Chapter 2 - Viper
The rising sun glints off my handlebars as our convoy of motorcycles thunders down the narrow back road. I'm riding third in formation, right behind Reaper and Blade.
Ace is at my left, Ghost and Wilder are behind me, and our three prospects—Hawk, Dice and Knight—stayed behind to protect the clubhouse.
The girl, Kelly, clings tightly to Blade's back, her face half-hidden against his cut but her eyes wide and alert. She's the only reason we know where we're going.
Three days of searching for Charles's compound with nothing to show for it, and then this girl literally stumbles into our path. The runaway bride with inside information. Sometimes the universe throws you a bone.
"Half mile ahead," Reaper's voice crackles through my helmet comms. "Remember the plan. Quick, clean, and thorough. No survivors."
I check my weapons one last time. Glock secured at my hip, knife in my boot, and the assault rifle strapped to my back. We're not taking chances with these bastards, not after what they did to our clubhouse. Not after what they've done to women like Kelly.
The compound comes into view as we round a bend: a collection of weathered buildings surrounded by a chain-link fence.
Nothing fancy, deliberately nondescript.
If Kelly hadn't guided us here, we might have passed it a dozen times without a second glance.
Smart move by the Vultures MC, hiding in plain sight.
But their subtlety ends now.
We kill our engines simultaneously about a quarter mile out, coasting to a stop behind a screen of trees. Stealth is our advantage for the initial approach. Ghost and Wilder take point, slipping ahead to neutralize the perimeter guards while the rest of us prepare.
"Stay with me," Blade tells Kelly as they dismount. "Don't leave my side."
She nods, her face tight with determination. "My sister should be in the main building. Second floor, east wing. That's where they keep the girls."
Reaper checks his watch. "Ghost and Wilder should have cleared the gate by now. We move in thirty seconds."
I pull my rifle forward, checking the chamber. My hands are steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. This is what we do. This is who we are. The Outlaw Order might operate outside the law, but we have our own code of justice.
And today, justice comes with blood.
"Remember," I say to Kelly, keeping my voice low, "once we're inside, stay down and stay behind us. Your sister might not recognize you right away if she's been through hell. Let us secure the room before you approach her."
Kelly's eyes meet mine, fierce despite the fear I can see lurking there. "She'll know me. We've been all each other has our whole lives."
I nod, respecting her certainty. Family bonds can survive almost anything.
Reaper gives the signal, and we move out, advancing quickly toward the compound. Ghost appears at the gate, waving us forward. Two bodies lay at his feet.
"Perimeter clear," he reports as we reach him. "They had two men on the gate, both down. No alarms triggered."
"Split up as planned," Reaper orders. "Blade, take Viper and Kelly to find her sister. Ace and Ghost, sweep the east building. Wilder and I will hit the main office. Anyone finds Charles, you call it in immediately. No one takes him alone."
The compound erupts into activity as we breach the gate. Someone's spotted us. Shouts echo across the grounds, followed by the crack of gunfire. We scatter, taking cover behind vehicles and concrete barriers.
"This way," Kelly shouts over the gunfire, pointing toward a gray two-story building. Blade and I provide covering fire as we move, dropping two Vultures MC who emerge from a doorway.
My blood pumps with cold precision as we fight our way toward the building.
This isn't my first firefight, and the Vultures MC aren't the first scum I've put down.
I learned early that violence has its place in this world, usually against those who prey on the innocent.
Men like my father's killers. Men like these Vultures MC.
We reach the building's entrance, and I take point, sweeping inside with my rifle raised. The interior is dim after the bright morning sunlight, but I adjust quickly, clearing the small lobby before motioning Blade and Kelly forward.
"Second floor," Kelly whispers, pointing to a stairwell.
I take the stairs two at a time, hyperaware of every sound. More gunfire outside tells me our brothers are engaged, but inside this building, it's eerily quiet.
The second-floor corridor stretches in both directions. "Which way?" I ask Kelly.
"Left. There's a hallway of rooms where they keep the girls."
We move cautiously down the hallway, checking doors as we go. Most are empty. Bare mattresses and personal belongings suggesting the occupants left in a hurry. The Vultures MC must have moved most of the women when they realized we were hunting them.
Blade keeps Kelly behind him as I take the lead. A door at the end of the hall swings open, and a large man appears, dragging a woman by her arm. He spots us instantly, yanking the woman in front of him as a shield while drawing his weapon.
