Chapter 26
Knowing that Simeon was here in town looking for her and confronting him, face to face, were two entirely different things. As much as she’d prepared herself, the shock of seeing him in person still sent her reeling.
She hovered at the edge of the gate, taking comfort in Xander’s presence, until Simeon lunged at her.
But not before Xander punched him in the face, sending Simeon tumbling to the ground.
“You fucking whore!” Simeon spat out, blood dripping down his chin. “Did you think I would never find you? Do you know what happens to those who disobey me? You behave like a whore, and you will live the rest of your life as one.”
“Shut your mouth,” Xander warned.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Simeon stood up, and pointed at Val. “I’m on God’s journey. Now give her to me. I’ve got your money.”
By this time, Jesse had stepped out of the passenger side of the SUV and walked around behind Simeon. He pulled out the taser and finally, Simeon shut up.
The man collapsed on the ground again, convulsing.
Xander tapped his earpiece. “Vanier, let’s get him to the bunker, stat!”
The guys that were hidden on the other side of the road and around the front gate suddenly appeared and one of the prospects drove up to the gate in one of the ATVs. They hauled Simeon’s limp body into it, Val and Vanier hopping on.
“We’ll be back to finish this job,” Sonny announced.
She nodded, shaking, but still holding strong.
But she also felt confident that she was protected. Simeon was here but he wasn’t going to hurt her. She was now in control.
Val watched Xander and Jesse get back in the SUV. Xander must’ve hit the accelerator hard, because gravel flew everywhere as they sped out of the property.
She glanced down at Simeon’s limp body as they headed for the bunker.
A half hour later, he was tied up to a chair in Sonny’s interrogation room, and he was slowly coming out of his taser shock. Vanier had tied his arms and legs to the chair but left his mouth uncovered. He could scream all he wanted down here. No one would ever hear him.
Val leaned in close when he started to blink his eyes.
“You,” Simeon whispered as he stared at her. “Alessia. You faithless bitch.”
She smiled at him, unperturbed by his words. “I’m not a scared teenager anymore, Simeon. You don’t hold power over me.”
He began to struggle, trying to pull out of his restraints.
“Don’t bother. You’re tied up tight and even if you did get out, there’s two guys waiting outside this door. You’re not going anywhere.”
“Whore.”
“You’re one to talk. So pious and righteous aren’t you, Founder Simeon? What about your hidden sex life? And the abuse you level on your wives, and children!”
“Bitch,” he hissed, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Where is my sister Annika?”
Simeon’s blue gaze hardened, so icy cold that Val shivered.
“That’s not for you to know.”
Val glanced at Vanier, who stood in the shadows at the back of the room, and nodded.
Vanier walked up to Simeon and placed a knife at his crotch.
“I would encourage you to tell me where my sister is, before this man permanently removes your balls.”
Val couldn’t believe the words pouring out of her, but she was done waiting for answers.
“Annika disobeyed me and therefore, God,” Simeon replied. “She had to be punished.”
“She was due to marry you and then suddenly, it was called off. And I was to be her replacement. What happened?” Val repeated.
“I caught her sinning with another member. A man I trusted. They were both punished. Permanently,” Simeon gave Val a bloody grin. “Your sister is dead. I killed her five years ago. Then I killed your mother for birthing such wicked children. And, by the way, your father remarried a year after you left, after your mother was gone. And he had more children. Faithful servants, one of whom will be my next bride.”
Val gagged at his statement, barely holding on to her control.
“Are you really that stupid?” she asked him. “You’re not going anywhere. Except, to meet the God you apparently know so well.”
“I have no fear. Not of you, not of these corrupt men you’ve aligned yourself with, and certainly, not of death. I am eternal life.”
“Can I taser him again?” Vanier asked. “Please, anything to make him shut up.”
Val glanced at the biker and shook her head.
“No. Let’s leave that for Sonny,” she replied and turned to Simeon again. “Where is my sister buried?”
Simeon gave her a creepy smile and shook his head. “You’ll never know. Never.”
Val stood up and walked over to the door. “I will. Maybe not at this moment. But soon. That, I can guarantee.”
Jesse
Nerves were riding high. Not just for the confrontation with the Krypt tonight.
Jesse wished he could have stayed behind with Val. Having her near that asshole Simeon made his blood boil.
“You good?” Xander asked him. “Cause if your mind isn’t focused tonight, you’re better off heading back.”
“I’m good, I’m fine.”
