by K E Osborn
The crazy fucker took a bullet for me!
“Fuck, FIM,” I say to him as he stands back up and shakes his head.
“I’m good Steel, it’s only a flesh wound. Let’s get the rest of these fuckers,” he says and then rushes off punching a 5113er in the head as he pushes past.
He took a bullet for me. That means a lot.
I’m standing in a state of shock as another 5113er runs toward me. I simply bring my gun up and shoot him at point blank range. His blood douses my face. I frown at having his DNA all over me, so I bring my shirt up and wipe his crap away as the noise in the clubroom begins to die down. The blasting of gunfire is almost nonexistent now, and only muffled moans and death-filled gurgling and coughing can now be heard.
I take a look around breathing loudly through my nose as my body feels heavy looking at the bodies littering the clubhouse floor. Every inch of the grey concrete floor is now painted in red as I pant trying to catch my breath.
Glancing over at Dad he nods at me, and I’m grateful that he’s still alive. I look over to Behemoth, Ryder, and Crash, who are checking the bodies of the men on the floor.
Techie walks across the floor limping slightly and shakes his head. “Well, that was fun.”
I scoff and shake my head as we both stride over dodging bodies to Lookout, who’s on the floor in a bloodied mess. My chest tightens looking at his lifeless body on the floor. Bending down, I feel for his pulse just to make sure he’s really gone.
Placing my two fingers at his neck, his heartbeat instantly pounds strong and hard against my fingers. Relief floods over me as my body sags and I clench my eyes shut as I breathe.
Opening my eyes, I pull up his blood stained shirt to check his body. There’s nothing, not even a knick.
“Fuck’s sake, he’s fine. He just passed out,” I say standing back up as my brothers around me all sigh with relief.
Jigsaw walks over shaking his head. “The river of blood is a sight best unseen.”
I nod, actually understanding that one. I slap his shoulder as I turn and look around at the carnage. Some dead bodies ours, but mostly they’re 5113ers. A moan echoes from behind the bar. I open my eyes wide as I race over to see Knucklehead on the floor with his back up against the bench holding onto his stomach with blood pooling from his fingers and mouth.
“Fuck!” I call out and squat down, applying pressure to his stomach straight away as Knucklehead coughs and splutters.
FIM and Doug sprint around the back of the bar, they squat down beside me as my eyes fill with hot salty water looking at the pale face of my brother. My friend. My family.
“Hang in there, Knucklehead. Techie will already have Stevie on his way. You just gotta hang on. Okay? Hang on, brother.”
He looks up at me and his blood stained hand comes up to cup my cheek. “This was the best time of my life. You guys pulled me from the streets and made me into something. I never felt like I was a part of anything… until I came here. Never part of a family, I never belonged, until you made me a brother. I have you to thank for giving me a life, Steel… You let me live… I love the club… I love the brothers… I love you, Steel.”
“Don’t you dare, Knucklehead. Don’t you dare say your goodbyes. You hold on you fuckin’ hear me!” I yell at him but his eyes roll into the back of his head and his lips part letting out one final breath. His body slumps falling onto my lap. The ache in my chest is immense as his body gives out. I grit my teeth as the hot water pools in my eyes burn, but I blink it away. My breathing becomes rushed and harsh as I sway to and fro with Knucklehead in my arms trying to come to terms with my grief over losing such a loyal friend. Ney, a brother. My fist clenches and I smash it hard against the bar wall, letting out an angered groan with it.
FIM and Doug are reticent as they watch me mourn for Knucklehead. The mood is somber and all round the room, it’s quiet.
“Kid, I think you better get over here,” Dad calls out from near the entry door.
I exhale still clinging on to Knucklehead, but I know sitting here rocking with him won’t bring him back. I need to see what other fucked up mess awaits me. Sniffing, I gently lay Knucklehead down and run my hand over his eyes closing them. Shaking my head at the senseless loss of life, I stand up and walk toward the front door. In the short hallway where Dad is standing, I look down to his feet to see Cassius lying still on the floor. Red liquid oozing from his front quarter.
