Chapter Eighteen
Saturday, August 30 th .
River Bend Ranch. Lincoln. Texas.
Me, Virge and Corb were up at daylight to feed the horses. Our new bedrooms felt a little different. Virge and I were used to sleeping in the same room and we were gonna ask Dad if we could do that again. Free up a room for Corb and we liked to be together.
Never had our own rooms before and it felt weird and kind of lonely.
We left Dad sleeping and headed for the barn. Everything had been unloaded from the horse trailer but there was a ton of work to do to get all of the tack organized.
We’d brought some hay, oats and straw with us, but used most of it up on the trip.
“We need to find the closest feed store, Harlan. Put in an order for hay, straw and oats, and set up an account so we can call in.”
“Yeah, we’ll do that today, Virge.” I was in the process of making a mental list when Lucy texted me.
“We’re coming over in a while to help get the house set up for y’all. Mommy doesn’t want Travis moving around today. He did too much yesterday, and she’s worried about the stitches pulling apart.”
“Great. I’ll tell him to stay put and I’ll see you later.”
“Was that Lucy?” asked Virge.
“Yeah. She and Mom are coming over to straighten up the house. They don’t want Dad trying to do it.”
“Fantastic. I don’t know where to put all the kitchen stuff. Be great if they organized it for us.”
“Yeah, I love Mom’s kitchen at her ranch with the big, long table and the fireplace.”
“We don’t have a fireplace in our kitchen, but we do have a woodstove, and Dad is pumped for it. He talked about chopping wood more than once.”
We came in from the barn and washed up. We looked to see if Dad was up yet and found him upstairs out of breath trying to get his boots on.
“Dad, what the hell are you doing?” asked Virge.
“There’s no food in the house, so we have to go out for breakfast.”
“Nope. You’re not going. Mom is already on you about doing nothing today and she’s coming over. I’ll take the boys into Giddings, grab breakfast and bring you back food and coffee. Sit on the porch and have a smoke until we get back.”
“Good copy, Harlan. My side is giving me a bit of trouble this morning.” Travis sat on the end of his bed trying to get a hold on his breathing.
Not a pretty sight. He was in serious pain.
“You’re a mess, Dad,” said Virge. “Slow down and don’t go any farther than the porch.”
“Copy that, Virgil.” Dad smiled.
I rounded up Corb, laid down the plan, and the boys piled into the Jeep. Max and Sarge wanted to go for the ride, but I told them to stay on the porch with Dad.
They whined but did as they were told.
Golden Arches. Giddings. Texas.
Giddings had the closest drive-thru for breakfast and coffee and it didn’t take us long to get there. Our new ranch was close to several little towns.
“I’m worried the bikers will come back and hurt Dad again,” said Corb.
I noticed it was the first time the kid had called Travis Dad. Felt sorry for him.
“We’ve got our order, Corb, and we’re on our way back to the ranch now. Ten minutes and we’ll be there. Dad hasn’t been alone long enough for bikers to find our new ranch and come grab him.”
“Bikers ain’t riding the roads at eight in the morning, Corb,” said Virge. “Don’t fret about Dad.”
Ten minutes later, I drove down our lane and as soon as I got near the house, I could feel something wasn’t right. I parked the Jeep near the garage and had already noticed Dad wasn’t sitting on the porch in one of the wicker chairs where he was supposed to be.
“Where the hell are the dogs?” I hollered.
Virge jumped out of the Jeep and was gone. He was running through the house hollering his head off for Dad before I got to the porch steps.
He ran out the door panting for breath. “There’s no blood and the dogs are gone. Where is he?”
“The bikers took him.” Corb had gone a snowy shade of pale. He leaned over and puked into a flower bed full of purple flowers.
“Stop puking and check the barn, Corb,” hollered Virge. “They must’ve locked up the dogs.”
Corb took off on the run and I plopped down on the top step and called Annie.
“Hey, Harlan. We’re coming over soon to help y’all with the house.”
“Mom…I think the Breed took Travis.”
“What?”
“We went to McDonald’s in Giddings for food and coffee and Travis ain’t here. We were only gone a half hour tops.”
“I’ll get some help for us and come over. Stay there and don’t leave without me.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“What did Mom say?” asked Virge.
“She’s rounding up a whack of help and coming right over. Run upstairs and get our guns and holsters and bring extra ammo.”
Virge took off and Corb came back from the barn out of breath. The dogs were with him, jumping and whining and doing the thing they always did when they couldn’t find Travis.
