Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Chains of Love
L inc caused everyone to scatter. Risky, stupid, whatever anyone wanted to call it, but his mind raced in one direction. He fully intended on driving right through the front doors of the SS13 compound and killing everyone he could get his hands on.
At one point, Priest caught up to him and rode alongside the pickup truck and pointed a gun at Linc. Linc simply rolled down the window and called out, “Pull the fucking trigger.” Priest didn’t shoot. He backed off.
Cyrus took his turn, getting in front of Linc and trying to slow him down. All Linc did was take the pickup truck off the road.
As far as the rest of the guys went, they either teamed up or went solo, moving in all directions, at the command of Cyrus, hoping to secure some kind of perimeter around the SS13 area.
It was grimy, shitty part of town. Exactly what you’d expect from a crew running nothing but meth. Dealers, whores, users, cookers, distributors… Box them in and find Nova. Then let the torturing begin.
Cyrus made a crazy move and went off the road, again getting in front of Linc. Linc half thought about speeding up and knocking Cyrus out of the way. Running over the President of SOFRAW? Linc didn’t really care at this point. Plus, he’d just guide Cyrus out of the way and down to the ground. If he ran him over… oh well…
Linc cut back onto the road. Cyrus the did the same. Now Priest got in front of Linc. That’s when Linc finally took the hint and took a deep enough breath. Sometimes in movies and shows it was fun to just show up and start a war. In real life, it had much deeper implications.
Linc slowed. He moved to the shoulder of the road. Leaving the truck running, he got out and walked toward Cyrus. Priest saw the look in his VP ’s eyes and stepped into the path. He knew Linc was going to throw a punch.
He readied himself. Linc had a wild right hook. It basically took a sledgehammer to the jaw to make Priest see stars. Linc’s fist felt just like that. The punch was worth it. It let Linc blow off enough steam to calm for a second.
“Linc!” Cyrus yelled. “We have to be smart.”
“I’m done being smart,” Linc said. “She did nothing to deserve this. This is pure revenge.”
“She’s not at the goddamn clubhouse,” Cyrus said. “Everyone is spread out, looking.”
“How do you know?” Linc asked.
Cyrus’s phone chimed. He dug it out of his leather cut and checked.
“We’re good,” Cyrus said. “Darrow has a lead on where she is.”
Linc lunged toward Cyrus. “Where?”
Cyrus spoke the address. Linc turned and ran to his truck. Priest put his life on the line as he stood in front of the truck and placed a hand to the hood. It took everything inside Linc to not run Priest over. Or just back up and the drive off. But Linc understood.
Cyrus was now coordinating with all the guys. Giving them the address. Making a plan. Making more sense that Linc did. All Linc wanted to do was chase his heart, his love, and do whatever he needed to do to see Nova again. Logic dictated otherwise.
Step one? Get an address where Nova was located.
Done.
The next step? Make sure they get there in a way that doesn’t spook whoever took her. Last thing anyone needed was to come this far and go through this kind of hell only to have some trigger-happy junkie end Nova’s life.
When that thought hit Linc he felt sick. His hands shook as he held the steering wheel. Priest finally moved his hand off the hood of the truck and gave a nod.
Linc spun the back tires on the pickup truck and he pulled back onto the road. He knew something for sure. Death lingered in the air.
He refused to believe for a second it could be Nova’s.
It was a normal house on a normal street. They gathered at the nearest corner. A bunch of bikers. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
“This is what they do now,” Darrow said. “They find houses for sale and use them. Knock the sign down, get inside, and do whatever. Use. Sleep. It’s crazy.”
“She’s in that fucking house right now,” Linc said.
“How do we approach?” Fitz asked. “This entire town smells. I don’t think we need a plan.”
“To keep Nova alive, we do,” Cyrus said as he stood tall and proud, hands balled into fists.
“I’m not waiting,” Muffin said. “Time to end this.”
The gigantic chef started to walk. Cyrus was about to yell but Linc waved him off.
“I don’t like it,” Slade said. “This feels like a trap. Where did you get the info again, Darrow?”
