by Nicole Fox
“I've got a plan,” Cathey said, squeezing Sara's hand as she leaned in closer and looked her in the eyes. She told the younger woman what part she needed her for. “Can you do that for me?”
Sara peered back into those aged eyed, at the lines that crisscrossed her face. The smile lines at the corners of her eyes, the frown lines around her mouth. If she didn't do this, if she didn't help make this plan work, she might not have a chance to look in the mirror and see lines like those grow on her own face. She turned her head and looked away. She breathed deep and exhaled. She could do this, she could handle this.
Cathey shook her hand and drew Sara's attention back to her. “Hey,” she whispered harshly. “Can you do it?”
Sara nodded, despite her overwhelming fear. “Yeah,” she said. “I can do it.” Seemed like things were “do or die,” at this point. Cathey's plan wasn't great, but it was at least something. And something was always better than nothing.
Cathey gave her a weak, wan smile that looked just as terrified as Sara felt. She squeezed her hand one last time and let go.
Sara nodded and stood up, walked out from the little abandoned office and darted into the forest of shelving units.
Adam whistled a slow, but jaunty tune as he continued to search through the warehouse. He was clearly enjoying himself, taking his time. He must have been pretty confident about his prospects of being alone with them for a while longer. He must have sent Danny and the guys on one wild goose chase all over the county.
She ducked around some shelves, staying low. Up ahead, not fifteen feet away, she could see his legs on the other side of some junk that had been piled up on the floor.
“Don't worry, Sara,” he said, the mirth undeniable in his voice. “I won't leave you alone out in the woods this time. I'll stay with you all night long. Did you enjoy that, though? Your little trip communing with nature?”
Sara took a deep breath, willed her spine to steel itself.
“Or was it a little too chilly for you?” he continued. “Guess I could have lit a fire for you. Or kept you warm some other way. Seeing as how much you got that biker-lust in you.”
“Or let me grab my coat,” Sara finally said as she stood up and circled.
“Oh ho!” Adam exclaimed when she appeared in front of him. He held a big, heavy crowbar in his hands. That must have been what he was banging against the shelves and scraping along the concrete. But this man in front of her, he didn't look the same as before.
His beard was gone, replaced by a clean-shaven face with heavy features. Not unattractive, but certainly not as straight-up sexy as Danny, either. Just sort of, well, plain. He'd bleached his dark hair blonde and cut it short. He looked completely different.
All except the eyes, of course, and that damned Free Jackals vest of his. Those crazed, intense eyes were still the same. The eyes of a psychopath. The eyes of a frothing-at-the-mouth predator.
Every nerve in her body screamed at her to run, to flee. If they'd been on the Serengeti, he'd have been the lion, and she'd have been the gazelle. And she'd have been dead by now. Sara swallowed down her fear, though, and only took a single step back. She had to control herself, had to keep herself from breaking.
He took another step as he whacked the metal tool against the palm of his hand. “Speak, and she shall appear,” he said as he walked slowly towards her.
Sara struggled to keep her fear down. “Wh-what do you want?” she asked as she walked backwards with a measured pace, one hand extended behind her to make sure she didn't get entangled on anything or bump into any of the shelves that lined either side.
“Just to talk, little Miss Sara,” Adam said in a chiding tone. “Is that too much to ask?”
“You need a crowbar for that?” she asked, her voice cracking.
“Nah, you're right,” he said, flashing her a wicked grin. “You caught me, I lied.” He put out the hand holding the crowbar and playfully slapped the back of it with the other hand. “Bad Adam.”
“Danny'll be here soon,” she said, glancing behind her and avoiding a box full of abandoned screws and washers. “You should go, now, and I'll forget this happened.”
“Oh? But, then I'd miss out on all the fun with you and Mommy. Wouldn't I? And you don't want me to miss out on my playtime, do you?”
“J-just go,” Sara stammered, as he took two more steps forward, closing the gap a little more. “I promise, we won't tell him. We'll just let you go back to the Jackals and forget this ever happened.”
“Speaking of mommy Reynolds,” he said with a wild grin, “where is the wheezy old bag, anyways?”
“Right here, motherfucker,” Cathey said from somewhere on the other side of him. Her words were followed by an audible click as she drew back the hammer on Logan Reynolds' revolver. “Now, stop right where you fucking are, or I'll put two bullets in your back without even fucking blinking.”
Just like magic, that evil grin of Adam's dropped from his face as he finally realized what he'd stepped into. What kind of trap he'd entered through his own over-confidence.
“Drop the crowbar,” the older woman rasped, then coughed.
He dropped the tool on the ground, and the metal on concrete echoed loudly throughout the building.
“Kick it to Sara.”
He followed her orders, saying, “You know I've just been messing around, right? I was just funning.”
“You know we're not laughing, right?” Sara replied as she bent over and picked up the heavy metal bar.
