Jack

by KJ Dahlen

  Jack was taking aim at the other man but before he could pull the trigger another voice in the shadows called out.

  It was Renegade’s voice and he called out in Apache.

  Jack and Kalinda didn’t know what he said but Joshua did.

  He threw back his head and laughed. “You want to challenge me to knife fight? You of all people want to fight me to the death with nothing more than a blade in your hand? Are you fucking nuts?”

  “Yeah I want to challenge you to a blade fight.” Renegade growled. “Are you man enough to take the challenge?”

  “You do remember don’t you that I’m a champion blade master right?” Joshua scorned.

  “That was many years ago and as I recall you like to fight dirty.” Renegade called back.

  “I haven’t lost my edge, punk.” The other man growled. “Being in prison showed me some new moves. But fortunately for you, I don’t have time right now. The plan was get in here, do what I have to do and get out.”

  “Yeah right!” Jack snorted. “You ain’t gonna fucking walk out of here alive.”

  The lights suddenly came back on and showed everyone where the next man was standing. Jack was still standing between Joshua and Kalinda and Rosa.

  Joshua had moved closer but he wasn’t close enough.

  Renegade was standing near the doorway. He had both a blade and hand gun in his hands. The bandage around his waist was beginning to stain with fresh blood from his wound.

  Joshua snickered as he noted the stain grow and spread.

  Footsteps rushed down the hall to where they were all standing.

  Joshua growled and lifted his weapon to aim at his daughter.

  Suddenly, the room was filled with bikers and each one of them had a weapon in his hand.

  Renegade shook his head. “Are you really that stupid?” he asked him. “You’ll be dead long before you can pull the trigger. These men don’t like someone threatening one of their own. And Kalinda is most definitely one of their own.”

  “You aren’t leaving here unless its boots up.” Jack growled as his blue eyes filled with rage.

  “I’m not going back to prison either.” Joshua growled. “I was locked up in a cage like an animal for nineteen years. I won’t go back to that. You might as well kill me.”

  Cobra raised his weapon and pointed it at the other man. “That can be arranged, son.” He growled.

  “Hold up!” Renegade called out. “I challenged him to a blade fight.”

  “Why?” Cobra snorted. “A bullet is quicker and cleaner.”

  “Because this man thinks nothing can touch him,” Renegade explained. “He thinks he can come in here, kill one of you and walk out again, with his brothers. He’s nothing but a coward and if I thought for a moment he would act like a man for once in his life but all he’s done is brag to me how good he once was. Of course, he always had to cheat to win but I expected as much. The man never could fight fair.”

  “Your brothers never made it off the property,” Creed told Joshua.

  Joshua snapped his head around to glare at the other man. “Are they dead or alive?”

  “They’re alive for now. Two of them took a bullet and they are bleeding, for how long? Well that depends on what you do next, doesn’t it?” Creed told him.

  “What are you talking about?” Joshua growled. He was getting itchy now. The nerves all over his body were screaming at him and he began to sweat. He knew his life was over but if he was going to hell, he was taking his daughter with him. His fingers tightened slightly on his weapon but he didn’t want to make any sudden moves. He wasn’t ready to die just yet.

  “Well, you have been challenged haven’t you?” Creed mocked him trying to defuse the tension in the room.

  “By a man too weak to stand up on his own?” Joshua mocked.

  “Then you shouldn’t have a problem defeating him, right?” Creed nodded.

  “And what do I get as my reward?” Joshua asked.

  “You get to live a few minutes longer,” renegade challenged.

  Joshua turned his head to glare at Renegade. “I’ll take you to hell with me at any rate.” Turning his head, he glared at Kalinda. “I’ll be back for you one day. My hatred of you will keep me alive long enough to break out of jail and come for you. Before I die, I’ll enjoy killing you, even if it’s the last time I do in this lifetime.” His fingers let loose of his weapon, he curled his finger and wouldn’t let it drop to the floor but he did nothing to hang onto it. He stood still as the bikers rushed him. Creed wretched his arms behind his back and Joshua rose on his tiptoes to avoid his arm being broken but he didn’t say a word.

  Jack walked up to Joshua and glared in his face. “Take a good look at her now old man, because you will never be this close to her again. I and my brothers will always stand between you and her. She is mine to protect and I will protect her always.”

  “Then you are a fool.” Joshua growled. “She’s worthless and weak. She takes too much after her mother that way.”

  “She’s stronger than you realize you fucking bastard.” Jack growled and let his fist fly. His fist hit the other man’s jaw with a thud. Joshua stumbled but didn’t go very far.

  Creed still had hold of his hands.

  Kalinda came up behind Jack and laid her head on his back. Her touch calmed the beast in him and he stepped away from Joshua. He pulled her into his arms and watched as Creed shoved Joshua out of the room.

  Jack looked down at his wife and saw the tears running down her face. He held her close for a moment then told her, “He may or may not be your father but he isn’t a man worth shedding tears over.”

  “I’m not crying over him.’ She shook her head. “Like you said, he isn’t worth it but you are. I thank God every day since I met you that He allowed me to find you.”

