Wrath
After watching the Demarcos’ security cameras for hours, we finally spotted a black cargo van pulling into Demarco’s driveway.
The mere sight of it made me feel like a dark cloud had descended down around us, looking over us like a warning.
The windows were tinted, making it impossible to see who was inside.
None of us spoke as we watched it drive past the front entrance and around back to the large three-car garage. The camera views were limited inside, but we could see the guards as they walked around and checked the exterior of the van.
I had no idea what the hell they were doing until the door opened, and a man appeared holding a young woman in his arms. She was completely passed out, her head falling back aimlessly along with her arms and legs, and she was totally unaware of what was happening to her.
The man seemed completely unfazed by her drug-induced state as he carried her to one of the doors at the back of the garage.
Two of the guards entered the van, and immediately came out—each carrying women in the same state, young, beautiful, and completely unconscious.
Bile rose to the back of my throat as I watched them go back and forth multiple times, carrying various women of different sizes and ages into that back room.
Our attention was fixed on the screen when Cotton’s burner started to ring. I watched as he looked down at the screen. “It’s Bruton. I’ll put it on speaker.”
I nodded and listened as he said, “You’ve got Cotton.”
“You seeing what I’m seeing?”
“Yeah, we’re all watching now.”
“Any sign of Antonio or Miguel?”
“Not yet, but I got a feeling they’re close.”
“I got the same feeling. Question is, what are we gonna do about it?”
“We’re going to do just like what we discussed. We hit ‘em hard, and we hit ‘em fast.”
“So, my boys and I will handle the warehouse, and you and yours will take the house and the surrounding property?
“Yep. Just like we planned.”
“Good deal. Let’s get this thing done.”
As soon as Cotton ended the call, we all dispersed and gathered the rest of the brothers.
Once everyone had arrived, we started loading the SUVs with all our weapons, ammunition, and anything else we could possibly need for the battle ahead.
Minutes later, we were in our assigned rides and driving over to the Demarcos’.
The house was a sight to behold—three stories with a large private gate and over-the-top landscaping.
It was right by the water and had an incredible view of the Pacific.
Unfortunately, it was owned by two of the most corrupt, cold-hearted men in the state, and they had guards patrolling every inch of the place.
We needed to stay off their radar as long as possible, so we parked across the street behind the Michaels’ barn. They were out of town, and even if they were home, they were friends of the club, and we knew we could trust them to keep quiet.
Before making our move, Bones and Big did one final check of the security footage, making sure we had an exact head count of the guards. Bones was looking down at his screen as he said, “There are two at the front gate, two inside, and four around back with the girls.”
“Rooster, Torch, and I will take the front and then make our way inside,” I announced, then turned to Q and Savage. “You guys get with Clutch and Smokey and follow behind us. Stitch and Cotton will take the lead on the back. The rest of you are with them.”
“We’ve prepared for this,” Cotton added. “We’re ready. Let’s show them just how ready we are.”
“Fuck, yeah.”
Locked and loaded, we made our way across the street. It took some teamwork, but one by one, we managed to scale the security wall without any major catastrophes. We were able to use the trees and heavy shrubbery as cover as we approached the house.
When we got closer, Stitch and his group dispersed and made their way around back to the garage.
I was eager to get this thing done, so I picked up the pace and could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as we charged towards the front of the house.
I loved it. This was what I lived for— the thrill of the hunt.
I was just coming into a clearing when I spotted the guards Bones had warned us about. Without waiting for the others to catch up, I stepped out of the shadows, and I wasn’t quiet about it.
I wanted the motherfucker to see me. I wanted him to try and take me out, and he did. The second he saw me, he went for his weapon, but he was too slow. I’d already pulled the trigger, sending a bullet piercing through his thick head.
He dropped to the ground with a thud, drawing the attention of the second guard. Like his friend, he drew his weapon, but it was too late. Torch was already there next to me with his weapon drawn. He fired a shot, and just like that, both guards were down.
I had no doubt that we’d drawn the attention of the men inside, so I turned to Maverick and said, “We need to get in there.”
“On it.”
He stepped up to the front door and jimmied the lock. Once he had it open, he peered through the crack, checking for any signs of the other guards. When he didn’t see any sign of them, he motioned for us to follow him inside.
As soon as we were through the door, I turned to Q and said, “We need to separate.”
“You guys head up, and we’ll cover things down here.”
I nodded, then watched as Maverick and Q split off with a couple of prospects and started searching the lower level of the house.
I followed Torch, Savage, and a couple of prospects over to the base of the stairs.
It curved upward, making it difficult to see what was up ahead.
We’d almost reached the top when a shot was fired, and I felt a searing pain flash across my bicep.
I glanced down at my arm, and even though it was just a simple graze, I was pissed I’d actually been hit. “Motherfucker!”
I looked behind me and spotted a heavy-set guard trudging up the stairs. Sweat was beading across his forehead, and he was struggling to catch his breath. Knowing he had to be the one who’d shot me, I aimed my gun directly at his head and squeezed the trigger.
Seconds later, his body hit the ground with a hard thud, then rolled down the flight of stairs. Clearly amused by what had transpired, Torch glanced down at me with a smirk and asked, “You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
As soon as we reached the second floor, I started down the hall but stopped cold when two heavy-set men in suits rounded the corner. They had their weapons drawn, but oddly enough, they looked surprised to find us there.