“You just messing with us when you got my boy hooked on smack?” Cathey spat at him. “Or when you kidnapped Danny's ol' lady?”
Adam gave them both a weak shrug. “Oops.”
“Oops?” Cathey asked, shaking her head. “Sara, hon, go get one of those chairs. I saw some duct tape in that back office, too. Guess we're going to get to play cops and murderous psychopaths today, ain't we, Adam?”
Chapter Forty-Four
Danny
Danny nearly threw up as soon as he saw the strange car parked next to his mom's beat-up sedan at the empty warehouse. She wasn't supposed to have been here! She was supposed to have been at home, free and clear of any danger.
Now, he'd have more than just Sara and the baby on his conscience if what he thought was true turned out to actually be so.
He pulled in and jumped off his bike His feet slapped the gravel parking lot, beating out a wild tattoo as he ran to the door.
Behind him, the rest of the boys came screaming in right behind him. Dirt and gravel flew everywhere as they all skidded to a stop and came running.
God, he hoped he wasn't too late. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to Sara, or his mom. He threw the door open and rushed inside.
“Answer her, you son of a bitch!” his mother screamed from somewhere deep inside the building. “Answer her, or I'll start blowing off every little piece of you I can!”
Danny ran through the trash and discarded boxes, kicking over old fixtures and containers as he made for the source of the yelling.
“Told you I ain't talking until your boy gets here,” said Adam, his voice carrying over the jumble of noise Danny was making. “And, from the sound of it, your boy's here now.”
He came upon them at the back of the warehouse, near the little office at the back. Both of the women in his life had captured Adam and duct-taped him to one of those rolling chairs. His mom had his dad's old revolver clenched in both hands, and she was waving the hand-cannon like she knew how to use it. All three sets of eyes swiveled to his as he came out of the shadows.
“And there's the man of the hour now,” Adam said, laughing crazily.
“You two okay?” Danny asked as he went to Sara and pulled her into his arms.
Sara laid her head against his chest and rested there. “I was so scared,” she whispered.
He soothed her hair down and held her for a moment longer, silently wishing he could have been there sooner.
“We're fine, dear,” Cath
ey said, then coughed again. “This motherfucker thought he could get one over on all of us, though.”
Danny kissed the top of Sara's head and squeezed her tight. He let her go before turning to Adam. “Why?” he yelled. “Why do this to me and to my family?”
“Funny you should ask that,” Adam said, a big grin spreading on his face. “Cause I was about to tell you. You remember from back when we were young and wild, right Danny? When we felt like we had the world as our plaything?”
“Yeah,” Danny said and frowned, not feeling the same warmth of the remembrances that Adam was. “Go on.”
“I knew your daddy back then, you see. I remember him coming out every now and then, to see how we were doing. How our bikes were riding. Goddamn, he loved you, Danny. You could see the look on his face every time you rode by. Beaming like the proudest father to have ever walked God's green earth.”
Thorn, Jed, and Karl came walking up back about then. They were calmer than Danny, more restrained.
Adam glanced back towards the new arrivals, but ultimately ignored them and continued on with his story. “Years later, years after we'd fallen out of touch and gotten grown up, I tried to get into the Fallen Knights. Tried to join up with your club.”
“I don't remember that,” Thorn interjected.
“Exactly,” Adam said, nodding at the point. “Exactly. I didn't even merit a review, not even a fucking review for my recruitment. Do you know why?”
Danny shook his head, but he had an idea.
Adam's face twisted in anger. “Because of your daddy, Danny. Because of your goddamn, motherfucking daddy.”
Cathey lunged towards him, but Thorn wrapped her gently, but firmly, in his arms and restrained her.
“Thank you, Thorn,” Adam said. “Hate to ruin my good looks. Your daddy, old man Logan Reynolds, high poobah of the Fallen Knights, wouldn't even accept me for fucking review. Said I was a loose cannon, a bad apple that needed to be kept from the rest of the barrel. Said I was too violent and reckless, and that I wouldn't get in to the MC so long as he was alive.”
Everyone sat in stunned silence, partially at the story, and partially at the fact that the Free Jackals had let this clearly-unhinged man into their club. How had he gotten so far into their club? How had he gotten these men to help him? All because of a vendetta against the Fallen Knights?
“But, then, well, your daddy died, didn't he?” he asked, shaking his head. “And, I thought to myself, 'Now's your chance, Adam! Now you can be a Fallen Knight, just like you've always dreamed!'”
“So why didn't you just apply?” Thorn asked. “We would've given you a fair vote, up or down, to become a recruit. None of us knew you.”
Adam snorted. “Why bother? I'd rather have my revenge. And, when I'd heard Jed was back in town, I figured out how I wanted to start.”
“You went through all this, just to get revenge for something a dead man did to you years ago?” Danny asked, his eyes wide.
Adam nodded, that wide grin of his spreading across his face again. “Why else? I mean, I'm your biggest rival, now. Figured a little cred with the Jackals wouldn't hurt things.”
