Page 24 of Rebel

“Athena, it’s Rebel. Hey, come on, we need you to stay with us. Atlas is here too. Listen to my voice. You’re okay, and thesepeople will never hurt another soul again, that I can promise. Now I need you to tell me what hurts so these three doctors can help you.”

Watching Rebel, even though this situation is dire, seeing the way she is makes me love her even more. She’s wiping the hair off my mom’s face and I can see the bruises. These sons of bitches, why do this to them? They’ve never hurt a soul. When I hear my mom’s voice, it brings me to my knees. Everyone stops as she tries to talk.

“Rebel, oh my God. I don’t want Apollo and Atlas to see me like this. Please, promise me they won’t know what happened. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Athena, you have nothing to be embarrassed about and your husband and son adore you, like your grandchildren do. Please tell me what’s hurting and if you have any allergies. We need to treat you so then you can be moved for transport.”

“Rebel, something is wrong with my legs. I can’t feel them. I was kicked in my lower back by the men who had boots on. I think my one wrist is broken and I’ve lost three teeth. My ears are ringing and between my legs hurts badly. I don’t know what they used but whatever was shoved inside of me. Also, oh God… they violated me in the back too. I feel so dirty.”

That’s when I look down and slowly move the blanket up. I can see a pool of blood under my mom so I yell to Malcolm, who shifts so I can’t see anything. When he starts to yell for supplies, I grab one of the black bags going through it, throwing items to Malcolm as he calls for them. Mom is very pale, lips looking a bit blue. For some reason I can’t think what to do when Shadow walks in, takes one look, and moves to the end of the bed. She tells Yoggie to help her as she moves to open my mom’s legs. I can’t look when I hear their gasps, but what shocks me is when Shadow starts asking for gauze. Glancing toward her, I see her shoving her sleeves up. When she grabs the gauze, opening it,then layering it; I figure it out that she’s going to try and pack my mom. Rebel moves close to her sister and together they start the process to pack my mom to try and staunch the bleeding. I grab Mom’s hand and lean in to whisper in her ear, letting her know how good she’s doing. My dad is calling for her and Mom smiles at his voice, right before Yoggie screams that she’s flatlining. I see Malcolm grab a defibrillator and suddenly the walls start to spin. The thought of losing my mom takes my breath away, and the last thing I hear is a loud roar as the room goes dark.

SEVENTEEN

‘YOGGIE’

SEBASTIAN

I can’t believe the scene. The cabin we found Atlas’s parents in is a disaster. We finally stabilized his dad, but he refuses to move or leave until Athena is with him. When she flatlined, I thought she was gone, but my military training kicked in. Between Malcolm and me, we were able to bring her back after she was hit twice with the defibrillator. She’s in really bad shape. Malcolm and I did our best, so all we can do is pray she gets to the hospital in time. Apollo has a better chance to recover as his injuries are all on the surface, though saying that, he’s going to be in excruciating pain during his healing. Some of those whip marks are so deep he’s going to need both internal and external stitches.

Thank God, Avalanche was walking in when Atlas lost it and passed out. The mountain of a man not only caught him but threw Atlas over his shoulder, taking him outside so he could get some air. Avalanche yelled for help and Dottie came to check on Atlas. What people don’t understand about the Devil’s Handmaidens is, the ones who were tortured themselves also have knowledge on how to help a person, especially Shadow and Spirit. I’ve watched them revive people time and time again.

Feeling arms around my waist, I look down to see my Bae looking up at me with smudges of dirt and probably blood all over her face. I bend toward my black medical bag, grabbing some wet wipes, then carefully wipe my ol’ lady’s face. Her eyes are closed, all her trust in me. When I’m done, I place a soft feather-like kiss on her lips then pull her in for a much-needed hug. If I’d have lost Atlas’s mom that would have killed me. It’s hard enough when you lose someone and you don’t know their family but, shit, Atlas and his family are now a part of ours because Rebel is part of my Bae’s family.

“Boo, we got to move. Shadow and Spirit have quite a few assholes they want to take back to the ranch. They refuse to remove them from the earth until they hear it from Atlas that’s what he wants. Sheriff George has been kept out of this, so please don’t say anything. Tink sent Squirt to grab the huge van for transport. So don’t do anything, as we don’t know if we are gonna wipe this place off the earth or leave it for the deputies to search. The prospects are digging holes though for the dead. We need you and Malcolm, when you can, to check over the victims. My God, Boo, it’s a repeat of the last circuit. The victims are mainly young kids under the age of like fifteen, maybe sixteen. Atlas’s parents, with a handful of women, are among the few adults.”

I listen to my Bae as she lets out all of the emotions she has to, because this kind of shit will definitely fuck with your head if you let it. I mean, to this day, I still have occasional nightmares from when I was in the service. My Bae or as she is known by her club sisters, Glory, her daughter, and granddaughter have changed my life, all for the better. As we walk toward where the doors are open with victims all over. My eyes can’t believe what I’m seeing. She wasn’t lying, as it is almost all children with a few teenagers. The damage done to them is visible and heartbreaking. Wait a fuckin’ minute, I know that kid. He’s beenbeat to shit, trying to sit but has to lean to one side or another. I walk directly to him and when his two swollen black and bruised eyes look up, I see the utter devastation. I scrunch down, slowly putting my hand on his arm. That breaks him as he starts to cry. Taking a seat next to him, I pull him close and can tell he’s pretty severely injured. Up close I can see the damage right in front of my eyes.

“Colin, brother, what happened? How did you get involved with this shit? Come on, let it out.”