“It’s a buddy of mine who got clean,” Darrow said. “He owes me favors. He’s got street contacts. The guy who took Nova? His name is Marcus. Total scum. Running gigs for money. Trying to keep himself alive.”
“Points back to SS13 ?” Fitz asked.
“Not sure about that,” Darrow said.
“Let’s move,” Cyrus said. “We need to find Nova. And then we keep this Marcus prick alive. Got that? Alive . I want him back at the clubhouse, chained up in a garage, and we get everything out of him.”
“My pleasure, Prez ,” Priest said.
Linc and Muffin jogged down the sidewalk toward the house. Linc pointed to the neighbor’s yard and that’s where they made entry. Avoiding the front porch, avoiding being seen. Or at least trying their best.
“I can fake something, brother,” Muffin offered. “Knock on the door and say I’m there to see the house. Act like a realtor.”
Linc saw something at the side of the house. It was a small window. Slightly overgrown with grass and weeds.
The house has a basement.
She’s in the basement.
Linc ran that way. Muffin behind him. Linc pulled at a crooked, metal latch and the window popped right open.
“I’m not fitting through that thing,” Muffin said. “How the fuck are you?”
Linc fell to the belly and stuck his head through the window.
The basement smelled like wet mold.
He listened carefully. He heard nothing.
“Nova?” Linc asked in a low voice. “Nova? It’s me, darling. I’m here. We’re here. Can you hear me, darling?”
“Linc…?”
The voice of an angel. The sound of Nova’s voice. It hit Linc so hard he felt like he could cry. But that was quickly swept up by anger.
“We’re coming, Nova,” Linc said. “I swear on my life, you’re going to be okay.”
Linc pushed back and climbed to his feet.
He ran toward the front of the house. Muffin right behind him. By now the rest of the guys were near the front of the house too. Maybe this wasn’t part of the plan or the smartest way to do it.
“She’s in the basement,” Linc said. “He has her in the fucking basement.”
“Brother, we don’t know…” Slade started to say.
Darrow grabbed at Slade and shook his head. The decisions were made. This was an ambush. An attack. A declaration of war.
Linc charged for the door. At the last second, Muffin nudged Linc out of the way and kicked open the door. It opened way too easily, obviously already broken into, then Linc and Muffin were inside the house.
“Time to die, you stupid motherfucker!” Muffin’s voice boomed, almost shaking the house. “You better get out here before I blow this place up! Think I’m lying, try me!”
Linc ran, looking for a door to the basement. He ended up in the kitchen. He opened a door and saw a set of steps.
“I think I have her!” Linc yelled.
He saw movement from the corner of his right eye. As he turned, he saw someone with a knife, slashing through the air at him. Linc put his arm up and blocked most of the attack, only getting hit with a small portion of the blade to his forearm.
He drove the attacker back and slammed him against a wall. Muffin ran down the basement steps, leaving Linc to fight. The rest of the guys poured into the house and into the kitchen.
Linc slammed the attacker’s hand off the wall over and over until he dropped the knife. Then Linc threw the attacker into the kitchen table. Slade and Darrow started to move but Priest called them off.
“Let him have this,” Priest said.
Linc needed it. But a voice in Linc’s head told him to go get Nova. This Marcus guy wasn’t going anywhere. Not with a bunch of outlaws with guns drawn. Linc threw Marcus into a wall and he turned and ran to the basement.
He took the steps three at a time and jumped, hitting the concrete floor. He turned and saw Muffin crouched down in front of Nova. Her hands secured behind her back. Her left ankle wrapped in a chain. That chained wrapped to a pipe.
Linc fell to his knees before Nova as she looked at him. Terrified. Blinking fast. Probably in a state of shock. Rightfully so. Muffin produced a knife and cut Nova’s hands free. Nova threw her arms around Linc.
“Oh, fuck, darling,” Linc growled. “Oh, Nova. Fuck.”
He didn’t know what to say.
“You saved me,” Nova whispered.
“Of course,” Linc said.
“We always go you,” Muffin said. “Damn near entire club is here for you. You know what it takes for me to take off my apron? This is going to hurt for a second. Pressure on your ankle.”