“Geez,” Thorn said, “on second thought, thank God Logan turned you down. You evil sumbitch.”
“What do we want to do with him?” Jed asked, the look on his face just as perplexed as everybody else's.
Danny shook his head as Sara backed away from him. Everyone knew what had to be done, what deserved to be done. He'd been in here, after the women. He'd gotten Jed hooked on drugs, had kidnapped Sara. But, still, killing him would just put a murder over the club’s head. And that, by itself, was too dangerous.
“You really love the Free Jackals?” Danny asked, his voice level. “Don't you?”
Adam shrugged, his head trying to track Danny as he circled around him. “They're my boys, same as you got with the Fallen Knights. They pick me up when I'm down, they got my back. Why wouldn't I?”
Danny was behind him now. He reached up and put his hands on Adam's patch, the big Fallen Jackals name that arched across the back of his vest.
“What the hell are you doing?” Adam yelled and struggled against the mummy-like duct tape wrappings. “You keep your hands off that patch, you son-of-a-bitch Knight!”
“You ain't exactly in a position to make any demands,” Danny said, his voice flat and emotionless as he began to rip the patches off his vest.
“What are you doing?” Sara asked.
“To one of us,” Danny said, nodding to Thorn and the rest of the guys, “losing your patch is like losing your honor. A biker wouldn't be caught dead without his patches. Ain't that right, Adam?”
“You son of a bitch,” Adam said. “You give those back.”
“Don't think so,” Danny said as he circled back around, patches in hand. He reached into his pocket and dug out his pops' old Zippo, the same lighter he'd used to light the Molotov those weeks ago. God, that felt like a lifetime distant, now. He flicked the case open and sparked the wheel, sending up a flickering orange and red flame. He made sure Adam could see what he was doing, too. Make sure he could see the punishment Danny was about to inflict on him.
“What are you-?” Adam asked, the words seeming to swell in his throat and choke him. “You can't! You wouldn't!”
“Wouldn't what?” Danny asked as he put the flickering tongue of flame to the edge of the patches. “Take away the only thing that matters to you? Same as you tried to do to me?”
Adam's mouth dropped open, and Danny thought he might burst into tears. All that pride, all that honor. Gone. Poof. Up in smoke. Literally.
“My patches . . .” Adam said, his eyes fixated on them as they burned in Danny's hand.
“No more,” Danny said. “And, I don't want to find you anywhere near here. Or by the college. I see you anywhere within fifty miles of the Fallen Knights territory, I'll kill you myself. You hear me?”
Adam's mouth opened and closed, his tongue twisted and tied by the reality of what was happening in front of him.
“I asked if you heard me, you piece of shit!” Danny yelled as he dropped the burned patches on the concrete floor and squashed out the flames with his boots.
Adam, seemingly struck dumb, could only nod.
“Good. Karl, cut him loose.”
The recruit whipped out his pocket knife and got in close behind him. He reached down and cut the duct tape, slicing through the adhesive strips like butter. Adam brought his hands around and rubbed his wrists, just like Sara had all those weeks ago when Danny cut her loose.
But, Adam did what Sara hadn't.
He tried one last time to get even. He lunged for Danny.
Danny had expected something like this. A man like Adam, he'd keep going until all his options were exhausted. He was definitely the type to stay on the stage until a whole choir of fat ladies sang. Danny struck him fast, a quick jackrabbit punch that hit him square in the nose and dazed him.
Adam stumbled forward a little bit, suddenly unsure of his footing.
Danny kneed him in the gut, knocking the wind from him, then slashed him to the ground with a wild haymaker.
Adam tried to get up again, but the attempt was feeble.
“Don't,” Danny breathed, then kicked him in the side. “Or, so help me God, we'll finish this the other way.”
Adam didn't try again to climb to his feet. This time, he stayed down.
Sara came over to Danny, wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him back and away from Adam's prone form.
It was done, he realized. It was finally over. The Free Jackals may bother them again, but Adam wouldn't be any party to it. His days in their MC were over. They'd seen to that.
Chapter Forty-Five
Sara
Sara carried her box of the few keepsakes she had kept from childhood into Cathey's house. They'd already moved her small coffee table and bed out of storage. All told, her belongings fit into the bed of Thorn's pickup truck. Well, all of her possessions that h
ad been worth keeping, at least. Some of it had just ended up by the dumpster, left to be someone else's treasure.
The plan was to live here until they at least got the place fixed back up. Danny figured moving in would save him the hassle of having to get out here every day. He could just wake up every morning, have his coffee, eat his breakfast, then go and tear down old sheet rock, or start working on the plumbing. He, Jed, and the rest of the boys would have the place back up to snuff in no time flat.
Then, after his mother's place was fixed up, they'd purchase their own home. Danny said the one he had wouldn't do for his family. He was going to give them the best he could.
