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My back started prickling with sensation as my old war wounds remembered what it felt like to take so much damage that I nearly bled out. I too had felt cold as the field medics tried to stem the blood loss. Suddenly, I was back there with the smell of sweat hanging heavy in the air and the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. I took another puff off my vape as all the sights, sounds, and scents of war came flooding back.
We’d gotten ambushed on the outskirts of a small, abandoned town and pinned down while attempting to take cover in the rubble. The fucking insurgents were everywhere. I went high with my sniper rifle, looking to cover my brothers in arms on the streets below. I managed to take out three insurgents before someone tossed a hand grenade into the room through a broken window behind me.
The blast threw me forward. and I crashed through the window and fell two stories. I remembered the sickening crunch when I hit the dusty ground, as well as the burning sensation down my back. My flesh had been practically seared off by third degree burns.
I lost consciousness at some point and woke up in an evac chopper lying face down on a gurney. My shirt had been ripped open and they’d sprayed some kind of burn treatment on my back that numbed the pain. The scent of burnt flesh was so strong, but it took me a minute to realize the smell of barbecue was me. I felt bad that my fellow soldiers had to smell that, especially in such close quarters. It’s strange what the mind thought about during trauma.
I inhaled from my vape again, wishing like hell for the familiar and comforting smell of the swamps I navigated as a teen, the deep earthy smell of the vegetation. No sounds of modern life—just birdsong, the ever-present cicadas and the noise of my oar breaking the water. Sometimes a louder splash indicating there were gators nearby. I was always on the water back then, enjoying the fresh air as I explored the bayou. Unfortunately, my days of being a free spirit were long gone. Now, there was nothing but the responsibility of protecting my club brothers and their families.
Storm walked out of the ER and rushed over to me. His slightly uncoordinated walk was probably a hip injury from the war. We were all broken down soldiers in one way or another. “You okay, Mason?”
“Yeah, man, of course I am. What did the officers say?”
“Nothin’. I let them believe it was just the three of you in the van. I told them they probably took their own wounded and gave them information on where they could find some blood-stained pavement. That should keep them busy for a while.”
“You don’t trust them either, do you, boss?”
Storm stared off into the distance as he spoke. “It’s not that I don’t trust law enforcement officers in general. The fact is, I don’t trust anybody without a Slayer’s patch except my old lady. Police officers in small towns can be unpredictable. The less they know about our business, the better.”
“The cops in my hometown were all dirty,” I explained. “It’s the reason I don’t trust them until I see that they uphold the law instead of use it to get their way with people.”
“When it comes to talking to law enforcement, the less we say the better. It’s not like if we give them enough information, they’re going to be able to track down big city gangsters from LA. Hell, I can’t see them caring an awful lot about strangers passing through getting into a skirmish.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” I responded quietly. “Do you think this attack means they were on their way to Griffinsford when they passed us and decided to start something?”
“I think they’re gunning for us again. No doubt about that. But they already had the roadblock set up. That means they knew members of our club were riding today. It’s no secret that bikers love to take the scenic route when they’re going to rallies. But for them to know we were registered means someone was feeding them information on local clubs.”
I didn’t like what I was hearing. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”
He turned to face me. “The plan is we interrogate the prisoners and then we network with every ally that wants those suits out of our territory.”
I took another puff off my vape and thought over his words. “You mean the Twisted Metal?”
“Yeah, but I was referring to Sophia’s brothers. They’re ambitious fuckers who mentioned wanting to get rid of their own boss.”
“You can’t trust mobsters, Storm. You know that, right?”
“I don’t quite trust the Russo brothers, and their old man is bat shit crazy, but since their sister is married to Blade and they’ve been helpful before, I’ll cut them some slack.”
“I don’t trust any of them,” I responded before taking a couple more quick puffs from my vape. “What about Steel? He’s their errand boy in our neck of the woods.”
“Steel and I buried the hatchet temporarily. I know he’s just biding his time and looking for an opportunity to reclaim their territory in Griffinsford. I won’t allow that because they’re still running drugs and illegal weapons. I don’t want Twisted Metal or their club president within a hundred fucking miles of where my family lays their heads at night.”
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer during troubled times, I say.”
“There’s some truth to that, brother. The rivalry between the Dark Slayers and Twisted Metal is not over, just on hold for the time being. I’m willing to extend a limited amount of trust to Steel as long as we have a mutual problem to solve.”
Storm took a step closer and clapped me on the back. “Why don’t you go in and sit with Javelin. They threw him out of the trauma bay so the doctors could work on Corey. He needs some extra support right now. I want you to drive the van back to the clubhouse later tonight. We’ve got guests that need a good talking to.”
“Yes, sir,” I responded respectfully, understanding he meant it was time to beat some information out of the men stupid enough to attack us in broad daylight.
“I’ve got an errand to run and then I’ll text you when I’m finished. If you leave before I get back, keep your cell phone turned on and your location tracker active. We can’t be too careful right now. I think it might take them a minute to regroup, but who the hell knows.”
We parted ways, Storm going on his errand while I went back into the hospital. These were some strange times. I just hoped my club brothers and I survived to tell the tale.
Chapter 2
Aprilia
