strength until it gives away.
He looks over at me, “Do you think we can make this? Because I’m not sure we can break much more.”
I assess the small opening and nod, knowing we don’t have much choice; we have to at least try.
“Okay. I’ll go first then I can help you from the other side.”
“Okay, be careful and go slow.”
He moves forward then stops and turns back, looking at the scattered bones in the corner. He crawls over and I see him pick something up off the ground and shove it in his pocket. I’m assuming it was his mother’s ring. I give him a strong hug before pushing him to the small opening. He gets down on his belly and maneuvers himself every which way, grunting and moaning until he gets his head and shoulders to the other side.
“You okay, Christopher?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
I push at the bottom of his sneakers with my cuffed hands, hoping the extra shove will help, and it seems to, because after another minute, he’s out. I laugh softly in relief then try to follow what he did, mine proving much more difficult with my hands cuffed in front of me. I try to ignore what’s in the mud as I sink the side of my face in it. The rough wood scrapes against my cheek, adding to the throbbing pain in my head, my bare shoulders getting the same treatment. Once I have my top half out I try to get on my elbows, but gasp in pain from the pressure on my lower back.
“Just wait. Lay completely flat and your arms out in front of you.” I do as he says, and he grasps my wrists then pulls me slowly. I try to ignore the sting on the backs of my legs from the splintered wood, but thankfully I’m out before I know it.
“Oh my
god, we did it,” I breathe out relieved, slinging my cuffed wrists around his neck.
He hugs me back briefly, “Come on, let’s go.”
We stand up and look both ways. “I think we should go toward the front,” I whisper. “I don’t know what’s behind here, but if we go to the front we know there is a road a little ways down, and hopefully we can flag down a driver. We just have to steer clear of any windows.”
He nods in agreement then grabs my arm to pull me with him. I bend my elbows bringing my wrists under my chin finding it easier to move quicker. Just as we make it to the side of the house I hear the back door slam open behind us, and my heart completely stops in fear.
“What the fuck did he say?” I hear Floyd ask in a rage.
“He just said the cop and three guys came to the bar, the one sounded like that boyfriend of hers, and, supposedly, the bastard almost fucking sliced open Silas’ throat until he gave up our location.”
“Fuck! I fucking knew we shouldn’t have said anything to that pussy,” he seethes, his voice sounding further away.
Christopher and I look at each other then start running as fast as we can, knowing we are about to be found out, and sure enough, seconds later I hear a loud bang in the distance. “Fuck! Where the fuck are they?”
“Shit. Faith, come on, we have to move faster.” I try but stumble a few times on my damn feet, thankfully Christopher manages to keep me upright by the hold he has on my arm.
“There they are!” I hear Spike shout.
I glance behind me to see them racing after us, and watch as Floyd raises his gun in our direction. I scream when a shot goes off.
“Don’t look behind you, just keep moving!” Christopher shouts, pulling me faster. It’s faster than what my feet are capable of, and I land on my stomach painfully.
“Ugh!” I shout in frustration, then get back up quickly with the help of Christopher and push myself harder. “If that happens again, you keep going, Christopher, and don’t stop.”
“No. I’m not leaving you.”
“Yes. You have to, it’s…” Just as we head into the woods another shot goes off, and this time I hear the bullet whiz past my ear.
A whimper of fear rips from my throat but I continue to push myself to my limits, and try to ignore the sharp pieces of earth biting painfully into the bottom of my feet.
A minute later, Christopher pulls me off to the side and hides us behind a tree. He holds his finger up to his lips, motioning me to be quiet, and I try to stop my heavy breathing but my lungs are craving oxygen badly.
“Shit, man, come on, let’s just get the fuck out of here before they show up.” I still and hold my breath at the sound of Spike’s voice and pray with everything I am that Floyd agrees, but no such luck.
A second later I hear a branch snap, sounding too close for comfort. “Come out, there is nowhere for you to hide, I know these woods like the back of my fucking hand, and if you don’t surrender now, when I do catch you, I will fucking make you suffer just like I did your bitch of a mother.”
I feel Christopher tense before leaning in and putting his mouth right against my ear, “I’m going to lead them that way,” he whispers, pointing across the woods in the opposite direction. I shake my head frantically then feel myself sway with dizziness. “Yes. This is our only choice, and I can run faster than you right now. Cade and the others will be here soon, we just need to hold out until they do. It will be okay, I promise.” Before I can stop him, he’s gone.
“There!” I hear several branches crack from fast and heavy boot falls. I slam my hand over my mouth to cover my scream of fear when I hear another shot.
Everything goes silent, no crackling, no movement, no nothing. I keep my hand over my mouth and try to pull in enough oxygen through my nose, my heart pounding rapidly in my ears.
A wave of terror slices through me when I hear a sudden, loud crack and Christopher bellow in pain. “You little fucking bastard,” Floyd yells, “I got him. You better come out, bitch, or I kill him right here, right now.”
“Don’t do it, Faith. Stay where you are!”
I hear him strike Christopher again. “You have three seconds to come out, or I will put a fucking bullet in his head. One!…”
“Don’t do it, Faith!”
I cry in defeat, knowing I can’t take the chance whether he’s serious or not.
