Surviving Until The End

by Vera Quinn

  Cap stands up by this man. “You two hot heads sit the hell down. We have enough people we are fighting. We don’t need to take each other out.” Cap looks at me. “Brody, this is Chief, he’s the President of the BlackPath MC. Him and some of his brothers came in from the Dallas area to give us a hand in this matter and they have information on the damn group in the Pittsburg area, they come from good people and they are good people, so calm your shit.” Cap looks at Chief. “This is Brody. He is a friend of Rebel’s and he is a bounty hunter, he has helped us out by using all his resources and contacts.” Chief and I stare each other down. We both sit at the same time. No one has said a word since Cap, and he is looking at both Chief and myself. “Now that the pissing match is over, can we get back to business? Chief tell everyone about this group in Pittsburg.”

  “The BlackPath MC hasn’t had any contact or business from this certain group of people, but one of the other motorcycle clubs that we have ties with have had interactions with them. Sarge the President of the Rebellions 4 Blood MC has done some business with them from time to time but Diamondback, the original President had business with them all the time.” Devil must be joking.

  “The Rebellions 4 Blood are a one percenter club, why would we believe any information that they shared?” If this is where Chief receives his information, I don’t trust it. Chief’s eyes are back on me and I see the anger there.

  “Are you going to let me talk or do I need to get Tazer to gag and hog tie you? DO NOT INTERRUPT ME AGAIN!” I start to stand back up and I am shoved back down in my chair by Rebel. He bends over towards me and whispers where I am the only one to hear.

  “Stay in your damn chair and listen. Do not interrupt Chief again, he is the only person that has brought us any kind of answers.” I don’t want to listen, but I guess any kind of lead is better than none. Just as Chief is going to go on someone is beating on the door and before anyone can say anything the door opens, and two men barge in. Rebel stands up to say something but Chief beats him to it.

  “Speak of the devil.” The man beside Chief says.

  “I’m not Devil, that’s the fuckhead that stole my woman and you now call brother in-law. I just call him asshole.” The man is smirking. That smirk has me looking at the man closer. He has a soulless look in his eyes. Something dark and unforgiving. My read on this man is he is a ruthless man, and I can’t see it keeping him awake at night worrying about it. I don’t trust him at all.

  “Listen up, this is the man I was talking about, Sarge, the President of the Rebellions 4 Blood MC. Sarge, give us the down low on that group of people on Couch Mountain.” Chief seems comfortable around Sarge, but I don’t trust Chief either. Sarge and the man with him, Stealth, stand back from the table but close to Chief.

  “The little group your talking about is not so little anymore. It started out over twenty years ago with five men and their women, the estimate now is closer to three hundred or more. Hard to track without legal records on them. This woman I was told about, Charity Connors, is the daughter of Darren Connors everyone calls him Pop and his wife is Alice and they call her Ma. The group was started by Pop, Richard Denson, Alvis Mills, Stuart Benson, and Cletus Brown. They are not militia but from time to time they do deal with some illegal weapons. They are not drug dealers on the corner, but they will move drugs from one point to another.” Semantics and bullshit. In my book, transporting drugs is as bad as the people selling them. Dealing weapons, the same. “As Charity told you this is a group that is anti-government, the only thing is, they all used to work for the government. That is the founding five and they have recruited more over the years, their specialty is technology. Things that are too smart for me, but I know that they get paid for their information and that is why they are off the grid from everyone. If there is a way to hide the information they are two steps ahead of whoever is coming after them. I know they are being investigated by several alphabet divisions of the government. It’s just a matter a time, and I think that time is near, for them to be busted and taken down, or so the chatter says. They have an escape plan in place. That’s why they traded this Charity woman off to the Hell Keeperz MC and why no one has any leads on the Hell Keeperz. The club bought technology from the little community to hide their activities. That makes the community dealing in organized crime. A big deal in many government agencies these days.”

  “Charity said she had a normal loving family growing up, so how is this possible?” I need the answers to my questions.

  “I can’t say for sure, but the best answer I have for that is, she was raised that way. Think about it. The kids growing up in that community have had very limited access to outside people, so they must think that what happens with their people is normal. How would they know any different?” Rebel answers my question.

  “Bingo, we have a winner. The selling or trading of women has only been over the last year as far as we can track, and we only have gossip to go on until it is confirmed. The men up there also take multiple wives. Not all of them, but a great deal. They do not recognize any of the state or federal laws. With everything they have inside that community they only need themselves to rely on. I can’t see them leaving all their equipment there when they leave. It’s too expensive. That community is completely runs from solar panels and small windmills. They have a water purification system and a spring fed pond. They raise their own farm animals and their own crops. They have a saw mill that they use close by and acres of trees. They have big drums of both diesel and gasoline. They are probably transferring everything at night.” Sarge finishes.

  “Do you know if they train people in weapons and hand to hand up there? Charity was knowledgeable in how to kick someone’s ass, how to use a pistol and how to look for car bombs.” Rebel asks Sarge and Sarge is shaking his head with a weird smile on his face.