Muffin twisted the chains. Nova cried out. Linc almost punched Muffin.
“And now you’re free,” Muffin said. “Just like I said. You’re okay now.”
Nova was free. Free. Saved. In the arms of Linc. Linc stood up, taking Nova with him. He held her. Tight. He looked at Muffin. Muffin gave a nod.
“Chained up,” Linc growled in a whisper. “Like a forgotten dog…”
Muffin’s face instantly changed. His semi-kind eyes went cold. Dark. Evil. Muffin turned and undid the chains from the pipe. Then he began to walk toward the basement steps.
“Come on, darling,” Linc said to Nova. “You’re safe.”
Nova clutched at Linc’s leather cut. She stuttered stepped.
“Linc, why?” Nova asked. “Why did this happen to me? What did I do that’s so wrong?”
Linc’s heart ached. The answer to that question was simple…
Nova’s crime was falling in love with an outlaw.
Muffin walked up to the steps and swung the chain at Marcus’s face. It caught everyone off guard. The sound of the metal cracking against skin and bone… sickening.
Marcus’s head flew back and blood sprayed into the air and spit at the white kitchen walls.
“Muffin!” Cyrus roared.
But it was too late. Muffin swung the chain again. And again… Slade tried to jump in but took an elbow to the mouth. A split lip. The only one who could stop Muffin was Priest.
Priest looked at Cyrus and when he got the nod, it was time to step in. Was Priest afraid of Muffin? No. Did Muffin irk Priest? Big time. It didn’t make sense to Priest that this literal seven-foot guy could be this violent one second and then the next put on an apron and make an apple pie that could put the entire club into a food coma.
Muffin went to swing the chains again and Priest threw himself at Muffin, right shoulder first. The two huge men didn’t just hit the kitchen wall. They shattered it. The house shook.
Muffin dropped the chains and swung a heavy fist to the middle of Priest’s back. Priest wrapped his arms around Muffin, then turned and threw him. As Muffin stepped back and regained himself, Priest grabbed the thick, bloody chain and wrapped it around his right fist. Priest brought his fist back and nodded at Muffin. Muffin stood still and took a few breaths.
“It’s okay, brother,” Cyrus said to Muffin. “It’s all okay. We did what we said, right?”
“Fucking hell,” Darrow said. “I think he killed the guy.”
Fitz stepped up to next to Darrow. He touched his stomach. “Oh, fuck. He’s…”
Marcus suddenly coughed and opened his eyes on his beat up face. He lifted his right hand, shaking.
“I can’t watch this,” Darrow said.
“Fuck him,” Fitz said.
He spit on Marcus and then shot him. The gunshot made everyone’s ears ring.
“I thought we needed him alive!” Slade yelled.
“Ah, Christ,” Cyrus growled.
He turned and punched a cabinet, splintering the door.
“I fucked up,” Muffin said. “I lost my mind and I fucked up. I’m sorry, guys. It was just seeing her… seeing Nova like that… chained up… and then…”
Priest dropped the chain and walked up to Muffin. He grabbed Muffin’s face with one hand.
“It’s all good, Muffin,” Priest said. “He deserved it. Scum fuck.”
Priest turned and took his gun out and shot Marcus. Cyrus nodded. The rest of them shot Marcus. Linc emerged from the basement with Nova. The outlaws quickly lined up, blocking Marcus’s torn up corpse to keep Nova from seeing it.
“It’s handled,” Cyrus said to Nova.
“Thank you guys,” Nova whispered.
“I’m taking her back,” Linc said.
“I’m following you,” Fitz said. “You shouldn’t drive alone.”
“Agreed,” Cyrus said. “We’ll handle this here. You take care of our girl, Linc.”
“She’s my girl,” Linc said. “Always. Forever.”
Linc kissed the top of Nova’s head. Then he swept his left hand under her legs and picked her up. He carried her through the house and out of it.
Nova curled up in Linc’s arms, smelling his shirt, his leather cut, his skin. The scent of an outlaw. Linc continued to carry Nova. He would do so, to the end of the world and back.
Just for a chance to have her love.