Asher: Heartless Devils MC (8 page)

***

She knew the van had left the interstate, but she was hopelessly turned around. With no windows to see out of—other than the front through which she could only see sky and an occasional tree—she had no idea where she was. The van was working its way through stop and go traffic before it turned off, moved slowly for a while before backing into a drive of some type and stopping. The two men in the front exited then opened the rear doors with a bang. The man that had spoken to her climbed into the back with a wicked looking knife in his hand.

“I’m going to cut your legs free. If you try to run, if you make a single sound, I’m going to gut you where you stand. Are we clear? When I cut you free, you’re going to walk into the house as if you owned the place, got it?”

She nodded frantically, her eyes fixed on the gleaming blade.

“Good girl.” He ripped the tape from her mouth and smiled as she gasped in pain. He then slit the tape around her ankles with a sure, practiced movement. “Not one sound, or…” He pressed the tip of the knife to her neck to emphasize his point. Her wide-eyes stillness clearly communicated her understanding, and he slow drew the blade away.

***

Asher was in full combat mode. He didn’t have time to gear up, so he would have to make do with his Glock 19 and knife. Speed, that was more important now than firepower. There are two manmade islands that make up North Bay, and he had no idea which one the leader of the Trifecta lived on. If he actually lived on either of them. This was the longest of the long shots, but he had nothing else to go on. The only thing he could do was cruise the neighborhoods and see if anything unusual jumped out at him.

Once the rest of the club arrived, they could swarm the islands, knocking on doors of they had to, but he couldn’t wait on them to arrive. He sent a silent prayer to a God he hadn’t spoken to in a long time, begging Him to lead him to Jenny. He turned down the first road of the first island, creeping along as he eyes flicked from one house to the next.

***

John felt like his heart was about to explode, his blood pressure increasing with every beat of his heart. When Asher had first called to tell him that Jenny had been taken, his heart had almost stopped. He wanted to rage at Asher for letting his daughter be taken, but he knew that would be unfair. She had been taken from her apartment, and the security guard killed in the process. If Asher had gone up to her apartment with her, he would have probably died, too. Then, he wouldn’t even know she had been taken. Somehow Asher suspected she was in North Bay. How he knew that, he didn’t know, but it was something to go on. The only lead they had.

He quickly put the word out. Every member was to be locked, loaded, and on their bikes searching for her. They were to meet at the clubhouse in twenty minutes, then they would roll into North Bay in force, taking the place apart if they had to. He opened the wooden box that held his Colt 1911, a gift from Melissa when he had been elevated to president of the club. He slipped the big heavy weapon into his shoulder carry holster. Some bastard was going to pay for this… and pay dearly.

***

She had done as instructed, the point of the knife in her kidney as they walked into the house ensuring her cooperation. Once inside, they had stuffed her in a bedroom and shut the door. The metal hurricane shutters were down over the windows, so there was no getting out that way, and the attached bath was devoid of everything except a single roll of toilet paper. She eased the door open, but the man leaning against the opposite wall smiled at her and pointed a finger gun at her. She closed the door and paced in impotent rage.

After a moment, she heard voices, and she pressed her ear against the door to listen. She couldn’t understand what they were saying, but she could tell at least one person was angry or annoyed, and the other person speaking sounded lighthearted, even amused. As the argument continued, the voices got louder until she could finally understand what was being said.

“What are we doing? Why are we going this far?” a voice questioned angrily.

“We’re sending a message. Don’t investigate us. Don’t question our new recruits. Don’t get in our way,” came the smooth response.

“This is going to lead to war. We’re not ready for that. The Devils have had decades to establish themselves. We’re not ready to take them on. They have twice the members we do—”

“And half the brains. They’re lazy thugs, relying on motorcycles and guns to intimidate and rule. That’s it. Give them a show of force and they’ll fight for a while, but we’ll be one step ahead of them the whole way.” The lighthearted voice laughed again. “They won’t understand what’s happening to them.”

“I will do whatever you ask of me, but I’m not sure this is the right time. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Lee, it’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

***

Asher braked to a gentle stop at the curb. He had completed his tour of the first island and was on the first road of the second. In this enclave of Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Cadillac, the plain Ford van parked in the drive looked completely out of place. He might have passed it off as a work van, except it was black instead of the more traditional white, and it was Christmas. Who the hell would be working on Christmas?

He drummed his fingers on the wheel of the car, thinking. He pulled his phone and dialed Ken Slovoski, the vice president. John didn’t have a cell, and he would bet money the Devils were rolling already.

Slovoski didn’t answer, not a surprise if they were hammer down, so he left a message with the address of house and told them to meet him there unless he called them back. He tucked the phone away and eased from the car, shutting the door quietly and tugging the long coat smooth. With the long coat and car, he looked more respectable than he would have in his cuts and on his bike. Therefore, he thought he should draw less attention.

Keeping a wary eye out, he walked to the van and peeked inside. Nothing. He moved around to the back and tried the rear doors. To his surprise, the doors opened. The inside of the van was empty, save for two pieces of grey duct tape, one short piece and a longer length several pieces thick. Just what one would expect if you were to put a piece over someone’s mouth and around their ankles or wrists.