I used that moment of hesitation to my advantage and started shooting, taking out the biggest of the two with the first shot. Torch followed suit, and it wasn’t long before the second guard was down—but not out.
Torch charged over and knelt down next to him. He placed the barrel of his gun at his head as he growled, “Where are they?”
“You made a mistake coming here.”
“Answer the fucking question!” I demanded.
“They’re gonna kill you... All of you.”
It was clear he wasn’t gonna talk, so Torch pulled the trigger, killing the guy instantly. “Sonofabitch.”
“It’s fine. We’ll find ‘em,” I assured him. “Come on. We need to check the other rooms. “
He hesitated, then nodded and followed me and Savage as we led the others up to the third level. It was clear, so we started back downstairs. Maverick met us at the base of the stairs and announced, “We’re all clear.”
“Upstairs, too.”
The words had barely left my mouth when there was a loud uproar coming from outside. “What the fuck was that?”
“No idea.” Concerned that Cotton and the others might’ve been in trouble, I turned and started down the hall. “We need to get out there and see what the fuck is going on.”
We all stormed outside and scattered as we made our way to the back of the house. When we got to the garage, Cotton and Smokey were standing over two guards who were clearly dead. I walked over and asked, “Everything good?”
“Far from it.”
I follow as he walked around to the back of the garage and opened the side door, revealing a room that looked like something out of an old horror flick. There were cots lined up in rows, each with a woman sprawled out across it, and they were out cold, clearly knocked out with some serious drugs.
There was a toilet and a small sink in the corner, and that was it. This was how they were expected to live until they were sold off to their next phase of hell. “We gotta find these guys and put an end to this shit once and for all.”
“We’ll find ‘em... You...”
“Yo, Prez,” Rooster interrupted. “What the fuck is this?”
“What?”
I turned to look and spotted Rooster standing at what looked to be a closet door.
The blood had drained from his face, and he looked like he was about to be sick.
Curious to see what had him so bothered, Cotton and I charged over to him, and my stomach turned when I saw that it was some kind of medical room.
It was small, with no windows and concrete floors. There were two cots in the corner with blood-stained mattresses, and there was an odd chair sitting in the middle of the room. Rooster pointed his finger towards a tray of tools as he asked, “What are those?”
“What?”
“Those things right there?” He continued to point at the tray, and that’s when I spotted them—three or four off-white porcelain-like pieces with odd-shaped points. “What the fuck are they?”
As we stepped inside for a better look, we were hit with a foul odor which made the room seem even more ominous. I stepped over to the tray and grimaced when I realized what had him so perplexed. “I’m pretty sure those are fucking teeth, brother.”
“Whose teeth?”
“Got no idea, but if I had to guess, I’d say they came from one or more of the women they’ve brought through here.”
“What? Are you fucking serious?” Horror marked his face as he asked, “Why the fuck...”
He looked to me, then to Cotton.
It took him a minute, but eventually, he got it. “Ah, God. That’s so fucked up.”
“Yeah, it is. You gotta be all kinds of fucked up to do something like that.”
“We’ll make ‘em pay for this. Come hell or high water, they’ll fucking pay.”
Cotton took out his phone and called Bruton. He put it on speaker and made sure we could all hear as he said, “The house is clear. Guards have been accounted for, and there’s at least twenty woman here—all out cold. But there’s no sign of the brothers.”
“They’re here,” Bruton announced calmly. “Looks like they were amping up for a hell of a battle, but unfortunately for them, we made sure that shit didn’t happen.”
“Are they still alive?”
“Yeah, we got both Antonio and Miguel. Also got their physician. From what I’ve gathered, he’s a pretty sick bastard.”
“Pretty sure you’re right about that.” Cotton glanced down at the dead guards in the drive, then asked, “What do you want to do about the clean up?”
“Torch the place.”
“And the women?”
“Bring them to my house.”
“Come again?”
“Load them back in the van and bring them to me,” he pushed. “I’ll make sure they get back home where they belong.”
Cotton didn’t argue. We all knew Bruton had the means and determination to get the girls back home, and it would take a heavy burden off the club if he managed to pull it off. We didn’t need anyone asking questions, so having them gone would be the best thing for everyone.
I thought that was the end of it until Cotton asked, “And what are your plans for the brothers?”
“I have no plans. I figured your boys might want to spend a little quality time with them.”
“You figured right.”
“I’ll have them ready for you when you bring the girls to the house.”
“We’ll be there in twenty.”
Cotton ended the call, then turned to us and said, “You heard him. Get the women loaded, and then, let’s torch it.”
None of us spoke as we entered the room and started carrying the women out to the van.
It was tough. They were all so young, so vulnerable, and it was hard to see them in such a state.
But we all found solace in knowing that they’d been saved from a lifetime of torture and abuse. They would have their second chance.
Once we had them all in the van, we got to work dousing the place with gasoline, then tossed a couple of Molotov cocktails at the front and back of the house and garage.
In a matter of seconds, the flames were rolling.
Once we were certain the fire had taken hold, we got in our SUVs, and with Savage driving the van of girls, we all headed over to Bruton’s.
The battle was done, but our night was long from over.