CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

“What has sixteen holes and says ughhhhh? A dead motherfucker." – Snake

 

 

 

      It wasn't the archetypical circumstance for Rider to come into contact with the local law right when he was off to do criminal shit, but there was good old Charlie-boy on the side of the road leaning against his patrol vehicle as if lying in wait for some fuckwit to come by.

      Seriously, worse timing ever.

      Rider slowed his bike until he stopped where Charlie was parked up on the west side of Armado Springs on the turning out of town. Goddamn nosy fucking cops.

      He liked Charlie, he was a good man, just what their town needed, a cop without a bidding price, but fuck it to hell, now was not the time for chats over coffee and donuts.

      The engine idled, he rested both boots on the ground, jutted his chin to the lawman, suspiciously staring, his hands resting on his belt that just so happened showed off his weapon.

     "You're out late, Rider. Something I should know about?"

Instinct dictated he should tell a lie here. Otherwise what was he supposed to reply; just out to kill a man that I hate, no biggy, sheriff.

     "Can't a man go for a ride, Sheriff? not against the law last time I checked." he kept his tone light.

     "At five AM? call me skeptical but my spidey sense is itching."

      Rider laughed. He really did like the cop. Just not tonight when he was pumped full of adrenaline and heading out to put several bullets in one cocksucking moron once and for all.

     "They do a cream for that nowadays."

     "Be straight with me, Rider. I always look out for you and your boys, you do good shit for this town, I'd hate to see that go to waste, we're usually on the same side."

     "Usually," he answered dryly but went on. "You can relax your cop sense, Charlie. I'm out at this god forsaken hour because my old lady wanted some ice cream and I'm a gentleman going to get it for her so she doesn't bitch my head off."

      He saw Charlie's brows hike up. "Since when do you have an old lady?"

      Rider toughened his voice. He didn't mind playing along, to swerve Charlie away from the real issue at hand, but explaining himself or his life he would not do to anyone least of all the law. "Is that any of your business?"

     "No. Curious, I guess. You never seemed the type to settle down. You really have a woman?" Whatever Charlie saw on Rider's face made him laugh and he held up both hands. "Easy, friend. I'm happy for you, so will my wife when I tell her, though as she sees it you'll be breaking hearts all over town now if you're off the market." He smirked. "though, she doesn't know you like I do."

     "True enough." Rider's impatience rode his spine. The fuck with idle chat. "We good here, or you want to braid my hair next?"

     Charlie laughed. "Nah, we're good." Rider revved the engine, ready to head off again. "And Rider...? remember when you head back into town after doing whatever you're doing, to pick up a quart of ice cream ... just in case I'm still sat here." With a grin playing on his mouth Charlie opened his car door and slid inside.

     Smart-mouth cop.

      With his own smirk, Rider took off.

     "There's been no movement since he went inside, boss." Grinder's voice low informed so as only Rider and the other two brothers could hear. All of them crouched down behind bushes surveying the large abandoned warehouse. From the outside, it looked pretty secluded, no vehicles in sight besides the burned out husks of a few dotted here and there, Grinder informed he'd only seen Hades head inside, no one else and was pretty confident the guy was alone.

     "Snake, head around the back, I want eyes all over this place, Capone, go with him, no one moves until I give the signal, I don't want him spooked and taking off before I can kill him."

     "Would be rude as shit if he did that, Prez, since we gone to all this trouble." agreed Snake. Joker maybe most of the time, but he was one of Rider's most reliable men.

     "You sure it was him?" he questioned Grinder.

     "Sure as I can be. He wasn't in his leathers, no club colors, looked like a fucking vagrant in an oversized puffer coat and skull cap, but I trust my source, they always give reliable tip-offs, plus, they have no love for Hades, he's screwed over the Apollo's too many times for them to have any solidarity, besides that, they owe you a solid, Prez, I made sure all of 'em were reminded of what you did for their club last year and to remember that good and proper if they caught sight of this jerkoff. Jamie Steele already offered a helping hand if we needed it."

      Rider nodded, the Apollo King's president was a decent enough guy.

      His eyes fixed to the building. Is he inside? planning his next move? He had to believe he was brewing something otherwise why wouldn't Hades have taken off out of town, out of the state by now.

      Nah. That jackass wanted to destroy Rider's club.

     Worse. Get hands on Rider's old lady.

      Not ever again.

      He was just glad this showdown was happening far, far away from Zara, she'd suffered too much at the mercy of monsters, he wanted this done for her.

      It was that thought alone that kept him calm. Only just.

     "We wait to see if anyone else joins him." Grinder nodded and sent texts to the other men to sit low and tight. Sliding his own phone out, it was switched to silent he noticed a message from forty minutes ago, with a scroll he brought up the text thread he had going with Zara. The grin masked by the darkness split his face. He must have only just left the house when she sent him a single emoji heart.

      Damn.

      If he wasn't about to murder someone he might have taken the time to sap out over his girl.

      Phone shoved away, he skimmed on his leather gloves and tugged the beanie hat down over his head. Grinder was already wearing his own, rarely seen without it. Rider was itching to get closer to the warehouse. 

      They waited for two hours and two more, sure in the fact Hades wasn’t meeting up with anyone who could over power Rider and the boys.    

      And it was time.

     Sending out silent messages, his two men around the back knew to be ready, they were all going to go in as one from all sides, let the dickhead try to escape if he could. With his gun tucked into the waist at the back of his jeans both he and Grinder crept forward, using burned out cars along the way for cover, it wasn't ideal, but it wasn't as though their technique was gonna get a Yelp rating.

     "On three..." he mouthed to Grinder who nodded back.

      It wasn't the first time the Renegade Souls had stormed a building. But it was the first one they stormed to find ...

     "What the fuck?"

      The sentiment was echoed by all four men as Rider strode through the burned shack, dampness, old smoke and mold stung his nose. What he noticed right away was an open grate in the floor, from what used to be a drainage system, next to that was a pile of bricks, and on top of that a simple piece of white paper.

 

Better luck next time. I'll say goodbye to the bitch for you.