  “That’s what Diamondback said. They start training the children there as soon as they are old enough to take instructions. I think he said some were as young as five or six years old. That community trust very few people unless they are born in the community or an elder that started the place. At the age of eighteen they are all given the choice to leave or stay and only after the choice is made do they get the intense training of procedures and the knowledge of what they are all about. The females aren’t privy to any of the information until they are married and then the husband decides what to tell them. Each man decides how to handle the information, but if he decides no information, then no one can tell that female anything. They also believe that the men can have a heavy hand to their children and their wives. Some of those men have many wives and while that man is taking care of the questionable parts of their lives, then the wife and children are made to do menial jobs. The life there is hard, except for the men that rule it.” Sarge stops talking and looks around at everyone but no one is saying anything. I am speechless. My mind can’t wrap around it. I have known some militia groups, but this is worse than anything I have ever heard of. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Hell Keeperz MC you are dealing with now, is not the same one that started this war. They are more organized, they are spread out and they know how to keep under the radar and they kill everyone that can lead you to them. They are some bloody ruthless bastards, but Chief knows more about that then I do.” Sarge and the other man go and takes seats at the table.

  “From what Light, the VP, and Titan, the Enforcer, said is that there has been a change in the officers.” Rebel speaks up.

  “The President is Hack, and do not let his name fool you. He may know computers and computer programing, but he is one ruthless bastard. Then there is Dread the Sergeant at Arms and he is known for getting creative in extracting information out anyone that crosses their club.” It may seem like Chief hates these men, but I can also see a glimmer of respect. I don’t like it. “They are dealing in blackmail; prostitution and they don’t care if it is against the women’s will. They have some human trafficking, drugs, and illegal weapons. You name it and they h
ave their hands in it with the backup of all the up to date technology to avoid the cops from detecting any of their movements or activities. They want to bring the Demented Revengers MC down. All the chapters, not just one, and then they are going to the next clubs on their list. They want complete control of Texas, one club at a time. That makes this problem all of ours.” Chief stops and looks at me. I know I am not going to like what is coming. I feel the tension coming off Rebel sitting beside me.

  “The woman, Brody, and Rebel all have prices on their heads along with the Sheriff of Wood County.” I have a bad feeling this is not all Chief has to tell. “The entire Demented Revengers MC also has a contract on it, but it is only to dismantle the club and kill all the Presidents.”

  “Who the hell would take on such a big contract?” Cap asks.

  “Doesn’t need to be one person or one club. The prices on the woman, Brody and the Sheriff is two hundred and fifty thousand a piece. That woman must know more than what she said. They just want the Sheriff to keep the local office off kilter so the Hell Keeperz MC can have time to work. Brody is a well-known bounty hunter and his contacts are too good to leave as a question mark in the equation.” Chief looks right at me with a dislike in his eyes. “I knew who you were before I ever started the trip here. I do my damn homework. Only a complete idiot walks into a situation without knowing the players.” Chief looks at Rebel next. “Rebel, you, they have a hard on for. A one-million-dollar bounty for you. The Demented Revengers and the rest of the Presidents is a five-million-dollar price tag, so you know more than one person is after you. That is all we have for right now. We have feelers out and hope to have a location soon if we are lucky.”

  “That is more than we had an hour ago. Now we need to come up with a plan and we need their location yesterday. We have help and some fresh eyes. Let’s get this done. I need a fucking vacation.” Cap laughs at the end. I am glad he can joke about this. I am scared for Charity out there by herself.

  “I know I am coming off as a hard ass, but to get this situation under control we need to stay focused. All of you are running off raw emotion and I am going to make sure that doesn’t get you killed and if that means pissing you off, too damn bad. After this is over we can drink a beer and party, but right now this is all business.” Chief is looking at all of us and I can see the concern. I may have jumped to the wrong conclusion.

  “We need to visit Couch Mountain, if for nothing else surveillance to see if they are moving their location. When this thing is over I am taking that damn cult down.” I say and don’t care what anyone thinks about it.

  “I agree.” Sarge speaks up. I look at him and I can tell he is serious.

  “First thing first, Chief when is ZMan and Tito going to arrive?” Cap asks.

  “Anytime now. Let’s go over what Rebel and Brody brought to us one more time. Maybe there is something we missed.” I have been over and over everything that happened to us but if it will help then I am ready.

  “I am going to my office and make some phone calls. I need to get more protection on Brody’s family and contact Kaden to give him a heads up.” I get up and follow Rebel. “We will get back to this in thirty minutes. I will have the women bring in some food. This is going to be a long day.” Rebel has never spoken any truer words.

  Chapter 14

  Charity

  I have been trying to stay out of sight for two days now. Getting back into our community wasn’t a problem and getting back to the cave was a little more complicated since I was also hiding my tracks. I have been following the plan that Uncle Hem and I came up with. I made it in here, I hid a couple of backpacks close by in case I am found out and need to run, I brought some things into the cave and then I hid the jeep under limbs and brush in a ravine. I don’t feel safe by any means of the word, but I have relaxed a little.

