Page 16 of Closing on Lynx

***

Three hours later…

I open my eyes. I’m no longer in Tina’s living room. I am lying on a bed. Turning to my right, there is no one there. When I turn to my left, Tina is blankly staring at me. Tears running down her bruised and battered face.

“I’m so sorry…” I cry, but she raises her finger to her lips, silencing me. She then taps her ear, telling me to listen. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

The house is silent expect for a low murmur coming from below. It sounds like a TV or music playing.

“In about one hour they will come back upstairs for another round. Not sure who they will pick, but all three of them have been using me. They just finished. When they come, I want you to pretend you are sleeping.” I shake my head. It should be me. “No, listen, if they get a chance at you, then they will end this sooner rather than later.”

“My phone?” I ask. She shakes her head.

“They have taken everything from us, your phone, my phone, my husband. I need to protect you. You’ve already been through so much,” Tina says, wiping tears from her eyes.

“No, Tina, we do this together. No matter what. I can handle his bullshit. But one of us needs to find a way to send a message to whoever happens to go by this house.” I hold out my pinky finger. When she finally links hers with mine, I know she is onboard with my plan. I need to keep her safe, but I also need to keep myself alive.

The sound of a motorcycle pulling up out front of Tina’s house has my heart racing. I can’t have him here. He can’t get hurt. My breathing picks up as the doorbell rings. You can hear them stomp to the door and open it.

I only hope whoever is here see’s there is an issue, and sends help.

***

Skoden

“Yeah, Pres. His truck is out front, but the house looks dark.” I have driven past the house for almost four hours. This is the first time it has been dark and there hasn’t been movement in the windows.

The light turns on from the neighbor across the street, and I see an elderly man making his way to me. He walks with a hobble. Probably should use a cane. He has on work boots and white underpants, and nothing else.

“Son, I have seen you driving up and down this road for the last four hours. Are you part of the crew causing the ruckus going on at Tina’s house? Now, normally they are quiet neighbors, but tonight they are a nuisance,.” he grumbles, reaching down to scratch himself through the tighty-whities.

“How many people are in there?” I ask. I know that Tina, Jessikah and Tina’s husband were the only ones that left the club together.

“At least six. Three were already inside, and then Tina came pulling in,” he mumbles, scratching his ass.

“Ok, Sir. I’ll make sure they turn down their music and stop all the partying,” I state, not bothering to offer my hand.

“Oh, there has been no music, just a few loud pops and some screams. It’s like they are having a sex party up in there. Young people these days have no respect for others.” He turns and marches back into his house.

Deciding I need to check out what is happening here. I walk up to the door and knock. I can hear stomping, and then the door is thrown open and a scrawny man with a mullet and stained clothing is standing there.

“Looking for my sister. She told me to come over,” I mumble, trying to look around the inside of the house. Everything looks clean, but there is a odor I can ‘t quite place.

“Bitch is busy. Comeback another time, ” he growls, slamming the door in my face.

Stepping back and looking at the house, I see three windows across the top of the house. There are no trees to climb, so getting up there will be difficult.

Deciding I am going to have to find another way to get into the house, I head back to my bike and start it. Just as I flip the kickstand up, a light comes on and then flicks off, then flicks on and off, then on and off. It is followed by three longer times that the light stays on, then again three short ones. Then the light stays off.

Sending a message to Lynx, letting him know something is off and we’ll talk when I get back to the clubhouse, I head down the road. My gut telling me whatever is going on inside that house, it isn’t good Definitely not a one man job either.

Chapter Twelve

Lynx

Sleep evaded me as I knew it would, so now I have been sitting at my desk for the last several hours, trying to go over reports I can’t seem to focus on. My mind is on where Jessikah is, how she is doing and if she is okay, is she safe and protected.

The chiming of my phone has me looking at the message from Skoden. He’s heading back to the clubhouse and from the jest of the text, something is going on.