26. Raker
CHAPTER 26
Raker
U nder the cover of midnight, I let Data take charge as he and Willow plotted where the underground water lines would hopefully be. They had worked together on a computer model based on Seek and the Soul MC’s reconnaissance and what Willow said were the stories passed down from our ancestors about where strong, fresh water ran freely.
If we could figure that out, we could blow up the artificial dams that keep the water from Resurrected.
The Souls waited in the darkness, ready to help tear down the Celestial Abode. If we could find it.
“Thank you,” I said to Seek. The Souls Prez was a grizzled MC vet in his 40s, with mad scientist hair but a glint of humor in his eyes.
He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s smoke these bastards out. I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.”
“And thank you,” I said to Teacher.
My VP folded his arms in front of him. “I’ve been here for every shithead thing you’ve done. I’m not going to miss this one. Besides, I fucking told you Souls was a better alliance.”
I was still only halfway convinced the whole thing was a pipe dream when we found the source point.
“If we are right,” Seek said, pointing down to a square foot of baked desert land that looked the same as any other parched part, “you’ll be able to follow this point up those cliffs to the Celestial Abode.”
“Let’s go,” I ordered grimly, taking half of our men with me and leaving half here to dig up and undam these goddamn rivers.
And sure the hell enough, when we followed in exactly the direction Willow said to, we found the ornate golden gates of the Celestial Abode, nine feet tall with stained glass portraits that showed Elders in their distinctive robes blessing the land with water and praying over the trickles.
And all along they had been sitting on massive, powerful dams that blocked us in Resurrected from accessing our own land’s gifts.
I extended the handle of my knife, right into the center of this stained glass, and it shattered, sending colored shards out into the dark night sky.
Then I did it again, and again until the glass was nothing but shattered pieces all around me. Then I kicked the fucking door open and we burst in.
Oh, they tried to fight us, all right. Dozens of guards streamed out of their hidden enclave, but against the combined might of the Saints and the Souls, they couldn’t win.
I finally managed to corral the remaining Elders who hadn’t fled, mostly men in their 70s who looked weak and cowardly without their usual robes and the ceremonial bags of water to designate their status.
“See out there?” I said. “Those are my men dismantling your little Celestial Abode brick by brick.
“Luckily your ancient ages protect you, but you’re going to take your wrinkly ball sacks in hand and get the fuck out of town. If I see any of your faces by the time the sun rises, then I am going to overcome my scruples against slicing your moldy cocks off.”
And they couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
The sound of rubble falling filled my ears as we made our way back down the cliffs to where I could already see dark streams of water beginning to flow, out past the broken dams, back down the hills where they used to feed the land.
Water! Finally, free and flowing water!
“Prez!” Teacher called. “Over here.”
I hurried over to see Willow lying on the ground, her hand clutching her side, bright red blood oozing between her fingers.
Shit
Some goddamn Celestial Abode guard!
Cold fucking panic filled my body.
Builder was tearing strips off his shirt to bind the wound as I came over.
“Let’s go,” I said, “I’m taking you to the ER.”
Willow’s breath was coming in short, jagged pants.
“Go away and let me die next to the earth,” she gasped.
“You think I’m going to go back to Sunni and Elise without you? Like fuck I will. I swore to Sunni I’d keep you safe. So let’s fucking go.”
I picked her up carefully, blood running down and soaking into my cut.
“But the siege—don’t you want to be here when the last brick comes down?” she asked.
“Teacher can send me a video. I’m taking you to the ER.”
I left a few last directions to my brothers, and then headed to the big Jeep Builder had driven over with supplies.
Willow slumped over in the passenger seat and I hastily snapped the seatbelt around her.
“Hold the cloth tight against yourself to slow the bleeding,” I ordered.
“If I don’t make it—” Willow began, her breathing slow and painful, but I cut her off.
“ Shut up and don’t be melodramatic.”
She gave a reluctant chuckle.
“You’re an asshole, you know that, Raker?”
“I know that,” I said. “Hang on.”
My promise to Sunni drove me like a goddamn monster down the highway.
“Why are you doing this?” she groaned. “You don’t give a shit about me.”
“What is important to Sunni is important to me,” I said. “Besides, she has her heart set on you two being godparents to the baby. And I’ll be damned if I don’t give Sunni what she wants.”
But the blood was dried on my cut before I got any good news.
“She’s going to make it,” the doctor told me. “We just need to keep her in for a few days.”
I sighed with relief.
Thank god.
Thank goddess, I guess. Fuck.
I picked up my phone, scrolling through the messages from Teacher.
Then I got a notification.
Intruder detected
And it was at the Clubhouse.
Shit