“Nobody in the barn,” said Corb. “Just the dogs.”
“Why didn’t the dogs attack the bikers?” I asked Virge.
“Bikers must have been ready for the dogs and tranq’ed ‘em,” said Virge. “I’m bloody thankful they didn’t shoot them. If they came to kill Dad, I don’t know why they wouldn’t kill the dogs too.”
“I don’t like what you’re saying, Virge.”
“Can’t help it. Facts are facts, bro.”
“I need a gun,” said Corb, “and I don’t have one.”
“You won’t need one, Corb. We’ll protect you.”
“I want my own.”
“Dad won’t let you have your own until he teaches you to shoot first. You’ve got to learn safety.”
“I watched you out on the highway, Virge. I’m pretty sure I can do it without shooting myself in the fuckin’ foot.”
Twenty minutes later, Mick and Annie arrived with all the kids. Annie hopped out of her truck, and she was pointing southeast. “I sent the squad to Houston and that’s where we’re going too. Mick will stay here with the kids and watch over them. Lucy will do the grocery shopping while we’re gone.”
Mom was talking fast, and I nodded as I listened to her plan. Dad said that Mom was a born leader, and I was seeing that coming from her now. True dat.
“Let’s go. You boys have your guns?”
“We’re ready, Mom.”
“Pile in my truck,” said Annie. “I’ll drive.”
Maynooth. Northern Ontario.
Bobby let Cleo out the front door for her morning run and saw Tammy climbing out of the cab of the red Freightliner.
“Hey, there you are, Tammy. Me and Cleo went looking for you way back in the bear cave.”
“I got away from the bear and ran like hell. She’s pretty fast down on all fours and I almost didn’t make it to the truck.”
Bobby stared at all the damage he’d done to a once beautiful face and felt a couple of pangs of remorse.
“I’m sorry I beat you so bad, Tammy. You just did so much stuff to me, I guess I wanted a little payback.”
“I deserved it, Eldon. I almost killed you twice, taking you away from the hospitals that were trying to save you. Sorry about that.”
“Yeah,” said Bobby. “I’m sorry too.”
“Do you think we can start over and go on the road again as a team? I got us a truck you’d like.”
“I do like it. Matter of fact, I fuckin’ love it, but I’m not sure trucking would be the safest thing for us to do right now. But I do love the truck, Tammy. She’s a beauty and almost a dead ringer for the one I had to sell. I’ll think about it and we’ll have a serious talk about it in a couple of days.”
“Are you going to make me leave Mama’s cabin?”
“I need time to think things over, Tammy. Why don’t we have a coffee and some breakfast and see how it goes?”
“Thanks for the chance, Eldon. I really do love you. Like, you are my forever love.”
Bobby held Cleo by her collar, so she didn’t rip another chunk out of Tammy. He may have had the tiniest bit of feeling left for Tammy, but Cleo had none. She hated Tammy with a vengeance.
Great Smoky Mountains. North Carolina.
Willy arrived home at his mountain cabin and George and Gracie seemed to be a lot happier about coming home than he was.
He walked inside and the place where he’d once been so happy felt cold and empty like his heart.
Willy squatted down, picked up his hatchet and began chopping kindling.
If Tammy never gets out of jail what will I do with the rest of my life?
Can I go on living without Tammy?
Black Breed Clubhouse. Sugarland. Texas.
Blacky arrived at the Black Breed clubhouse in Sugarland with the gang squad and the Night Vipers all outfitted in tactical gear.
He parked his monster truck close to the door and his men parked their Harleys and pickups behind him. On the drive to Houston, he’d alerted the Houston SWAT team to meet him there at the club.
Parked in a neat row outside the clubhouse were about a dozen bikes but it was only noon and not prime time for bikers. Most of them partied late and were still in their beds sleeping.
“Doesn’t look like too many here, boss,” said Farrell.
“Don’t matter,” said Blacky. “We’re taking the entire club down, so we’ll roll these fuckers up first and then go for the ones who are missing.”
“Good copy,” said Farrell. “How many ways in they got?”
“Check it out and get your men into position.”
Farrell hollered for his guys, Lukas, Dusty, Gene, Caleb and his righthand, Jimmy Jeff. “Take half our guys Jim, and position them where you want them.”
“Copy.”
Blaine and Casey did the same with the day shift and they were ready as soon as the SWAT team arrived.
