Surrender lost souls mc.., p.26
Surrender (Lost Souls MC Book 2), page 26
I didn’t say anything as I processed the information. Was that why this Frank guy was so cocky?
“So did they catch this Chameleon, or is he still running around,” I asked.
“I don’t know, man. But that’s one family I wouldn’t want to be part of. Anyway, no idea when he’ll be at the house next, but that was where both guys were taken.”
“Thanks, Mutt.”
“So listen, I scratched your back. Maybe you can scratch mine and put a good word in for me with your Prez?”
“Not a chance.” I hit end on the phone and stuffed it in my pocket.
I was staring at complete opposites as I marched over to the truck. Wilder was leaning back on the truck, taking in the sun’s rays, while Roach paced, his face red as he snarled like a dog and mumbled under his breath.
“Dude, calm down before you have a stroke.”
“I can’t! Do you know what he said to me?” Roach pointed at Wilder, and I shook my head. “That Lane has a boyfriend. A fucking boyfriend. When did she get a boyfriend, and how did she get one? This is not happening. I will cut his cock off with a butter knife if he touches one hair on her head.”
“They’ve already kissed,” Wilder said, and Roach went volcanic.
I stepped back as he shook like he was going to erupt. “He’s a dead man. This fucking punk is mine.”
“He’s actually—” Wilder started, and I cut him off.
“That’s quite enough info for today, Wilder. Thanks.” I glared at him, hoping he would get the message and shut up.
I grabbed Roach’s arms and forced him to look at me. “Bro, you know I love you like a brother, right?” He nodded, his nostrils flaring and muscles twitching under my hands. “Great, take this advice from someone who cares if you remain breathing. You need to calm the fuck down and back off Lane’s doorstep.”
“What? I’m not...”
“Yeah, you are. Keep denying it all you want, but the problem is Hollywood will castrate you if you go anywhere near his baby sister with anything but pure thoughts. She needs to live her life, and you’re only supposed to be watching her to make sure she doesn’t end up in a dangerous situation. She has your number to call if she gets into trouble.”
His body slumped in my hold. “I’m so fucked.” His worried eyes met mine. “I can’t go near her again, can I?”
“I wouldn’t, but I’m not the one with the best friend in jail who is counting on you to keep your cock to yourself. You need to reign this shit in.” I shrugged. “Unless you don’t give a shit about Hollywood and your friendship anymore.”
“I’ve known that family my whole life. I was at the house playing video games with Hollywood when they brought her home from the hospital,” he said. “How the hell did this happen?”
“I don’t know, but that’s even more reason to stay away. Roach, do you really think she won’t see through your I don’t like you act? Or Hollywood, for that matter? What if she gets freaked out and tells Hollywood? Just get control for your own sanity.” I pulled out a smoke and lit it up, taking my usual two drags before putting it out. “Take it from someone that has been consumed by a woman for over a decade. The shit will not get better if you continue to stalk her ass.”
“I wasn’t stalking. I was dedicated to my promise.” My brow arched at the perfectly worded statement only a stalker would use. “Okay, fine, I might have been taking it a little too seriously.”
“Why are you watching this girl at the sorority when I already am,” Wilder asked, and Roach glared at him.
Sometimes I really wish Wilder would learn to shut up. “Remember, Chase asked him to protect the sorority,” I said before Roach tied himself into another knot.
“Well, I guess that settles it. I don’t need to anymore,” Roach said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“It’s for the best.” I laid my hand on his shoulder as he looked down, his face so miserable it was like I’d just told him he was dying.
“You get an address,” Wilder asked, effectively ruining the moment. He was right, though. We needed to get going.
“Yeah, I do. Let’s roll.”
We found the place easily enough. It was a run-down shack on a cul-de-sac, surrounded by mostly abandoned homes and crack houses. Not exactly a warm and fuzzy kind of neighborhood for a man trying to convince people to better themselves. It made me wonder what the fuck this guy was really doing with his members.
