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Up ahead, a street light turns red, but the group doesn’t even slow down. It’s late, and there aren’t many other cars out. The few that are, wisely choose to wait for the bikers to pass through. To the right, spotlights illuminate a walled compound. On the side of the wall is a massive lit sign with their logo that says Outlaw Sons MC, and over the top of the wall I can see the roofs of several houses and what looks like…
Is that a church?
It seems impossible, but it is. A guarded double gate swings open into a courtyard in the center of the buildings, and sure enough, off to the side is an old brick church with a high tower. There are lights on inside, shining out through colorful stained glass windows. When we ride through the gate, it feels like entering a whole new world. A town within a town.
We ride right up to the front steps of a long, rectangular building. Offices maybe? No, a school. I can see windows evenly spaced down the side where classrooms probably used to be, but now a lot of them are covered up. Once I realize what I’m looking at, the layout makes more sense. I went to Catholic school a lifetime ago before Victor took me, and this reminds me of it.A church with a school, and houses for the priests and nuns. Strange to think that one day the bell rang for the last time, and the roar of motorcycles moved in.
We pull up behind Ghost, who swings his leg over his bike and before I even get a chance to wonder how I’m supposed to dismount, he eases my grip on Tex’s chest, puts his big hands around my waist and lifts me right off, like I don't weigh a thing. My legs feel like rubber and I have to grab Ghost to keep from falling after he sets me down.
Tex laughs. "Welcome to the party." Like we're just dropping by for a visit.
Riot puts Anne down on the asphalt next to his bike, and she runs right to me. I hold her close. “Are you okay?”
She shrugs. “I guess? That’s kinda a stupid question.” Tweens.
"True. I suppose we’re pretty far from okay, but we’ll get there eventually.” I hope I sound more confident than I feel. There are a lot of things I can imagine happening while being held hostage, and most of them aren't good.
“Church!” Hellfire bellows. “All hands on deck. Someone get Bonnie.” He stalks across the courtyard and towards the church. A couple of bikers standing by the side door visibly straighten and get out of his way.
The door opens, and instead of song and prayer, heavy rock music comes out. Ghost, Riot and Tex surround me and Anne, leading us inside after Hellfire. The music echoes off the high ceilings, and the air smells like leather, beer and motor oil, not incense and candles.
“Wow,” Anne whispers.
I agree. The inside is mostly gutted. Some of the old pews are pushed to the sides, but there are also plenty of tables, chairs and couches. The altar is bare and there’s a bar behind it. There’s a massive wooden chair that might have been left behind, and in place of a cross, there’s another banner with the club logo hanging below a solitary leather vest. Others dot the wall to the sides, but whoever that vest belonged to, it clearly stands alone.
The inside is full of bikers. They make a path for Hellfire, and nod at Ghost and the others, watching us with something between confusion and suspicion. They're a scary bunch, big and broad-shouldered, and every single one looks capable of murder. I've never felt so small in my life. I squeeze Anne’s hand, and she squeezes right back.
"Turn that shit off," Hellfire yells. "Ring the bell."
The music quiets immediately, and a few moments later, the deep toll of a church bell rings out.
Hellfire climbs up the steps to the altar, leans over the bar to pull out a beer, and then drops into the wooden chair with a tired grunt. He looks up at the vest on the back wall and raises his bottle. “Wish you were here, you old asshole. This job is a pain in my ass.”
“Jess?” Anne whispers. “What’s she doing?”
She?
Between the bikers lounging on one of the couches is a girl about my age. She’s barely dressed, sitting in one of the guy’s laps, and leaning down between the other’s legs to… Oh my God.
I put myself between Anne and what’s going on. “I’m not sure we should be in here,” I hiss.
Riot looks around, not understanding.
Tex shoulders him and points. “Zip it the fuck up, Crank! There’s ladies present!”
“And what are we then?” a feminine voice pipes up, laughing.
“Gone!” Ghost shouts.
There’s some grumbling, but not much as the scene morphs from a grown up frat party into an organized meeting. Well, semi organized anyway. Bikers file in from both the side and the back of the church, slowly filling the room.
"What the hell’s going on?" a new woman's voice cuts straight through the rumble of burly men, sharp like a chainsaw. “Where’s Cooper? Don’t tell me you lost that idiot. General’ll be rolling in his fucking grave if you messed this up.” Her voice is low and raspy, and she sounds like she’s used to being listened to in a room full of men.
"I didn’t lose shit!" Hellfire barks. “He lost his own damn self!”
The crowd parts to allow in a sturdy woman with steel gray hair, wearing a leather jacket that looks a lot like the men's. She's got a patch on the left side of her chest that says, "Bonnie." Underneath it, another patch is sewn on that says "Boss bitch." Her face is tan and freckled, lined but not wrinkled.
She takes one look at us and stops in her tracks. “Who the fuck are they?”
