Train's Clash (The Last Riders Book 9) (32 page)

“Since no one is hitting the door, I’ll go on. When Jonas managed to log on to the laptop, we found some sick shit. Jack Carter was involved with the dark web. He had a couple of tapes that turned my stomach, and there isn’t much I haven’t seen. Jonas was the one who recognized the man we’re going to rescue tonight. This brother has been held in a nightmare, and one way or another, it’s going to end tonight.”

Hammer nodded at Jonas, who hit the play button.

Killyama couldn’t watch the tape again. She hadn’t even been able to watch through to the end the first time, vomiting in a bag in the backseat of Hammer’s car. She kept her eyes on Train’s reaction instead, trying desperately to control her own. When his face filled with unbearable agony, he grabbed Shade, who was consumed with his own grief.

“Oh, God, it’s Gavin. Tell me that’s not Gavin!”

“I can’t, brother. It’s him.”

Train started to reach for the computer. Killyama thought it was because he still couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Memphis killed Gavin. He admitted it!” Train yelled. “We tortured the son of a bitch. Why would he admit to something he didn’t do?”

“Because he knew he was already a dead man,” Hammer stated.

“I’d say that, once Memphis told you what they had done to Gavin when they held him captive, any torture you used on him would have looked like child’s play to what you would have done after seeing this.” Jonas pulled up another video that was just as sick as the first.

Killyama had been worried that after Train had admitted to the group of men that he and Shade had taken part in torturing Memphis that they would use it against them. However, her worry fell away when she saw the men’s faces. If Memphis had still been alive, every man in the building would have killed him.

“You said
they
?” Shade’s cold voice brought her attention to him.

“Yes, I knew Memphis had help when Killyama told me that the body dug up behind the Road Demons’ clubhouse was identified by DNA. Killyama has lunch with Lily and Beth once a month. When they last went to lunch, she brought up the subject of Gavin, asking them if they knew where the DNA results came from that were used to identify Gavin—”

“Crash sent the DNA sample from the body to the military to cross check it with the records they have on file,” Shade answered, cutting Hammer off.

“Yes, Crash used his computer skills to fix the results to make everyone believe the body was Gavin’s.”

“Turn that tape off before I fucking break it,” Shade threatened, teeth clenched.

Jonas shut the computer with a snap.

“Where is he?” Train asked.

“Still with the Road Demons. Crash must have given them a heads up before Viper contacted them, asking permission to search for Gavin’s body there. As far as I can tell from Crash’s emails, they brought him back to the clubhouse about six months later. Stupid bastard was so cocky that he didn’t protect his own shit because, he knew if any of The Last Riders wanted to know anything, they would come to him.”

When Train went pale, Killyama looked away, unable to see the look of guilt on both of the men’s faces.

“We need to contact Viper. He’ll want to be here,” Shade spoke up before Hammer could continue.

Jonas tucked the laptop under his arm. “Do you think Gavin is going to want his brother to see him in that shape? They made him a junkie. I think the only reason he’s still alive is because the Road Demons are using him as their toy. You think, if Viper goes in there and see what’s been done to his brother, there’ll be a man left standing? Ohio isn’t Treepoint where you have control of the sheriff. Forty or fifty men found dead in a bikers’ club will make the news.

“Get Gavin back, and then take your revenge. I’m sure you can come up with something when you’re ready. Killyama made it easy for you to keep track of Crash until you want him to know. She put a tracker on his motorcycle. One of mine, not that cheap shit he’s been putting on your bikes so he knows every piss The Last Riders take.”

“That’s why you took Rider’s key?” Train asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Yes, and put the port sniffer on his computer when he went to the restroom.” She unrepentantly admitted the deception he hadn’t caught when she had been by that unforgettable afternoon.

Her nightmares from Kane trying to rape and strangle her had disappeared within days, replaced by nightmare of her relationship with Train ending. They still filled her nights with dread, waking her in the middle of the night to see his accusing eyes staring at her in the darkness.

