Chairs scrape against the concrete floor and there’s a frenzy of movement all around me as we all run toward the warehouse doors. I throw the door open and run through the crowd. Everyone’s right on my heels. We weave in and out of the gathering crowd until I reach my car. Quickshift splits off with Redline to ride with him. Noah goes with me. I jump in my car and start the engine. Noah gets in the passenger seat and his door isn’t all the way closed when I back out of my spot. I gun the gas pedal and peel out onto the street. My body eases into racing mode as I fly down the street, Redline hot on my tail. We both take the first turn, one right after the other, ignoring the red lights and the blaring horns of other drivers. I pull out of the drift and check my mirrors. No cops. I pick up speed and fly into another turn. I ease up on the gas and lightly tap my brakes. I yank the steering wheel hard to the left and ease into another drift, down shifting as I go. My tires squeal on the pavement in protest. I pull out of the turn and look in my mirrors again. Redline is pulling out of the turn. I give my Nissan GT-R more gas, shifting as I get onto the freeway, pulling away from Redline. That's how I got my nickname, Rush. I rush the line and I'm always ready to go, looking for the rush of adrenaline. The five hundred plus horsepower under the hood screaming at me as I reach top speed. I shift again when my RPM’s reach eight, weaving in and out of traffic. I check my mirrors again and see Redline has caught up with me. We both fly down the freeway, into the night. Noah is gripping the handle of the door; his knuckles are turning white.
“You OK over there?” I ask him.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just not used to going this fast.” Noah answers, relaxing his grip a little. “What do you think we’re going to find when we get there?”
“I don’t know. I hope whoever called is just fucking around, but my gut is telling me something different.” I answer, shifting lanes again.
“Me too. I can hope for the best but expect the worst. I really hope Ashley is OK. I mean, Nolan will protect her, right?” There’s a hitch in Noah’s voice.
I take my eyes off the road for a second and look at him. He’s on the edge of a breakdown and if something happens to Ashley, he won’t survive. She saved him from a dangerous situation, they have a bond none of us has ever had with him. Noah’s a closed-off guy, but the life of the party if that makes sense. He carries on a facade in front of others, but he struggles with his own issues when it’s just the six of us. Ashley is the only one he’s opened up to about his past and how he ended up in that group home.
“Yes, Nolan will lay down his life for her. I’m more positive about that than anything else. He will die to protect her. But, she will do the same for him. Whoever is doing this, they fucked up big time. They messed with the wrong family and if I have my way, they’ll wish they never laid a hand on her or Nolan.”
Red and blue lights are growing brighter in the distance and I ease off the gas. Traffic is stopped on the freeway, backed up for a least a half a mile. Oh fuck, this isn’t good. I pull my car into the grassy median and shut it off. Redline does the same right behind me. We all get out of our cars and run up the side of the road towards the lights. Once we arrive at the flashing lights, the cops have the median taped off with yellow crime scene tape and my heart drops to my toes.
Behind the tape, is what used to be a car. More specifically, a silver Shelby GT-500. If you want more specifics, Ashley’s car. The passenger side is destroyed beyond repair, the hood is crushed, and the driver's side door is wide open. There’s glass scattered everywhere along the grass and road.
“NO!" Noah screams and collapses to the ground, tears are in his eyes.
“Fuck me. I’m going to fucking kill him.” Redline shouts. Quickshift is silent, but I can understand the rage brewing in his black eyes. I feel the same.
Ashton, Hotflash and the rest of Nolan’s crew are just now arriving at the scene. Ashton let’s out a bunch of cuss words and starts pacing back and forth, running his hands through his short hair. Hotflash runs over to Noah on the ground and wraps her arms around him, tears are in her eyes too. She’s comforting Noah the best she can, whispering Spanish to him. He wraps his arms around her, hanging on for dear life. Ashton approaches me at the same moment an older cop with grey hair and a pot belly does.
“You guys can’t be here, this is a crime scene. Move it along.” The officer reports in a raspy voice.
