“Sheriff George has had multiple calls of gunshots at the garage. Someone just called in to report a fire inside of the garage. We are going in hot so check your weapons now. Halo, gonna drop you at The Wooden Spirits, grab Dottie, Heartbreaker, and have Kon call Atlas and Enforcer. Might need Enforcer to reach out to Tank and get the heli out here, not sure yet. Hang on, motherfuckers!
So much shit is running through my head, it ain’t funny. Avalanche is driving like a fucking maniac, but I get it. Dani is like his little sister; he’s said it like a million times when we’ve talked. No one is saying anything and as we get closer to town, I start to take deep breaths. Dottie is going to need me at my full capacity, so I can’t or won’t let her down. When Avalanche takes the corner hard, I can already see Heartbreaker behind the wheel of one of the club’s vans with Dottie on the sidewalk screaming at Kon. Before the SUV even stops, I’m screaming for the guys to move and let me out. By the time I get out and run to Dottie, my heart breaks when I see tears running down her face. Heartbreaker is out of the van pushing Kon toward the restaurant.
“Goddamn, kiddo, I said no. Now listen, we ain’t got time for a temper tantrum. Act like the adult you’re always bragging to be, help out here or go home, but get the fuck back.”
By the look of shock on Kon’s face, I’m guessin’ Heartbreaker has never spoken to him like that. Head down, he starts to walk back toward the folks now standing in front of The Wooden Spirits Bar & Grill. I see Heartbreaker’s head drop and she jogs toward him. Listening, I hear her voice crack.
“Konstantin, please, I can’t even think of something happening to you. For me, please stay here and hold down the fort. Cook is on her way back and Momma Diane with Tank are also coming in. It’s all-hands-on-deck and you staying here means so much to me.”
She reaches for him, hugging him tightly, then turns and gets in the van and never looks back at him. I get it, done it myself a hundred times with team members who were stuck because of injuries or couldn’t pass their psych evaluations. I reach for Dottie, pulling her close but before I can even get my arms around her, she’s pushing me away.
“Benji, fuck, we gotta go. Where’s Shadow and Raven? My God, Dani and Duchess are there. Why didn’t we have some added type of security there? Heartbreaker, let’s move now.”
Avalanche is out of his vehicle and before Dottie can get in the van, he has her in his arms. She’s pushing and screaming but he doesn’t let go. None of us can believe our eyes when Dottie loses it. Avalanche never lets go, just whispers in her ear. Hearing vehicles taking that turn like bats out of hell, I turn to see club vans and SUVs piling in behind Avalanche’s half-assed parked truck.
“Where is she? Goddamn it, get out of the way, where is STORM?”
Hearing fear in Shadow’s voice tells me how serious this situation is. I watch like everyone else as Shadow runs to Avalanche and Dottie. She pulls the sobbing woman from Panther’s brother and before our eyes she starts shaking Dottie like crazy.
“Jesus Christ, Storm, knock this shit off. We got two sisters who need us. Suck it up right now.”
Seeing red and feeling my hands forming fists, I make a move toward Shadow but feel hands on my shoulders. Going to jerk them off I hear Panther telling me to wait, then he points. I lift my eyes just in time to see Dottie punch Shadow in the face, not once but twice. You can hear the gasps from everyone around us. Then in her perfect crazy-ass style Shadow, the lunatic, starts laughing hysterically before she grabs Dottie, pulling her close.
“Welcome back, sister. Now let’s go get our sisters and put some motherfuckers to ground.”
With that she walks Dottie to the van, helps get her settled, then points to me then to Dottie. I’m shocked but do as she wants me to. Everyone gets back in their vehicles and following Avalanche then Panther, we drive the couple of blocks to the Devils on Wheels garage. What we see when we try to pull up is a mixture of deputies, emergency vehicles, some folks already here from the sanctuary, and some of the Intruders. By the time our caravan stops and we unload, Sheriff George is making his way to our group, eyes on his daughter Shadow. Something in his face has my stomach clenching, and I feel Dottie grabbing on to my T-shirt.
“Zoey, come here.”
Hearing Sheriff George calling Shadow by her name freaks me out. My eyes are moving back and forth when my nose gets a whiff of something that I’ve smelled before; when I was in the military. Burned flesh. I see Avalanche and Panther trying to push past the sheriff, but he puts a hand up.
“No, wait. Before anyone goes in, it’s a crime scene. We’ve got two dead and one critically injured. I already called Tank; the helicopter should be here in less than four minutes. Yoggie, go in, you might be able to give a hand. Prepare, girls, it’s one of your own.”
Dottie’s body goes on alert. I see Raven and Rebel making their way to their sister’s side just as a huge SUV pulls right up. Out jumps Tink, Taz, and Glory along with Enforcer and Dr. Mal. Behind them is the rest of the club, along with some of the survivors wanting to help out. This is about to become a gigantic clusterfuck.
“Who? Dad, who is it, Dani or Duchess?”
We all watch as the sheriff runs his hands through his hair before looking at Dottie.
“It’s Duchess. She’s been shot multiple times. Once in the foot and twice in the back. She’s in really bad shape. Here’s the helicopter, let’s load her up.”
I feel it before it erupts.
“Sheriff, where is Dani? Hey, where the fuck is my twin sister?”
He turns while walking toward her.
“Dottie, I’m not sure to be honest. Duchess has been in and out of consciousness but she did say a man took Dani, and we think she said his name was Samson.”
Dottie’s body instantly goes limp and if I wasn’t holding her, she would have dropped to the ground. Glory starts shouting orders while Raven and Rebel move in to help hold up Dottie. Everything is moving in slow motion, but I need to know so I lean down to the woman at my side.
“Dottie, who is Samson?”
When she looks up at me, the extreme fear across her face has me sucking in air. I know a bit about their past, but not all of it. Each sister has confided in me, but we’ve not had the time to share everything we’ve all gone through.
“Benji, he’s the devil reincarnated. One of our father’s people. If he has Dani, oh God no. Please, we have to find her before he…”
She’s now sobbing so I kiss the top of her head and let her sisters console her. I need to find out what the hell is going on. I walk toward the shop where the smell is much stronger. One of the Intruders’ prospects is coming out, hands to his mouth, face green. Then I hear the arguing.