"Stop right there," he barks, pressing his gun to the woman's head. "One more step and she dies."
I freeze, weapon trained on the man's face, looking for a clear shot that won't endanger the hostage. And then I see her, and something awakens inside my chest.
Even with her face bruised and swollen, she's beautiful. Curvy, dark hair falling in tangles around her shoulders, and despite the terror of her situation, her eyes burn with defiance.
"Amy!" Kelly cries out from behind Blade.
The woman's eyes widen, her gaze shooting past me.
"Kelly?" Her voice is hoarse but filled with desperate hope.
Mike, I'm guessing, based on Kelly's descriptions, tightens his grip on Amy, making her wince. "Throw down your weapons or I kill her now."
"You kill her, you die next," I say calmly, my aim never wavering. "And I promise, it won't be quick."
Amy's eyes lock with mine for a brief moment, and I see something there. Not just fear, but calculation. She's thinking, planning. This isn't a woman who's given up.
"Mike," she says suddenly, her voice surprisingly steady. "Charles will be furious if you kill me. You know he wants to make an example of me personally."
Clever girl. Playing for time.
Mike hesitates, and that's all the opening I need. I shift my aim slightly and fire, the bullet grazing his shoulder. Just enough to make him flinch and loosen his grip. Amy reacts instantly, driving her elbow back into his ribs and twisting away.
I surge forward as she breaks free, tackling Mike before he can recover. We crash to the floor, his gun skittering away as we grapple. He's strong, but I'm faster, driving my knee into his stomach and following with a crushing blow to his throat.
Mike chokes, eyes bulging as he claws at his neck. I roll off him, drawing my sidearm and ending his struggles with a single shot to the head.
When I look up, Amy is in Kelly's arms, the two sisters clinging to each other and sobbing. Blade stands guard at the door, checking the hallway for more threats.
"We need to move," he says. "There could be more coming."
I approach the sisters, my eyes drawn to Amy. Up close, the bruises on her face look even worse, but they can't hide her beauty. There's strength in the set of her jaw, in the way she positions herself slightly in front of Kelly despite being the injured one.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" I ask her. "Can you run?"
Amy straightens, wiping tears from her face. "I can run." Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, the chaos around us seems to fade. "Who are you people?"
"I'm Viper," I tell her, surprised by the gentleness in my own voice. "Outlaw Order MC. Your sister found us after she escaped."
Understanding dawns in her eyes.
"The bikers from Pine Haven." She glances at her sister. "You made it all the way to them? And you trust them?"
Kelly nods. "They've been looking for this place. To end the Vultures MC. You can trust them."
An explosion rocks the building, reminding us all that we're in the middle of a war zone. Blade's hand goes to his comm.
"That's Ghost," he reports. "They found the weapons cache and decided to speed things along."
"We need to get the girls out," I say, turning to Amy. "Are there any other women being held here?"
She shakes her head. "They moved everyone else yesterday. I'm the only one left because..." Her voice falters. "Because Charles wanted to deal with me personally."
I want him dead, want to be the one to end him, not just for the club but for what he's done to this woman who somehow, impossibly, has gotten under my skin in the span of minutes.
"Let's go," I say, moving to lead the way back down the corridor. "Stay close."
"Charles is here," she says urgently. "In the building with the red door across the compound. If you leave now, he'll just disappear again."
I exchange a look with Blade. We can't let Charles escape, not when we're this close.
"I'll get the girls out," Blade says, making the decision. "You radio Reaper about Charles's location. Link up with them."
I nod, keying my comm to update Reaper as Blade shepherds the sisters toward the stairwell. And then they're gone, hurrying down the stairs with Blade. I shake off the strange feeling settling over me and focus on the mission. Charles is the priority now.
I key my comm again. "Reaper, it's Viper. Target is in the building with the red door. I'm heading there now."
"Copy that," Reaper's voice crackles back. "Wilder and I are engaged on the north side. Meet you there."
I move to the window, checking the quickest route across the compound. The Vultures MC are scattered, some fighting, others fleeing. The tide has turned decisively in our favor.
As I prepare to head out, my thoughts drift briefly back to Amy. Her courage, her quick thinking, the way her eyes held mine. I push the distraction aside. There will be time to sort through these unexpected feelings later.
Right now, I have a man to kill.