Page 121 of Being Lost

Alder stiffens, looks around in consternation. “You’re fucking dead,” he tells Enrico. “You didn’t warn me!” he roars.

“In his defence,” I step forward, “he didn’t have much choice. Salem? Search him.”

Alder visibly flinches, but with our guns pointed at him holds his arms out to his sides. Salem relieves him of his Glock, then nods to me confirming he’s no longer carrying.

“Who the fuck are you?” Alder blusters, shaking Salem’s hands off and all but shuddering. “You’re going to fucking regret this. Where’s my stock?”

“I’m Lost,” I introduce myself. “President of the Satan’s Devils MC. If by stock you mean the women, I’ve got them safe.”

His eyes narrow. “You’re a dead man if you don’t give them back.”

I allow a smirk to appear on my face. “I don’t think you’re in a position to argue.”

Pressing his lips together, he digests what I’ve said. For a moment it looks like he’s thinking, then, he starts to speak again. “Your MC branching out? You want in on this trade?”

“Could be I want to use the tunnel for my own business.” I don’t, but it’s kind of fun jerking his chain. And there is some method to my madness. “Why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable and discuss it?”

It’s worded as a suggestion, but he has to realise with his men dead, he’s outnumbered, disarmed and left with no alternative. I’ve got plans for Alder once I get him back to the compound. Suffice to say, he’ll never be leaving again. Having seen those traumatised women tonight, I’ve no doubt Salem will get inventive, and after I’ve got my shots in, I have no compulsion to hold him back.

I also don’t want to hang around long. Dawn will soon be breaking, and I want to be gone before full daylight.

“I can’t have the tunnel found,” Alder protests. “My operation here is watertight.”

“Except, it isn’t,” I point out. “After you.” I indicate the doorway, and tell Dart, “Bring him too.” Him is Enrico who doesn’t look enthusiastic at the thought of our hospitality.

“I’m not going with you.” Alder takes a step back, bringing him closer to the trap door.

“I think you are,” Grumbler growls menacingly from behind him. “You can walk or I’ll fuckin’ carry you.”

With his gammy leg I think it will need more than just him, Alder’s not a small man. But it seems having Salem’s hands on him were enough, as he arranges his features into a defeated scowl, and starts to move toward the doorway.

I follow, working out the logistics of transport in my head, thanking fuck we brought the trucks. I’ll be going with Alder as I’m not taking my eyes off him, not when I’m this close to removing the threat to my old lady once and for all. It’s not that I don’t trust my men, I want to take full responsibility.

“I’ll go get the truck,” Curtis offers. I thank him with a raise of my chin, and he pushes past.

More leisurely, to give Curtis a few moments head start, we step out of the restaurant and emerge under a sky that’s lightening, weak sunlight already filtering through from under a wispy cloud. It’s another gorgeous San Diego morning. I scan left and right, but it’s still early, and the area is deserted. In the distance there are sounds of the city awakening, and already the noise of engines from the planes flying overhead.

The truck comes into sight. I watch Alder’s face; he isn’t giving much away. His look is more calculating than defeated.

I can’t fucking wait to start getting answers from him, with Salem’s help. The most burning one, of course, is why he’s been so intent on finding my old lady.

I’m still staring at him when a perfect round hole appears in his forehead, and he drops to the ground.

Pennywise launches forward, immediately feeling for a pulse.

“He’s fuckin’ dead.”

“What the fuck?” Dart leaps forward as Curtis gets out of the truck leaving the engine running. Both join the rest of us standing bemused around the dead body at our feet.

One second, two… Then I start moving. “Get Enrico in the truck.”

“What do you want to do with him?” Salem asks.

“Put him in the restaurant then close it up.” Just one more dead body that I suspect will be found soon. But we’re all wearing gloves and hopefully have left no evidence to connect them to us.

As my instructions are followed, I notice Token staring at his phone. When he shows me the screen there’s an alert that’s come up. It simply says:

Pennywise is good. I’m better.

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