Chapter Three
Banger drove the truck closer to Troy. The journey had been silent for a while now and he noted Rodney’s head lolling against the window. Banger decided the other man looked a little rough. It looked like they busted his arm and his nose
Deke and his crew had beaten him badly. But he knew firsthand just how rough those two could be. In fact, he was still hurting from his own beating. He shifted in his seat as the ache in his groin was still making him uncomfortable.
He did wonder why they allowed him and Rodney to live. Lucky for him they messed up by doing that. He figured he could pull the rest of this off and get away with the gold yet.
Just then, Rodney opened his eyes and stared at him. “So where are we going once we get to Troy?”
Banger smiled but it didn’t meet his eyes. “We’re going after one of the wives that don’t live behind the fence surrounding the compound. They won’t know she’s missing until we get back to Boston.”
Rodney grunted. “At least you hope so, anyway.”
Banger gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “All I need is a little time with her and then I’ll make a plan to get Cassie to tell me what I want to know. Hell, she grew up with Robbie and she’d know where to look to find the gold if it’s in that fucking shit house.”
Rodney looked over at Banger and studied him for a moment, “You really think he’s still around, don’t you?”
Banger scoffed. “I talked to him, didn’t I? He told me where to find this woman and he told me that she’s alone.”
Rodney shook his head slowly. “Didn’t you hear about what they did to him?
They fucking tied his sorry ass to tree in the woods, then they cut him to call the wild wolves in that area.
Those wolves probably feasted on his flesh like it was gourmet meat.
It ain’t very often they get something like that. ”
Banger shrugged. “Yeah, but we don’t know if that’s true or not, do we? That’s just what was said by some street guy on a recording.”
“But you were in that house brother, did you see anything to tell you there was a fortune in gold within those walls?” Rodney asked him. “All I saw there was rubbish and squalor. No decent human being could live in that filth. Between the rats and the smell, I could barely stand it.”
Banger shook his head. “I don’t care if it’s livable there. You said it yourself, you saw Robbie carrying heavy boxes inside. The gold has to be there.” He growled. “And I need Cassie to show me where the little puke hid it. She knows more about where it’s hidden than we do.”
“And you think by taking another wife she’d care about saving her?” Rodney spat out. “I mean why would she care one way or another about anyone but Peaches?”
Banger rolled his eyes as he changed lanes on the freeway.
“Did you see anyone at that shelter called Redemption House? That place was filled with people in need and according to their Statement of Intent, everyone needs a second chance. Hell yeah, she’s gonna care or at least she’d better care.
Anyway, we go in, get the woman and get out as fast as we can. ”
“Then what?” Rodney grumbled.
“We wait for Cassie to make contact then we can state our demands,” Banger said reasonably.
“I hope you’re right.” Rodney growled. “Let’s just get in and get out without anyone seeing us. Those bastards will kill us if they catch us again. This woman better be worth the effort.”
Banger hit the steering wheel with the palm of his uninjured hand. “I don’t care if she isn’t worth it, all I care about is getting my hands on Cassie again.” He turned his signal on and took an exit on the offramp. “So according to Robbie, it should be around this area.”
“According to Robbie...” Rodney scoffed. “That is just...” He shook his head.
Banger made no reply. He didn’t give a fuck what Rodney thought.
He had his own plans and priorities. He drove to the end of the road and pulled the truck over to a spot hidden from the house.
He noted back in Boston that Finn had a toolbox kit on the truck and he had rifled through it to grab what he needed. He now had that with him.
The early morning light showed only one vehicle in the driveway and he assumed that meant her old man was already at work. They waited until they saw anyone moving around in the house.
Then they caught movement in a window.
A young woman was washing dishes at the kitchen sink.
Banger noted a ring cam at the front and he had his own plan for that. He grabbed a scarf and tied it over his face. He looked over at Rodney.
He wore an old cap he’d gotten from the glove box and tugged it low over his face.
Banger grabbed the spray can from the floorboard of the old truck. He and Rodney opened their doors and moved closer still under cover. With speed they shouldn’t have, they stepped to the front door. Immediately, Banger sprayed the camera. He then kicked in the door with his good leg.
The woman screamed as she turned to face them with only a dishtowel in her hand. Her hand flew to her throat. “Who are you and what the hell do you want?” she asked in a breathless voice.
Banger growled as he reached for her. “We need you for a while and if you behave, you’ll live to see tomorrow. But if you don’t?” He shrugged. “You won’t see another day breaking. Now come along peacefully or we’ll hurt you where you stand.”
They swiftly hauled her out to the truck.
A few minutes later...
A tiny face was peeking out the window of the house that had the front door hanging off the hinges. “Mama,” a small voice whispered. Little footsteps pounded over the floor to the kitchen table as he grabbed his mother’s phone and tapped his dad’s number.
When Bones answered the call he was at the clubhouse among his brothers and everyone heard the familiar voice over the receiver, “Daddy, some men took Mama away with them.”
Sam froze at his son’s words and he asked calmly, “What did you say, boy?”
“Some men broke the door and took Mama away with them, they were driving a truck and Mama was crying,” T-Bone told his dad. “Me and Shaw are here alone and I’m scared.”
“We’ll be there in a few minutes, stay with your sister.” Sam growled as he raised his head to glare at his son Deke. “Someone just took Melora. My kids are all by themselves.”
“Let’s go, Dad. We have to figure out what happened,” Deke stated.
Cassie gasped and her hand flew to her mouth as she took a step back. She looked at Deke and whispered, “This was Banger, wasn’t it?”
Deke shook his head and said, “We don’t know that yet, baby. The last time we saw him he was beat to hell and tied up in that warehouse he held Peaches in.”
Sam’s fingers clenched. “Doesn’t matter who he is. I will personally end him. He doesn’t get away.”
Mountain nodded as he stood close by. “You won’t be alone, Melora is my daughter and she’d better not be harmed.”
His brothers all stepped up and together, the six of them formed a wall no one would dare step across.
“Let’s go and find out just who took her before we plan how to get her back,” Dante suggested.
Cassie looked over at Peaches and asked, “Will you watch the kids for me? I’m going with them.”
Peaches nodded. “Yes. Just go and put an end to this nightmare and you better bring Melora back.”
Izzy stepped up and said, “Bring T and Shaw back here, they can stay with me until you guys bring her back.”
Mountain looked over at his wife and saw tears in her eyes. Melora was her best friend and he knew this kidnapping worried her. “I’ll bring her back honey. Don’t you ever doubt that.” He reached out and cupped her cheek.
“You better,” Izzy cried softly. “She’s my best friend, aside from you. I need her to be okay.”
Bones was already at the door heading out as Deke rushed to catch up.
Mountain stalked over and his brothers followed.
In fact, half the men in the room left in a hurry and the loud roaring of bike engines could be heard from outside.
Gator and the men who stayed behind looked angry and the women just stared at the open doorway.