I clench my fists at my sides and stare at him dead in the eye. Anger is boiling in my veins from this asshole telling me to move it along. Ashton rests his palm on my shoulder, holding me back.
“Sir,” he replies to the asshole cop. “My name is Ashton Iverson. I work for A.R. Security based out of Michigan. I have reason to believe my partner was in that car. Can you please tell me something?”
“Well son, if your partner was in that car,” he says pointing to Ashley’s car, “he’s not here. We received a nine one one call from a passerby that reported it. Once we reached the scene, there was no one here.” He leans in closer to us before speaking in a hushed tone.
“There’s blood inside the car, both passenger and driver’s side, that gives us reason to suspect there were two people inside. Tire tracks tell me there were two separate vehicles involved. We’re still investigating, but I’ll be honest with the two of you.” The cop looks around to see if anyone is listening. “The two people are in rough shape. I’d say some broken bones, cuts or concussions.”
My heart sinks to my toes again and I’m going to be sick. I lean over and rest my hands on my knees, waiting for the nausea to pass. Once it leaves, I stand up again.
“Can we please look?” I plead. My voice is clogged with emotions. The cop nods his head and lifts the crime scene tape. He points at Ashton and I before speaking.
“Just the two of you, no one else.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Ashton says.
“Military?” he asks Ashton.
“Marines thirty-fourth battalion. Two hundred eighty-two regimen. Served eight years in Iraq after nine eleven.”
“Thank you for your service. Please, take all the time you need, but don’t touch anything.” The officer says, shaking Ashton’s hand.
“Thank you, Sir. We'll make it quick.”
We walk in silence towards Ashley’s once sleek car. When we get closer, I can detect gasoline and motor oil in the air. I can hear the ticking of the engine cooling off. It looks worse up close. I almost lose my stomach again when we reach the car, being careful not to touch it. Ashton bends down next to the passenger side door and points to the ground. There are drops of blood on the ground and shards of glass in the grass.
“He was yanked out of the car. Look at the drag marks in the grass.” Ashton says, pointing at the ground. He spins around on his heels and stands up. We follow the marks and Ashton suddenly stops. There’s blood on the ground in this area and the grass has been trampled on. “Nolan was dragged to this spot, and it appears he was dropped here. Maybe even beat up in this area.” Ashton’s voice is low.
“How do you know this?” I ask astounded.
“Process of elimination. Why else would you move a body from there,” he says pointing to the car. “To here, stop, and then drag it that way.” Ashton points to more drag marks that lead to the side of the road. We follow the marks and they halt at the edge. There are tire tracks in the dirt. He takes out his phone and snaps a few pictures. We carefully walk back towards the car, Ashton is snapping pictures with his phone every few feet. I have no idea why he’s doing this.
We reach the passenger side of Ashley’s car, and he takes more pictures of the outside and the inside. We walk around the back of the car and Ashton stops. I almost run into him, my eyes are on the car and not in front of me.
“Easy, Rush. There’s something on the ground.” Ashton says placing a hand on my chest.
I glance down and there’s a piece of something wedged in the dirt. He searches around to make certain no one is watching us and carefully picks it up with the hem of his t-shirt.
He puts it in his jeans pocket and continues around the car.
I don’t know how this isn’t affecting him. I’m ready to explode and knock some teeth in and he’s strolling around like this is an everyday occurrence. Ashton reaches the open driver’s side door and squats down so he’s eye level with the seat, still taking pictures. I follow and this time I can’t help it, I gag. I twist away from the car, put my hands on my knees and take deep breaths to suppress the nausea churning in my stomach. I’m a strong guy, but there’s nothing that could prepare me for this. There’s so much blood in the driver’s seat and the window is smeared with it. I have to shift away.
“Shit, Rush. I forget that you don’t see this every day. Why don’t you go back to where everyone is, and I can finish here?” Ashton's sympathetic tone is grating on my nerves. I’m not a fucking pussy.