My heart stops and leaps into my throat as I gasp for air that just isn’t coming. “No, no, no, no, no.” I run forward and my knees hit the concrete hard as they skid along the floor in his blood needing to get to him as fast as possible. I drag his limp body into my lap, but there’s nothing. No sign of life, no whimpering, no breathing, nothing. He’s already gone. The hot salty water doesn’t evade me this time, as it stings my eyes and falls down my cheeks in fast rivulets burning my skin like acid.
“Cassius, my boy.” I lean down hugging him while sobbing into his fur.
“I’m sorry, kid.” Dad’s hand rests on my shoulder trying to comfort me.
It doesn’t.
Nothing will take away the ache in my chest. The misery and undeniable hurt running through my veins. Cassius wasn’t just a guard dog or a pet, he was my friend. A gift from my mother. He’s all I had left of her, and now thanks to those fuckers he’s gone too. Dead.
“Fuuuck,” I scream loudly as I continue to hold onto him tightly. I don’t want to let him go.
Dad sits down on the floor next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders as I nuzzle into Cassius. I know my brothers are around me, but I can’t look up. I need to grieve. He’s been a part of me, of my life for ten years. He knows me better than I know myself, and he’s seen me through some really tough shit. I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to get through this crap without him.
“I know it’s hard Dylan. Trust me! If this were Shogun, I’d be gutted too. But we need to clean up. We can do whatever you want for him… bury him under the tree if you want. But we need to get back to business,” Dad says clenching my shoulder as I wipe my nose with my sleeve. I stutter out my staggered breaths and shake my head.
“I just need a few more minutes with him. Please, Dad.”
He stands up and nods. “Okay kid. Just a few more.”
A piercing scream echoes through the clubrooms causing me to turn and see Chops dragging a 5113er by his dreadlocks across the floor toward us. A sudden burst of rage flows through me as I stand ready to gut the last remaining fucker like a pig to the slaughter for my brother Knucklehead and my best friend, Cassius. I draw my gun and rack it getting ready to pull the trigger when Dad grabs my arm and pulls it down away from the 5113er.
Gritting my teeth, they squeak loudly as I grind them together in anger at my dad’s interference. “What the fuck, Dad. Let me kill this fuckin’ piece of scum shit!” I pull my gun back up and Dad stands in front of my gun making me huff out in annoyance.
“Stop! Think! We need to torture him for intel. We need to know if there are more coming.”
Turning, I huff knowing he’s right. Even though everything in me wants to make this fucker pay for the sins of his brothers, he definitely needs to be interviewed long and hard.
“Make the torture last a long fuckin’ time,” I demand.
Dad nods. “Don’t worry. For this massacre, it’s going to last days.”
Chops looks to Dad and he nods. Chops drags him off screaming and thrashing about by his dreadlocks down to the Chop Shop. Exhaling, I know at least that fucker will get some pain before he dies a slow and horrific death. Techie walks over and pulls me into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry about Knucklehead and Cassius, brother.”
I nod. “Yeah.” It’s all I can say as I walk past him toward the Chop Shop. I need to see some suffering inflicted on this guy, and I need to see it now. Stepping down the stairs, I move around the wall to see Chops already has him strapped into the metal chair naked and has his tool bench in
place. The heavy footsteps of rubber boots on the stairs makes me look up to see Dad enter the Chop Shop too. The 5113er is ball-gaged so he can’t scream, but his eyes are open wide as he moves from side to side looking utterly petrified, his restraints keeping him in place.
I want to inflict the first pain, so I stride up to him clenching my fist and punch him in the jaw. The cracking of teeth pierces through the room as the ball-gag moves back in his mouth and he starts to choke.
Dad huffs and throws his hands in the air. “Don’t be a fucking idiot, kid.” He pulls the choking hazard from the 5113er’s mouth and he spits out three teeth. They clink against the concrete floor as blood dribbles from his mouth and he moans out in delightful pain.