Asher eased the door shut with barely a click and pulled his weapon. It was game on. He crouched slightly with his weapon at low ready and eased around the corner of the house, keeping his body between the weapon and any potential prying eyes from the neighboring house.

The smart move would be to wait on the rest of the club, but he didn’t know how far behind him they were, and seconds could make the difference now.

Chapter 7

The moment someone touched the doorknob, she threw herself away from the door, but she wasn’t quick enough and the opening door struck her as it opened.

“Didn’t anyone tell you that listening at doors is not polite,” a short but well-dressed middle aged Asian man said. She recognized the voice as the one that seemed to have all the answers.

“What are you going to do with me? You have no idea who I am, or who my father is! He is going to—”

“You’re Jenny Carter, daughter of Melissa and John Carter. Your father is the president of the Heartless Devils Motorcycle Club. Oh, yes, I know very well who you are. In fact, who you are is the reason you are here.”

“My father is going to tear your head off and shit down your throat!”

“Ah, but see, he doesn’t know where you are or who I am. That’s the beauty of this. He suspects it’s the Trifecta that snatched you. But he’s going to find out he’s wrong. I wanted him to think that with your mother. With you… I’m thinking it’s going to be someone different. He’s going to think he is surrounded by enemies.”

“Why are you doing this? What do you want?” she demanded, trying to buy time.

The man laughed. “This isn’t the movies where I lay out everything for you then you escape. Let’s just say this is going to be a Christmas for your father to remember.”

“Why are you doing this?” she demanded again.

“Why? Because your father’s club is in the way. Because I can. But mostly, because I enjoy it.” The man smiled nastily. “Your death, like the death of your mother, is just a step in getting me what I want.”

“What’s that?”

The man tutted, as he waved his finger in front of her. “Nothing you need to worry about.” 

“She’s a pretty one. Her mother was, too,” the other man said. Jenny recognized the voice as belonging to Lee—though she didn’t know if that was his first or last name. “What is it with pretty girls falling for bikers? I swear, all of the ones I’ve met haven’t showered in years.”

“I don’t understand it either,” the other man said, taking her face and turning her head to the side as if inspecting her. “I’ve got to be going. I’ll leave you to take care of things here. Enjoy yourself, but don’t mess her up too much. We want them to be able to recognize her when they find the body.”

***

Asher was halfway down the side of the house when he heard the garage door start up. He hurried back to the corner and watched as a big, silver, Mercedes S-Class rolled smoothly down the drive. He was torn… did he follow the car or stay at the house. There was only one person visible in the car, but he supposed she could be locked in the trunk or lying down in the back. At the last possible instant he made his decision and stuck his foot under the door, tripping the sensor and starting the door up again. The moment there was enough room, he ducked under and moved in a quick crouch between the Land Rover and the wall, before slapping the control by the door into the house to start the door down again.

With his back to the wall, he waited to see if anyone would come investigate the door, but when no one appeared, he opened the house door and slipped quickly into the kitchen.

***

“What are you going to do?” Jenny asked, as Lee produced his knife again.

“We’re going for another little ride.”

“Where?”

“Does it matter?” Lee opened the door and stepped aside.

Jenny made ready to bolt, but the driver of the van was standing there with a deadly looking gun in his hand. They led her out of the back of the house and across the lush green lawn, heading for a large boat moored at the dock. The second goon was walking a little behind them, but Lee had his arm around her waist, as if they were the best of friends. It prevented her from making a quick break for it and hid the knife that was once again against her kidney.

“On the boat,” Lee ordered, as he pushed her down the dock.

Jenny started walking and when she had a step on the thug, started to run, intending to run right off the end of the dock and into the water. She would take her chances with the gun. She made it less than a step before Lee jerked her to a stop.

“Walk!” he growled, digging the point of the knife into her side.

She hissed in pain as the tip poked her, not enough to inflict injury, but enough that it hurt like hell. “I’m going to kill you,” she snarled.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, giving her a push to start her walking again.

***

Asher eased around the corner into the huge room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Biscayne Bay. It was a beautiful sight, but what caught his attention was not the crystal blue water, but Jenny and two men approaching the boat docked at the edge of the lawn. There was something too familiar about the man walking with Jenny, and he suspected he had weapon held into her side. He gauged the distance and decided to not take the shot. At this range, he wasn’t sure he could get a clean kill shot.

He fumed a moment, unsure of what to do. There was
no
cover between the house and the boat. Nothing to hide his approach.
Where the fuck is the rest of the club?
he fumed.

He watched as they boarded the boat, Jenny sitting down at the back of the large craft. As he watched, one of the men crouched down in front of her. She kicked out savagely, her foot connecting solidly with the man’s face. He tensed, ready to burst through the door and provide covering fire if she managed to escape, but the second man backhanded her across the face, snapping her head back. Asher gripped the gun tighter, his rage becoming a frothing, boiling cauldron in his stomach and chest. Those bastards would pay for this with their lives.