“What do you think?” I asked.
We were currently parked across the road from our target. The driveway was in such bad repair that I thought it would swallow the truck when Roach parked. The house wasn’t any better, and the badly damaged roof had collapsed. Anyone living inside wasn’t gonna be a credible witness.
“Looks like an abandoned shithole. Are you sure this is the right spot,” Roach asked.
“Mutt swears this is the joint.” I peered up at the sky. It would be dark in about twenty minutes. “I don’t think he’d lie, he has nothing to gain, but there is a good chance that Frank no longer uses this location.”
“Only one way to find out,” Wilder said and jumped out before I could stop him. I didn’t even get the button pressed on the automatic windows when he ran across the street and disappeared behind the house.
“That guy is fucking crazy,” Roach said, dumping the last of his chip bag into his mouth.
“You don’t know the half of it, but I’d rather have him as a friend than an enemy.” I pushed open the passenger side door. “I guess we better follow him.”
“Oh, you mean you want me to get out and not just be the sexy getaway driver?”
“I think you need a new mirror. Yours is definitely broken.” I closed the door as, asshole, was yelled loud and clear. I smirked as I pulled my knife and flicked it open. Switching the grip, I held it in my fist and let the flat of the blade lay along my arm.
Walking across the road, I kept my eyes and ears peeled for sirens or any sign of life. The whole street was eerily quiet, like nothing living wanted to stay here, and a shiver raced down my spine. I wasn’t much for evil spirits and shit, but everything felt off.
“This place has a bad vibe, man,” Roach said, echoing my thoughts. We’d been in some pretty hairy situations together, in places that most would never travel, and his feeling confirmed I wasn’t going crazy.
“Agreed.”
Wilder jogged around to the front of the house. “This is definitely the place you’re looking for.” Wilder nodded toward the back. “Follow me.”
“Are we really going to follow him?” Roach whispered. The corner of my mouth pulled up in a lopsided grin.
“He grows on you, kinda like a barnacle that just sorta sticks and grows back if you scrap it off.”
“That’s a horrifying image, thanks,” Roach said as he made a gagging face. We rounded the back of the house, but Wilder was nowhere to be seen.
“Over here,” he said, waving his arm from inside a tool shed.
“Yeah, definitely not feeling any better about the situation now,” Roach grumbled as he pulled his gun.
The shed looked like one you’d pick up at any hardware store for all your lawn crap. It was metal and rusted, with no windows and a single door. Scraggly trees had grown around the sides, and a few vines were growing along the top.
Reaching the door, I looked inside the small space expecting to see Wilder and maybe a pile of bones. Instead, a massive trap door was open with a soft glow coming from inside.
“Fuck my life. I said I wasn’t helping you anymore. I should’ve stuck with that,” Roach complained.
“Oh shut up, it’s not that bad….” I said and then watched as a spider the size of my hand ran across the dirt and disappeared.
“Right…cause I didn’t just see that rat-sized spider,” Roach said.
I glanced over my shoulder at him. “You should feel right at home with your fellow insects.” I smiled wide.
“I fucking hate you. You know that, right?”
“Are you two coming,” Wilder asked as he poked his head out of the ground like a gofer.
“Coming.” I waited until he jumped back down before stepping on the steel ladder and making my way down. Roach was close behind me. I looked around the tunnel that was over six feet tall and about the same width. “How is this even possible? I didn’t think we could even dig this deep here in Miami?”
“He had the entire piece made from formed concrete, metal, and a silicone substance. Then he had it installed and sealed to keep water from penetrating the cavity. Quite smart, actually, but how all this got done without anyone knowing is the real mystery. This takes a backhoe to dig, a crane to install it, and a massive flatbed truck to move it. This is not a sneak in the night quietly sort of situation,” Wilder explained.
“Why the fuck would someone go to all this effort,” I asked, following Wilder and his flashlight.
