Page 127 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

“Grumbler?” A soft voice stops me in my tracks. “I hope Mary’s okay.”

Looking down, I see Saffie biting her lip and remember the part she’s got to play. If it all goes tits up, she might be back in Duke’s hands by the end of the day. It goes against everything I am to let a woman fight my battles, but I’ve no choice if I want to see my old lady again. “You take fuckin’ care, you hear me?” I growl.

Why does it have to come to this? One old lady versus another, when I want them both safe.

“Just concentrate on Mary,” Niran says, his arm going around Saffie.

I can tell by the pain contorting his face that the situation is killing him, but not once has he suggested we sacrifice Mary to keep Saffie safe. Not that I’d expect that, but in his position, it has to be tempting. “Brother…” I start, unable to continue. I pull him in for a hug. As we exchange heartfelt back slaps, all my anger at him being responsible for Mary being abducted fades away.

“We’ll keep them both safe,” he assures me when at last we release each other. But the look in his eyes belies any certainty he might have.

“You coming, Brother?”

I swing around and jerk my head up and down in response to Lost. I’ve been ready for hours.

Three quarters of an hour later, I’m pulling up next to the other bikes in a vacant lot not far from the warehouse. Scribes pulls the truck in behind. Getting out my phone, I calculate the quickest route to get Mary to the hospital from here. I can’t let my mind dwell on the idea we might not rescue her as anything other than uninjured and alive. I’m coming for you, Mary. Just hang on.

It seems an age until Lost gets a call. I race to him as the others gather around, but from the look on his face, he’s not hearing good news.

“What the fuck is it?” I demand.

“Duke and Grit have left the warehouse.” So? That was what we knew they had planned. But again, they seem to be one step ahead of us as Lost shakes his head and relays, “In two separate vehicles. Both windows blacked out.”

A text pings, Lost reads it, then says, “Hot fuckin’ damn. They’ve taken different routes. Utah’s hacked into the CCTV, but we don’t know who’s in which car, or who to stop.”

His phone rings again. “Yeah, I’m hearing this, Salem. Yeah, split the fuck up. You’ll have to follow both cars.”

That’s bad news, but what I’m focused on is that Mary’s only got that bitch Susie with her now.

“What if Grit turns back once he’s happy he’s created a diversion?” I grab at Lost’s arm. “We’ve got to get in there and get her out.”

Lost gives me a sharp nod, and signals. Without delay, we get back on our bikes and ride toward the warehouse, pass it, me turning my head and praying for Mary’s safety under my breath, then park further up the road where Snips and Preacher are waiting.

Snips stubs out a cigarette, then points to the roof of a building opposite. “Stormy’s up there. He’s got Susie in his sights.”

“There are three entrances to the warehouse. The front is chained and locked, but there’s also one at the back and one at the side. Duke and Grit came out of the side one,” Preacher informs us.

“Any eyes in the sky apart from ours?” Lost asks.

“None. We’ve been keeping an eye out seeing as Grit is also into his toys.”

I’m getting impatient. “What’s the delay? Let’s go in and get Mary out.” There’s only a fucking bitch between me and her and I’m not going to let Susie get in my way.

Preacher raises his chin at me, while Lost pulls at his chin and shoots me a warning look. “We’ve got to do this quietly, Grumbler. Susie will probably be armed, and we don’t want to back her into a corner where she tries to shoot her way out. Too much risk she’ll either shoot Mary, or your old lady will catch a stray bullet.” At his chilling warning, I nod once, showing I understand. While I’d rather rush in with all guns blazing, that isn’t the way to do it. When he sees I’ve got the message, he continues, “Be on the lookout for booby traps. One thing Duke isn’t is stupid. Grumbler, you, me and Snips will take the side door, Preacher, you, Brakes and Deuce come in from the back.”

“You want the bitch alive?” Preacher asks.

“Preferably,” Lost decides. “I want to know more about her fed cousin. But if she has to be collateral damage, so be it. Mary’s who we want.”

At fucking last, we’re on the move.

The windows are at the front, so we circle around as quietly as men in motorcycle boots can, and soon come across the side door. As Snips approaches it, he kicks at a stone, and it skirts across the ground and hits up against a metal pipe.

As I shoot daggers at him, he looks contrite. We wait a beat but there’s no sound from the interior.

Lost places his hand on the door handle and carefully presses it down. It’s unlocked. Utah’s done their job and disabled any alarm system.

I tap his back, then indicate myself. I want to be the first to enter, and the one who rescues my old lady.

---