Chapter 29
Rush
Noah, Quickshift and I get back into my Nissan GTR-545 and drive off to another place where I think Redline is. He’s been acting strange lately and this last conversation between Ashley and him set something in motion. I’m not sure what, but when I find him, I will get to the bottom of whatever he’s been doing. We’re supposed to meet with Ian in an hour to figure out what his father is up to.
I’ve checked three different spots where I think Redline is but came up empty. There's one last place to look. Maybe I should've had Nolan’s men track him down. He’s not answering his phone, sending me right to voicemail. A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach is making me sick as I swerve in and out of heavy L.A. traffic. I speed down the freeway when my phone chimes in my pocket. I pull it out and hand it to Quickshift.
“Can you see who that is?” I ask him.
Quickshift takes my phone and opens it. He clicks on the message icon and I watch his nose scrunch out of the corner of my eye.
“What is it?” Noah asks, leaning forward from the back seat.
“It’s Ash, she said she'll meet us at the spot. Something doesn’t feel right, Rush.” Quickshift answers.
I downshift and turn off the next exit, flying through the red lights towards an empty warehouse. There are cars lined up along the back of the building as I come around the corner. I spot Redlines dark blue Ford Mustang in the middle. I park my car and turn it off. We all pile out and head towards the crowd. Anger and frustration build in my muscles as I draw closer to Redline. The people in the crowd spot me and part as I force my way through with Noah and Quickshift flanking me. My hands are shaking with rage as I spot Redline. He has his arm draped around some skanky blonde, dressed like a hooker. He smiles down at her and she giggles in response. I clear my throat when I get close enough. Redline looks up and his face pales slightly. The blonde looks me up and down, licking her lips. I glare at Redline, anger radiating off me. I ignore the skank and address Redline.
“We need to have a chat, now,” I demand. Redline swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
“Go,” he tells the blonde.
“But I thought you were going to show me a good time,” she whines.
She’s staring at me when she says this, licking her lips. A shiver of disgust rolls through my body. Ever since meeting Nolan and seeing the way he loves Ashley, then meeting Xavier and watching the way he loves Izzy, I want that. I want that type of relationship where no matter what, they have each other’s backs.
“Leave now,” I demand, my voice low and deadly.
The skanky blonde straightens her shoulders, like she’s going to say something, but thinks better of it. She glares at me as she struts away, but I really don’t give a fuck. My family is in trouble and the last thing I need is to worry about pissing off some chick. I turn my attention back to Redline. His face portrays someone who is ashamed and confused. Deciding to go easy on him, I relax my features.
“What’s going on?” Redline asks.
“There’s been a change of plans. We’re meeting Krimson at the spot, but something doesn’t feel right.” I answer.
We move away from the crowd of listening ears and walk into the warehouse. I look around the familiar room and notice the chestnut oak table in the center that seats five people. There’s a light hanging above the table, throwing the rest of the room into darkness. Four chairs are pushed in on each side and the fifth is at the head of the table. Ashley’s spot. We each have the same table in our areas for meetings. Many decisions, good and bad, have been made at this table and it’s strange being here without Hotflash and Ashley. We each sit in our respective seats and I fold my hands on the table, staring at Redline right into his blue eyes.
“What’s going on with you Redline?” I ask. He shifts uncomfortably in his chair. He’s looking everywhere but at me.
“I don’t know. Ever since Nolan came into the picture, something feels off. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about him that has me on edge.” Redline answers.
“I know a lot about Nolan. Shit he doesn’t realize I learned, but that’s his story to tell. All I care about is Ashley’s safety and you’re not helping by disappearing. We need to stick together. The heads want Ashley out for working to move us out of the guns and drugs, trying to go as legit as we can. You need to get yourself together and be there for her.” I sit back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. “Have you ever thought maybe it’s you? That you can’t get past your own issues and actually see he’s good for her?”
“I know, I’m trying, but there’s something that isn’t sitting right with me. She just accepted him with no questions asked. Why would she do that?” Redline asks.
“Love,” I answer. “There’s nothing that someone wouldn’t do for love. She loves Nolan, dark secrets, and all. She found her other half. With as much as you wanted that to be you, it isn’t, never has been. She’s not meant to be yours. You need to figure out a way to get that through your head and move on. Ashley is family and family sticks together.” I lean forward again. “We’re all she has left.”
“I know. It’s still hard though.” Redline says, running his hands through his blonde hair. “I’ll find my way. I’ll be here for her even if it’s just family and nothing more.”
My phone chimes again with another text. I pull it out of my pocket and read it. My heart drops to my toes.
“Fuck me.” I groan out.
“What is it?” Quickshift asks.
“It’s Nolan’s guy, Ashton. He says they all went out for a quick bite and when they came back to Ashley’s house, her car was gone and nobody's there.”