“Not sure, but wait until you see this,” Wilder said when we reached the end. All of this was boggling my brain. The door was sealed with a wheel like you’d see on a submarine, and when Wilder opened it to the space beyond, the stench hit us. Roach and I gagged while Wilder seemed completely unaffected.
The combination was similar to the prison laundry I used to wash, but on top of the shit and cum scents was old piss, mold, and something rotting. My nose was assaulted by the worst combination of smells someone could ever put together.
Covering my nose with my arm, I followed Wilder into the basement of a house and assumed it was the one we’d been watching. It was an open space with nothing but darkness. There were no windows, but as Wilder shined his light around, my eyes went wide. Chains and cuffs lined the walls, enough for a dozen people. We reached another hallway with a line of doors that reminded me of solitary confinement at the prison. They were solid metal with a small flap that could be slid open to look inside. The first one we looked in was empty except for a thin old mattress that had seen better days and more chains and cuffs.
There were six doors in total, all the same. The last one had fresh blood on the ground and a smear that couldn’t have been more than a few days old.
“What the hell am I looking at here,” Roach asked, his voice muffled behind his arm.
“Trafficking, I think, or torture and murder. Each room has a different feature.” Wilder pointed to the corner of the room and the tiny camera I hadn’t noticed. Then he pointed to the thin lines of wires pulled up like a beast ready to drop from the ceiling. “Those are for electrocution. They can drop and dangle a designated height off the floor. The person here has to stay flat or get zapped, but I’m sure there is more to it. If this were my torture room, I’d let loose a few of those massive spiders or a snake so the person wants to jump up.”
I stared at the side of Wilder’s face. “You’re creepy, man. I like you, but you worry me.”
Wilder turned his head to look at me. “Why?”
“Never mind, let’s keep searching. I need some clue about where this asshole is hiding. I find him. I find Dave.”
The door to go up was locked, but Wilder had it unlocked faster than I ever could. We walked up the stairs quietly, ready for anything.
“Is this the house we were watching?” I looked out a window between a crack in the wooden boards covering the glass.
“Nope, the one behind it. We traveled in the wrong direction, and I bet you won’t see your truck if you look out the front.”
“This is getting stranger by the second,” I said. Doing as Wilder suggested, I looked out the front window. Sure enough, we were facing the wrong way. This was not what I expected.
The place was dated with peeling, floral wallpaper, and floors that were a mix of shag carpet and subflooring. No pictures anywhere, but a new roll of toilet paper was by the shitter, water was running through the taps, and the thermostat on the wall glowed with the temp.
“Hey, Snake, come see this.” I left the back room I was looking through and found Wilder sitting at a computer with Roach standing behind him.
“Where did you find the laptop?” He pointed to an air exchange vent, and I shook my head. I would never have thought to look there. Wilder pulled something out of his pocket that looked like a memory stick. The screen glowed and then showed a lock screen. Before I could ask how he planned on getting past that lock, he shoved the stick in the side, and the computer dinged and opened.
“Government encryption decoder,” Wilder offered, and Roach and I looked at one another and shrugged. I could kill people with no problem and even make it creative, but this was why I brought Wilder. “These are all files on people, women mostly.” He pointed to the long list that went on forever. He opened a file, and even my eyebrow rose with the violent images. A woman’s face was contorted in agony as spikes were shoved through her body while someone fucked her. This was a new level of fucked even for me. You couldn’t see the attacker’s face for the large hooded robe that covered his body, but each image Wilder clicked on was more disturbing than the next.
He went to another folder and another, and it was all the same. Some women had been mangled or burnt but were still alive when these images were taken. One image had candles and strange symbols I didn’t recognize drawn on the wall in the background. This Father Frank was more disturbed than I thought. He was using the cover of the cult that focused on spirituality and twisted it into whatever the fuck this was.
“They have dates and names. I’m surprised someone would do that unless they really didn’t think they’d get caught,” Roach said, pointing to the long list of folders.
