Following the van on our bikes, we pull up to the old red wooden barn in the middle of nowhere, and then park our bikes and the van on the right side of the dirt path leading up to the barn’s entrance. I survey the area noticing the big oak trees and whispering willows that surround the barn. Off to the right is a field no one has bothered to take care of for quite some time since the grass is as tall as I am. The barn itself is old with holes in the shingled roof and some of the red paint has disappeared with wear and tear over the years. A silo sits back in the distance, but I imagine no one is using it either. We have thirty minutes to check the perimeter and barn before the supplier is supposed to show.
Bear, Romeo, Hacker, and I walk inside the open entrance of the barn. A few rusted tools hang on the thick planks of wood. A tractor sits in the middle covered in dust and dirt. This place hasn’t been used in years. I find a ladder to my left by a small broken window that leads to the second level. Walking over, I climb up to look around. There's nothing up here except hay covering the wooden floor and a couple old bales. We have enough places to take cover in case shit goes south. I climb back down, exit the barn, and meet up with everyone outside.
"Remember the plan. We wait until the deal is done, and when they turn their backs on us, we take ‘em out." Hanger reminds us once again not to fire too soon. He orders, "Take position."
Romeo quickly strides over to the van, opens the side door, and grabs the black duffle bag of cash. He rushes into the barn, drops it onto the dirt covered ground, then takes his place with the rest of us. We stand in a single file line, Hanger front and center, while we wait. Only minutes later, we listen closely, hearing the gravel being stirred from tires coming in our direction.
"They're coming," I announce quietly.
Hanger nods. "Get ready."
Each of us stands stock still with bated breath, and wait for the three white vans to come to a stop one in front of the other blocking our bikes and van from being able to leave. My fists clench at my sides, my adrenaline kicks in, making my heart rate intensify. My pulse pounds and my hands shake uncontrollably. I suck in a deep breath of oxygen and release it to steel myself. They should have gotten out by now, but they haven’t. Something’s not right, I can sense it. I can feel it deep down inside of me.
The passenger side windows roll down on all three vans, guns aim at us. The side doors open, more guns point in our direction. "Take cover!" I yell out as the first round of shots are fired. A line of men charges out of the vans, coming right for us with guns blazing.
We scramble, dodging bullets. All of my brothers run to take cover, me included. I can’t see where everyone went. I can’t see Mullins. I run to the left and hide behind one of the big oak trees twenty feet away. My mind begins to cloud, flashes of my past start to invade my reality. I shake my head, trying to clear it the best I can. Gunfire is coming in every direction. I pull my pistol, returning shots at our enemies. I quickly scan the area, trying to see where Mullins is, but I still can’t find him. Maybe he ran to the other side of the barn, inside, or behind it. I can’t see any of those places. My focus goes back to what’s in front of me. I pull the trigger, hitting my target in the side of his head.
We’re outnumbered by at least ten. My eyes drift to the white vans. The supplier’s men are still stepping out, holding their machine guns in front of them, and steadily reigning down shots. Their steps become longer, faster, as they quickly approach us. I take one, two, three of the men out. My pistol’s clip is now empty and I don’t have an extra. I survey my surroundings for a clearing. When I think I have one, I race to the van. “I need a gun!” I yell over the loud noise.
Men are falling left and right. Bear throws me an Ak-47. Pretty Boy screams out in pain right beside me. He slides down the van holding his stomach. Ready to run back to the tree, I spot Hunter and Romeo. Both have been hit and are down against the barn.
Fuck!
A couple more of these cunts go down to my right. As I run back to the tree, I spot Hanger on the left side of the barn. He has the leader against the wood, gun pointed at the man's forehead. Hanger fires a single bullet right between his eyes, dropping him to the ground. We take out the remaining men and gunfire ceases. I run over to check on Romeo first. "Where’re you hit?"
"My shoulder." He winces, holding his palm to the wound. I pull my blade out, cut his shirt, wad it up, and hand it to him. "Hold this against it and keep applying pressure."
I rush over to Hunter, blood seeping out of his jeans. "You good, brother?"
He pants, "Yeah." I remove my cut and shirt, hand him the cotton material, and tell him the same as I did Romeo as I put my cut back on.
I rush back to the van. "Pretty Boy doing okay?" He’s now inside with Bear and Hacker.
Bear answers, "He’s alive but tell Hanger we gotta get the fuck outta here."
I nod and rush over to Hanger. "We gotta go."
"Fuck yeah we do! Let's gather up everyone." He runs in the opposite direction, going behind the barn.
I race around the perimeter until I find Mullins on the right side of the barn with a few dead men. "Let's go!"