Before he can even start, I see Avalanche coming our way. I shake my head and mouth for him to get Tank. He nods, turns, and goes to look for my brother and the man I respect wholly. As I wait, I just sit next to the kid and give him time to figure out what he wants to share.

“Yoggie, it was Brian. Oh my God, how was I so wrong about him? Tank was right. I disrespected not only him but his daughter and Konstantin’s dad’s girlfriend. I don’t know what to do ’cause Tank will toss my ass into the street now, and I have no one or nowhere to go. My dad is in prison so I’m on my own as you know that’s why Tank is helping me. Son of a bitch, I’m such a fuckin’ idiot.”

Trying to console Colin, he starts to have a panic attack so I help him to catch his breath. I breathe with him until he’s calm again. Then he starts to share his story and I’m shocked. I can’t believe it after everything I’ve seen and done,

“After that barbecue where Brian and I were called out in front of everyone, he was beyond pissed, Yoggie. He was saying all kinds of bullshit and I just thought he was angry. I think it was like two, no three, days ago, he came by the clubhouse, telling me he needed my help. I told him I needed to let Tank know first. He called me a pussy and other shit. So without telling anyone where I was going, I got into a car with him, not knowing what he needed or any information on what I wasgetting into. Big-ass mistake, Yoggie. He brought me straight here. When I got out, I could feel the energy and it scared me. When I told Brian that I forgot shit I had to do, he laughed. I could have sworn his face changed as he was chuckling. Two or three dudes came out of that big building and asked if I was their new piece of meat. I started to back away, figuring if I had to try and get away I could just run into the woods and find someone to help me. It was then, I think, it was a van or big SUV came barreling down the road. I saw them drag those two older people out and that’s when I knew Brian brought me here for devious means. When that older woman looked at me, fuck, Yoggie, I didn’t know what to do. I tried to tell those guys they were innocent but two of them came right to me and started to kick my ass. The older couple told them to leave me alone, and the assholes who brought them up here just kept pushing them into that hut thing over there. I will never forget the sounds coming out of there. Probably about an hour into it, the ‘boss’ told Brian we needed to get our asses in there, we were up. By this time, I could barely walk, so when my ‘supposed friend’ grabbed my arm dragging me in there, I didn’t say a word as didn’t want to get beat on any more.

“When we walked in, I lost my breakfast. The man was beat to shit and whipped. But it was the woman who had my attention. One of the bastards was just getting off of her and when he stood up, he peed on her. She was out of it, thank God. The ‘boss,’ I think they called him Randy, told Brian he was up to bat then I was next. Brian immediately dropped his jeans, walked up to the woman, and raped her savagely. Then he flipped her and you know. When he was done, he tossed her on her back, pulled his jeans up, and walked to me. ‘You’re up, Colin. Sorry to say, not as tight as some of those kids but you’ll still get off. Come on, don’t be shy, we all have the same shit.’ I looked him in the eyes and spit at him. Then I cursed him out.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, dude? You raped someone’s mother and grandmother. Jesus Christ, Brian, there’s no way I’m going to abuse someone like that. What do you think I am? You asshole, I’m not a monster. No, I refuse to do that.”

“Yoggie, he looked at me like he was demented. I heard someone step in behind me as the other guys in there started to make their way to me. That’s when I knew what the plan was all along. When the guy behind me grabbed me, the others rushed me, getting on the bed next to the woman. They actually pushed her to the edge of the bed like she was a piece of furniture. I could have sworn that a bone cracked when one of them grabbed and shoved her. They each took a turn at me, but it was Brian who went first. I tried so hard not to scream, Yoggie, but—my God—the pain. As one of the last ones was pounding into me, I opened my eyes to see the older woman staring at me, tears on her face. She reached over and grabbed my hand and, from that moment on, I never looked away and never yelled out or screamed in pain. When they were done, all of them left and I lay there. Not sure how, but the woman reached down and grabbed the filthy blanket up and over the two of us. I felt disgusting and I’m sure she did too, but all she kept doing was calling her husband’s name: Apollo. As her voice got quieter, I realized she was very pale. Trying not to hurt her, I pulled her as close to me as possible to try and keep her warm. Then I passed out. When I came to, I was here where you found me, with my pants back up. That’s all I remember. Dude just let me die, I not only deserve to, it’s what I want. I’m not a man any more.”

Knowing this is a pinnacle moment in this kid’s mental health, I give him what I can to try and ease his mind.

“Colin, dude…fuck, sorry you had to go through that. And no, Tank won’t kick your ass out, obviously, you don’t know him that well. He won’t kick you when you’re down. Now that older woman, her name is Athena, and because of you she has achance. Keeping her warm, letting her lean on you, is one thing that will help pull her through. Now, let me get you some help, you need to get to the hospital. No, kid, don’t want to hear it. Good, here comes Tank.”

“No, Yoggie, don’t tell him. Please don’t, he’ll think I’m a no good asshole who’s weak. I don’t want him to know what they did to me.”

“Colin, he’ll know as soon as he takes a look at ya. Don’t judge him because he’s got more heart than anyone I know.”

I watch as Tank and Enforcer, along with Avalanche, make their way to us. It’s Avalanche who notices first then both Tank and Enforcer. Tank tells the two men to hang back as he walks toward us. He meets my eyes and, swear to Christ, we have a full conversation without saying a word.

“Colin, now that Tank’s here, I’m gonna get an EMT or paramedic to help get you down from here so you can be transported to the hospital. Hang tight.”

As I walk away, Colin starts to sob and the last thing I hear is Tank telling him he’s got him. That has the kid crying even harder.

EIGHTEEN

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