“As soon as we were able to hack into his computer and found where Gavin is, I called the men in to see the tape. You all will be putting your life and careers on the line. This is not a sanctioned rescue. That’s why, when Jonas realized it was him, we didn’t turn it over to the authorities. Gavin would have been dead before the police could act. And if we hadn’t taken our time, Crash would have had him killed. Jonas and I didn’t even tell Killyama until we were sure it was Crash who was posting the videos, and we needed access to his computer to know that for sure.

“We could still go to the cops in Ohio and take the chance that he will still be there, or that one of Road Demons won’t put a bullet in Gavin’s head to keep him from testifying that he wasn’t there willingly. Train, Shade, if this is the way you want to handle it, we’ll step down.”

“No, I’m in.” Train started taking his jacket off to get geared up.

“I was ready to leave five minutes ago. Show us the plan,” Shade added.

As the men gathered closer around the table, Killyama held back. She didn’t need to listen to Hammer and Jonas go over the plan again. They had gone over it so many times over the last three days that she had every room and doorway in the Road Demons’ clubhouse committed to memory.

It was going to take four hours to get there. They had timed it so they would make it to the club in the middle of the night when most of the Road Demons would hopefully be asleep.

Jonas gave the men their wireless headset, reminding them to keep their night vision goggles at the ready.

“Finish suiting up. We’re out of here in three minutes. Train, you’re taking the lead. Shade, when you take out the Road Demons’ lookout, try to get a clean shot. They’re going to have a big enough mess to clean up inside the club without having to do the outside.”

“Like I give a fuck.” Shade’s piercing blue eyes had Killyama taking a step back.

She was used to seeing him with Lily. The man she was looking at now was not that man. The man she was staring at now wasn’t afraid of death. He wasn’t afraid of anything.

“Load up,” Hammer ordered.

She let the men go out the door first. Then, as she moved out, she saw that Train was waiting for her.

Speeding up, she tried to squeeze between two men so she could avoid the confrontation. She should have known better.

He took her arm, pulling her to his side. “Go ahead, Ghost, Bandit.”

She had no intention of struggling in front of the men, but as soon as the door closed, she jerked her arm free.

“Dude, next time you lay a hand on me, you better be wearing that armor on your dick.”

His grave expression didn’t alter at her threat.

“We don’t have time now, but when we get back, we’re going to settle things between us.”

“What’s there to settle? We’re done, remember?” She gave him the peace sign. “Peace out.” She opened the door, hoping it would hit him.

“At least you didn’t flip me off again. That’s as good a start as any.” Sliding on his wireless headset, he raised his brow when she started to let him have it.

Afraid the men would hear, she bit back what she had been about to say and climbed into the back of Hammer’s SUV where Jonas threw her a searching look over his shoulder.

“It’s a go. Let’s bring our brother home,” Hammer gave the order.

Killyama watched as Train pulled out in the lead with Shade beside him. The other men in the unit followed on their motorcycles, traveling in pairs until the plan would change once they rescued Gavin. Then the men would switch to groups of four and split in different directions.

They had to let the men stop for gas twice. Hammer had planned every detail of the drive, and so far, everything had gone off without a hitch.

As they got closer to their destination, Killyama’s hand went to her gun holstered at her waist. Hammer and Jonas had made her go to the target range once a week when she had decided she wanted to work with them bounty hunting. She had never been so grateful for the enterprise they had instilled in her.

She calmed her breathing the way Hammer had taught her to when she heard Hammer tell everyone, “Lights off” as the Road Demons’ compound came into view.

Killyama held on to the hand rest when Hammer swerved right, braking the SUV to a standstill.

“Go, go.”

Killyama, with her night vision goggles on, jumped out of the SUV, pulling her gun out of its holster in the same motion. She didn’t hear the sound of bullets, but she knew Shade had hit his target.

“Lookout one, down. Lookout two, down. Breacher, up.”

Killyama moved from behind Hammer as he stormed the club, getting behind Jonas as they waited for Hammer to smash the door open with his favorite toy.

He rammed the door with his entry ram, smashing it open.

“Phase one, complete. Phase two, take over.”

She made sure she didn’t focus on the sound of the bullets filling the air, concentrating instead on Hammer’s voice coming from her headset.