“What the fuck?” Noah says. My phone rings and an unknown number lights up my screen. I hit accept and put it up to my ear.
“Yeah,” I bark into the phone.
“You want to see the bitch alive again, meet me at Durham Park in two hours. Come alone.” The dark voice answers on the other end and the line goes dead.
“Son of a bitch," I growl, tossing my phone onto the table. Everyone’s eyes are on me.
“Who was that?” Noah asks. There’s a tremble in his voice.
I run my hands through my black hair, ignoring Noah’s question. Maybe if I don’t say it out loud, it won’t come true. I grab the back of my neck and squeeze. I pick up my phone with shaky fingers and dial Ashton’s number. He picks up on the first ring.
“Rush? What is it?” Ashton says, answering the phone.
“Ashton, do you have the equipment set up to trace Nolan’s phone like now?” I ask him.
“Yeah, I’m already on it. Hold on.” I can hear voices in the background talking. One of them is Hotflash. I can hear snips of cursing in Spanish.
“OK, I’m back. We have a trace on his phone, Ashley’s too. What’s going on?”
“I just got a phone call. I didn’t recognize the voice, but they want to meet at Durham Park in two hours. The guy said if I want to see Ashley alive, I need to meet them there, alone.” The line goes silent. I can hear a gasp from somewhere to the side of me.
“Ashton, you there?” I ask. I pull my phone away from my ear to make sure I didn’t lose the call.
“Fuck. Yeah, I’m here still. Where’s Durham Park?” Ashton asks.
I can hear Hotflash in the background. It sounds like she’s right next to Ashton. “Dios Mios. Durham Park? Is he sure?” She asks Ashton.
“Yes, he’s sure. What do you know?” Ashton asks her.
“Give me the phone,” Hotflash says. I can hear movement before Hotflash gets on the line. “Rush, Durham Park. Think about it,” she states.
“Natalia, I don’t have time for this shit. What's so important about Durham Park? Spit it out.” I growl into the phone.
“Don’t you ever pay attention? Durham Park is neutral territory for all gangs to meet. I’m not just talking about 38th Street, but Tres Seis, Uno Matico, even the worst, Latino Dragons. Mierda, Rush. This isn’t good. If we retaliate on neutral territory, we're all going to meet our makers.” Hotflash’s voice is quiet.
“Fuck. I knew the bosses wanted her out, but I didn’t think they’d go this far.” I look around the table.
Redlines face is pale, like he’s going to be sick. Noah is on edge, cracking his knuckles ever few seconds and Quickshift is pacing the room, over and over. I am doing everything I can to keep calm. I need a level head if I want to get us all through this.
“Give me the phone,” Ashton says to Hotflash. A moment later he’s on the other line. “Rush, I have a location. Nolan’s phone pinged off a signal on the four oh five just south of Mason Park. It’s not moving.”
“I’ll meet you there. Text me the location. I’m about thirty minutes away.” I stand up and the others follow as I hang up the phone.
“Nolan’s phone is located off the four oh five. South of Mason Park. It’s not moving, c’mon we need to go.”
Chairs scrape against the concrete floor and there’s a frenzy of movement all around me as we all run toward the warehouse doors. I throw the door open and run through the crowd. Everyone’s right on my heels. We weave in and out of the gathering crowd until I reach my car. Quickshift splits off with Redline to ride with him. Noah goes with me. I jump in my car and start the engine. Noah gets in the passenger seat and his door isn’t all the way closed when I back out of my spot. I gun the gas pedal and peel out onto the street. My body eases into racing mode as I fly down the street, Redline hot on my tail. We both take the first turn, one right after the other, ignoring the red lights and the blaring horns of other drivers. I pull out of the drift and check my mirrors. No cops. I pick up speed and fly into another turn. I ease up on the gas and lightly tap my brakes. I yank the steering wheel hard to the left and ease into another drift, down shifting as I go. My tires squeal on the pavement in protest. I pull out of the turn and look in my mirrors again. Redline is pulling out of the turn. I give my Nissan GT-R more gas, shifting as I get onto the freeway, pulling away from Redline. That's how I got my nickname, Rush. I rush the line and I'm always ready to go, looking for the rush of adrenaline. The five hundred plus horsepower under the hood screaming at me as I reach top speed. I shift again when my RPM’s reach eight, weaving in and out of traffic. I check my mirrors again and see Redline has caught up with me. We both fly down the freeway, into the night. Noah is gripping the handle of the door; his knuckles are turning white.
“You OK over there?” I ask him.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just not used to going this fast.” Noah answers, relaxing his grip a little. “What do you think we’re going to find when we get there?”
“I don’t know. I hope whoever called is just fucking around, but my gut is telling me something different.” I answer, shifting lanes again.
