Destroyed Read online

  “Get yourself cleaned up!” a voice shouts from over me. I turn my head slightly so that I can see who has finally released me from my binds. It is a face that I see almost daily. His face is mutilated with scars, his teeth yellowed and gnarly. He rears his boot clad foot back and delivers one last kick to my ribs before turning and leaving the room.

  After several painful minutes, I am able to pull myself up and crawl towards the tiny sink in the corner where I am to wash myself. I pull myself up onto trembling legs that threaten to give out on me. I manage to remain standing and stare at the reflection in the broken mirror that hangs over the sink. This time was worse than the last I realize when I see the evidence of their torture.

  After washing myself up, I make my way to the lone cot that sits in the center of the room and sit down for the first time in what seems like forever. I feel the familiar burn in the back of my eyes, tears that threaten, but I quickly bite them back. I don't shed tears any longer. I gave that up when I realized no one was coming for me.

  My gaze falls on the cinder blocks that make up the walls to my cell. Tally marks are neatly placed within each rectangle, representing each day I have been trapped in this living hell. Each block constitutes a month, thirty days I have been confined, beaten, raped and tortured within these four walls. I count the blocks. Forty seven have been filled. One thousand four hundred and ten days. Almost four years has passed since my arrival here.

  I realize I am almost twenty one. If my calculations are correct, my birthday is next month. A time for celebration for some, but not for me. I am only existing, wishing for death at this point. But they will not give me the satisfaction. They want me to suffer, but I must remain alive. If they kill me, their deal with the Satan’s Rebels is invalid. So I am kept alive, tormented daily because I will not conform to their demands. I will not become what they want, a pawn in their sick game.

  The beatings will continue until I give in. I’m not going to lie. I have played their game, pretending that I am on their side. I am on no one’s side but my own. I don’t care if either club falls at this point. All I care about is survival. Escape. And every single time I gain a hint of their trust, the real me emerges and I am thrust back into the depths of hell.

  Each time, my punishment is different. This time, I was beaten with a whip. Last time, I was made to hang from chains for a week. Once before, I was beaten and gang raped until I was bleeding from every orifice. I should be grateful I am alive, but I’m not. This isn’t about living, this is about survival and escape, but that is just a dream.

  The reality of my situation is evident. They will never let me go and I will not submit. I could close my eyes and pray to a nonexistent god to end my suffering, but the end will never come. It will continue until there is nothing left but an empty shell. But somehow I refuse to give in, to give up. I continue to fight, hoping that one day I will be free. That someone will save me. It is the only thing that keeps me sane, to dream that there will one day be a happily ever after.

  Chapter Two

  Viper

  Stepping inside the Condemned Warrior’s compound feels wrong on so many levels. I know what they stand for and it kills me to be in the same company with these men. Life has no value to them. It is about the almighty dollar. They would sacrifice one of their own if it meant they could profit from it. No loyalty and no brotherhood.

  The Satan’s Rebels is just as notorious. We are far from innocent. Partaking in illegal activities is a part of any MC. But we would never sell or trade a person for gain. That is until Reaper came into power. When the rivalry with the Condemned Warriors came to an end almost four years ago, everyone was grateful knowing their loved ones and family could rest easy without threat. They were safe.

  No one bothered to ask how Reaper had managed to negotiate with them. Not until we came into town. Money was disappearing within the Rockingham chapter and we knew it was an inside job. When Hawk contacted Tank, ordering him to look into it further, it was then that we discovered the dark secret Reaper had been hiding.

  He was turning a blind eye to their sex trafficking operation, one that the Satan’s Rebels had put a stop to many years before. Reaper claimed to be protecting the club, saying that with their numbers, they would overrun us. Reaper had cowered to their demands, something no other brother would have stood for if they had known the truth. Numbers didn't matter. We would have fought and won, which is exactly what we planned to do. There was just one matter that had to be dealt with first.

  Jade Bennett. Tank’s baby sister and daughter of our former president, Halo. The niece of Reaper. Almost four years ago, she had been reported as a runaway. Reaper was the one to call Tank and tell him she had left. Just disappeared, wanting nothing more to do with the club or him. Tank was devastated, but knew that one day, she would come to her senses and return. He knew she was still hurting after the death of both of their parents. What he did not realize is that Jade had not run away.

  Right before gutting Reaper, I finally got the truth from him. He had handed Jade over to the Condemned Warriors. Insurance he had said. To protect the club. Tank went postal when he heard. Knowing his sister was in the hands of our mortal enemy did not sit too kindly with him or me for that matter. I had only met Halo once, several years before and I knew his daughter was as much a part of the club as every fucking brother. To hand her over to them was the worst crime Reaper could have committed, and he paid with his life.

