Chapter Fifteen.
Hallie
Chance frowned when I entered the clubhouse with King and Rascal at my heels the next day. We’d had to give a statement about what happened.
“What?” I asked, pausing as horror crossed his face.
“Tell me you changed clothes in the last hour,” he snapped. Rascal and King exchanged confused looks.
“No, we’ve been at the station giving a report.”
Chance rushed over and hit a button on the wall. An alarm blared through the clubhouse, and people began appearing.
“What’s up?” Rascal asked, worried.
“I stood here twenty minutes ago talking to Hallie,” Chance answered.
“No, you didn’t…”
“Yeah, exactly!” Chance snapped. “Kira was here, and there’ll be a reason why. Search for explosives. Old ladies, check the kids!”
I clutched King’s arm as fear swept through me. “What can we do?”
“You’ve done enough. If not for you, Kira wouldn’t have been here.” Chance barked, and I flinched. King and I moved away from everyone bustling about.
Rascal sent Chance a warning look but snapped to attention when Chance began barking orders. Wow, he wasn’t going to stick up for me? Asshole.
“This isn’t your fault,” King said.
“No? Kira was doing something here. She came here because of me.”
“And Kira’s fucked in the head. Hallie, you didn’t cause that,” King argued.
My cell vibrated in my pocket, and I nodded. “Can you grab my sweater, please? I’m feeling chilled.”
King searched my face before heading for the door. With Rascal here, King felt safe leaving me.
I yanked my phone out and stared at the image. Mia Charlotte looked at me with furious eyes. I headed to King’s SUV without a moment’s hesitation. Climbing in, I started the engine as Rascal came out. He saw my face and ran toward me.
“Hallie! Don’t you dare!” he screamed. Without a second thought, I floored the accelerator.
I shot down the road to the gate as Dollar tried to close it.
I didn’t care; I wasn’t stopping. Wildly, I smashed through the gate and kept driving.
There’d been an address, and I punched in the zip code.
The sat nav brought up the route, and I frowned.
That wasn’t even in Spearfish. I was heading somewhere just outside Deadwood.
Rascal
“Hallie’s left; she’s taken the gate out,” I announced, storming back into the clubhouse.
“What?” Chance demanded.
“You told Hallie this was her fault!” King snapped from behind.
Angrily, I turned and faced him. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”
“No. Chance did, but you didn’t defend her,” King stated, pointing at Chance.
“The fuck I said anything,” Chance denied.
“You’ve done enough; if not for you, she wouldn’t have been here.” King parroted.
Chance paled. “Shit, I didn’t mean it like that!”
“Hallie’s gone to confront Kira,” King exclaimed with alarm.
“How? How could she know where Kira is?” Chance demanded.
“Hallie’s phone pinged with a text,” I said.
“Mia Charlotte’s missing!” Thalia cried, rushing in behind me.
Bear stiffened. Murderous intention crossed his face.
“Babe?”
“All the kids are accounted for apart from Mia Charlotte,” Thalia gasped as tears streaked down her cheeks. Thalia’s knees began to give way, and Bear grabbed her.
“Kira!” Chance ground out.
“Hallie’s just left. She’s gotta have received a message from Kira,” I stated through stiff lips.
“Fuck!” King roared. “If anything happens to Hallie, you’re at fault!” he screamed.
“That woman has my baby!” Thalia cried, and agony raced through me. Mia Charlotte was four years old. Against someone like Kira, she was helpless.
“Hallie’s gone after Mia Charlotte,” King ground out.
“Where?” Bear demanded.
“How the fuck would I know? If your asshole president hadn’t blamed Hallie, she might have stayed and told us. Now two innocent lives are at risk, and instead of an entire MC coming for Mia Charlotte, she only has Hallie!” King yelled. “God, you people are such cunts!”
“Let’s go,” I growled.
“Where?” King demanded.
“Fuck know, but we’re going to look until we find her,” I replied. We both headed for the door.
“I’ll activate the allies,” Chance stated.
I snorted, whatever. If anything happened to Hallie, I was done with Hellfire. Chance knew words could be misconstrued and had lashed out at Hallie. This wasn’t her fault, and Chance knew it.
“Try Hallie’s cell,” I said to King.
King punched in her number, and it went straight to answer phone. “She’s turned it off.”
“I’m going after her,” I announced and raced for my Hog. “Head towards the I90.”
“On it,” King replied, following me. “Damn, Hallie’s taken my SUV!”
“You’re with me!” Dollar ordered, heading for his car. King didn’t argue and followed him. I hit my bike and roared out through the smashed gate. Hallie and Mia Charlotte needed us.
Hallie
I drove through Deadwood, guided by the sat nav as it took me down Route 85 and towards the Broken Boot Gold Mine. The sky was darkening with a storm as I parked up and gazed at the mines.
Only one other car was here. Kira’s, I guessed.
Warily, I headed toward the red wooden building and saw the door open. There were some scuff marks in the dirt, and I bet Mia Charlotte had put up a fight. I passed through the entrance and made my way to the mine opening.