“It’s their trophies,” Wilder answered. “They probably keep something personal as well, but this will be where he comes to relive the kills. Someplace no one would be watching or catch him jerking off or re-enacting it with others.”
“That’s fucked up,” Roach said.
My pulse began to pound hard as a thought occurred to me. “Is there a folder for Raine Eastman?” Wilder and Roach looked at me, and even though they didn’t say it, I knew what they were thinking. “I need to know,” I said before they could argue.
The little folders went on and on as he made it down to the Rs, and the little cursor hovered over a file highlighted in blue. My fist clenched on the knife, shaking in my grasp.
“Open it,” I growled.
“Buddy, you sure you want to see this?”
My eyes snapped to Roach. “What if this was Lane?”
“I know, but….”
“Open the fucking file or get out of my way and I’ll do it,” I ordered.
Wilder clicked on the file, and the world narrowed in on the photographs on the screen. There weren’t as many as the other files, and the photo quality wasn’t as clear, but that didn’t matter.
There she was, my precious little Tink at fifteen, tied up and naked just like she said. Roach turned around and crossed his arms over his chest, his face as angry as I felt.
Blood and other bodily fluids coated her body. A dark hood was tied with black tape around her neck, but that didn’t stop her eyes from gripping me behind the dark material. I could taste her terror on my tongue and acid in the back of my throat as my body revolted against what I saw.
Wilder clicked through all the photos, most were just of her, but some had Jim and Dave. Frank must have been the one taking the pictures.
A sharp pain pierced my chest like I was being stabbed through the heart. She thought this was me. For eleven long years, she thought I did this to her. Fire and ice sizzled in my veins as rage collided with the realization of the horror she’d felt.
“This is a pattern. It’s not random. Some of the others have it too, just in different spots,” Wilder said, pointing to the six knife wounds on her naked blood-covered stomach. “If she wasn’t his first, she was close to it. That’s the only reason she’s alive. They’re not as clean and precise. The cuts were tentative, and he used a different blade than the others. The wounds are smaller in size, and by some miracle, he missed all her major veins, or she would’ve bled out in minutes.”
My body wouldn’t stop shaking, and my heart pounded hard in my chest. I gripped my knees as the room swam and took deep breaths to get myself under control. Roach’s hands were on my shoulders, but he didn’t say anything.
The fear in Raine’s eyes that night, when she found me in her house, came storming to the surface of my mind, and I wanted to throw up. That look on her face would haunt my dreams. She was my it, my all, my everything, and these three had destroyed us both.
“Take the computer. I don’t care if he knows it’s missing. The families of these people deserve closure.” I stood and nodded to Roach that I was okay.
“This guy is fucking dead, and when we find him, he’s all mine.” Wilder and Roach stayed quiet but locked eyes with me. “Father Frank may have signed a deal with the Devil, but I’m the Reaper, and I intend to fucking collect.”
Jace
Kai insisted on coming to the airfield with us. I found him extreme and unpredictable most of the time, but he was downright strange this last week. Kai didn’t challenge me or threaten to kill me when I purposely tried to get under his skin. He hardly spoke when we saw him and was more protective and edgy over Raine than I ever wanted to see from an enforcer. I didn’t know what was happening, but I would bet money that something set him off.
Raine was splitting her time between us, so we saw Kai every other night, and although he sometimes hung out and ate dinner, it never felt like he was wholly here. He was fine with Raine but would spend most of the time standing at one of the large windows staring outside. I didn’t know if this was a residual effect of the night we tag-teamed Raine, but it felt like something else. I hated being in the dark about shit. If he didn’t snap out of it by tomorrow night, we were going to have another private conversation.
I glanced out the plane window and watched Raine talk to Kai. He looked panicked, scared she would get on the plane with me and never come back. If he really knew her, he’d know she wouldn’t leave unless forced to. She was so much like Avro with her loyalty and undying positivity. Those two were meant to be in each other’s orbit, and I was hoping that Raine could get him through his surgery when I couldn’t be here.