  When I was setting up the cave I found the box that Faith and I have been putting our savings in for so long. It isn’t much, but anything will help along with the money that Uncle Hem insisted I take. I told him it is a loan and if it is the last thing in this world I do, I will repay him. I will repay all his kindness. Along with the money in the box was a letter that Faith left me. The heads of the community have the restrictions in place for now. She didn’t explain why, but Pop and the others only do that if they are worried that the community is going to be attacked or invaded. That means it may be a few days before I can contact Faith. During restrictions there is a curfew, and everyone travels in groups. That means no alone time for anyone when they are outside the walls of their homes. We have a few people that are trustworthy to an extent, Faith’s small circle of friends, but not if they know I am planning to take Faith out of here.

  Today I decided it was time to get out in the daylight. I am staying out of sight and making my way to the pond. That is the only place the younger people can get away without watchful eyes. I don’t even know if that will be true with the restrictions. I am taking my time and being extra careful. I hear voices before I ever get to the pond and when I hear Faith speaking my heart skips a beat. I move closer being sure to stay out of sight. I can’t afford to screw it all up now. I have an unobstructed view of the pond now and I can see Faith but my Ma and Faith’s friend Nic are with her. Faith looks healthy, so her asthma must not be bothering her right now. I see Nic grab Faith’s hand as they walk. This is not just a regular trip to the pond, Nic is trying to court Faith. She’s not having anything to do with it. She flings Nic’s hand back at him. My Ma chastises Faith for it, I can’t hear her very well, but I know that look she has on her face. I know I need to get Faith’s attention. I do the only thing I know to do. I let out a bird call that Faith and I used for signals as we were growing up. Faith’s eyes are looking everywhere in an inconspicuous way. Ma’s back is to me and Nic is busy looking out at the pond. I move myself where Faith can get a glimpse of me. I only stay there for a few moments and then I go back in hiding. Ma and Nic don’t act like anything is out of the normal. Faith is still looking in my direction and she is shaking her head yes. I know that she knows I am here. I turn around and head back to the cave. I know Faith will come to me. I need to be prepared to move out as soon as she makes it to the cave.

  It takes a while to get back to the cave and I am starved. I make me a peanut butter sandwich and grab me a water. Eating the sandwich reminds me of growing up and sharing a sandwich with my sister. I have missed her so much, but we are going to get on the other side of this and then we will be free and with the help of Uncle Hem and his family we will have somewhat of a normal life. It’s a beginning. I laugh as I eat my sandwich. Uncle Hem had surprised me when I woke up from my nap in the early hours of the morning and he had the jeep loaded with so many supplies. There is enough space for Faith and me to fit. I hope Faith packs light. I can’t think of anything else we might need. Uncle Hem gave me a hundred dollars to get to Dallas with and get a prepaid cell phone as soon as we can. Faith and I had seventy dollars hid in the cave and I have another hundred or so stashed in my room under a floor board. I know Faith will remember it. Doesn’t sound like a lot but it is more than what I expected. It will work, we will make it work.

  I know I need to nap. If Faith gets out tonight we will both need to be up for a lot of hours. I hope Faith is ready to get out of here. I wipe my hands of the crumbs there and wipe them off and then take a drink of water and then I try to get comfortable. I just need a short nap so until the sun starts to set. My eyes start to flutter, and I feel sleep taking me under. I feel like I have just closed my eyes when I am being smothered with a hug. It startles me, and my first reaction is to fight but then Faith’s scent hits my nose and before I even open my eyes I am hugging my sister back. Faith pulls me to my feet and I open my eyes and I have never seen anyone that is more of a welcome sight. I finally step back from Faith and look her over from the top of her head to her shoes. “We need to get out of here tonight by morning they will be looking for me.” Faith has tears running down her cheeks. I look
at her and see the worry.

  “Did you bring your medicine?” I ask. I can’t afford for Faith to have an asthma attack right now. “Have you had very many attacks since I have been gone?”

  “I will answer this but then it is your turn, where have you been? I came back from helping the women and you were gone. No one knew what happened.” Faith holds on tightly to my hand. “My attacks have been closer together and more serious. The thing is I caught Ma putting aspirin ground up in my drinks and food. I started insisting that I cook since Ma has been working in the storage buildings for hours every day.”

  “What the hell, Faith? Everyone knows that you can’t have aspirin, what is going on?” Faith has aspirin sensitive asthma and she has small polyps in her nasal cavity, it’s Samter’s Triad. We have always been careful. When Faith was diagnosed is one of the few times that someone here was taken to an outside medical facility. Faith almost died that night.

  “I don’t know Charity. I was in the kitchen one day and Ma was making us all some tea. She didn’t know I was there and it shocked me when I saw her crushing pills up, I watched as she put it in the tea and then put the bottle away. I waited until I knew she was in the other room and I went to the cabinet and there was the bottle of aspirin. I didn’t know what to do?” I know Faith had to have been scared. I have told her many time through the years to be sure to check labels before she takes any pain reliefers or cold medicines. We have an infirmary inside the community and it is stocked with different medicines and first aid supplies and that is where we go for all our illnesses.