Page 10 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

Back in the living area, Salem, who’d been on his knees, gets to his feet. “His neck was broken,” he announces, staring down with almost a look of defeat on his face. “Kid didn’t have a fuckin’ chance.” He indicates the spillage around him. “Looks like he was bringing food and maybe got jumped and followed inside.”

“Was Niran here?” I stare around, looking for signs. The amount of food wasted would lead me to suspect that he was, but had he gone on an errand, and has yet to return? Nah, I’m grasping at straws. The one thing he wouldn’t leave was his bike, and that’s still outside.

Lost, clearly not relishing us being seen here with a dead man in plain sight, tries to pull the broken door closed behind him. As he does, something catches my eye. It’s Niran’s cut, hanging on a hook.

“Niran wouldn’t have left voluntarily without that.” I state the obvious, while pain fills my gut. That we’ve not found Niran’s body doesn’t mean he’s still breathing.

“Got blood stains here.” Salem points to a patch on the floor.

Assessing it quickly, due to the amount, I dismiss it as being from a fatal wound.

“Are we assuming it’s the Crazy Wolves?” Dart asks to no one in particular. “Given this apartment block, it could have been a home invasion.”

“They’d need numbers to overcome Niran,” I remind them sharply. “This was no street kids’ crime. Saffie’s shit is all in her bedroom, including her purse and wallet.” I meet Lost’s eyes, seeing his reading of the situation is the same as mine—that Saffie has fallen back into the wrong hands, and from his abandoned bike outside, Niran as well.

“Call Utah,” Lost instructs tersely. “Get Stormy to see if and when a return flight plan was filed.”

“Want to head straight for the airport, Prez?”

“Which fuckin’ one, Token? They would hardly drag a kidnapped woman and man through the terminal at Lindbergh Field.” It’s not the time to remind him that the San Diego International Airport has a new name now.

“They could be driving,” Pennywise suggests. “What’s their journey time, five or six hours?”

If they drive… Getting an idea, I share it fast. “If they’re on the road, they might still be travelling. Can we talk to Red, Prez? The Crazy Wolves are based north of Vegas, and I15 is the direct route. Can we get him to ambush them on the road?”

“Long shot, Grumbler. We don’t even know if they’re driving, or what vehicle they’re in if they are,” Pennywise points out.

Dart shrugs. “Worth a try?”

Prez spares him, then me a glance and immediately takes out his phone. Token does the same, each walking to opposite corners of the room. Various phrases such as motherfuckers, come from Lost’s direction, and a lot of fucks come from the other.

Token’s first to finish, and immediately crosses to Lost, shaking his head furiously, and points to the phone he’s holding. When Prez passes it across, we all turn and shamelessly listen.

“Red? It’s Token here. I’ve just been speaking to Stormy in Utah… Yeah, the asshole. He’s done a quick search. They’re flying. The return flight plan was filed a couple of hours back. Winston Bartell’s private jet is due to land any moment… Yeah, I’ll tell you the significance, Bartell is Saffie’s fuckin’ father… Nah, Brother. Though I’d love to say that she’s returned into her loving father’s arms, that’s not how we read it. Stormy’s fairly convinced the Crazy Wolves have some hold over the family… Yeah, I’ll give you back to Lost now.”

Lost takes the phone. “Only heard that the same time as you, Red… I think it’s safe to say that the Crazy Wolves are taking Saffie, and hopefully, Niran, back to their compound… You can’t get to the airfield in time?... Yeah, Brother. I know you would if you could… Yeah, I would be fuckin’ grateful for any info you’ve got… Appreciate the offer, Red. Yeah, they killed one of our prospects as I just told you, and not only that, Saffie’s under Satan’s Devils’ protection—she’s Niran’s old lady… Thanks, Red. Let me get my troops together and update the mother chapter prez. Speak soon, Brother.”

I raise an eyebrow in his direction as he ends the call. He grimaces, then lets out a long sigh. “Looks like the war isn’t coming to us. Satan’s Devils are going to have to go to the Crazy Wolves.”

Too fucking right. What they’ve taken is ours. There won’t be one brother complaining or protesting otherwise.

“Let’s get back to the compound,” the VP suggests. “No point hanging around here, and they’ll soon have gone to ground. We need to start planning.” He looks down, his mouth twists, and pain fills his eyes as they settle on the body. “I’ll send Curtis and Connor to bring Kid home. Doubt anyone will ask questions about an incapacitated man being carried out of this fuckin’ shithole.”

Kid. As my eyes fall on him, I silently vow vengeance. He’d shown promise, and in time, I’d expected to call him my brother. What a fucking waste of a life.

“They’re going to pay, Grumbler.” Lost sounds like he’s making me a promise.

I give him a raise and dip of my chin.

In time, we’ll arrange a Satan’s Devils funeral with full honours for the prospect who I suspect will be posthumously patched in. Without needing discussion, though, I know it will have to take its place in the queue. Our first duties are to those hopefully still in the land of the living.

“You still got that contact at the funeral home?” Prez asks me.

“Yeah.” At least Kid can be stored somewhere that will treat him as he deserves. “He won’t ask questions, Prez.” I make a mental note to make the arrangements immediately. Me and my contact go back years to Snake’s days when corpses unfortunately built up. For the cost of a few dollars, an extra body would be added into the incinerator, or, as in Kid’s case, cared for and kept on ice until we are in a position to respectfully deal with it. While we don’t often have the call for such niceties nowadays, I’ve maintained the connection.

Closing the door as well as we can, we make our way back down the stairs. Gratefully, I step out of the apartment block of horrors. In silence, we go to our bikes, and without wasting time, are heading back to the compound in the same formation as how we’d arrived.

Niran. Where the fuck are you, Brother? Are you safe?Nightmare scenarios flow through my mind. Why had they taken him? I can’t guess, but hopefully they see a use for him. Otherwise, there’s a chance he was tossed out of the plane en route or murdered and dumped on the way to the airport.

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