Hell for Leather: Black Knights Inc. (8 page)

Still congratulating herself on her speedy and, moreover,
believable
explanation for the lust in her eyes and the drool on her lips, she mounted up on Big Red. Pressing her helmet over her head, she waited. Waited for the sound she loved. The sound that was the audio equivalent of a full-on, body-shaking orgasm. The sound of rolling thunder…

It didn’t take long.

Steady pushed the ignition on his bike and was rewarded by an immediate guttural rumble. Ozzie followed suit. Then Zoelner. Then Mac. And only when the full-throated roar of four well-tuned V-Twin engines filled the vast expanse of the shop did Delilah thumb the ignition on Big Red. The motorcycle came to life beneath her, growling and shaking like a steel beast.

A little thrill streaked up her spine…

That feeling, that excitement of being in control of something bigger and meaner than herself, never faded. Pressing her kickstand back with her booted heel, she twisted her wrist and followed the skid marks left by Ghost’s madcap exit from the shop, the four BKI operators rolling out behind her.

As the soft, summer breeze wafted against her face, she whispered quietly, a warm glow of hope filling her chest, “Just hold on, Uncle Theo. Whatever happened to you, wherever you are, just hold on. Because I’m coming. And I’m bringing the Black Knights with me…”

***

“She is back on her motorcycle,” Haroun relayed. The quiet hum of the small engine on the compact car they’d rented over the border in Canada barely competed with the sound of Qasim’s second-in-command’s voice. “And she is not alone. She has four men riding with her. I have followed them onto the highway. It appears they are headed south, in your direction.”

Qasim narrowed his eyes, staring into the near distance. The glitter of dust danced in the beams of the low-burning lanterns, reminding him of so many of the other dark, dusty corners he’d been forced to hide in. “In
my
direction? Do you suppose she’s already missing her uncle and is coming in search of him?” He hadn’t banked on that, on the fact that only a handful of hours after they’d captured Theodore, his disappearance would already be noted.

Praise
Allah!

“It could be,” Haroun mused. “Perhaps she attempted to call him, and his not answering has spurred her concern.”

Hmm. That could very well be the case, especially considering how close Qasim suspected Theodore and his niece were. Flipping through the photos in the old Marine’s wallet, Qasim was privy to snapshots of the pair’s lives together. The photograph on top was apparently the most recent. Theodore had his arm thrown around a stunning, flame-haired woman. A golden turkey sat on a platter atop a long, dark bar in front of them while the sparkle of alcohol bottles stacked on shelves glinted in the background. Both Theodore and Delilah were grinning foolishly, as if they hadn’t a care in the world. A pang of envy sliced through Qasim.

The next picture was slightly older, given the fact that Theodore’s stark white hair was peppered with black. The former Marine was smiling broadly at Delilah, who was dressed in a graduation gown and holding up a diploma in one fist, her other hand forming a V for victory. Qasim growled.
So
much
to
celebrate
for
those
two. So much promise for the future…

Beneath the second photo was a third, older still. This one was of Theodore and Delilah on a beach somewhere, both laughing and tan. Theodore looked young and fit, and Delilah had the fresh appearance of a girl who’d just begun to blossom into a woman. Happy times. Blissful times. The kind of times Qasim hadn’t experienced since the deaths of his wife and sons…

And last, but certainly not least, was the final photo. It was of Delilah, aged seven or eight by Qasim’s calculations, pigtailed and giggling while riding Theodore’s broad shoulders. It was
this
picture that bothered him the most. Because seven years old was the age his youngest boy had been the day that Hellfire missile slammed into his village. The day his life changed from one of simple pleasures to one of vengeance, battle, and…
blood
.

And he’d tried. For years he’d tried to sate his thirst for revenge by killing Westerners and those of his brethren who’d fallen victim to the poison of Western beliefs. He’d taken lives and watched others as they were burned down to ashes. Alas, no matter how much blood he spilled, it just wasn’t enough. He’d found no solace, no refuge in the deaths of those many innocents. But perhaps this mission, perhaps destruction on
this
scale, would finally be enough. If he was successful here, perhaps he could finally find peace.

