Salty: *Yas boss*
He knew they were watching the screen in the other room, knew they’d probably pulled Sir Loin in after he’d confirmed he was the Nate Hadley, and was well acquainted with Kastle.
“Let’s say I take you at your word, that you weren’t aiming at any IMC members. That your only reason to be in the area is to avenge your daughter.” He paused, watching Kastle’s face. “How long ago did your daughter pass?”
“A day is too long. I’d always heard that parents aren’t supposed to bury their children, didn’t know how right it was. That bastard breathed air months longer than my baby girl, but you better believe his last breaths were imbued with all the rage in my body. I’m a big guy. I had a lotta rage.”
Cherry’s phone buzzed twice and he looked at the screen.
Ricky: *Checks out, and fyi ASMC is blaming IMC for the member found drowned in his own piss today*
“You drowned him in his own piss?”
Kastle’s chin jerked up. “They already found him? Shit. I’m losing my touch. He shouldn’t have surfaced until tomorrow at the earliest.”
Ruger: *Agree to cut him loose*
Busk: *Agree to let him go*
Cherry thumbed a message in response: *Affirmative.*
He moved to a different message thread.
Cherry: *Reassemble the bike unless there’s something new to report*
Salty: *Nothing of note.*
Salty: **
“You just dropped about a ton of tension. All good on the outside front?” Kastle nodded at the door. “We going out that way, or am I misreading the situation?”
Cherry pulled his knife and flicked it open. Kastle’s eyes flared just the barest amount.
“We going out front now?” His voice had gone up an octave.
The two strides to put Cherry at Kastle’s back happened fast, taking the restrained man by surprise.
Kastle breathed out slowly. “What was the verdict, jarhead?”
Cherry ran the blade over the tape where it held his arms to his torso. The flexible material peeled back as it was sliced. “How did you know I’m Marines, frog?” He moved to the other side and made the same cuts, then stepped back a stride. “Try and move around, let’s see what else I need to cut to get you outta there. Boys used most of a roll of tape, from the looks of it.”
There was a loud ripping sound as the man shoved both arms out in front. He yelled and tried to pull his arms free, to no avail.
“You’ve got the look. Always watching. Had to be military, Marines seemed the right pick given the Semper Fi patch on your vest. Need my arms cut, at least one of them. Can you get the tape off my back?”
Cherry went around the front and sliced in the middle of the tape Kastle had pulled forwards. He then backed off again. “Nice catch with the patch. I’m done cutting, though. You’ll have to get the tape. All of it. I might have gotten an order to dump you alive, but there wasn’t anything about coddling you.”
“Coddling, huh?” Kastle grunted as he peeled the tape off his arms. “This feels about the opposite of coddling.”
“Drowned him in his own piss? How’d you even accomplish that?”
“Catheterized him for a day as I poured water down his throat. I got three liters fast. Just enough to fill up the lungs.”
“Got your vengeance.”
“Yup.” Kastle reached behind him and yanked on the tape still attached to his back. “Gonna be a bit before I grow all my hair back.” He turned around to face Cherry. “I have no ill will about anything that happened in this room. No harm, no retribution.” He touched his face, fingers exploring the split skin. “Even this. I was giving them hell before they knocked me out. Now if you have some bandages or something, I wouldn’t turn one down.”
“We got a guy who can throw a stitch or two at that.”