  “Me too sweetheart. Me too.” Jack leaned down and kissed her hard. They had to break off too soon as Rosa cried as being under the bed yet. Kalinda rushed over to her daughter and pulled her to the safety of her arms.

  She hushed her screaming child while looking over at the man who held her heart.

  Chapter Eleven

  Everyone gathered outside in the courtyard. To one side Craig, James and Traven were sitting on the ground under guard by several members of the MC. They were none the worst for the wear, pretty beat up but they were present.

  Renegade was there as well when Creed pushed Joshua into a circle made by the men. Everyone waited and watched as Joshua stumbled forward. He fell to his knees and Renegade stood there looking at him. He didn’t move too close as he anticipated the other man’s next move.

  Joshua got up and threw and handful of the sand in his direction. Renegade shook his head at the other man. He looked over at Creed and told him, “Give him a knife. Let him defend his own life, knowing he has to cheat to do it.” Renegade had his own knife in his hand and began walking around in a circle, waiting for the bout to begin.

  Creed walked over to Joshua and handed him a knife. He stared at the other man almost daring him to make a wrong move toward him.

  Joshua glared back but didn’t do anything. He took the knife and looked over Creed’s shoulder to glare at Renegade. He twirled the blade in his hand and his gaze turned deadly.

  Renegade saw the look and became aware this fight might end in death.

  “No quarter given,” Joshua called out as he turned to his opponent. His eyes raked over Renegade and he took note of the other man’s pros and cons. He saw the wound on Renegade’s side, fresh blood stained the white bandage and he knew that spot would be a weak spot. One he would be sure to give credence to. His lips curled and he growled, “And none will be asked.”

  Renegade nodded. “As long as you don’t start whining like a baby.”

  “I don’t whine and I don’t beg either.” Joshua stomped his foot in the dirt.

  “Of course you don’t.” Renegade mocked the other man. “You just like to beat women and kill babies. Some man you are.”
>
  “You bastard.” Joshua growled as he lunged at Renegade.

  Renegade ducked out of range and their game began.

  Joshua swung out and nicked Renegade’s arm. He turned around and swung, missing the other man completely. Then he felt the bite of Renegade’s blade. He cried out and turned his head to look at his wound. Renegade had laid his lower arm open from elbow to wrist. It was a thin slice but blood ran down to his fingertips. Joshua moved the knife into his other hand and glared at him. He was so ramped up he didn’t feel the pain like he should have. They ducked and weaved, each getting close but not quite close enough to score the win.

  The men circled around them chanting and cheering whenever Renegade scored a hit. Then Joshua would come back with a dirty plan and no one was chanting for that. In fact, they were growling and cursing him, but Joshua didn’t care. He was losing ground and he knew it.

  So did Renegade. He could feel this opponent weakening but so was he. He knew Joshua was getting ready for another dirty play. He could almost see the wheels turning in the other man’s head now. He waited around the inside of the circle and when he got close to where the Moon brothers were sitting, Craig’s foot shot out and Renegade almost tripped on it.

  Joshua rushed forward and raised his hand brandishing the knife. Renegade pushed up and shoved his leg out nailing Joshua in the gut. He fell against his brother and Craig screamed as the blade impaled him in the shoulder.

  Cobra laughed at the deserved outcome then pulled the blade out of his shoulder and threw it back in the circle.

  Renegade moved away from both men and Cobra hauled Craig back out of the way. “Fucking dumbass, got what you deserved.”

  Joshua got to his knees and then to his feet. He was breathing heavily and he wiped his bloody hand off on his clothing. He picked up his knife and looked around the circle. His eyes swept the entire area looking for a bolt hole. He knew his odds were narrowing down to nothing but he wasn’t going down alone.

  The whole circle was quiet now as everyone waited for what would happen next. Tension grew and Joshua began to sweat. Both men inside the circle were bloody and tired. Joshua looked over at Renegade and noted the pain in the other man’s eyes.

  “Let’s get this done.”

  Renegade nodded then lifted his hand and motioned for the other man to bring it on. Joshua rushed him and at the last minute turned to one side. His knife hand swung out and would have caught Renegade in the belly but the man stepped back and blocked the move. He struck the other man’s arm and everyone heard the bone snap.

  Joshua screamed and dropped to the ground cradling his now broken arm. He didn’t bother looking up when he said, “Just kill me now and get it done.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Renegade grabbed Joshua’s hair and pulled his head back. “No I want you to spend the rest of your life in an eight by ten cage and remember that you aren’t as smart as you think you are. But don’t worry, your brothers will be there with you.”

  “Fuck you and fuck off, you lousy half breed!” Joshua snarled. “Your daddy should have drowned you the moment you came into this world.”

  Renegade slammed his fist into the other man’s head. “You think you’re better than me? You got the blood of a murderer and a thief in you. I guess real Apache blood wins out, huh?”

  He slammed the other man in the head again and watched as Joshua bounced into the ground. Then Renegade stumbled away and collapsed in Creed’s arms. Creed and Harry hauled him away while the others dragged the four brothers off to await the police.

  They had found Joshua’s truck and it was waiting still loaded up with the items he had taken from his father this morning. They knew all four brothers would be going to prison for a very long time once the police happened to find the peyote and the gold, but what Kalinda would tell them would seal the fate of all four.