“No, I’m good. Wasn’t prepared for the blood that’s all.” I answer, straightening my back and standing tall.
I shake off the nausea and walk back to the car, taking deep breaths along the way. Ashton squats back down and is carefully looking inside the car. I do the same. The coppery smell of blood is strong here, invading my senses. I push away the building sickness. I must be strong and view this with no emotion like Ashton, not a pussy like I have been.
“Why is there so much blood in here?” I ask.
“Head wounds bleed heavier than other wounds. It looks like Ashley hit her head on impact against the glass. See where it’s cracked a little.” Ashton points to the window. “It takes a very hard hit, to break this type of glass. Then it looks like whoever was here picked her up from the car. There are no drag marks leading away. So, this person’s clothes are covered in her blood.”
I shift slightly to adjust my squatting position and imagine the scene he’s describing. My foot hits something hard and I glance down.
“Ashton, look,” I say pointing at the object. He picks up a needle with the hem of his shirt and looks at it closely.
“The son of a bitch drugged her. That means she was conscious after they hit her car. They dragged Nolan away from here to distract her, they snuck up on her, drugged her so she couldn’t put up a fight and took them both. I’ll guarantee they drugged Nolan too. A beating he can take no problem and come back swinging. Fucking pussies.”
Anger is radiating off Ashton. His muscles are tense and he’s opening and closing his other hand not holding the needle. The cool and calm man he was earlier is gone. Now the cold, hard killer is in place. My phone chimes in my pocket and I stand up and walk away. I pull it out and check the messages. It’s from Ian. Fuck, I was supposed to meet him twenty minutes ago. That means I have forty minutes to get to the other meeting spot.
Ian: Where are you?
Me: Something is happening I can’t make it.
My phone immediately rings and Ian’s name flashes across the screen. I look at Ashton, who’s standing next to me now. Fucker is fast and quiet for his size. I didn’t even hear him approach.
“Answer it,” Ashton says. I swipe my finger across the green button.
“Ian,” I say, answering the phone.
“Rush, what the hell, man?” Ian asks. I glance at Ashton and he nods his head.
“Something is going on, bro. Where’s Marcus?” I ask him.
“Fuck if I know, he’s not answering my calls or messages. Rush, where’s Krimson?” Ian asks.
“I don’t know. I’m standing in front of her car and there’s nothing left of it. She’s not here.” I answer.
“Where are you?”
“On the Four oh One, north of exit thirteen,” I answer.
“Fuck. That was Krimson’s car? Rush we need to talk in person,” Ian responds, concern in his voice.
He likes Ashley and wouldn’t want anything or anyone to harm her. His father might have his issues with Ashley’s dad, but Ian never did. He might be the leader of the 38th Street Gang, but he adores Ashley, just like the rest of us.
“I have a meet in forty minutes. How far away are you?” I ask.
“I’m on my way, meet me at the gas station off the next exit. I’ll be there in ten.” Ian answers. The line goes dead before I can respond.
My gut is telling me he knows something he can’t say over the phone. I look over at Ashton and he’s watching me, waiting for me to say something.
“Ian wants us to meet him at the gas station off the next exit. He’ll be there in ten minutes. His father, Marcus, isn’t answering him. Something tells me he knows what’s going on.” I tell Ashton.
“Let’s go then.”
Chapter 30
Ashley
My shoulder is killing me. The pain isn’t as dreadful as before Nolan popped it back into place, but the longer we walk the more it hurts. I tightly clench my jaw and duck under another tree branch, struggling to keep a scream from reaching my lips. I must have whimpered a little because Nolan stops walking and studies me. Sweat is beading off my brow from the pain, mixing with the dried blood from the cut on my forehead.
“Ash, are you OK?” Nolan asks. The concern in his voice makes me want to cry. I push back the tears and draw a deep breath.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I grit through clenched teeth. “We need to keep moving before Shaun comes back and realizes we’re gone.”
“You need to rest. How about we stop here for a little while.” Nolan says. He has a wrinkle on his forehead from worrying about me. I squeeze his strong hand, gripping my good one.
