40. Summer
Summer
Crouching behind the woodpile, I cast around for a better hiding place. I probably should have taken cover under the porch, but there had been so many spiderwebs. I shuddered just thinking about it.
Even more than a place to hide, I needed to find my son.
I glanced at the house. The back door was still shut, and I hadn’t seen any sign of Reese. Would he get out? The house wasn’t very big. There couldn’t be many places to hide, especially for a man his size.
“Anything over there?” a voice called out.
“No. But he’s here somewhere.”
I had to move. The woodpile only gave me cover on one side, and sooner or later one of the club members would see me.
A tree stood near the pole barn. It wasn’t much, but from there, I could probably get behind the tractor. The trick would be to keep moving without being seen.
Straining my ears to listen, I tried to estimate where the club members were. At least two were in the house, maybe three. But they wouldn’t be there long. That meant three or four were roaming the property.
With my heart racing, I took a quick look around the woodpile. It was clear. Staying low, I hurried for the tree and ducked behind it. No voices called out. Hopefully that meant they hadn’t seen me.
One of the club members circled around the back of the house and walked right past the woodpile where I’d been hiding seconds before. I breathed out a sigh of relief. Good timing.
Turning sideways, I tried to conceal myself behind the tree trunk. I had a feeling my backside was showing.
I peeked around the tree. He kept going, heading for the pole barn. As soon as his back was to me, I darted for the tractor and crouched behind it.
Sam’s voice rose again as he shouted at the club members. I wondered if that meant they’d finished searching the house.
I was about to check my phone to see if Reese had been able to let me know where he was when a rustling sound caught my attention. Someone was approaching from the back side of the pole barn.
There was just enough room for me to squeeze past the large back tire and wedge myself between the tractor and the barn wall. Dry grass grew thick around it—I doubted it had moved in years—and I hoped it would be enough to keep me from sight.
One of the members came around the pole barn, stepping softly. Crouching behind the tractor, I held my breath, hoping he couldn’t hear my pounding heart. From my hiding place, I couldn’t see much—just his legs.
He stopped, and it was probably my imagination, but it sounded as if he sniffed the air. A moment later, he moved on.
“Get his ass over here,” someone called out. “Door’s locked.”
They were coming to search the pole barn. I needed to move. My luck wouldn’t hold out for long.
I squeezed past the large tire and crept to the back corner of the building. A quick glance told me the coast was clear—for the moment. A chicken wandered near a rusty pickup truck with no tires and beyond it was a smaller wood building that could provide cover.
Were Nate and Axel there?
Gravel crunched beneath boots on the front side of the pole barn and the garage door creaked as someone lifted it.
Pressed against the wall, I held my breath again and listened.
It was killing me not being able to see inside.
Were there places to hide? By the voices, it sounded like they were searching.
I took a second to respond to Reese—his last message just said hide—and his reply was almost immediate.
Me: I’m behind the pole barn. Can’t stay here long.
Reese: Just stay hidden.
Me: Can you see what’s inside?
Reese: Tractor. Pile of old lumber and shelves with random shit. A car. Need to move so I can get a better look.
Me: Could Nate be hiding in there?
Reese: Maybe. I found Lego in the house. He’s been here.
Hope swept through me. He’d been in the house. The question was, had they fled already? Or were they hiding somewhere on Sam’s property?
Voices carried from inside the pole barn, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. A moment later, Reese texted me a grainy photo of an Idaho license plate.
Reese: In the pole barn. I bet it’s the stolen car.
Me: Which means either they’re here or they left in a different vehicle.
Reese: I’m alerting Garrett.
That was something. If Axel and Nate were on the run in a vehicle registered to Sam Fogel, law enforcement could get the license plate and hopefully find them.
But something told me they hadn’t gone anywhere. Nate was nearby. I could feel it.
Me: I think they’re still here.
Reese: Me too.
Me: What’s our next move?
Reese: Check the other outbuildings. Wait for me.
A rooster walked toward me, its head bobbing with each step, and let out a loud crow.
I put my finger to my lips. “Shh.”
It crowed again and kept approaching.
With my back to the building, I moved to the corner and peeked around. The rooster crowed again…and charged.
Great. Half a dozen bikers weren’t bad enough? I needed an angry rooster chasing me, too?
I couldn’t stay where I was and let a freaking rooster attack me, so I darted away from the pole barn toward the truck. That didn’t make the bird any happier. It followed, crowing at me again.