“She’s got backup, and the guy is safely tied up in the bunker.”
Jesse nodded. “I’ll feel better when he’s dead.”
“You and me both. It’ll happen later.”
The drive to Drumheller took almost an hour. Their source told them the drug drop off was taking place at an abandoned strip mall in the north part of the city. Jesse had a feeling that most of the remaining members would be out there tonight. After all, they knew the Hellraisers were after them and it was always better to stick together, safety in numbers.
They drove around and parked in various points around the mall, far enough away to be noticed but close enough, with binoculars, to see what was going on.
Jesse pulled out his night vision goggles and surveyed the area.
“I don’t see any movement yet.”
Jesse’s knee tapped out a nervous rhythm and Xander placed a calming hand on his thigh.
“So impatient,” Xander quipped.
Jesse barked out a laugh. “Yeah. I want these assholes gone.”
They waited for an hour, and suddenly, several cars started pulling into the strip mall.
Jesse took another look. “They’re here. I recognized Colt.”
His earpiece crackled.
“Is their distributor on site yet?” Gage asked. “I see the Krypt crew, looks like seven, no, wait. All nine of them.”
He surveyed the surrounding area. Two pick-up trucks were headed in the direction of the mall. “Two trucks are approaching. That’s probably the distributors.”
“Let’s move.”
The Hellraisers got out of their SUVs and crept quietly through the back of the property until they reached the side of the building. Jesse glanced around the corner. The pick-up trucks came to a stop, and two men got out of each vehicle, headed towards the Krypt crew.
The groups met up and quickly headed inside the second unit.
“They’re entering 2A.”
“Nate, Jackson, hit the tires of all their vehicles while we get in position and head to cover the rear exit,” Sonny demanded.
They kept moving closer, until Xander was a foot away from the door.
“Keep your faces covered and shoot out any cameras when you can,” Gage added.
Guns drawn, Jesse and Xander crept alongside the building until they got to the door of the second unit.
“Vehicles are disabled,” Jackson stated. “We’re heading for the back.”
“Three, two, one, go!” Gage ordered.
They crashed through the door and began firing. Jesse hit two guys, one them of in the chest, and the other in the arm. He fired again, until both targets collapsed.
Chaos erupted as the rest of the Krypt crew returned fire.
Jesse crouched down behind an empty display case, while Xander fired off round after round and took three guys out.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jesse spotted Sonny.
He and Xander popped up again and fired off more shots.
Three more men down. That meant five more to go.
Shots whizzed by them, and they ducked behind the case again, Dante, Gage and Sonny following. The noise was overwhelming as more shots were fired back, and the display case in front of them exploded, shards of glass raining down everywhere.
“Three guys left at the back of the room,” Jesse tapped his earpiece. “Two heading for the rear exit.”
“Let’s finish this,” Gage nodded and motioned to get up. “Cover me.”
Jesse and Xander stood up and began firing again, while Gage and Sonny moved in closer to their targets. Within minutes, the remaining Krypt crew were down.
“We got the two coming out the back,” Nate confirmed. “DOA.”
Guns still drawn, silence finally echoed around them, as they surveyed the damage.
“Body count,” Gage announced as they wandered through the unit.
There on the ground, at the back of the shop, lay Colt, and Golan, the two Krypt members who had started this whole thing to begin with. They’d tried to escape, leaving their crew behind. Spineless. Both were still bleeding out, but their eyes were lifeless.
Jesse walked around the room, surveying the damage. “Eleven in here total, two out the back. We got ‘em all.”
“Make sure they’re all dead, grab all their phones, and then let’s get the fuck gone,” Gage bellowed.
Jesse checked over the bodies, while Xander looked around for cameras. He disabled the ones he could find and shot up the ceiling just in case.
“Everything’s clear.”
They quickly ran out of the building and back to their vehicles, hitting the highway to get out of town as fast as possible.
Time was on their side though. Time and the remoteness of the kill site. Abandoned buildings rarely drew any attention. Jesse figured it would be a couple of days before anyone noticed the bodies and called it in.
And by that time, the Hellraisers’ would have their alibis well established. Just in case. Not that they were concerned. They used guns that were nearly impossible to trace.
One job down, one more to go.
Then, they could finally breathe easy. Or at least, easy for a while. There was always another enemy ready to step into a fight. More competitors in the underground markets that flourished. That was MC life.
And Jesse wouldn’t trade it for anything.