“Me too. I can hope for the best but expect the worst. I really hope Ashley is OK. I mean, Nolan will protect her, right?” There’s a hitch in Noah’s voice.
I take my eyes off the road for a second and look at him. He’s on the edge of a breakdown and if something happens to Ashley, he won’t survive. She saved him from a dangerous situation, they have a bond none of us has ever had with him. Noah’s a closed-off guy, but the life of the party if that makes sense. He carries on a facade in front of others, but he struggles with his own issues when it’s just the six of us. Ashley is the only one he’s opened up to about his past and how he ended up in that group home.
“Yes, Nolan will lay down his life for her. I’m more positive about that than anything else. He will die to protect her. But, she will do the same for him. Whoever is doing this, they fucked up big time. They messed with the wrong family and if I have my way, they’ll wish they never laid a hand on her or Nolan.”
Red and blue lights are growing brighter in the distance and I ease off the gas. Traffic is stopped on the freeway, backed up for a least a half a mile. Oh fuck, this isn’t good. I pull my car into the grassy median and shut it off. Redline does the same right behind me. We all get out of our cars and run up the side of the road towards the lights. Once we arrive at the flashing lights, the cops have the median taped off with yellow crime scene tape and my heart drops to my toes.
Behind the tape, is what used to be a car. More specifically, a silver Shelby GT-500. If you want more specifics, Ashley’s car. The passenger side is destroyed beyond repair, the hood is crushed, and the driver's side door is wide open. There’s glass scattered everywhere along the grass and road.
“NO!" Noah screams and collapses to the ground, tears are in his eyes.
“Fuck me. I’m going to fucking kill him.” Redline shouts. Quickshift is silent, but I can understand the rage brewing in his black eyes. I feel the same.
Ashton, Hotflash and the rest of Nolan’s crew are just now arriving at the scene. Ashton let’s out a bunch of cuss words and starts pacing back and forth, running his hands through his short hair. Hotflash runs over to Noah on the ground and wraps her arms around him, tears are in her eyes too. She’s comforting Noah the best she can, whispering Spanish to him. He wraps his arms around her, hanging on for dear life. Ashton approaches me at the same moment an older cop with grey hair and a pot belly does.
“You guys can’t be here, this is a crime scene. Move it along.” The officer reports in a raspy voice.
I clench my fists at my sides and stare at him dead in the eye. Anger is boiling in my veins from this asshole telling me to move it along. Ashton rests his palm on my shoulder, holding me back.
“Sir,” he replies to the asshole cop. “My name is Ashton Iverson. I work for A.R. Security based out of Michigan. I have reason to believe my partner was in that car. Can you please tell me something?”
“Well son, if your partner was in that car,” he says pointing to Ashley’s car, “he’s not here. We received a nine one one call from a passerby that reported it. Once we reached the scene, there was no one here.” He leans in closer to us before speaking in a hushed tone.
“There’s blood inside the car, both passenger and driver’s side, that gives us reason to suspect there were two people inside. Tire tracks tell me there were two separate vehicles involved. We’re still investigating, but I’ll be honest with the two of you.” The cop looks around to see if anyone is listening. “The two people are in rough shape. I’d say some broken bones, cuts or concussions.”
My heart sinks to my toes again and I’m going to be sick. I lean over and rest my hands on my knees, waiting for the nausea to pass. Once it leaves, I stand up again.
“Can we please look?” I plead. My voice is clogged with emotions. The cop nods his head and lifts the crime scene tape. He points at Ashton and I before speaking.
“Just the two of you, no one else.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Ashton says.
“Military?” he asks Ashton.
“Marines thirty-fourth battalion. Two hundred eighty-two regimen. Served eight years in Iraq after nine eleven.”
“Thank you for your service. Please, take all the time you need, but don’t touch anything.” The officer says, shaking Ashton’s hand.
“Thank you, Sir. We'll make it quick.”
We walk in silence towards Ashley’s once sleek car. When we get closer, I can detect gasoline and motor oil in the air. I can hear the ticking of the engine cooling off. It looks worse up close. I almost lose my stomach again when we reach the car, being careful not to touch it. Ashton bends down next to the passenger side door and points to the ground. There are drops of blood on the ground and shards of glass in the grass.
“He was yanked out of the car. Look at the drag marks in the grass.” Ashton says, pointing at the ground. He spins around on his heels and stands up. We follow the marks and Ashton suddenly stops. There’s blood on the ground in this area and the grass has been trampled on. “Nolan was dragged to this spot, and it appears he was dropped here. Maybe even beat up in this area.” Ashton’s voice is low.
“How do you know this?” I ask astounded.