The first man rose from behind the gunnels and wiped at his mouth. He spoke to her then knelt in front of her again. He couldn’t tell what he was doing until she meekly held her hands out, and he wrapped her wrists in duct tape.

***

“Go cast us off,” Lee slurred, as he wiped his mouth again. He had felt bad about chucking her ass out in the ocean to drown, but no longer. She was going to get what she deserved. He spat over the edge of the boat into the water, a thick red blob that slow dispersed.

Jenny watched, as Lee turned and climbed the steep steps to the flying bridge. When the second man moved to the front of the boat to loosen the rope, she tried to get to her feet, but only managed to fall to the floor with a thump. She was still there when she hear the twin diesel engines thrum to life.

***

Asher was getting ready to make a run for the boat and take his chances when he heard the heavy bellow of charging Harleys. He turned and bolted for the front door, flinging it open just as the entire club, over a hundred members strong, began screeching to a stop in the road and in the yard. Asher ran across the yard and pushed John off his bike and into the yard by virtue of his being the closest to him. Without a word, he hopped into the saddle and gunned the bike, kicking with one foot, trying to keep the bike from sliding out from under him as the rear tire spun and slid sideways in the grass.

As the bike began to move, he began bouncing on the foot pegs, trying to help the bike to get traction in the slippery grass. He rounded the corner of the house, the bike finally gaining its legs. As he bore down on the boat, he banged the bike up into second, the big Harley tearing up the grass, as he continued to accelerate for the boat.

He saw the man at the wheel look behind him, and his eyes widen in shock at the sight of the bellowing bike tearing across the grass. He turned away, and Asher saw him shove the throttle forward. He couldn’t hear the engines rev, but he saw the wake appear as the twin screws bit into the water.

He was too late! The boat began to move, and he knew he was going to arrive a fraction too late. But then a heavy rope snapped out of the water, flinging spray like a shaking dog, and the boat stopped.

***

The boat jerked to a stop, and Lee turned to see the boat still anchored to the dock by the rope. That goddamn Gerry hadn’t actually cast the rear off, only taken a couple of turns to loosen the rope. Gerry was struggling to release the boat now, but it was straining against the rope, making his task impossible.

“Cut it! Cut it!” Lee screamed, as he firewalled the engines. The big twin Cummins diesels roared, the wake of the boat washing over the dock and seawall.

The man on the bike bore down on them. Then, he unbelievably leapt from the bike just before it reached the dock. The bike roared on, almost hitting Gerry, as it passed before it sailed off the side of the dock and into the bay. The big man slid and tumbled on the grass before stumbling to his feet then fell again. A moment later, he bounded back to his feet and stumbled toward them.

***

John picked himself up from where Asher had tossed him like a ragdoll. Half the club started after Asher on their bikes, the other half, including John, pulled their weapons and followed after them at a dead run.

Those on foot, with John in the lead, rounded the corner of the house just in time to see Asher dump the bike at speed, sliding and bouncing to a stop before jumping to his feet only to fall again. But he was down only for a moment before he came back to his feet.

He had almost reached the boat when he heard a creaking pop and the dock lurched sideways. The sudden movement caused him to fall as the dock continued to twist over onto its side. The wood next to his head splintered from another gunshot before the dock popped loudly and swung wildly to the left, rolling over and dumping him into the water.

***

Lee thought they were home free when the dock began to fail, but they were still bound, and an entire herd
of black-clad motorcyclists were racing across the yard toward them—with a near equal number running after them on foot. The glass next to his head shattered, as a bullet passed inches from his head. He killed the throttles and slammed the boat in reverse and revved the engines to take tension off the line.

“Cut us loose!” he screamed again.

Gerry popped up and flung the line from the cleat, as gunfire rained around them. The moment the line was clear, Lee jammed the boat back into forward and slammed the throttles to their stop. The boat roared, as it lunged away.

***

Asher leaped from water, using the piece of the dock he was clinging to for leverage, and grabbed the hand, as it threw the rope into the water. The man, not wanting to go overboard, dug in, and that was fine with Asher. As the boat began to surge away, he hauled with every ounce of his strength, pulling himself up and out of the water. He grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and hauled again. Asher’s weight had the other man pinned down, unable to fight back as he climbed over him into the boat. As Asher fell over the edge into the boat, the man was relieved of his weight and turned on him.

Before he could get to his feet, Asher took a solid shot to his jaw, knocking him down again. He saw the kick coming and curled up just in time to take the blow on his arm. It hurt like a mother. However, in spite of the pain, he grabbed the man’s booted foot and twisted sideway. The man landed on him like a ton of bricks, knocking the wind out of him.

***

Jenny couldn’t believe it when Asher hauled himself into the boat, using the second man like a ladder to pull himself over the edge. As the two men struggled in the bottom of the boat, she kicked herself out of the way, unable to do anything to help.

***

John saw Asher go over the side of the boat just as the rest of the club arrived, too late to help. If Jenny was on that boat, it was all up to him. He was standing there, panting from his run, trying to get his breath when he began to feel lightheaded. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees, but his breathing was getting harder, not easier.