Page 42 of Patchover Fright Night
“Jesus fuck. I saw his junk. I’mma need so much therapy.”
“It’s worse than that, man. You saw his old lady in the buff. You’ll die first.”
“Yeah? Not if I run faster than you, dickhead.”
“Get some fucking blankets, you pair of idiots. Reacher, I’m coming back in, so can you cover up your bits and her jubblies?”
I grinned and pulled Ally behind me, finally reaching my shirt and draping it around her, while her hand covered my ‘bits’.
“We’re decent,” I called out, and I heard a murmur of ‘chance would be a fine thing’, but the person reappeared, and finally my faculties were getting back online.
“Ryder, you wanna tell me what the fuck’s going on here?”
He looked exhausted, bloody, and frustrated, as he gestured behind him.
“Tonight’s been a real shit-show, Pres, but we’re finally under control. Are you uh…compos mentisagain?”
I glanced at Ally, who was peering around my shoulders, and scratched at my jaw as I tried casting my mind back. All I saw was the best slideshow of pornographic depravity, with my lady love as the main star, and despite my confusion, I grinned.
“Jesus fuck. Never tell me. We were all drugged, or I guess, most of you were. Is your brain firing on all cylinders yet, or you wanna spend a few more hours shut in this crappy little room?”
I had to admit, the temptation was strong. Staying in here, and plundering my woman a few more times, because who the fuck cares about chafing anyway, was definitely an idea I was considering, but I wouldn’t be a good club president if I didn’t give a crap about anyone but me.
“Everyone okay?”
Ryder grimaced, slumping against the doorway, and shielding us a little from what I now realised was the compound’s floodlights, rather than sunshine. How fucking long had I been out of it? I realised the dull rumbling sound I’d heard in the background, for the last half hour or so, was a portable generator, which was only necessary if we’d lost power in the compound.
“We have some casualties, but nobody we care about is dead.” That didn’t tell me much. There were people he might not care about, but they still mattered.
“Stitch? The old ladies?”
He grinned suddenly, looking less like he’d had a house dropped on him, at least for a few seconds.
“Cammy went into labour, and they left here in a fucking helicopter.”
Jesus Christ. It sounded to me like someone was still high as a kite, if that story was even fucking true, which meant it was timefor me step up and take over. I caught hold of Ally’s clothes and tossed them behind me for her, while we both started to dress.
“Ry, fuck off and sober up, and send someone in here who’s got their brain switched on.”
“Charming, that is. Here I am, braving the sight of you two in your fucking birthday suits, and giving you the sit-rep you requested, and you’re being a prick.”
“Helicopters? Come on. Seriously. Who’s sober? Ice. Ice’ll be sober, send him in.”
Ryder cursed, reaching a hand out to help me up as soon as I was mostly decent.
“Ice is being treated for injuries, dammit. Reacher, stop being a shit. I’m sober. I’ve been sober all fucking night, unlike some people, who were trying to fuck everyone, because they thought they were Ally. Sound familiar?”
Ally started giggling behind me, and I turned to pull her up, now she was covered up and Ryder wouldn’t have to lose both eyes.
“You weren’t drugged, but others were?”
Ryder rolled his eyes at Ally. “See how he conveniently skates right over his abhorrent behaviour, and focuses on literally anything else?”
“Ry, answer my fucking question.”
He sighed, backing outside as he spoke, while we followed, stepping warily out into the chaos of the compound and grounds, and that oppressive glare from the floodlights.
“Most people were off their faces, seeing fairies, taking nosedives off buildings, and trying to fucking destroy the place. The office building was burned down, and Grease, Ice, Stitch, Micro, and several others were injured, badly or otherwise. You know, gunshots or whatever, oh and Cammy and Stitch DID leave in a fucking chopper, courtesy of the Don, and no I didn’t fucking imagine that.Prick.”