“Process of elimination. Why else would you move a body from there,” he says pointing to the car. “To here, stop, and then drag it that way.” Ashton points to more drag marks that lead to the side of the road. We follow the marks and they halt at the edge. There are tire tracks in the dirt. He takes out his phone and snaps a few pictures. We carefully walk back towards the car, Ashton is snapping pictures with his phone every few feet. I have no idea why he’s doing this.
We reach the passenger side of Ashley’s car, and he takes more pictures of the outside and the inside. We walk around the back of the car and Ashton stops. I almost run into him, my eyes are on the car and not in front of me.
“Easy, Rush. There’s something on the ground.” Ashton says placing a hand on my chest.
I glance down and there’s a piece of something wedged in the dirt. He searches around to make certain no one is watching us and carefully picks it up with the hem of his t-shirt. He puts it in his jeans pocket and continues around the car.
I don’t know how this isn’t affecting him. I’m ready to explode and knock some teeth in and he’s strolling around like this is an everyday occurrence. Ashton reaches the open driver’s side door and squats down so he’s eye level with the seat, still taking pictures. I follow and this time I can’t help it, I gag. I twist away from the car, put my hands on my knees and take deep breaths to suppress the nausea churning in my stomach. I’m a strong guy, but there’s nothing that could prepare me for this. There’s so much blood in the driver’s seat and the window is smeared with it. I have to shift away.
“Shit, Rush. I forget that you don’t see this every day. Why don’t you go back to where everyone is, and I can finish here?” Ashton's sympathetic tone is grating on my nerves. I’m not a fucking pussy.
“No, I’m good. Wasn’t prepared for the blood that’s all.” I answer, straightening my back and standing tall.
I shake off the nausea and walk back to the car, taking deep breaths along the way. Ashton squats back down and is carefully looking inside the car. I do the same. The coppery smell of blood is strong here, invading my senses. I push away the building sickness. I must be strong and view this with no emotion like Ashton, not a pussy like I have been.
“Why is there so much blood in here?” I ask.
“Head wounds bleed heavier than other wounds. It looks like Ashley hit her head on impact against the glass. See where it’s cracked a little.” Ashton points to the window. “It takes a very hard hit, to break this type of glass. Then it looks like whoever was here picked her up from the car. There are no drag marks leading away. So, this person’s clothes are covered in her blood.”
I shift slightly to adjust my squatting position and imagine the scene he’s describing. My foot hits something hard and I glance down.
“Ashton, look,” I say pointing at the object. He picks up a needle with the hem of his shirt and looks at it closely.
“The son of a bitch drugged her. That means she was conscious after they hit her car. They dragged Nolan away from here to distract her, they snuck up on her, drugged her so she couldn’t put up a fight and took them both. I’ll guarantee they drugged Nolan too. A beating he can take no problem and come back swinging. Fucking pussies.”
Anger is radiating off Ashton. His muscles are tense and he’s opening and closing his other hand not holding the needle. The cool and calm man he was earlier is gone. Now the cold, hard killer is in place. My phone chimes in my pocket and I stand up and walk away. I pull it out and check the messages. It’s from Ian. Fuck, I was supposed to meet him twenty minutes ago. That means I have forty minutes to get to the other meeting spot.
Ian: Where are you?
Me: Something is happening I can’t make it.
My phone immediately rings and Ian’s name flashes across the screen. I look at Ashton, who’s standing next to me now. Fucker is fast and quiet for his size. I didn’t even hear him approach.
“Answer it,” Ashton says. I swipe my finger across the green button.
“Ian,” I say, answering the phone.
“Rush, what the hell, man?” Ian asks. I glance at Ashton and he nods his head.
“Something is going on, bro. Where’s Marcus?” I ask him.
“Fuck if I know, he’s not answering my calls or messages. Rush, where’s Krimson?” Ian asks.
“I don’t know. I’m standing in front of her car and there’s nothing left of it. She’s not here.” I answer.
“Where are you?”
“On the Four oh One, north of exit thirteen,” I answer.
“Fuck. That was Krimson’s car? Rush we need to talk in person,” Ian responds, concern in his voice.
He likes Ashley and wouldn’t want anything or anyone to harm her. His father might have his issues with Ashley’s dad, but Ian never did. He might be the leader of the 38th Street Gang, but he adores Ashley, just like the rest of us.
“I have a meet in forty minutes. How far away are you?” I ask.
“I’m on my way, meet me at the gas station off the next exit. I’ll be there in ten.” Ian answers. The line goes dead before I can respond.
My gut is telling me he knows something he can’t say over the phone. I look over at Ashton and he’s watching me, waiting for me to say something.
“Ian wants us to meet him at the gas station off the next exit. He’ll be there in ten minutes. His father, Marcus, isn’t answering him. Something tells me he knows what’s going on.” I tell Ashton.
“Let’s go then.”