  None of the brothers had said where their dad was hiding but Silas wasn’t worried about Michael Moon. He had a thought that he wouldn’t escape justice MC style for the part he played in all this.

  Only time would tell about that.

  Michael waited exactly one hour after Joshua and Craig left before he began packing his bags. He shook his head as he gave little thought to the fate of his sons. If they weren’t back yet, they had failed at their task.

  “I’m getting too old for this shit.” He decided. It was long past time he retired. He and three of the four of his sons had been working the mine all these years. Then James and Craig got them into the Vision Quest trade. That worked out rather well for the Moon family.

  Although technically, it was drug dealing but he and his boys weren’t the ones at risk. All they did was mix the formula up. Someone else did the rest. He’d been approached by Digger of the Satan’s Fury MC about buying the formula and enough of the drug to get a new route started.

  No one but him and his sons knew the pills he left weren’t going to get a mouse drunk and Michael knew his sons would never betray him, so he felt safe.

  He grabbed his bag and walked out of his room taking the back way out. He went straight to his truck and opened the driver’s seat and got inside. Throwing his duffle bag over on the seat beside him, he reached for the seat belt and fastened it around his waist.

  Usually, he didn’t care if he wore it or not, but he knew there was too much stuff in the back and he didn’t want to be stopped for a minor traffic violation. He reached out to start the engine when something in the backseat caught his eyes. Michael froze. His brown eyes were looking into a pair of icy blue eyes. Icy blue eyes that held no emotion whatsoever. Cold, calculating blue eyes he never thought he’d see again in this lifetime. “Digger, what the hell are you doing here?” Michael asked.

  “You know something?” Digger asked almost innocently enough. “When I make a deal with someone I expect them to honor that deal. I give my word and I take their word as golden. You my friend have betrayed that honor. I paid you for a product and I didn’t get what I paid for now did I?’

  “I gave you the recipe you paid for.” Michael began to sweat. He was watching Digger’s eyes. Normally, they were cold as ice but now? Now... they were empty. Just nothing more than a black void. He wet his dry lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about mam.”

  “Oh, I think you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Digger assured him. “You see I had the pills tested and they are missing one very important ingredient aren’t they? But I think you knew that all along.”

  “That’s impossible!” Michael exclaimed. “Damn those boys of mine can’t do anything right. But I’ll make you another deal. I got the peyote in the back of the truck I can’ just give it to you and you can remake the pills. Then we’ll be even.”

  “Yeah ok,” Digger agreed, “Then there’s a little fact of my payment. I’ll need that back plus interest.”

  Michael felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. “How much interest are you talking about here?”

  “Oh, I think my four million plus another two million in interest, plus the peyote will be about right, don’t you?” Digger asked almost lazy like.

  Michael swallowed hard. It was better than dying he figured as this man knew he’d been crossed. There was no denying the cold rage in his eyes. “Yeah sure I can get that, no problem.” He whispered. Let me fetch it for you.”

  “Not so fast old man,” Digger warned him. Opening his door, he got out and then watched Michael’s every move as he got out too. Walking around the back of the trailer Digger watched him with eagle eyes as he inserted the key into the lock.

  “Oh, I think I should tell you something here...” Digger warned the other man.

  “Oh, what’s that?” Michael whispered.

  “You have a gun trained on the back of your head. If you even twitch wrong, your head is going to explode all over you shiny new trailer. It will make such a mess. Personally, I hate that kind of mess, with blood and brains all over the place. Been there and done that.” He tisked. “
Quite messy. So if I were you, I wouldn’t try anything unexpected. Oh and stay where I can see you. I don’t want my guys to end up shooting this very nice trailer up if they don’t have to and please don’t doubt for one moment that my men aren’t there. I never go anywhere without at least three of my men. They worry about my wellbeing in this town, ya know... so they are always there.” He brushed out a strand of hair from his cut. “Those armor piercing bullet make such a loud noise. We really don’t want to disturb the neighbors now do we?”

  Michael’s throat went dry at the thought of getting hit by one of those bullets. His hands were shaking as he twisted the key and turned it releasing the barrier between him and the treasures inside. He swung the door completely open and took the steps up inside.

  Michael frowned as he viewed the inside of her trailer. Some of his things were missing. He could tell that already. He moved carefully over to the first safe and frowned as he noted that the door wasn’t quite shut tight. He opened it carefully and growled in rage. The safe was almost empty.

  He moved over to the second safe and found the same thing. Most of the cash and the nuggets of pure gold were not there. He dropped down and began opened the bags that were supposed to be holding the peyote. But more than half of them were missing too.

  Michael got back up to his feet and moved over to the third safe. The door here was slightly open as well. This safe had been stripped completely. Last night, when he’d filled it with the four million dollars, he got from Digger the shelves had been filled to the brim. Michael’s eyes were narrowed as he saw the empty shelves now.

  He turned his head slowly toward the doorway to the outside. Had the man waiting for him out there gotten inside and stripped the man of his own money? Did Digger know that he no longer had enough to pay him back with? Did he know that most of his peyote was gone as well?