Page 98 of Hawk

He’s right, so I step aside and let him take the lead. With a slight pull of the glass door, it opens. “This is too fucking easy, man,” Cruise says. “Something doesn’t feel right about this. I hope we aren’t walking into a trap.”

Once we both step through the door, we stop and listen. The house is silent except for a muffled sound coming from down the hall. I signal for us to keep going. He shakes his head in protest, but as soon as I’m headed down the hall, I can feel him at my back. The door is open in the first room we come to. Taking a step inside, I see that it’s empty. Cruise walks ahead and goes into the next room. He signals that it’s empty. The muffled sound is louder in the last place. I draw my gun out and push the door open.

Tre’s eyes widen when he sees my gun. He tries to fight against the gag in his mouth, screaming behind the gathered fabric. He begins to buck against the headboard where his arms are tied. He’s shackled to either end in a spread-eagle position.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Cruise drops the hand he’s holding the gun to his side.

Lowering my gun but still keeping it trained on him, I take a step towards the bastard. There’s a piece of paper pinned to his chest. The words, ‘You’re Welcome’ are printed in bold print. Louie not only turns one of his guys over to me, but he also put a fucking bow on him like a neatly wrapped present.

“Turn the bathroom light on so we can get some light in here.” Tre’s eyes frantically follow Cruise’s movement. I bend down slightly. “Do you know why we’re here?”

Tre shakes his head as he pulls at his restraints. When the light comes on, I see what condition he’s in. Dried blood is streaked down his forearms. The whites of his socks are stained red where the metal has cut into the skin, and he’s wearing tan khakis which have a darkened crotch. The air smells slightly of urine.

“How long do you think he’s been like this?” Cruise comes up next to me. “He’s fucking pissed himself.”

“No idea, but that’s not my problem.” I turn around and dump the pack on the dresser. I start pulling everything out. I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but whatever it is, there’s only one outcome, and that’s this fucker’s death.

“Holy shit, you’ve got some fucked up shit in there.” Cruise lifts one of Lick’s old torturing tools. It’s a large knife they used to use to amputate legs in the 1600’s.

“Not mine. They’re Lick’s.”

“His fucked-up-ness knows no bounds.” He puts the knife back on the dresser. I can hear his boots walking around the room as I pull the last tool from the bag. “Do you wanna ask him questions or just get straight to the point?”

I grab the flashlight and click the button. Tre clenches his eyes close when I shine it in his face. Once it’s on his chest, he opens them, and I feel like I’ve been kicked in the gut. The same blue eyes of a little boy I’ve grown to love are staring back at me.

“Hey, you all right?”

I blink my eyes and shake my head. He fucking raped her. That’s all I care about. “Yeah, I’m good.”

I turn and place the flashlight on the dresser, pointing it in the room, giving us some more light. I grab a scalpel from the pile of tools. The entire drive here I had been planning out what kind of things I was going to do once I got my hands on him, but now, now I just what this shit over so I can get back to Tessa and Sam.

“This is what I think we should do.” I turn back around and make my way towards Tre. “I think we need to use the eye for an eye theory.” I keep my eyes trained on Cruise’s face as he tries to decipher what I’m saying, before he understands, I jab the knife straight down into the motherfucker’s dick. Tre’s muffled screams can be heard as his body jerks with the pain, making my hand go deeper. I pull up and make another jab into his flesh.

“Holy fuck!” Cruise’s eyes widen. I force my hand to stay in one place, making Tre cut himself with his jerking motions. I’m not sure if I’m cutting his dick clean off his body, and there’s no fucking way I’m taking his pants down to make sure I’m doing it right.

I look down and see my hand covered in warm, slippery blood. The crimson stain is growing through the fabric of his pants. Turning my head, I peer at the fucker who took so much from Tessa. His eyes are feral, snot is shooting from his nose as he tries to breathe through the pain. “Finish him,” I tell Cruise, letting him complete the list to rid himself of his guilty conscience.

I let go of the knife, leave the bedroom and make my way outside. The container is right where I left it. I pour its contents, splashing it against the wood of the house, I take a few steps back off the porch and admire my work. When I hear feet approaching from behind the house, I look over and see Cruise.

“You do the honors?”

“My pleasure.”

Hawk

The sounds of sirens blare in the distance as we make our way back to the bar. The air is heavy with the smell of smoke. Hopefully, by the time they reach the house, his body will be burned beyond recognition. Cruise made sure he grabbed everything we brought in, and as soon as we were far enough from the scene, I stopped and checked the bag myself. I wouldn’t put it past him to leave something that would tie Lick to the house, not with whatever bad blood is between them.

I tied the pack to the bike and swing my leg over. “You good?” Cruise asks me as he straightens out his handlebars.

“Yeah.” There really isn’t anything more to say.

“I’m going to head out. I need some time.”

I’ve never been close to him. I never wanted to know what ghosts he’s been running from. I’m not gonna pry when it seems that he’s not too keen on giving up any information without me asking, so I don’t. “Will you be back?” I ask as I tighten my helmet.

“Maybe.” He stands and kicks the bike over, making the engine roar to life. With a few twists of the handle and a jerk of his head, Cruise takes off.

In the opposite direction of Las Cruces.