“Kira! I’m here!” I yelled. My voice bounced back at me in a layer of echoes. Kira didn’t reply.
“Kira!” I shouted again. I flinched at the echoes, but nobody responded to my call. I began marching down the tunnel, calling out every so often. After ten minutes, I was starting to think this was a wild goose chase.
Then Kira finally replied. “Keep coming.”
I obeyed, holding up my phone as a torch. It was pitch black around me, and I stumbled several times. A minute later, I emerged into a small cave. My gaze hit Mia Charlotte first. She appeared defiant and, apart from a bruise on her face, unhurt.
I sensed movement behind me and shifted as a plank of wood landed where I’d been standing. Kira appeared out of the darkness, and she looked crazed. Christ. There’d be no reasoning with her.
“Let Mia Charlotte go,” I said. “This is between us, Kira.”
“My name’s not Kira. It’s Hallie. You’re Kira!” she screamed. Oh crap, Kira was worse than we’d thought.
“Fine, Hallie. Let the girl go, Mia Charlotte needs to return home,” I replied.
“No. She stays with me,” Kira snarled.
“Mia Charlotte’s an innocent kid,” I argued. Maybe not the wisest thing, but I’d nothing to lose.
“The fuck she is. I witnessed what she and those other animals did,” Kira hissed.
We were slowly circling each other. Once I was sure I was in line with Mia Charlotte, I stepped back.
“You can’t hurt her, not if you’re in love with Rascal. You know Rascal adores these children,” I replied calmly. Little hands latched onto my jeans, and I reached behind and patted her arm.
“Rascal? He stole Shane’s life. He needs to pay too and give Shane his life back.”
Okay, so batshit crazy times two.
“Fine. But Shane won’t like a child getting hurt either. You know that, Hallie,” I replied.
“Who do you think you are?” Kira screamed.
“Someone who’s worried about an innocent kid and you. Shane is waiting for you out there.”
“Liar! Rascal replaced Shane. So, I have to kill you to make Shane come back.” Kira swung the beam again.
From somewhere in the mine came a rumbling. That didn’t sound good.
“Hallie, where did you get that plank?” I demanded as I began inching Mia Charlotte around with me.
“What does it matter? You’re not getting out alive!”
“Just let Mia Charlotte go,” I almost begged. Was I facing where I’d entered? A few more steps, maybe.
“She’ll die too because of you!”
“Why? Mia Charlotte is innocent!”
“Because she’s working with you to steal my identity.” Kira swung again.
There. I thought I was about level with the exit.
“Kill me if you must, you psych ward reject, but release her. She’s a baby, Kira. Your name, you lunatic, is Kira Barnes. Bitch, I’m fuckin’ Hallie Milton, and I’m done playing into your illusions!” I yelled.
I grabbed Mia Charlotte’s hand and killed the light on my phone. Mia Charlotte screamed.
“I’m here,” I soothed as Kira began ranting.
I shuffled backwards and kept going. Yes, I had found the tunnel. Suddenly a bright light flicked on, and we all blinked. Kira rushed at me, and at the same time, from the cave entrance, I saw a few tumbling rocks. The idiot had pried one of the support beams free.
I shoved Mia Charlotte in front of me as Kira swung at my head once again. A loud crack resounded, and some bigger stones came loose.
“Keep fighting, you stupid bitch,” I hissed and stayed near the weakened post. Kira let out a wordless snarl and launched herself with the plank swinging hard.
She hit as I darted to the side, and then a rumble started.
Kira’s eyes grew wide, but I kept moving.
I grabbed Mia Charlotte and began dragging her down the tunnel.
Rocks tumbled noisily as Mia Charlotte shrieked, but I didn’t stop, and then a huge one smashed into the middle of my back.
I pushed Mia Charlotte hard, and she flew away as the ceiling crumbled around me. Something smacked my head, and the last thing I saw was the flickering light from Kira. An enraged scream sank into me as I lost consciousness.
“Please wake up, it’s dark, and I’m scared,” a little voice begged.
“Mia Charlotte?” I groaned.
“Yes, it’s me. Hallie, it’s me!” Mia Charlotte exclaimed in relief.
“I’m awake, honey, give me a second.” Something felt wrong, and I tried to sit up. Shit. I was on my stomach, and my legs were pinned. Crap.
“Mia Charlotte, are you hurt?”
“No. You saved me.”
“You’ve not found my phone, have you?” I asked with little hope.
“No, Hallie. It’s so dark. I only found you.”
“Okay, sweet girl. I’m trapped and can’t drag myself out, and I’ve no idea how unstable this rockfall is.” Let alone how injured I was. My lower half felt numb. “Mia Charlotte, I can’t reach behind myself, so I’m going to need you to.”
“Then what?”
“Find the first stone and push it off me. One at a time. If you hear a rumble or if stones fall, move away quickly. Understand?” I ordered.