The Last Riders - First Four Votes (104 page)

Shade listened to the men, gradually coming to the conclusion that only one man had the power to save Lily.

It was time to call Lucky.

T
he knock came
ten minutes earlier than he said he would be there, but Shade didn’t have time to waste.

“Come in.”

Shade walked into his office, seeing his brother standing by the window.

“Lucky, I wouldn’t ask if I had a choice.” Shade’s harsh voice sounded hollow in the room.

“I’ve stood looking out this window for a lot of years, Shade. It took me over a year after your father opened the investigation into the pipeline going through here to find a connection. Then I had to find a way into the community, which wouldn’t arouse suspicion. I’m a month away from closing down a pipeline that runs through nine states, carrying drugs and guns, and you’re asking me to blow my cover for one woman when the men I’m getting ready to arrest have killed hundreds while I’ve had to sit and wait to get enough evidence to bring them all down. We have all the warrants, everything gone because of one woman.”

“Lucky,” Shade said, forced to do what he had never done before. “Brother, please. I can’t lose her. I’m not like you and the others. I can pretend I have emotions, but they’re not there for anyone. There’s nothing inside of me except shadows. Lily drives the shadows away. She feels everything she can’t even stand to crush a fucking flower under her foot and I don’t feel anything unless I’m with her, I can’t lose that. I waited so long for her, I’ve loved her for years; she’s only loved me for a few weeks.

“When I first saw her all I could think about was fucking her. Then I saw her at the lake with Beth, I felt her fear but I saw the look she gave to Beth. She loved and trusted her, knew that Beth wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” Shade swallowed hard uncomfortable opening himself to anyone especially Lucky. “I wanted her to look at me that way, needed her to look at me that way. I wanted to give her a life away from the darkness that I saw had touched her beautiful soul.” Shade’s face twisted into a painful mask. “I’ve taken countless lives, and never felt an ounce of emotion that’s why they recruited me in the military. One psychologist even joked after my evaluation I had been born without a soul, and it was true until that day at the lake. I fell in love with her that day, there is no other woman for me, there never will be. Lily is my gateway to Heaven without her the only thing left for me is Hell.

“You used to believe in something more important than that badge you carry. I’m begging you to save me brother because, as God is my witness, I will kill you if you don’t help me.”

“I wouldn’t do it for anyone. Not my mother or any brother, not for a million fucking dollars, and especially not because of any fucking threat of yours. But, I will for Lily.”

“Thank you.” Shade’s mind caught on something. “Wait a minute. You said you have the warrants? I think I know how we can get Lily back and serve those warrants at the same time. Call your boss.”

T
hey stayed
in that tiny room, letting the day go by. At one point, Lily thought she heard a plane breaking the monotony for a few precious minutes until she could no longer hear the sound and the deadened silence returned. Her fingertips played with the red rubber band that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had to snap.

Lily saw King look at his watch. “I’m going to leave Henry with you. He’s going to drive you back to your husband at nightfall. By then, it should be over.”

“You don’t have to handle it like this. I know the Sheriff here; he’ll keep us both safe,” she pleaded.

“In this little backwater town? Your town has never dealt with men like us who barter with life every day. As long as Digger is alive, he will chase you. The only way to stop him is if one of us is dead.” King’s voice was flat as he described a life that had been spent always looking over his shoulder.

King walked to the doorway, turning back before he went out the door. “I’m sorry, Lily. If it’s any consolation, you were better off without me. I would have made a lousy father.” King turned to walk through the doorway, leaving her without a goodbye.

One moment he was walking out the door, and in the next second, a gun blast and shattering glass sounded from the other room. Lily ran toward the sound, seeing King lying with blood pouring out of his chest.

Another gun blast sent glass splattering from another window, punching a hole in the plaster in the wall behind her. Lily screamed as more shots ricocheted into the house.

“Get down!” King yelled.

The big man, who had driven them to the house, came running into the room carrying a gun in his hand. He grabbed Lily’s arm, forcing her to her knees.

“How many, Henry?” King asked, putting his hand to his chest.