“On my count of three,” hollered Blaine.
Blaine counted down. They stormed the clubhouse, and the members were taken by surprise. “All of you are under arrest for kidnapping,” hollered Blaine. “Cuff them boys. The bus should be here for them any minute.”
Farrell did a thorough search of the clubhouse and didn’t find Travis. “He ain’t here. We’ll have to move on to the boss’s house.”
Blacky held his Beretta to the head of one of the Breed members and asked nicely, “Where’s the guy y’all kidnapped this morning?”
“We never kidnapped nobody. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The SWAT team stood guard around the perimeter of the meeting room while the squad cuffed every biker and lined them up for the bus.
“Bus will be here for y’all soon but y’all still have time to tell me where they took Dale.”
Farrell watched the faces of the bikers as Blacky talked and as soon as Dale’s name was mentioned, one of the Breed twitched.
Farrell moved closer to that guy and shoved his shotgun into the big guy’s chest. “Where’s Dale?”
“I ain’t telling you, pig.”
Blam.
Farrell shot a hole in the floor right next to the biker’s Harley boot.
The noise was horrendous and made the guy holler out, “Don’t know where he is. I swear.”
Blacky tilted his head, and the squad began marching the prisoners out to the transport vehicle.
Annie arrived with Harlan and Virge as the clubhouse was being cleared out. She handed a piece of paper to her son, Blaine.
“I have the names and addresses of the top three here, honey bun. I’m betting they weren’t here at the clubhouse.”
“No, they weren’t,” said Blaine. “Let’s start with the president. Where’s he live?”
“Fat Boy Rayfield. He’s right here in Sugarland.”
“Let’s pay him a visit,” said Blaine. He pointed at Casey, and he got behind the wheel of the monster truck—the one Harlan and Virge were staring at.
“Like your truck, Ranger Blackmore,” said Virge. “Fuckin’ amazing.”
Blacky chuckled. “I don’t get to take my baby off-road enough. Maybe I’ll pick you boys up and we’ll go out to the swamp down Black Snake Road. That ain’t far from where y’all bought your new spread.”
“Yeah, for sure,” said Virge. “That would be fantastic.”
Rayfield Residence. Sugarland.
Blaine led the way to Fat Boy’s place figuring Travis wouldn’t be there. Too fuckin’ obvious. The club leader was smart enough to know we’d look at him first.
“I think the Houston club is only grabbing him for the Vegas chapter,” said Casey. “The big boss in Sin City is the one who wants Dale Burden for payback.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Houston chapter grabs him and holds him until the Vegas guys come to get him. That means Houston can’t kill him.”
“Not yet,” said Casey.
“Who’s the current guy causing all the trouble in Vegas?” asked Blaine.
“Army Vincente. Some say he’s as bad as the twins used to be—Bruce and the Deuce.”
“Doubt if anybody could measure up to the vileness of those two sewer rats,” said Blaine.
The convoy parked in front of Rayfield’s shabby frame bungalow and surrounded the place.
“Breach front and back doors on the count of three,” hollered Farrell.
They swarmed the place and found nobody. The house was empty.
“Snag and bag everything we can use against Rayfield,” shouted Farrell to his gang squad boys. “Guns, drugs, all of it.”
“Copy, boss,” Jimmy Jeff hollered back. “Rolling it all up.”
Annie, Harlan and Virge stood at the end of Fat Boy’s driveway talking to Blaine. “According to Kamps, Dempsey lives in a trailer park near the Gulf and it’s a more likely hiding place for Travis.”
Blaine nodded. “Yeah, away from civilization. Could be the perfect spot. We’ll hit Dempsey next.” He turned to Harlan and Virge who were looking pale and worried.
“Travis ain’t here,” said Virge.
“I don’t want y’all to worry too much about Travis being dead, because he won’t be. Annie and I talked it over and we believe the Houston chapter snatched Travis for the guys in Vegas who really want him for payback. He’ll be alive until the Vegas guys get here.”
“What if they flew?” asked Virge. “They might be here already.”
“If they flew, honey bunny, they’ll still be a bit behind us. We’ll be at Dempsey’s place in about twenty minutes.”
“We’ll be in time,” said Harlan, but he didn’t look like he believed his own words.
Dempsey Residence. Arcola.
Twenty minutes later they pulled into Arcola Estates, Mobile Home Park. “What street does this guy live on?” asked Virgil.