“Two!”
“Stop, I’m here,” I yell, stepping out from behind the tree. “I’m right here. Please don’t hurt him.”
“Grab her!” he orders Spike, who is already storming toward me.
Before I can brace myself for what’s about to happen, he backhands me. The unexpected hit knocks me to the ground and has darkness dancing at the edge of my vision. “Your goddamn boyfriend is a real pain in the fucking ass.”
I scream in pain when he pulls me back up by my hair and starts dragging me through the woods quickly, ripping the strands from my head.
“Let go of her, you asshole!” Christopher struggles to fight against his father, trying to get away from him.
I hear them scuffle before he comes into view, getting dragged along next to me, his father’s arm wrapped tightly around his neck. Just as we are halfway to the car, a bright light falls from the sky and the noise of a chopper sounds above us.
“Oh fuck!” Spike yells.
A second later a truck comes speeding up the driveway, its bright headlights and loud sirens adding to the agony inside of my head. I briefly see a bunch of bodies tumble out, but it’s hard to tell who it is from the bright lights.
“Freeze! Drop your weapons, now!”
I sob in relief at the sound of Cooper’s command, but it’s short-lived when I’m shoved to my knees and feel the sharp blade of Spike’s knife pressing against my throat.
Floyd does the same thing to Christopher but holds a gun to the top of his head. “You drop your fucking weapons, or I fucking shoot him, right here, right now!” My fear escalates at how crazy and panicked his voice sounds.
Cooper comes into view as he steps in front of the truck, keeping his gun trained on them. “It doesn’t have to be like this, Dennison. There’s still time for you to do the right thing. No matter what, you’re surrounded and you aren’t going anywhere. Don’t add to your list of charges.”
“Shit, man, maybe we should just let them go. This wasn’t supposed to be the deal.”
“No!” Floyd responds, before shouting at Cooper, “Fuck you! You fucking think I care? If I’m going down for this I’m making sure to take him with me.”
“No, please don’t! Please just stop,” I plead, not being able to bear the thought of losing Christopher, or watching another boy die in front of me.
“I mean it. You fucking let us out of here and we will let them go. If you don’t, I take them down with me. Your choice, Sheriff.”
Cooper shakes his head. “I can’t do that, Dennison, but if you let them go now, unharmed, we can work something out.”
“No! That is the only fucking deal I will make. Now I’m giving you three fucking seconds to make up your mind before I pull this goddamn trigger!”
“Shit!” Spike curses. “What the fuck are you doing, man?”
“One!”
“No, please!” I sob and feel Christopher reach over to grab my cuffed hands, which only makes me cry harder.
“Two!”
“Hey, asshole!” My head snaps to the left, at where the taunt comes from, and see Sawyer walk out of the shadows, stopping close to Floyd.
He swings his gun at Sawyer, and I scream at the loud blast, my heart coming to a fearful stop. Only Sawyer doesn’t fall to the ground like I expect him to, Floyd does.
“Shit, what the fuck?” I barely have time to comprehend what has happened before I’m yanked up by my hair. Spike quickly locks his arm around my neck, robbing me of oxygen.
Panic pounds in my ears as I struggle to breathe, darkness dancing at the edge of my vision once again. Everything suddenly moves in
to slow motion as I feel myself get dragged back. I watch Christopher try to run to me, tears streaming down his face, as Sawyer holds him back. Cooper’s shouting something, but I hear nothing, I can only see his mouth moving. I feel my eyes close briefly, and when I open them, I’m further away from them all.
Just as I’m about to succumb to the darkness, an unbelievable force slams into me, ripping me from Spike’s hold and sending me flying. I land on the ground with jarring impact and grab my head after it smashes against something solid, screaming at the brutal, heart-stopping agony that radiates through it. I roll to my side, my vision blurry from tears and pain. I watch Cade, unfocused, his face savage as he rains blow after blow down on Spike.
Christopher suddenly comes into view, agony and fear twisting his expression as he screams something at me. I feel my heavy eyes close, and when I reopen them again Cade’s kneeling beside me, next to Christopher, his expression enraged as he looks me over.
There’s so much I want to say, so much I want to tell him, but I can’t think of the words through the pounding in my head.
“Can you hear me, Red? What hurts, baby?”
Cade’s voice is distant and muffled. It takes me a moment to think of what I need to tell him. “My head.”
I’m not sure if I said it out loud, or if I mouthed the words, but he understands. He puts my cuffed wrists around his neck then picks me up. “Where’s the fucking ambulance? She needs a medic.”
“Over here!” someone shouts.
I begin to hear a little more clearly which only causes the excruciating pain in my head to escalate. I close my eyes, wanting to fade into the darkness that pulls at me, needing to escape the agony.
“Come on, Red, stay awake, baby. Please don’t go to sleep.”
I try so hard to open my eyes for him but I can’t and, before I know it, I succumb to the dark and slip into sweet oblivion.
CHAPTER 36
Cade
I’m sitting in the dim-lit hospital room where I have been for the last twenty-four hours straight, holding Red’s delicate and battered hand. She has woken a couple of times, but only for a few minutes, and each time she was disorientated due to the drugs and concussion.