And in a slightly ironic twist, he had a rogue American agent to thank for the opportunity. He never would have believed his salvation would come in that form. Though, come to think of it, perhaps he should have. Winterfield had turned against his own country, turned his back on his motherland, for something as simple as money. A
lot
of money—those who headed The Cause had deep pockets—but it was money all the same.

Good
old
American
capitalism
and
greed
have
come
home
to
roost, and
—

“Qasim?” Haroun asked, and he realized he’d been silent for too long.

Shaking himself, he pushed everything but the mission from his mind. “Make sure you are not spotted,” he commanded. The last thing he needed was for Haroun to find himself matched up against a bunch of big, slow-witted bikers. Qasim had watched enough American television to know that the type of men to wear leather and ride Harleys tended to use their fists or pistols first and ask questions later.

Not that Haroun couldn’t defend himself; he’d been trained by the best
mujahedeen
fighters on the planet. But still…it was better not to take any chances. “Follow them. But do not attempt to take Miss Fairchild while those bikers are around. Wait until she is alone.”

“Do not lose faith in me, Qasim,” Haroun said. “I know what I am doing.”

“Of course you do, my friend,” he assured his second-in-command. Haroun’s pride was easily wounded, like that of so many of the staunchest and most fanatical believers. “I just want to ensure we do not fail in our mission. I want to ensure—”

“I know what you want,
habibi
,” Haroun interrupted. He only used the Arabic term of endearment and friendship when they were speaking alone. All other times, he remained stubbornly formal. “But we will not fall short this time. This time victory shall be ours.”

“
In
sha’Allah
.”
God
willing
, he said before thumbing off the phone and spinning once more toward his hostage.

The kerosene lanterns were turned low despite the fact that his men had covered the windows with black cloth, assuring no light escaped the dilapidated building to catch the attention of a passing motorist. Though, in truth, the possibility of catching the attention of a passing motorist seemed slim. In the two days they’d been occupying this part of Main Street, they’d only heard one car rumble past. And it was obvious the driver had been lost. The vehicle had turned around at the end of the street before heading back out to the highway.

So, yes, perhaps Qasim was being paranoid by insisting the lanterns be kept at their lowest setting. But he didn’t mind the dark. He embraced it, in fact. It seemed somehow fitting. Dark deeds were usually done in dark places, after all. And even in the dim light, he could see that Theodore’s left eye was now swollen almost completely shut. A deep gash near the man’s temple stained his white hair and leaked blood down his cheek and neck.

The stale air inside the deserted Main Street shop was redolent with the metallic aroma of lost bodily fluid and the much sharper odors of fear and desperation. But even so, even suffering from all that fear and desperation, even though his aged body had to be racked by the pain of the repeated beatings Sami and Jabbar administered with glee, Theodore Fairchild refused to answer Qasim’s questions.

That would soon change…

“I have it on good authority that your niece is traveling this way,” Qasim said conversationally, examining his fingernails. “She’s riding with a group of bikers.” Something flashed in Theodore’s good eye and Qasim cocked his head. “Friends of yours?” The old man refused to make so much as a peep behind his gag. “Ah.” He nodded, smiling appreciatively. “That is perfect. A few more bargaining chips to add to my pile…”

Highway 57, 10 miles outside Cairo, Illinois

Five hours later…

Mac had spent the entire ride staring at Delilah’s ass…

Not that he was overly partial to Delilah or anything—he wasn’t, by God! Well, at least not any more than
any
sighted, red-blooded, heterosexual male would be—but he
was
overly partial to asses. And Delilah’s ass, jiggling slightly against the hand-tooled leather seat of Big Red…not to mention the fact that her T-shirt and biker jacket occasionally rode up to reveal the tramp stamp on her lower back—two colorful doves holding a pink ribbon between their beaks with her deceased parents’ names inked onto it—and
holy
shit
fire
! It was a sight to see, to say the least…