Taking cover behind the truck, I looked for another place to hide. There was a tree, but it was even smaller than the first. That wouldn’t help. My best bet was the wood building. But it would mean crossing a fair distance in the open.
The rooster made the choice for me. It charged again, crowing aggressively. I’d heard somewhere they could be mean—protective instincts and all that—but this one was relentless.
Hurrying toward the outbuilding, I had to hope no one saw me. The rooster seemed to be doing everything it could to give me away. It crowed loudly, but I didn’t look back.
I reached the building and took cover on the back side. Apparently, the rooster decided I was no longer a threat. It stopped about halfway between me and the truck. With one last crow, it turned and bobbed the way it had come.
The building was smaller than the pole barn, made of wood rather than metal siding. Cobwebs clung to the eaves, and the peeling paint was faded. Circling around, I checked a window, but the glass was dirty and inside was dark. I couldn’t see anything.
Leaning around the corner, I looked out. The front faced the main part of the property, and all it would take was one glance for Mayhem to see me if I tried the door. They still milled around the front of the pole barn while Sam watched from a slight distance with his bony arms crossed.
Something glinted on the ground. An open padlock. It was impossible to tell how long it had been there. Had Sam simply dropped it the last time he’d entered the building? Or had it been opened so Nate and Axel could get inside?
Was my son right on the other side of the wall?
I hesitated. I had to assume Axel was armed. I was not. I wouldn’t do Nate any good if I got myself killed.
Moving back around the corner of the building so I stayed out of sight, I texted Reese again.
Me: I’m at the small wood building. There’s a padlock on the ground by the door.
He didn’t reply. I had no idea where he was. Probably trying to get behind the pole barn to where I’d been hiding. The rooster crowed, and I wondered if it was chasing Reese or one of the bikers.
Sam’s voice rose again. That guy did not know what was good for him. He gestured wildly, shouting at Mayhem to get off his property. Interestingly, he didn’t threaten to call the cops.
But he wouldn’t if he was hiding Axel.
Someone shouted back at him. “Shut your ugly mug before I shut it for you, old man.”
“Get him out of here,” another one said.
One of the club members grabbed Sam by the arm and dragged him toward the house. I could just make out someone directing him to keep him inside.
At least that was one who’d be occupied. Only five others to evade.
The distinctive click of a gun being cocked made my eyes widen and my body tremble with a pulse of fear. Metal pressed against the back of my head, and I froze.
“Well, hey, Sum Sum.”
I swallowed hard. “Hammer?”
“What are you doing, sneaking around here?”
He kept the gun against the back of my head. So I didn’t move.
“I just want my son.”
His amused chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. A second later, he lowered the gun.
“Don’t get any ideas.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me around the front of the building.
“Hammer, please. I won’t get in your way.”
He kept a tight grip on my arm and urged me forward. “You’re already in my way, sweetheart.”
“Just don’t hurt him. He’s only a kid.”
“I don’t give a shit about the kid.” He raised his voice to get the others’ attention. “Look what I found.”
Buzz stepped out of the pole barn and grinned. “Well, holy shit. It’s a fucking party.”
Hammer stopped but didn’t let go. I kept my eyes on the ground. As much as I wanted to look for Reese, I didn’t want them to know he was there.
“Where’s the big guy?” Buzz asked.
“He’s not here.”
“You’re not here alone,” Hammer said. “Where is he?”
At that point, there was no use lying. They weren’t going to believe me. “I don’t know. We were separated. But he’s not here for you guys. We just want Nate.”
Buzz looked me up and down, his leer making my skin crawl. Licking his lips, he took a step toward me.
“We’re here to find the outcast,” Hammer said. “Stay focused.”
Buzz cast him an irritated glare, but at least he didn’t get any closer.
Another club member came out of the pole barn. “No one’s in there.”
“Check the other buildings,” Hammer said. “He’s here somewhere.”
“What’s with her?” he asked, nodding toward me.
“I’m just making sure she stays out of our way,” Hammer said, tightening his grip on my arm. “Her boyfriend’s around somewhere. Someone find him.”
Buzz winked at me, then headed toward the house. Hammer turned me around and we followed the others toward the wood building.
Reese versus six armed bikers. Even with the element of surprise, I didn’t like those odds.
And the wild card was Axel. I didn’t know what he’d do once they flushed him out.
For reasons I couldn’t fathom, he wanted Nate.
But would he hurt him—or worse—to get away?
As far as I was concerned, he was capable of anything.
I didn’t know how this could end peacefully, but I had to hope the three of us were going to get out alive.