Rage
If others thought I was a psycho before, they were wrong. Never in my life has my soul been so lost in agony and pain and I am restless beyond all measure. We are back in the clubhouse and Tor is talking, trying to form a plan to get us closer to Daultrey but I can't focus. It is dark already and Iris is still missing. I inhale the smoke from my cigarette and hit my head angrily. All my life there was rage and guilt and anger in me, filling me up. But today I am drowning into a deep anxiety, a crippling anguish. I want her back, I need her back like I need my next breath.
"OK." Tor says firmly "We are meeting him tomorrow noon."
"Tomorrow?" I stir from my corner "Iris is in his hands and we are going to wait?"
"Rage. We got to do this right."
"Bullshit." I come into his face "You are playing it safe, you fucking coward! Pussies all of you!"
"Rage!" Runner tries to calm me down "Listen to your King."
"Fuck you all!" I push him away and turn to Bjorn "What would you do, brother, if Ava was taken?"
Bjorn's jaw twitches. He knows my words are true. If his woman was taken, he would kill anyone in his way to get her back.
"Fuck me but the psycho is right."
"We can't go up against Daultrey like that. It would be a massacre." Tor cuts him.
I don't need to hear anything more. I get up and storm out of the room, my fingers around the hilt of my blade. If my brothers are scared, I sure as hell ain't. I am going to save Iris even if it is the last thing I do.
"Rage!" Ava is after me.
"Get away from me and don't try to stop me!" I head for the door.
"I am not." she says firmly.
I stop and turn to her. She is up by the table she has her lap-top on and is looking at me determined. Behind her the door of the meeting room opens and my brothers pour out.
"I found him." Ava says to me "His car headed to a warehouse by the docks. He has a few of his goons with him and there are no cameras in there."
"Ava..." Bjorn comes up behind her.
"No, Bjorn." she looks upon him softly "Rage is right. If it were me, that fucker would be already dead. Possibly by me but that's a whole other matter."
"Where?" I ask and take out my gun.
Ava hands me a paper with the address. Runner comes by me and checks his gun is loaded. Bjorn grabs Ava and kisses her passionately before coming up to us.
"She always liked my sandwiches." Wood says behind the bar and takes out his shotgun.
"Fuck me but she took good care of my bike." Vik says and shows off both his guns "I mean like literally, man." he eyes me.
Tor fusses with his beard and narrows his eyes. He doesn't look the part but I know well that Tor is the cleverest man in our midst. His mind is thinking rapidly and finally he looks up to us.
"OK. I see. I can use this, make a little profit and stop a turf war blowing us up. I need to take care of a few things. But you better make sure he is fucking caught. Alive." he points at me.
I growl and go out the door. I climb on my bike and rev it to life. All my brothers behind me do the same and soon we ride once more, all but Wood that follows us with the SUV. Iris will be back to me before the dawn breaks and she will be looking upon the bay at her favorite hour of the day. As for me, I will be happy looking at her from across the street for the rest of my life.
We find ourselves in the port side of San Francisco and we go as stealthily as we can to the warehouse that Ava pointed us to. The night is upon us and the area is dark. For some bizarre reason the brothers look at me the minute we get off our bikes two alleys down our target. Tor is not here and Daniel, our vice-president, the Earl of the club is a bit too old to ride on things like that. Vince is the Herre, the sergeant and he stayed behind to cover Tor in whatever he is doing. If there should be anyone higher ranking amongst us, that would be Bjorn, the one that should have been the Earl. And yet he is looking at me waiting to tell them how we are going to play this. I scowl. I am not a leader of men, I can barely lead myself in the right path struggling to reign over my rage and fury.
"I...Ava saw 5 goons." I say finally seeming quite reluctant to take a role I don't want to "They'd be all around the warehouse. We need to take them down swiftly before they harm Iris."
The thought cripples me and my head falls back, my eyes tightly shut. I bury the cry that threatens to tear at my throat and my fists pound on my head. I won't lose her. I won't lose her.
"Runner, Vik take the back." Bjorn picks up "I will go to the door with Rage. Wood. If you see things go down badly, feel free to join."
Everyone nods and we move. I would love to charge in and kill anyone I see but that would mean the Iris might be caught in the crossfire so I move stealthily up the door of the warehouse, aware of Runner and Vik sliding out back. Luck favors us with a moonless night which means that crossing the alley to the door will be easier.
Bjorn is right behind me when I stop at the corner. I look over and see two men, one standing by the door, the other leaning against a big SUV smoking a cigarette and checking his phone. I glance back at Bjorn and he nods. Crouching I run quickly to the SUV, taking cover. Bjorn follows my lead and he puts on a silencer on his gun the moment he leans against the car. I signal him that I will take care the man with the cigarette. We move swiftly. I go round the car and fall on the man, grabbing him and breaking his neck before he even saw me coming and at the same moment I hear the silenced gun go off and the man by the door drops. I go up the stairs and open the door, knife in hand.
Behind the door there is a vast warehouse with crates stacked and scattered but mostly empty and dark. I slide in it and let Bjorn come in behind me. My ears are ready to catch even a whiff of air that is out of place. All my senses are concentrated in finding her and take her out of there and back with me.
A faint voice coming from somewhere in the warehouse reaches me but the echoes bring nothing coherent back. And then there is a hissing, like leather cutting through the air followed by the sound of metal chains. My jaw tightens and I hurry further down making sure I go unnoticed. I feel Bjorn behind me but I don't stop to look. Does that fucker have my woman in chains? The veins on my throat throb but I keep my fury in check.
After wondering in the warehouse for a while, I see an opening behind the crates and light. I glance around the corner and I see the back of a man as he walks past the gap I am watching through. He is a big, fat man and I need little else to tell me that he is Daultrey. I move a lit bit closer and follow him as he is pacing. He turns and looks at someone still hidden by my vision and his hands are bloodied. Upon seeing that, all blood is instantly drained from my face and then rushes back as rage gets a hold in my soul. Without even turning to Bjorn, I run.
I never said Rage was a good guy. Far from it. But he does love Iris and he will do anything for her. That is good by my book.
Hope you enjoy this story.