Henry dragged her to a corner of the room, forcing her down onto her stomach. Then he scooted to a window facing the front of the house. He didn’t say anything, just turned back to face his boss. For a second, the men shared a glance and Lily knew she wouldn’t be going home to Shade again.

“I’m sorry, Lily. I always fuck up with you, don’t I? I told you I was a lousy father.”

As more shots were fired into the room, Lily screamed, covering her head with both her hand and arms. She started praying, over and over, hoping this time God was listening.

“What are you doing?” King’s head turned on the floor toward her.

“I’m praying.”

“Well, it’s certainly the time for it. Say one for me. God knows I need it.” He tried to sit up, finally managing to get up on an elbow, and then slid himself toward the window by Henry.

“Okay.” Lily kept praying.

She heard him laughing, pulling a gun out of his suit coat. “Henry, did you ever think a daughter of mine or Brenda’s would even know what a prayer was?”

“No, sir.” More shots came flying into the room.

Lily stopped praying for a second. “How come you’re not shooting back?”

Both men burst out laughing.

“I knew there was a part of me in there somewhere. We’re not shooting because I want to save it for when they try to come into the house.”

Lily started praying again when another round began.

“Come on out, King, and I’ll let the girl live,” a voice yelled from the outside.

“Digger, if you want me, come and get me. We both know you don’t plan on killing her.”

When a noise from the back sounded, Lily looked over at King; they only had minutes left. “Why didn’t you just take me and disappear, instead of driving and leaving me with my parents? Why didn’t you just keep me?” Lily asked with unshed tears in her eyes.

King turned from looking out the window to face her. This time he made no attempt to hide his tortured expression. “Don’t you remember what happened after we left the apartment?”

Lily shook her head.

“You were hysterical. You thought I was going to kill you, too. You didn’t stop screaming until we got to Saul’s house and you saw Beth. She rocked you until you fell asleep. I left while you were still sleeping. I didn’t want you to wake up and see me.”

Lily sat, staring at him, hearing the men coming from the back of the house. Knowing they only had seconds left, she said what she knew they both needed to hear the most before they died. “Daddy, I forgive you.”

“What in the hell have you gotten yourself into now, Lily?”

Lily turned to look at the three men running hell-bent across the room, taking positions around it.

“Dustin, Greer and Tate? What are you doing here?” Lily found herself laughing in stunned disbelief.

“You’ve got everyone in the fucking country searching for you. The FBI, the ATF, even the motherfucking CIA. What shit have you stirred up?” Dustin gave her his usual shit-eating grin.

A shot rang out from the back of the house. “Got one,” Lily heard Rachel’s yell.

“Is that Rachel?” Lily asked.

“Hell, yes, there’s nobody better with a twenty-two. If they try coming through that back door, they’ll be meeting the undertaker in town,” Tate said, taking a bead on someone outside and letting go with a shot. “Greer, you take the ones on the right. Dustin, the left.

“Which ones you going to take?” Greer asked, shooting again.

“I’m going to take the rest of the ones you two miss,” Tate answered, letting go with several shots, one after the other.

As Tate stopped for a second as if he was listening to something, Lily saw the black earpiece in his ear. He must have been listening to someone talking because moments later, she heard him tell them to send for an ambulance.

“They’ll be here in five. Brothers, if you got them, shoot them. I don’t want a motherfucker left standing. They’ll laugh us out of the county if they hear the police had to help us.”

At that, the men began shooting in earnest, and Lily had to put her hands over her ears.

Another round of gunfire sounded from the back.

“Got two more!” Rachel yelled.

Lily caught King’s astounded expression. “What were you saying about my town dealing with men like you?”

“Hold up. They want us to quit shooting. They’re afraid we’ll shoot them. Pussies are scared to come any closer,” Tate said, shooting once more before standing up. “Let’s go see if any of them are breathing. Dustin, you stay here with Rachel and Lily.”

Still more gunfire was coming from the back.

“Rachel, quit shooting. Get out here!” Tate yelled.

Rachel came running into the room, carrying a rifle in her hand. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and Lily could tell she was having as much fun as her brothers.

She dropped down next to Lily on the floor. “I got a couple more. Did you keep count of how many you shot?” she asked her brothers.