Hugging the wall, they went past three rooms before turning a right into another hallway.

“Breacher, up.”

She made herself breathe steadily. They were getting close to Gavin.

As soon as Hammer breached the bedroom door, two men took guard to keep anyone who wasn’t on their team from entering. Then Hammer and Ghost went to the bedroom closet, where Ghost used a small torch that had the padlock dropping to the floor in a second.

“Phase three, complete.”

Shade went down the basement steps first, Hammer following with his MP5/10 held steady in his hand. Then Ghost went down, and then Train.

Killyama prayed for the next order.

“Retriever, up.”

She stayed behind Jonas as they made their way down the wooden steps, forcing back the bile at what she saw.

A dog would have been treated better than Gavin had been. He was filthy and stank in the dank room. He was a man who was so strung out he was trying to fight his way out of Shade’s and Train’s arms.

“Move away, Train, Shade. Let Killyama take him.” No emotion could be heard from Hammer. It wasn’t time for that. They needed Gavin calm until they could get him out.

The men let Gavin struggle away from them. He lost his balance and fell back down onto the bed they had lifted him from.

Killyama moved over to him, keeping her voice sweet and cajoling as she gently patted his face to keep his focus on her. “Come with me, Gavin. I have something to make you feel better.”

His wild-eyed stare switched from the men to her as she took his arm, helping him to place it over her shoulder. Lifting him, she then led him toward the steps.

“That’s right. Just a few more,” she cooed calmly as they took each step slowly.

He docilely followed her directions as Train and Shade led them out of the club.

Jonas was in front of them as they neared the hallway. They had to pass a door that had already been opened and cleared. However, as they passed it now, it swung fully open and a biker started shooting at them.

Killyama pushed Gavin into the wall, not releasing him as she pointed her gun at the biker, firing several shots into him.

As soon as he started falling to the ground, she was moving again, determined Gavin wasn’t going to die in this hellhole.

Once outside, she filled her lungs with fresh air as Train opened the SUV’s back door then ran to get on his bike where Shade was already starting his.

She shoved Gavin inside, jumping in and closing the door as a hail of bullets came down from the upper story of the clubhouse.

Hammer and Jonas got in just as quickly, Hammer yelling, “Phase four, complete! Hostage is secured. Fall out now! Go, go!” as he drove away from the clubhouse.

Killyama kept Gavin on the floor, lying on top of him as she listened to Train’s instructions on the headset.

“They’re coming from our back, Hammer. Ghost, you lead the way.”

Killyama turned to see Train slow to take Ghost’s position, watching as Train’s headlight moved to the rear window.

“Bank left!” Train ordered.

She jerked her head back down when she heard a bullet hit the back of the SUV.

“Son of a bitch hit my car,” Hammer growled into the headset.

“Bank right!” Train ordered.

“Take that southpaw out, or I will,” Hammer ordered when another bullet hit the left side of the SUV.

“Get ready to bank left … Now!”

At Train’s order, Killyama lifted her head again, despite Jonas telling her to stay down. She was unable to stop from watching, fearing Train would get shot trying to keep the three bikers from following.

When Hammer made the hard right, Train followed. His bike was so low he was riding the curve sideways. The hand that was controlling the bike had to be scraping the pavement as Train lifted his gun, hitting two of the three bikers and sending them speeding into a parked car on the street.

“Two down; one to go.”

“I hope the one that will be spitting glass out of his mouth in the ER was the southpaw,” Hammer groused.

“Bank left.”

This time, she held on as Hammer made a hard left, nearly screaming as she feared the SUV would flip over.

When Gavin’s own yell filled the car, Killyama tried to soothe him, murmuring softly to him and forgetting her headset was still on. Staring into his wild eyes with the night vision goggles now off, she tried to think of anything that would calm him.

“We have you, Gavin. You’re safe now.” She pushed back his greasy hair, telling him, “You know, you’re better looking than your brother Viper. I bet the women fought over you. Viper’s married and now has a baby girl since you were taken from him. He’s missed you every day. All of The Last Riders have. You just need to hang on a little longer until we can get you to a place where you’ll be safe. Can you do that for me?”