  With Reaper gone, it came down to finding Jade and getting her home where she belonged. We knew that the Warriors had not sold her, that she was still with them. The photographs Reaper had hidden in the back of his desk was proof that she was indeed alive. But that was where the good news ended. The photos depicted Jade while being tortured - beaten, raped, burned, and cut. Each picture of her body haunted me, seeing her body bloodied and bruised. I knew all too well what it was like to be abused, and I could not stand by and do nothing while the same was being done to one of our own.

  Tank had shown me photos of his sister from their childhood. She was a beautiful girl, so full of life. Her long, dark brown hair cascaded past her shoulders in voluminous waves, framing her face. Her eyes were giant emeralds, a window to her soul. Even though she was obviously young in the pictures, perhaps sixteen, she was still by far one of the most beautiful girls I had ever laid eyes on.

  I push those thoughts out of my head. I must concentrate on my mission. Infiltrating the Condemned Warrior’s was not an easy task, but I had pulled it off. A few chance encounters allowed me entrance into the club. Being voted in without having prospected was unheard of, but saving the ass of the president on two separate occasions, ones that had been perfectly set up, had allowed me to bypass the norm. I had been patched in last night.

  Now I stand outside the cell that holds Jade, almost two months after I devised this plan. I have no idea what to expect when I open this door, but I know it will change my life forever. I just don't realize how much of an impact this woman will have on my life, on me as a person, until much later.

  Jade

  The sound of the door opening causes me to startle. I jerk myself upright, cringing as pain radiates through my back and side. An unfamiliar face comes into view and I immediately push myself against the harsh metal frame of the cot. He says nothing as he shuts the door behind him, and makes his way over to me.

  Old habits die hard, and I immediately go into defensive mode. He is here to hurt me, just like all the others. I had hoped for a few days to heal before enduring further torture, but luck was not on my side. It had not been in a long time.

  “Jade?” he whispers my name, something no man uses anymore. Hearing its use makes me relax, even if only briefly.

  I nod my head and wait, anticipating the strike that inevitably will come. Instead, the man sits on the edge of my cot and stares at me. His eyes are filled with an emotion I have not seen in so very long, it seems foreign.

  “I’m not here to hurt you,” he says so
ftly. His deep baritone voice is harsh and gritty, but somehow soothing. He sits unmoving, in silence, for several minutes before he continues. “Tank sent me. Do you remember Tank?”

  Tank. How could I forget my brother? I thought about him every single day. Him, Shadow, and my life before this nightmare began were what held me together. “Tank sent you?” My voice is hoarse, almost unrecognizable.

  He acknowledges my question with a simple nod before continuing. “I’m going to get you out of here, babe. I promise. But I need you to play along. You feel me?”

  Hope. Suddenly I was filled with hope. Was this really happening or was I dreaming again? I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again to see him still sitting there. “Get me out of here?”

  “You have to trust me. Can you do that for me, babe?”

  I nod in agreement, almost enthusiastically, if that is even possible. Can this really be happening or this another delusion? “When? When can you get me out of here?”

  “I don't have an answer, but soon. I will get you out of here one way or another.” I see the determination in his eyes. He can’t be faking that. Eyes are the gateway to the soul. I need to trust him. I will trust him.

  When he stands and heads for the door, leaving me alone, I am filled with newfound hope. It may not be today or tomorrow. It may not happen for weeks or months, but I somehow believed the words of the unnamed man who promised to release me from my hell.

  Chapter Three

  Viper

  It has been almost a week since I last gave Tank an update. I know he is anxious, so I made arrangements to be out of sight long enough to place the call I know he desperately needed. I stepped inside the convenience store and made my way to the back where the restrooms are located. Stepping inside the small room, I pull out the throw away and begin to dial. “Yeah?”

  “Made contact. We need to move sooner rather than later.”

  “How bad?”

  “It’s bad,” my words reflecting the anguish I felt when I laid eyes on her.

  “How soon?”

  “A week at most. Preferably sooner.”

  “Tomorrow at three. Be prepared.” The line goes dead. I open the back of the device and pull out the sim card, tossing it into the toilet and flushing before crushing the phone in my hand and throwing it in the garbage.

  I make my way towards the front of the store, stopping only to grab a six pack before heading to the register. With a pack of smokes and beer in hand, I make my way back to my bike, and then head to the compound that I temporarily must call home.

  ***

  The club is unusually quiet as I step inside. Only a few random club whores are littered in the main room, but otherwise the place looks abandoned.

  Walking down the dingy hallway towards my room, I hear screams echoing through the house. I drop the beer onto the floor and rush in the direction of Jade’s room.

  As soon as I approach, the door opens and Riff steps out, grinning from ear to ear. “Yo, Bandit. You been missin’ all the action.” I still could not get used to the name they had given me. I was Viper and always would be.

  “What’s goin’ on?” I attempt a glance beyond Riff.