He turns his attention to me and nods. Together we walk back toward the van when suddenly I'm pushed to the ground. I hear a single shot fired from inside the barn, then another shot. Mullins falls beside me with eyes wide open. "Mullins?"
He doesn't move.
"Mullins!" I yell louder and shake him.
Nothing.
I scramble up. Blood coats the outside of his shirt and cut. He was hit in the chest. I kneel beside him, covering the wound with my hand. "Mullins!" I scream. “You’re going to be fine! Don’t you dare die on me, asshole!” Tears brim my lids. He coughs, blood fills his open mouth. "No!” I shake my head frantically. He coughs more but can't reply. A stream of red begins running from the side of his opened mouth, down his chin. His eyes find mine, they slowly begin to dim. "No!" I scream louder, tears falling freely. “Why did you do it? Why did you take the fucking bullet? It was meant for me. I should be the one dying, not you!” I cry harder.
He takes his final breath. This is all my fucking fault! I was supposed to protect him. He saved my fucking life again, and it should have been me saving his. I wrap him in my arms, holding him close to my chest, and rock. “I’m sorry!” I wail. “I’m so fucking sorry!”
"Doc?" Hanger questions behind me.
"What the hell happened, Prez?" I ask through my sobs.
"I don't know. I want you to ride behind Ghost and get our wounded brothers to the hospital. Then go home. The rest of us are staying to find out what happened here." He lays his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, brother." I swipe away the falling tears, stand, and grab Mullins arms while Hanger grabs his legs. We carry his lifeless body to the van and put him inside with the others.
Hanger walks away. I shut the door of the van, and when I turn around, my eyes drift to the scene before me. Bodies are spread out in every direction, pools of blood soak into the ground, and guns lay next to the lifeless men.
Why the fuck did we get ambushed?
As I’m heading to my Harley, I decide to check the barn one more time because that’s where the stray bullets that killed my best friend came from. I step inside to find one dead body with a bullet hole in his forehead positioned to my left. I follow the trail of blood from his body that ends at the back of the barn where there’s another entrance leading outside. My brows furrow, but I don’t have time to wrap my head around what happened right now. I run to my bike, get on, and follow Ghost to the hospital.
The van comes to a screeching halt. I quickly climb off my bike and rush over to the van, opening the side door and checking on our brothers. I climb inside and hold Mullins while Ghost runs inside to get help. Nurses and doctors come running out of the emergency room entrance with stretchers and wheelchairs.
One look at our cuts and no questions are asked. "We have three wounded get them in rooms," One doctor orders.
A nurse kneels beside me and Mullins. She checks for a pulse but doesn't find one. Her sorrowful eyes look at me and she’s wearing a kind smile. "I'm sorry." Her attention moves to someone outside of the van. "We have a DOA." They pull Mullins out of my arms and out of the van laying his body on the stretcher. I climb out behind them and walk over to Ghost. "I’m heading home to give the news to his wife."
He pulls me in for a hug and we slap each other’s backs. “Alright, brother.”
I walk back over to my Harley, climb on, and start my ride back to Wichita.
* * *
The dark thoughts and depression have begun to consume me as I pull into the compound. My best friend is dead because of me, and now, I have to go in there and tell his wife. It should have been me. I'm fucking worthless. I couldn't protect them. I couldn't protect Mullins. How do I expect to protect Daphne and my son?
I push through the bar door and everyone stops what they’re doing. They are all focused on me. Their eyes widen, mouths drop open, and hands cover their mouths. Some drop down in seats. I shift my eyes around the room until I spot Christy watching me and the door. Her gaze finally halts on me, her head begins to shake, and tears cascade down her cheeks. I step closer to her. "No!" She screams at me.
"I'm sorry." I drop my head and realize I'm covered in his blood.
"You promised me." Her fists pound against my chest, but it doesn't faze me one bit. I deserve it all: her anger, her hate, her aggression.
"The bullet came out of nowhere. He pushed me out of the way and took it himself."
She freezes. "He died because of you? It's your fault my husband..." She points to her kids. "Their father is dead." She spits the last word like venom. "He saved you once and you couldn't even repay him? You let him die! You promised me." Her cries become louder, sobs wreaking havoc on her body. I step closer, wanting to comfort her, but she slaps at me. "Don’t touch me!" She angrily swipes at her tears. "Where is he? Where is his body?"
"At the hospital in Tulsa."
She storms away from me, gets her kids, and rushes out of the clubhouse.
I'm numb. She spoke the truth in every word that fell from her mouth. I mindlessly walk to my room, not even bothering to wash his blood from my flesh.