Little Mac had been at full attention for most of the journey, and for anyone who’s ever tried to ride a motorcycle with a massive chubby, saying it was painful was belittling the definition of sheer agony. Of course, his own physical discomfort was eclipsed by a sharp spike of…some emotion—it wasn’t jealously, but it was a mean-eyed cousin thereof—when they exited the highway, stopped at a lonely streetlight, and Ozzie pulled up beside him and murmured loud enough to be heard over their grumbling engines, but not loud enough to reach Delilah’s ears, “Damn! That woman sure has a sweet dumper, doesn’t she? I’m going to ask her to marry me!”

Oh, for the love of
—

Mac couldn’t very well tell Ozzie to shove his sweet dumper comment—
I
mean, come on, now. Dumper?
—down his throat without alerting the guy to his…
not
-jealousy…
un
jealousy?…so he did the next best thing. He laughed and shook his helmeted head. “I think you’ve already asked her a dozen times, and I think she’s already turned you down each and every one.”

“Yeah.” Ozzie shrugged laconically. “But that was before I rode to her uncle’s rescue—quite literally.
Now
I’m going to the big, strapping hero. And, as far as I can figure, that’s pretty much catnip to the feline-esque female of the species.”

As much as Mac wanted to brush off Ozzie’s comment as a bunch of bull, he had to admit the sentiment actually held some merit. Not only was Ozzie handsome in the way of most movie stars—even
with
his mad scientist mop of blond hair—but the guy was also smart and charming and…
fun
. Delilah was fun. Ozzie was fun. Mac was…
not
-fun…
un
fun? So, yessir, maybe Ozzie was right. Maybe his riding to her uncle’s rescue would be just what Delilah needed to nudge her over the line from
no
way
in
hell, Ozzie
to
sure, Ozzie, let’s give it a go.

Unbidden, the image of Delilah arching beneath BKI’s tech wizard flashed in front of his eyes. Immediately, his ears began to burn and red edged into his vision. But he wasn’t jealous.
Hell, no.
He was just…
something.
Something that
wasn’t
jealous.

And instead of going with his first instinct, which was to tell Ozzie to just keep on dreaming when it came to Delilah
finally
saying yes to one of his myriad proposals, Mac went with, “Yeah, dude. You might be right. This little huntin’ expedition might be just the thing to turn her
no
into a
yes
.”

Ozzie flipped up the visor on his helmet, gaping at Mac in the dim red glow cast by the overhead stoplight.

“What’s that look for?” Mac demanded.

“I just figured,” Ozzie lifted a shoulder, “you know, given all the not-so-subtle sexual tension between you two, that you’d be a little less apt to toss her happily my way.”

“Hey,” Mac lifted one hand from his handlebars, making a dismissive gesture, “I don’t have, nor do I
want
any sort of claim over That Woman. The field is free and clear, my man. I say, go all Pat Benatar on her and hit her with your best shot.”

Ozzie’s chin jerked back as if Mac’d gifted him with a pop to the jaw instead of a magnanimous piece of advice.

“Okay, not that I don’t appreciate the ’80s music reference, dude, because, seriously? Pat Benatar? High five for that one. But if you don’t mind me saying, I think you’re completely full of shit.”

Why
does
everyone
keep
sayin’ that? First Zoelner, now Ozzie?

Mac opened his mouth to refute the guy’s claim, but,
thank
the
sweet
Lord
, the light flicked from red to green. Twisting his wrist, Siren’s big engine growled appreciatively at the influx of high-octane fuel, and he motored out into the intersection, following behind Delilah and her luscious, world-class ass.

