Page 43 of Devil Within

A call came through on his pilfered phone. One quick glance showed it was from a Wyoming area code. He was almost to the town and answered the call.

“Yeah?”

“We’re at the welcome sign just outside the town limits,” Sinner told him. “Do you want us to wait for you?”

“Yeah, I’m about five minutes away.”

“See you soon.”

He ended the call, and a couple of minutes later, he spotted Nero’s black Mercedes van, which had been refitted like an ambulance, just in case one of them needed immediate medical attention. In front of the van were four bikes, and Jade recognized Saint, Sinner, War, and much to his surprise, Jackson Cole, a nomad Son who visited once in a while. His road name was Ryder, and he was just as deadly with a gun as any of them. Jade pulled onto the shoulder ahead of the bikes and turned off the engine before he got out of the car.

Saint gave a nod to the beat-up piece of crap. “Nice car.”

“I borrowed it.” He held his hand out to Jackson. “Ryder. Glad to have you with us on this.”

Jackson shook it. “Arrived just as these guys were heading out. Thought one more gun would help.”

“Definitely. Every fucker in the Sect needs to die, but Shiloh’s stepfather is mine.”

“You got it,” Saint vowed. “Let’s ride.”

They pulled their helmets on while Jade marched back to his car. This rescue was long overdue.

Chapter Fourteen

The Sect of Purgatory resided deep in the surrounding hardwood forest and marsh habitat, in a huge two-story house surrounded by a chain-link fence. Since he drove the car, he went first, running right through the front gate and ripping it apart. The electricity running along it sparked but quickly fizzled out as people ran, and shouts rang out.

Jade didn’t have a gun, so he ducked into the car and drove it straight through the front door. The airbag deployed, saving him from bouncing his head off the steering wheel, but his adrenaline was riding so high he probably wouldn’t have felt it anyway. The car came to a stop, and he ducked out. A man came up to him, holding a nine mil, and Jade didn’t hesitate. He dove at the man, punched him in his nose hard enough to break it, and when he fell back with a hard thud, Jade grabbed the gun.

There were screams and gunfire, and Jade glanced around, looking for Shiloh. He saw a woman cowering in a corner.

“Where’s Shiloh?” he demanded.

She was shaking and crying, and his conscience tried to make him feel guilty. He’d never hurt her, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Tell me, or I’ll make you tell me.”

The woman pointed toward the backyard. He hurried through the remainder of the house and shot the sliding glass door. Shards flew everywhere, but Jade didn’t give a flying fuck. One of the brainwashed assholes popped up holding a gun, and Jade shot him between the eyes. He had no time for understanding or sympathy. These people were all complicit in Shiloh’s abuse, so fuck them all.

Women ran around, holding kids and crying. He didn’t give a flying fuck about them, but any man who came at him, he killed. By this time, the other Sons had joined him. The backyard sloped downward, completely free of trees or bushes. Laundry lines were strung up, and clothes waved in the breeze.

Saint had managed to grab one of the running women, who looked terrified. “Where’s Shiloh Gibson?”

The woman pointed shakily down the hill, where a set of wooden boxes was placed. Jade couldn’t see Shiloh at all. Still, he proceeded forward.

“Shiloh!” he yelled. “Answer me!”

The Sons fanned out, with Nero and War hanging behind to protect their backs. He spotted Lawrence peeking from behind a shed, hiding while his men risked their lives to protect their precious leader. Jade hurried over, firing once, twice, three times. All the men immediately fell with bullet holes in their foreheads. Lawrence backed up, but there was no escape as Jade grabbed his shirt.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

“You’re too late,” Lawrence taunted. “She’s already doing penance.”

Jade studied his face, and for the briefest millisecond, Lawrence’s eyes shot to the side, as if looking at those wooden boxes. Jade got a bad feeling and knew he had to look in those ... whatever they were. So, he pointed the muzzle down and shot Lawrence in both feet to make sure the man couldn’t run away. He screamed as he fell to the ground, but Jade couldn’t care less.

“Nero!” he shouted. “I think she’s in one of those boxes.”

He and Nero ran to them and started opening them.