“You’re a fucking cunt for comin’ into my house like this.” I clench my fist and punch his face again, my knuckles tighten and twinge as his head flies back against the chair harshly provoking him moan even louder.
The sound is heaven to my ears.
“Enough! We need him to be able to talk, kid.”
The guy brings his head up and smirks. “I’m not telling you anything.”
We all chuckle and fold our arms over our chests. “You’ve already lost three teeth, and all your pussy gang mates are dead out there. Do you really think we’re gonna go easy on you if you don’t talk?”
He curls up his lip. “Well, just kill me. ‘Cause I ain’t talking shit.”
I’ve had enough of this. So I pull out Wesley and bring the blade right down smack bang in the middle of his thigh. The muscles pull taut against my blade and the blood oozes around the blade. He screams out in utter agony as Dad huffs and I smile twisting the knife slowly inside his leg making the guy thrash about and scream like a little sissy.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough.” Dad pushes me and grabs Wesley pulling it out of his leg. As he does a squirt of blood releases from his leg and the guy actually starts to cry like a little pussy.
“Tell us what happened here today, or I’ll start slicin’ your stomach apart.” The guy doesn’t budge nor react, he just keeps sobbing. I move forward grabbing the knife from Dad and move toward him like I’m going to stab his stomach, his eyes open wide and he breaks.
“Okay, okay, okay. I’ll tell you. Please don’t gut me.”
I laugh and we all shake our heads at how easy that was. Such a weak little pansy motherfucker.
“Go! Tell us what you know,” Chops says.
“We came here in retaliation for killing Chez. We’ve been planning it since the drug deal went south. The entire gang came ‘cause we thought we could outnumber you.”
Dad laughs. “You thought you could outnumber bikers on their home turf? You guys are bigger dickheads than we gave you credit for! Is it also for us capping your men outside the gun shop?”
He opens his eyes wide. “That was you guys? We had no idea who did that. You fucking scum. We should have gutted you all.”
Rolling my eyes, I clench my fist and slam it into his jaw.
He moans out in pain and shakes his head. “Stop, stop. I’ll behave I’ll tell you anything.”
Dad leans in closer to him. “Are there any contingencies in plan for when you guys don’t come back?” The guy shakes his head, but the glassy look in his eyes makes me think he’s lying. I move forward and run my blade along his throat, the sharpness of the steel cutting the fine hairs along his jaw.
“Okay, okay, please don’t torture me anymore.”
“Then tell us, what… we want… to know,” I say through gritted teeth.
He exhales and nods. “The Cartel. The guys that we buy our drugs from… we are in deep with them. We’re their biggest distributors. If the 5113ers go missing, they’ll come after who took us down. You guys are in big shit now! The Cartel… man, I wouldn’t wanna mess with them.”
I look at Dad and furrow my brows. “A Cartel in Australia?”
Dad shrugs. “I’ve heard they were making their move on Oz. It’s possible they’re in Adelaide.”
“Not possible, bro… they are here. They have been for two years, and they’re running the streets. And you guys… you will be their biggest targets. You’re in fucken deep you savage scum.”
I scowl and bring Wesley up and shove it right into his shoulder, the push of his muscle against my blade brings a smile to my face, as the blood oozes from the wound and he screams out in a beautiful agony. I twist the steel and he writhes against the metal. Gritting my teeth I push it in harder letting him know he’s not in control of this situation. We are! And he isn’t walking out of the Chop Shop alive, no matter how good his intel.
“Enough kid,” Dad says placing his hand on my shoulder.
Relaxing slightly and twisting the knife, I slowly and torturously pull it from his shoulder. He moans and grits his teeth breathing harshly through his nose.
“Go and help with the cleanup. Keep the morale up, and organise the lockdown. We gotta get all the old ladies and their families to the clubrooms. If this Cartel is going to come after us, we need everyone in one place so we can look after our own. Help your brothers, kid. Don’t go seeking revenge, this guy’s the only one left of the 5113ers. There’s no one to seek revenge on,” Dad tells me. Although I know he’s right, my anger is still bubbling away, and I feel like I need to serve some justice somehow. Knucklehead and the others died for nothing, and that doesn’t sit well with me.