“No, I don’t want to stop, Nolan. If they find us again we’re done for. I’ve been thinking about it and the only person I can come up with that wants me dead beside Shaun is Marcus, Ian’s father. We need to get ahead of him and get him before he catches us. If that means gritting through the pain in my shoulder, then I’ll do it. I’m not going down without a fight.”
The determination on my face must have changed Nolan’s mind about stopping. He gives my hand a squeeze and a sad smile appears on his full lips. I lean into his bare chest and breath him in. He carefully wraps his arms around me, pulling me tight against him. I’m so thankful he came into my life when he did, and I want to make it up to him for putting up with all the craziness that’s my life at the moment. I pull away and start walking again.
“Tell me something that no one else knows, not even Rush,” Nolan says.
“Hmm, that’s a tough one. Rush knows just about everything. We’ve been a family before I can remember. His mom and dad were best friends with my parents before I was born. They were all born into this life like I was. My great-grandfather on my dad’s side actually started our crew back in the nineteen fifties.”
“Did he give you guys a street name? I’ve never heard you mention it before. You just say your crew and family, never a street name like the Tres Seis or the 38th Street.”
“Well, if he did, I don’t know what it is. We’ve been so powerful over the last sixty years, we didn’t need a street name. All someone had to do is mention the name Force and people used to quiver in fear. My grandfather never had to deal with something like this. Now it’s a power struggle just to stay on top.” I bend under another tree branch, leading the way through the woods. “There is something no one knows. It’s something I have a tough time talking about. The last secret I haven’t told you.” I stop walking and carefully sit down on a fallen tree, trying not to jolt my shoulder. Nolan sits down and puts his arm around me, pulling me into his chest.
“What is it Ash?” he asks. I hesitate to respond. It’s one of my dark demons I battle with every day. “It’s OK. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, no matter what you tell me.” Nolan’s breath fans over the top of my head.
I pull away from his warm chest and focus on the tree limb in front of me. If I tell him this, I can’t look at him or touch him. I feel like I’ll taint him with my secret. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, I begin my last secret.
“A few days after my parents and little brother were killed, I somewhat spiraled down a dark hole
. I blamed myself for their deaths and didn’t know how to deal with it. I should have been with them when they died. Instead, I was arguing with Rush about who hurt him so badly. I found out who did it by overhearing my grandfather on the phone the night after Rush came to my house and I cleaned him up. My grandfather wasn’t in the best of shape and after the accident, he was devastated. His health went downhill fast, and I never noticed. At the funeral, he couldn’t take the pain of losing his only son and grandson. He had a heart attack right in front of me and the rest of the family, a church filled with people from every corner of California, paying their respects. Something else I blamed myself for. I was so wrapped up in my own emotions, I didn’t see the warning signs.”
I’m so lost in my own memory, I don’t realize tears are falling down my cheeks until Nolan wipes one away. He's rubbing my back gently as I continue my story. My chest aches from the strain of losing them all over again even though it’s been ten years. I sniff and exhale, this next part will make or break us.
“Anyways, a few days later, I tracked down the guys who hurt Rush, on my own. I realize I was only fourteen, but I’ve seen so much shit, I knew what I was doing. My parents didn’t shelter me from their business, I understood what they had to do in order to survive. No one realized it was me and if they find out, I don’t think they’ll grant me a reprieve. I inflicted so much pain and revenge on them, those guys didn’t stand a chance to survive. I brought all my heartbreak, anger, and justice for Rush, my parents, and Austin on them. There was only two of them, but I held them in the basement of my parent’s house for two days, doing to them what they did to Rush. One bled out in a day and the other on day two. I would have made their torture even longer, but something in me snapped and what I did sunk in. I have blood on these hands and they’ll never come clean.” my voice is barely above a whisper. I hold my palms out in front of me to reveal the blood on my hands, tears are in my eyes.
Racing Dirty, L.A. Page 20