He wondered idly how all his teammates could be so wrong when it came to the relationship…
non-
relationship…
un
relationship?…he had with Delilah. The Black Knights were usually a pretty astute group, constant ribbing and one-upmanship aside. But, he was sad to say, they were dead-eye wrong when it came to this…

***

Outside Charles Sander’s House

Ozzie
wasn’t kidding when he called this place a ghost town
…

Delilah might have expected to find the deserted Main Street, the rusting gas pumps, and the crumbling roads that made up Cairo somewhere out west. Somewhere oil or gold, or oil
and
gold, had dried up, leaving the residents nothing to live or stay for. But here? In southern Illinois? Well, a ghost town of this magnitude—it had sprawling neighborhoods, and vast, empty public spaces—was bizarre, to say the least. Downright spooky, to say the most.

Okay, and yeah, she was saying the most. Because on a scale of scary from one to ten—one being slightly foreboding and ten being shit-your-pants terrifying—this whole town fell somewhere around an eight. Eight or nine…

“Lord almighty,” Mac breathed. “Looks like hell with everyone out to lunch.”

And that was one way of putting it, Delilah supposed. Another way of putting it was to say that Cairo, Illinois, was a horror movie set sprung to life.

She shivered as a gust of cool wind howled down the deserted street, rattling the shutters on the house next door like the ribs on a skeleton. And she tried,
oh, man
, how she tried not to let the gaping black windows of the dilapidated homes remind her of eyes,
dead
eyes. Of course, the fact that the entire block was pitch dark, illuminated only by the headlights of the bikes they’d parked on the street, didn’t help matters any.

And, then, leave it to Ozzie to go and make everything that much worse by loudly whispering, “Ahhh! Make the lambs stop screaming!”

Instantly, an image of Anthony Hopkins playing Hannibal Lecter—complete with spooky half-mask—flashed in her mind’s eye, and she instinctively reached for the hand closest to her.

It was Mac’s. And its warmth, not to mention its strength, kept her from turning around and jumping back on Big Red, leaving a mile-long trail of rubber in her wake as she hightailed it out of Dodge…er…uh, Cairo.

“Holy crow, Ozzie,” Mac grumbled. They were all standing on a disintegrating sidewalk and staring up at Charlie Sander’s house. And although it wasn’t in
much
better shape than the crumbling dwellings around it, it
did
appear to still have all its windowpanes. And the yard, though not manicured by any stretch of the imagination,
did
look like it’d been recently mowed. “This place is creepy enough without any
Silence
of
the
Lambs
references.”

“Sorry,” Ozzie said, shuddering dramatically. “I just keep expecting some naked dude to come around the corner with his Johnson and nads tucked up between his legs, singing
it
rubs
the
lotion
on
its
skin, or else it gets the hose again
.”

Delilah squeezed Mac’s hand tighter, inching closer to his side and fighting the urge to glance over her shoulder. Was something back there? Watching? Waiting to sneak up and devour her soul in one greedy gulp?

Mac chafed her freezing fingers with his free hand before turning to glare at Ozzie. “What did I
just
say about
Silence
of
the
Lambs
references? I swear by all that’s holy, Ozzie, if you don’t cut that shit out, I’m gonna be forced to feed you my gun.”

BKI’s tech guru held his hands in the air. “Sorry. Sorry. I just watched it again last weekend, so it’s kinda stuck in my head, you know?”

“Yeah,” Zoelner huffed, “and now, thank you very much, it’s stuck in
all
our heads.”

Another gust of damp, moldy-smelling wind. Another bout of bone-rattling shutter noise. Another shiver danced up Delilah’s spine.

This
was her Uncle Theo’s friend Charlie’s house? Why would anyone choose to live like this? Why would anyone choose to
stay
in this godforsaken town? And, yeah, she
totally
got why her uncle decided to leave her back at the hotel in Marion…

Okay, okay. Just take a breath and focus on what’s important. Focus on why you came here, like
—

“Uncle Theo’s bike isn’t here,” she observed, glancing toward the glaringly empty, grease-stained driveway. “Which means
he’s
not here.” And for a moment, a heavy wave of disappointment overcame her fear.