I nod and clench my fist looking at the dreadlocked scum sitting before me. I coat my mouth full of saliva and spit in his face. He flinches away as I storm out of the Chop Shop, up the stairs, and into the clubhouse where the cleanup is in full swing.
Most of the bodies are gone, and the cleanup crew is here. The smell of bleach is overpowering as they mop the blood riddled floor.
Marching over to Techie, I notice he’s still limping. I grab him and he looks at me furrowing his brows.
“Why are you limpin’?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Bullet grazed my leg. Might have gone in. Not sure. Hurts like a motherfucker.”
I huff. “You need to see Stevie.”
Techie shrugs. “He’s busy with people who are way more wounded than me.”
FIM and Doug walk over. I glance at FIM whose bloodstained shirt takes my attention. “Shit FIM, you need to get checked out too. You took a bullet, right in your side.”
“Honestly, I’m fine. It’s just a flesh wound.”
I purse my lips. “Well, thank you for jumpin’ in the bullet’s path for me. It would’ve gone straight in my chest. I would’ve been a goner for sure. And Doug thanks for protectin’ the Prez. You two really proved yourselves today. You put your lives on the line, both of you. That won’t be forgotten. It comes with rewards. Your trust has been earnt now.” I can finally call them brothers. They both smile wide and so do I. It seems strange to smile in this situation, but knowing they have my back is something worth celebrating after a whole lot of slaughter and havoc.
Behemoth stomps up and looks at me frowning.
“What is it, Behemoth?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “The gate. They blew it out. Crash and Ryder are working on setting up something temporary. We should have it up in an hour or so. But in the explosion…” he shakes his head, “…Gatekeeper didn’t make it.”
My anger is boiling away right at the surface again. “Fuck!” I yell and breathe harshly out of my nose. “Right Behemoth, the club is in lockdown. Tell everyone to get their families here, or anyone they think needs protectin’. No one else dies today!” I say walking off. I don’t know where I’m walking to. I have so much to organise. Families will be coming in from everywhere, and I need to call Willow and get her arse here as soon as possible. She’s in danger the longer she stays outside of these walls. I need to get in touch with her now.
What a fucking mess.
All the kids have been picked up early tonight, so I’m able to leave on time for once. I figured as I haven’t seen Steel since this morning and I haven’t spoken to him all day
because I’ve been so busy, I’m having withdrawals. My phone was on silent. I’ve had a few missed calls from him, I’m guessing about him coming over to my place tonight. So I figure I’ll surprise him by going to the clubhouse this evening instead. I just hope he’s around when I get there and Chops isn’t. If not, I’m sure one of his other brothers will keep me entertained until Steel shows up anyway.
Driving my car down the road toward the clubhouse, I see a lot of debris scattered around the front of the entrance. Furrowing my brows as I pull up at the gate to see a makeshift gate installed. It looks like the old one has been blown out or something. Tensing my shoulders, I pull up to the gate and look out of the window to see Gatekeeper isn’t there. Instead, Crash is at the lookout post.
“Oh, hey Willow, so glad you got here. Steel will be relieved. Drive on through.” He opens the gate, and I don’t have a chance to reply before his attention is taken by Ryder.
Something’s obviously happened, I just have no idea what. As the gates open my eyes expand wide as I take in all the cars, and people walking aimlessly around the compound. Swallowing hard, I drive in cautiously as people move out of my way while parking my car. I’m completely confused as to what’s going on right now. There are people everywhere.
Shogun rushes up to greet me, but no Cassius. I find that odd because they’re normally always together. Shaking my head as I walk toward the clubroom door, I pull it back and step inside to see more people. There are women and children and other older people, and everyone is rushing about everywhere. It’s utter pandemonium.