“Seascape Lane,” said Harlan reading from the GPS. “Sounds nicer than it looks. This trailer park ain’t high end.”
Annie glanced at the screen and followed the colored line to Seascape. “Find number twenty-nine, boys.”
“We’re passing twelve,” said Virge.
“Opposite side of the street,” said Harlan, “where the odd numbers are.”
“I see it.”
The squad blocked the narrow street and surrounded the single-wide trailer. They came in from the front and the back at the same time, ready to take down anybody in their path.
Me and Virge stood out of the way and watched these guys perform and couldn’t believe their skill level.
I think both of us decided at the same time that we wanted to be on the gang squad and be one of these guys. Compared to us being deputy sheriffs, this was a whole ‘nother level of takedown.
“Might be best if you boys waited out here,” said Annie, “I’m talking for safety. But I’m not telling you to if y’all want to watch the squad work.”
“Thanks, Mom. I think we want to go in.”
Me and Virge ran in the front door of the trailer and Farrell had already searched every room for Dad. “Travis ain’t here. Roll these guys up and we’ll leave them for the local cops.”
Farrell pointed at the three bikers drinking at the kitchen table and Dusty, Jimmy Jeff and Caleb pulled cuffs off their belts and approached the table.
Guy at the end of the table wearing only a Breed cut and his boxers grabbed his blade off the table and jumped up to plunge it into Jimmy Jeff’s side.
Bang.
Farrell shot him in the face.
The other two guys put their hands on their heads and that was the end of the bullshit.
Blacky took over and called the local cops and the medical examiner. “We’ll be here for a while.”
“Sure,” said Annie. “You boys have got this.”
Annie took me and Harlan out to her truck. “Travis isn’t here, and Vincente hasn’t had time to get to Houston so that means Fat Boy took him to Vegas already. We’ve got to get going.”
“You sure?” asked Virge.
“Pretty sure, but even if I’m wrong, they’ll kill him in Vegas anyway so we might as well be there waiting. It will save time.”
“Okay,” I said. “I see what you’re thinking.”
“Drive home, Harlan, I’ve got to make some calls.”
We rolled out of Houston on the I-10 and the Gladiator was a dream to drive. Virge and I loved our Jeep, but Mom’s truck was a sweet ride too.
I turned the radio down while Annie talked on the phone.
“Mick, we’re coming home now. Take the kids to Coulter-Ross but before you leave Travis’s place, tell Lucy to pack bags for Harlan and Virge. We’ll be going to Vegas as soon as we get home.”
Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.
Mick and Corb were in the garage with the dogs when we got back to Annie’s ranch. Lucy had packed for me and Virge, and our stuff was sitting on the porch.
“Give me five to pack, boys,” said Annie, “and we’re heading for the airport.”
“Who will feed our horses?” asked Virge.
“I’ll have Monroe and Lucy drive over to your ranch and do it, honey. Don’t worry. They’ll be taken care of.”
“They ain’t used to being at the new place yet.”
“Your dogs are here, so Mick brought them with him. Davey and Corb will take care of them.”
Virge blew out a breath. “One less thing to worry about.”
“Sit at the kitchen counter and have a coffee and Riley will make y’all a sandwich. Then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Good copy, Mom,” said Virgil.
We finished the last bite of our sandwiches and Annie came down the hall carrying her bag, her rifle slung over her shoulder.
“Tell Mick we’re ready to leave.”
“Is Corb staying here?” I asked.
“Ask him if he wants to come with us or stay with Davey until we bring Travis back,” said Annie. “I’ll load my stuff, and I want to check my shotgun under the seat of the truck to make sure it’s loaded.”
Corb came running out of the garage with Mick and Davey and the dogs. “I’m staying here, Harlan. Max and Sarge are going nuts without Travis. I should stay with them.”
“Okay. We’ll be back with Dad as soon as we can.”
Mick tossed his bag in the back of the truck and slid behind the wheel.
Executive Airport. Austin.
The inside of Annie’s jet smelled like new leather, and we weren’t all crowded in like on a regular plane. I noticed near the back close to the washroom that there was a bed where Dad could lie down on the way home—that’s if the bikers had beat him all to hell.
“I like your plane, Mom,” said Virge. “How long will it take us to get to Dad?”
“Two hours we’ll be in Vegas at my house, and we’ll work our plan from there. Sleep while we’re in the air. We won’t be going to bed when we land in Vegas. No time for sleeping if we want to find Travis alive.”
“Copy that.”