Tate and Greer were opening the door. “More than you,” Greer bragged before they went out the door.

She turned to Lily. “Did he?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t keep count,” Lily replied, dumbfounded by her attitude.

Rachel flashed her a grin that was as full of it as her brother’s. “They like to throw it up to me that they’re better shots. I’ll get a copy of the police report from Knox and count them up.”

She turned and saw King. “You’re the guy who broke down in town.” She raised her gun to point it at him.

“He’s okay, Rachel. He’s my father.”

Rachel lowered her gun. “He’s the one who kidnapped you?” Rachel asked.

“Yes,” Lily answered her question. She would tell her the rest of it later.

“Dammit,” Rachel cursed.

“What?” Lily asked.

“That’s strike three.”

Lily heard several feet running from outside, and then the door pushed open for Shade, Viper and Razer to run in.

“Shade.” Lily couldn’t help her broken sob when she said his name. She’d been so scared she wasn’t going to see him again.

“Lily.”

If she’d ever doubted her husband’s love for her, all she would need to do is remember his face when he saw her. He ran, picking her up and holding her tightly in his arms. All the fear he had suffered and the relief at finding her safe showed his love more than a thousand words.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine.” She hugged him back then stood still. “Are you crying?” she asked, astounded.

“No.”

“
C
an we go home yet
?” Lily asked again. She was sitting on a chair in Knox’s office, waiting for Shade with Beth sitting next to her, holding her hand.

“They’ll let us know. It shouldn’t be much longer.”

Knox had led Shade and her in here after they had left the house that King had taken her to. The ambulance had taken away King while two other ambulances had to be called along with the coroners from three counties to deal with the bodies.

“How did the Porters find me?” Lily asked.

“I have no idea,” Beth responded as Knox and Shade came in.

“I can answer that question.” Knox took a seat behind his desk.

Lily waited expectantly. “Well?”

“We’re waiting on someone. We promised we would until he arrived.” Shade walked to stand beside her chair, taking her hand. Razer came into the office then, shutting the door behind him. Lily could tell from their faces that the news they had wasn’t going to be good.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, there’s just a few things Razer and I haven’t told you. It’s not because we didn’t want to, it was because we couldn’t,” Shade answered her question as Razer moved to stare down at his wife.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Knox called out.

The door opened and Pastor Dean came inside, closing the door with a serious expression instead of the affable one he normally wore. He was also dressed as she had never seen him before. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which was unusual enough, but the ATF jacket and hat was what had both her and Beth sitting in shock.

“Beth, Lily.”

“Why are you wearing that?” Lily asked, standing up, her face tuning pale.

“Because I’m an ATF Special Agent.”

Lily wanted to run from the room, but that was the old Lily who always ran away, afraid to face her nightmares. She wasn’t going to run this time.

“I’ve been undercover since I took over your father’s church. It’s taken me this long, and over forty agents, to shut down a pipeline that carried drugs and firearms through nine different states.”

Lily stood, listening to him, and all she could think of was how much she had confided in him over the years.

“When Cash joined the military, he never forgot you two. He was especially sickened with Beth’s treatment and he knew it wouldn’t be much longer before Lily would be receiving the same. Shade’s father, Will Hunter, had retired, and so Cash asked him to stop by Treepoint to check on you two.”

Lily’s eyes flew to Shade at the mention of the former Sheriff.

“I was going to tell you when Dad came back into town next week. Think, Lily; why would I hide that from you when I’ve confessed to much worse than that?”

Lily nodded, believing him.

“When he stayed here those few days, Will decided he liked it enough to stay indefinitely. He and his wife both were tired of moving around so much and wanted a break from it.

“They settled here, and as you both know, it wasn’t long before he gained enough respect to become Sheriff. That’s where his military training came in handy. He soon discovered the pipeline and notified the proper authorities.” Dean walked further into the office, leaning against the corner of Knox’s desk.