“It’s possible he’s parked in the garage,” Mac told her, giving her fingers another reassuring squeeze, a
friendly
squeeze.

“Yeah,
hermano,
” Steady said, “but the question is, who’s gonna go check?”

“Maybe we should state our intentions,” Zoelner suggested. “It is,” he checked the big watch on his wrist, “oh-five-hundred in the morning, after all. If Theo isn’t here, and this Charles Sander guy
is
, he’s not likely to be all that keen on a gang of bikers skulking around his house in the dark.”

“Agreed.” Mac nodded. He cleared his throat and called, “Theo! Charles! Are you guys in there?” His deep voice echoed down the empty street, bouncing back to them a second later. “Theo! Charles!” he tried again. But when no one answered him save for an echo and the cackle of dead leaves flipping down the road on another gust of wind, he changed tactics. “We’ve got Delilah here! Charles, as I’m sure you know, Delilah is Theo’s niece and she’s feelin’ mean as a mama wasp that Theo’s not answering his phone! We’re here lookin’ for him! So, don’t turn us into buzzard bait, okay? We’re gonna approach your front porch!”

Front
porch…front porch…front porch…
his words bounced around hauntingly before finally fading. Then, silence reigned over the derelict street.

“Okay,” Mac said, chafing her ice-cold fingers one last time. “Let’s do this.”

Uh-huh. That sounded simple enough, didn’t it? After all, she was with four big, tough men. It should’ve been easy to walk up to that chipped and peeling front door. It
should
have been. Unfortunately, someone, at some point, had glued her boots to the sidewalk.

“
Jesús Cristo
,” Steady harrumphed, the first to start stomping up the sidewalk. “Let’s hope the inside of this place is better than the outside.”

Mac ushered her forward. And was it just her? Or did the trip up to the front porch feel sort of like
Dead
Man
Walking
? As if she was heading toward her own funeral…

Okay, and now you’re just being fanciful. Stop imagining things.

“Mr. Sander?” Steady pulled the screen door open—well,
frame
of a screen door, really; there was no actual screen attached. “Mr. Sander!” Steady tried again, holding the metal doorframe open with his foot and banging on the front door. The thing might have been bright red at one point, but now it was a dirty crimson color, and the air on the porch hung heavy with the smell of the honeysuckle bush growing over the south side railing. Beneath that lingered the dank, moldy aroma of rotting wood mixed with a hint of dog piss and…was that marijuana? “Are you in there, Mr. Sander? We’re friends of Theo Fairchild!”

Silence. Dark, dense silence.

And, as if the place wasn’t atmospheric enough already, a barn owl, perched somewhere nearby, chose that exact moment to let loose with one of its screeching calls. Ozzie jumped, unholstering his weapon. “Seriously?” he shuddered. “I mean…
Jesus!
”

“Knock again. If you don’t get an answer, try the knob,” Mac instructed Steady, still firmly holding Delilah’s hand. And it was a good thing, too. She feared his tough grip might be the only thing keeping her on the porch and not beating feet in the opposite direction.

Steady knocked. Once. Twice. Three times. When nothing stirred inside the house, he turned the knob, pushing the door open.

Something huge and snarling barreled out at them. The next thing Delilah knew, she was airborne…

***

When the large shadow leaped from inside the house, Mac’s instincts kicked in…

First thing:
Protect
the
girl
. He grabbed Delilah around the waist and lunged off the porch, landing on the hard ground on his back—
Ow! Sonofa
—before rolling Delilah beneath him and covering her with his body. Second thing:
Acquire
the
target
. He reached into his waistband, grabbed his Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol, pulled back the side, and lifted the weapon to stare down the night sights.

Just as he’d been taught at the Academy, he scanned the yard in front of him.
Acquiring
target. Acquiring target. Acqu
—
There!