Page 57 of Angel

“Found Cheryl,” came over the coms from Star. “She’s definitely pregnant, Steel.”

Steel paused. They were around the corner from where the main fight was occurring. Steel signaled for Cage to take up position on the opposite wall.

As Steel asked over the radio if Cheryl was alone, Cage peeked around the corner. He had an open shot at three Pythons whose backs were to them. Cage held up three fingers to Steel.

Using military hand signals that was different from traditional American sign language, Steel told Cage that he would take the one on the left. Cage, having a clearer line of sight, had the other two.

As they took aim, Star called back over that there was another woman in the room with Cheryl. Based on the needle in her arm, she was high on heroin.

Two shots later, Cage’s targets were down. He was grateful for the recent time at the gun range with Angel. She’d never let him live it down if he’d missed those targets.

Cage and Steel held their position as Steel replied to Star to remain with the women.

“Star, check the room two down from where you are. There’s a small heat signature. I can’t tell if it’s a person because it shares a wall with the kitchen. Possibly an animal?”

Star replied he was going to lock Cheryl and the other woman in the room and would go check it out.

Steel and Cage continued into the main room. Unlike the VDMC clubhouse, the Pythons was staged specifically for their parties and fun. The single pool table looked like it was a fuck away from breaking. There was a cart with booze and glasses. The place reeked of sex and smoke. Steel paused long enough to kick a used needle out of his way. Though his face didn’t show it, Cage knew that Steel’s distaste for how the Pythons ran their club was at the forefront of his president’s mind.

When Cage had arrived in Mount Grove to prospect for the Via Daemonia, Steel had stared him down and told him that there was not and never would be drugs in his club. One chance, one shot. If a member was discovered doing, selling, or transporting drugs, not only would their colors be stripped but they would also have to deal with Steel’s wrath. Lucky, who had lost his mother to drugs, seconded this sentiment so strongly that he’d probably join Steel in whatever punishment he saw fit for the disgraced member.

Cage was not one to turn down a drink—at least not until recently—but he’d never in his life touched drugs. The occasional joint in his teens being the exception. He had no issue with Steel’s rules regarding drugs. In the early days of the club, people had tried to bring drugs to the VDMC parties but soon discovered that Steel had no issues making a citizen’s arrest and calling Sheriff Longhill to the clubhouse or Demons on the Rocks to take the dealer or user in hand. After the second time, no one had dared to bring illegal substances anywhere near a Via Daemonia party.

The Pythons, on the other hand, transported drugs and distributed openly at their parties.

Using the support beams for cover, Cage and Steel came up on five Pythons who were exchanging gunfire with Bulldog’s team. Two of them looked injured but were still firing. They were using overturned furniture for cover. In the middle of the floor were several unmoving bodies. At quick glance, Cage spotted four.

Who Cage did not see was King.

Neither did Steel. “Anyone have eyes on King?” he asked into his radio.

Lucky and Bulldog called back negatives. Anger surged inside Cage. He wanted King.

“No sign of Fang either,” Bulldog added. “Keys, can you find them?”

Fang was King’s SAA. If the two of them weren’t here, Cage feared where they were. Bree came back to mind, but for an entirely different reason now.

Cage glanced at Steel. The man’s face was eerily emotionless, but Cage knew the man’s thoughts were on his family. Jenna and Ollie were at the sleepover, but Melanie was off at college. Cage knew that Melanie was smart. Steel had put all his children through self-defense classes and taught all of them how to use firearms. Hell, there was a rumor going around that Steel had once tied up his sons to show them how to get themselves free.

But no amount of training could stop a well-placed bullet. It had been Melanie that King had openly voiced a threat to when Steel, Bulldog, Ghost, and Jumper had come to the Pythons’ clubhouse with an olive branch almost a month ago. Per Ghost’s retelling, Steel had taken the opportunity to throw the strength of the women in his family back in King’s face.

Was Steel now regretting not slitting King’s throat then? If the man harmed Melanie…

Steel hugged the column and took aim at one of the Pythons. The man dropped, the bullet splattering brain matter and blood everywhere.

The other Pythons turned, stupidly rising to take aim at Cage and Steel behind them. Four shots later and Bulldog’s team took them down.

Gunfire ceased. The fireworks outside give three more echoing crackles and then fell silent too.

“Bring the bodies. Clear the building. I want a headcount,” Steel ordered over the radio.

In addition to Cheryl and the unknown woman, three other women were found. Cheryl seemed to be the only one sober which, for the sake of her baby, Cage was extremely grateful for.

Angel remained where she was to watch their six.

The VDMC injuries were minor. Ranger caught a ricochet bullet to the back of the thigh, but it had caught only muscle. Grumpy had taken a knife swipe to the chest. He’d already applied resin to the wound to stop the bleeding. Star had what looked to be claw marks down his face and Cage wondered if the woman with Cheryl had attacked him with her fingernails while under the influence.

Per Ollie, he was the only child that lived with the Pythons. The other “bastards”, King’s word for the kids their activities made, were kept elsewhere because King couldn’t stand children. Like Sam, Ollie was brought to the clubhouse when he turned thirteen and given a prospect cut to help “serve” the club. With his father unknown, Ollie had received no protection against the Pythons’ cruelty, which only became worse once his sexuality was known. Sam, though, knew that his dad was the VP, but Venom did not claim him. He was older and bigger than Ollie, so he’d been treated better.

---