“This is where the conversation becomes confidential.” He stared at both of the women with silent warning. “I had left the military and joined The Last Riders. I had been in the Seals and had served as a military Chaplin, but when I left the service, I no longer felt the call to serve as a pastor, so I left that part of my life behind. But I wasn’t content. I missed the action of being in the military, so when the CIA approached The Last Riders to become a paramilitary group, we accepted.

“That’s how we ended up in Treepoint to begin an investigation. The ATF offered me a position as a Special Agent to lead the investigation, but I had to go undercover to do so. The people who had begun developing leads ended up dead, so I waited for a way to enter the community that would be above suspicion.”

“Our parents’ death created the perfect opportunity,” Beth said; her face had gone as white as Lily’s as she gazed at Razer.

“Sadly, yes. I’m sorry.” Dean paused then continued, “I became Pastor Dean and began my investigation. It’s taken me all these years to gather enough evidence to win my cases. I was a week away from making my arrests. I even had the warrants ready to go, but it all came crashing down today. “

“Why today?” Beth asked. Lily watched her sister calmly asking questions while she just wanted to get out of there.

“Because of Lily. We pooled all our available resources together, but to do that, I had to break my cover.”

Lily felt sickened. She was hurt that Pastor Dean wasn’t the man he’d pretended to be, but she didn’t want his work to have been in vain, nor did she want the criminals, who were hurting others, to remain free.

“I’m sorry,” Lily said.

“Thanks to Shade’s quick thinking, we were able to serve the warrants in a two-hour mass bust and were able to arrest three-fourths of the people we were after, and we’re confident we’ll be able to locate the remaining ones.”

“How?” Lily asked, relieved.

“We had interagency cooperation. It was one of the deals Shade made for The Last Riders. In return, they sold the pending patents’ right to a technical computer system for pennies on the dollar than they would have made.

Lily and Beth realized what all The Last Riders had given up. They had sacrificed millions of dollars for Lily’s rescue.

“One of the conditions was that they had to use their technology to help find you.”

Lily remembered the plane buzzing overhead while she had been in the house.

“When you were located, the Porters were the closest. That’s how they got there first. They’re never going to let us live it down. They want Dustin’s record expunged for their cooperation. I’ll see they get what they want. They deserve it.” Pastor Dean stood up straight, looking at Lily.

She honestly didn’t know what to say to the man; she had admired him for years as a role model, as someone to look up to. She took a shuddering breath, stepping forward. She reached up, kissing him on his cheek. “Thank you.”

She heard a chair scrape and she spun around, seeing Shade couldn’t hide his expression fast enough.

“Don’t you dare,” Lily said, pointing a finger at him. Shade managed to control himself, taking a seat back in the vacant chair.

“I think you just returned the favor,” Dean said, smiling.

When Beth would have gotten up, Razer pressed her back down in her chair with a hand on her shoulder.

“I have to go. I still have a lot of reports to finish today. I also have to find a new minister for the church.”

Lily didn’t know how anyone would live up to the standard he had set.

“You never know… you missed the military when you left it; you may miss the church,” Lily said with hope.

Dean looked at both sisters briefly before going to the door and opening it. “Perhaps. I was blessed to meet two angels, so miracles can happen. We’ll have to wait and see,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“Show-off,” Shade said, standing up. “I called you an angel first, remember that.”

Lily laughed, breaking the tension. “Can we go home now?”

“Yes,” Shade said, still irritated

“Can I make a stop on the way and see my dad?” Lily asked.

“Yes.”

Lily laughed at his short response, reaching up to kiss him on his cheek. “Does that make it better?”

His blue eyes smiled down at her as he put his arm around her shoulders.

She turned to Beth, who had lost her paleness and was now giving Razer heck with her eyes for not confiding in her. He was going to have a lot of making up to do. Lily thought about suggesting a new shower; it might do the trick.

“Would you like to go, Beth?”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to meeting him. When I first saw him, when he brought you, Dad said he was from the adoption agency.”

“That reminds me, Lily. That strongbox you found contained your fake birth certificate. Cash sent it off to a buddy of his, and they tracked down your real one. It came in the afternoon mail.” Knox handed it to her.

Lily took the envelope, staring down at it. After all these years, she didn’t need a paper to tell her a single thing. It had come too late. She already knew who she was.