  “Bitch is payin’ her dues. Serves the cunt right.” In other words, Jade was being fucking beaten, judging from the noises coming from the room. “I’da gutted the fuckin’ cunt had she taken a chunk outta my cock.”

  I tried to play it cool, but rage filled me to the core. I caught sight of Jade, hanging from the rafters. Blitz was whipping her from behind, while several others were pummeling her with their fists. Blood was pooling at her feet. From the beating she was getting, it was surprising she was even conscious, but she was. Jazz had a tight grip on her face, snarling obscenities at her. Trickles of blood escape the corner of her mouth as she mutters, “Fuck you,” to him.

  I know I cannot wait until Tank sends reinforcements. Tomorrow will be too late. She will not be able to withstand much more punishment. I make the decision to make a move now. It may be a mistake, and both of us may not make it out of here alive, but at the rate these men are going, it is unlikely she will survive much more.

  When Jazz rears his fist back and it connects with her jaw, I jump into action. I hook my arm around Riff’s neck, pulling him back further into the hallway. Pulling my blade from my side, I slice into his throat in one fatal swipe. I drop him to the floor, his eyes gaping, blood pouring through his fingers as he clutches the gaping wound.

  Stepping inside the room, I see there are five men present. I don’t hesitate as I pull the .45 from the back of my jeans and fire off four shots in succession, their bodies falling lifelessly to the floor, leaving Blitz standing shell-shocked behind Jade.

  I take a step towards him, aiming my piece at his head as he lifts his blade to Jade’s throat. “Drop it or she dies!” he orders, realization flooding his eyes. He knows why I am here now.

  I lower my piece to the floor, seeing the blade pressed into her skin, positioned over her jugular. One slip is all it will take to end her life and I cannot let that happen. Not only for my brother, but for her. She has survived this torment for close to four years. I will not let her fall now.

  “Who the fuck are you?!” he demands, his hold on the blade so tight his knuckles whiten.

  “You get your kicks out of beating this girl? Look at her, man. No human being deserves this kind of treatment.” I am biding my time, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

  “I asked you a fuckin’ question. Who the fuck are you?”

  He presses the knife deeper, a hint of blood begins trailing down to her collar bone. My time is limited. I must act now or it will all be over. “You’re really asking me that question? Because I thought you would have figured it out when I took out all your men. Who could I possibly be?” I take a step closer to him. “Who would come here, become one of you just to take you out for her?” I nod in Jade’s direction. “Did you not think that eventually we would figure it out? Or did you think we all were as weak as Reaper?”

  His eyes widen in shock. “Rebel,” he mutters, his hold on the knife wavering. I see the opportunity and strike, pulling the .357 mag from behind and firing one single shot. The blade tumbles to the floor as Blitz collapses, blood dripping from the entrance wound in his forehead.

  I know I have to get out of here and fast. I waste no time in grabbing the knife at Jade’s feet and cutting the binds that have her naked body hovering above the floor. She slumps into my arms, looking lifeless. I gently lower her to the floor and feel for a pulse. It is there, but it is weak.

  I tear off the cut I am wearing, tossing it to the floor before raising my shirt over my head and carefully placing over hers, covering her nude body. I lift her effortlessly into my arms and carry her out of the dungeon that has held her for years, ignoring the few club whores that are present as I walk out the front door to the compound and to my car. I lay her gently on the back seat before tearing away from the clubhouse, knowing that I have just declared war.

  Shadow

  Tank and I arrive at the hospital in record time, ignoring every traffic law. When Tank received a call from Viper telling him that things had gone south and that he was headed to the hospital with Jade, we both hopped on our bikes and were on the road in what seemed like seconds.

  As soon as we step foot inside the emergency room, we spot Viper sitting outside the room with his head in his hands. He looks up at us, his eyes full of regret, as we approach.

  “Dr. Phillips is in there. I called him before I called you,” he says, his voice hushed.

  “What happened?” are the only words I can muster when I see the scrubs he is wearing.

  “I couldn’t wait. Tomorrow was going to be too late,” his words are filled with anguish. He turns to Tank. “I headed to the compound after I hung up with you. A group of them were beating and whipping her.”

  “Shit!”

  “Took out six of them, but you know I just declared war. They’re gonna want retribut
ion.”

  “Shadow, call Maze and fill him in. He’ll start the ball rolling. I want every last Warrior eliminated!”

  I nod my head as I pull my phone from my pocket and walk down the narrow hallway, dialing Maze. I fill him in on every detail we know so far, and needless to say, he is livid. The Warriors may have the numbers, but they don't stand a chance.

  When I return, the two are silent. I join them in the one empty chair outside of Jade’s room, waiting for Dr. Phillips to emerge with news on Jade’s condition. I wonder to myself if she will be the same. Would the once fun loving girl that I had known and loved still be present or had they taken that from her too?

  Chapter Four

  Jade