Out Of The Shadows (HADES) (Whiskey Bend MC Series, Book #4)

After escaping the church, Drake waited in the shadows long enough to see the building burn. He hoped Hades, Caden and Charlie would be trapped inside along with Lillian but scowled when he saw them all escape the flames.

Then making his way back to town after he left the church, Drake found the motel where Caden and Cole were staying and he’d broken into their cabin. Going from room to room, he took note of their living arrangements. Opening the closet, he’d grabbed a shirt and pair of jeans off the hangers. Sitting down on the bed, he pulled off his boots. Next came his jeans and after that he began unbuttoning his shirt.

He pulled his stained shirt off his good shoulder first. His left shoulder still bothered him after all this time but when you couldn’t get medical help for a gunshot wound and had to patch yourself up, he was lucky the shot hadn’t killed him. His shoulder hadn’t healed right after Hades first shot him when he’d tried to get at Hope, but he’d adapted to it.

He grunted as the pain throbbed when he pulled the cloth away from his hand wound. Fresh blood seeped from the wound as he made his way to the bathroom. Finding a washcloth, he ran it under cold water. Pressing the clean cloth against his wound, Drake gasped at the coldness against his skin.

He closed his eyes for a moment and let his mind empty. He had learned as a child to overcome the pain inflicted by others and he did it again. As soon as he opened his eyes again, the pain was gone. He pulled the cloth away from his hand and studied his wound.

The skin around the hole was ragged and sore. The dried blood sealing the wound was black and Drake knew the bullet had done some real damage. His other wound wasn’t much better but it had been a couple days. He grabbed a dry washcloth and some medical tape and bound the cloth against the wound. He thought about taking a shower but decided he really didn’t have time if he were going to get into place before the others got back.

As he dressed in Caden’s clothes, Drake remembered something he’d seen earlier. He had seen a silver truck around town with Dr. Gabriel Jones, DVM on the door. In the kitchenette area, he ransacked the drawers for a phonebook. Grabbing the book out of the drawer, he found what he wanted. Now he knew where he had to go. While he was there, he looked in the fridge and found a sandwich. Grabbing it, he wolfed it down and grabbed a bottle of water to drink.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Drake noted the time. It was almost eight. He had to get out of here. Caden could be coming home any time and he didn’t want to be here when he came back.

Drake peered outside. All was quiet so he thought it was safe to go. He would have to make his way across town, and he wasn’t sure the police didn’t have his image on a wanted poster by now. The waitress Lillian could have given them details, but he would take care of her later. Right now. He had to get the wound looked at or risk blood poisoning. He made a quick call on his cell phone.

Drake grabbed a jacket out of the closet by the door and left the safety of Caden’s cabin. He felt better with food in his stomach, but he could tell his body temperature was rising. He laughed to himself, using the cop’s and agent’s room to get what he needed? If that wasn’t a kick in the ass, he didn’t know what was.

Walking slowly down the street, he kept to the shadows and while he seemed unconcerned, Drake’s senses were working overtime.

Forty minutes later, he stopped on the edge of town where a one story house and several out buildings stood surrounded by a fence. The old silver truck was parked in the garage, and Drake didn’t see anyone around.

He walked up to the front door and knocked. Sounds came from inside and Drake waited. When an older woman came to the door, he smiled. “I’m looking for Doc Jones. Is he around?”

The old woman smiled. “Doctor Jones is my husband, but he’s long retired from practice.”

Drake smiled again. “But is he home? I really need to see him.”

The woman smiled. “Sure, come on in.” She looked around behind him for an injured animal but didn’t find one. She frowned and shuffled into the kitchen where Gabriel Jones sat at the table. They had been drinking a cup of tea before going to bed. “Dear, this young man insisted on speaking to you.”

Gabriel wiped his mouth and began to stand. He paused when he saw the glint of the knife at his wife’s throat. “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded.

Drake pressed the knife a little deeper into the old woman’s throat. “I need a doctor and you’ve been elected,” Drake told them.

“But I’m not a people doctor. I treated animals,” Doc Jones told him.

“I know, but I need you to dress a wound before it starts bleeding again. If you refuse then you’re of no use to me, and I’d hate for that to happen, wouldn’t you?” Drake told them.

“Hang on, young man. I’ll try, but please don’t hurt my wife.” Doc Jones stepped away from the table and motioned for Drake to step into the other room.

Drake pushed the old woman in front of him.

Gabriel Jones stared at the man with the knife in his hand. “We’re not going to make it out of this situation alive, are we?”

“I really doubt it doc but it’s up to you how this plays out.”

Doc Jones had cleaned and dressed his wound.

Before Drake left, he thanked the old man by killing him first. His wife fell to cradle her husband’s body close to her and he ended her pain as well. As he walked out of their house, he almost smiled at the thought that it wouldn’t have been fair of him to leave her to grieve for her husband.

~*~

Now Drake watched the clubhouse from his perch and sneered, as his mind was busy making his own plans of retribution. He was high up in the branches of a nearby tree.

When he’d heard the gunshot and felt yet another bullet rip through his body, he couldn’t believe his luck. This Hades bastard was like a dog after a bone. He just didn’t quit, well Drake could relate to that. This was the second damn time Hades had clipped him. The man was a shooter for sure. Well, Drake didn’t quit either and now he had even more reason to finish this. The bullet had gone right through his hand but it was the same arm he’d taken another bullet in five years ago.

Now in the tree, his hand was throbbing and he felt the pain but he’d learned a long time ago to ignore his physical pain. When he’d seen the other bikers arrive, he stayed where he was. He knew he should have escaped but he wasn’t going to run and hide anymore. He glanced down at the small bag near where he was sitting. He knew inside that bag was enough weapons to bring an end to this matter. He’d used it before, so he knew exactly how powerful just a little bit could become. Looking over at the clubhouse, he smiled. Yeah, he had enough to burn the clubhouse to the ground before anyone could escape. They would all be trapped inside and he could watch and listen until their screams died on the wind.

Drake grinned. Sometimes people could be fooled so easily. They were so busy looking on the ground they often forgot to look up. And sometimes they never thought he would be brave enough to come this close to them either.

~*~

“What the hell happened here?” Caden wondered out loud. He and Cole had come back here to clean up and change their clothes. After wearing his clothes for the last two days, he felt the need to clean up and change.

They walked into their cabin and stared in shock at the mess they’d found.

Cole thought for a moment. “Drake,” He said.

Caden whipped around to stare at him. “What?”

Cole nodded as he surmised, “Drake was here while we were at the club.”

“How do you know it was Drake?” Caden asked.

“Who else do you know would need medical attention from a gunshot wound?” Cole held up the bloody shirt. The shirt showed a good amount of blood as well as other stains.

“Damn him,” Caden swore. He snatched the shirt out of Cole’s hands and scanned it carefully. The material was stiff with dried blood, grime, it also stunk to high heaven of mold, and wet ground, just like Ethan had said.

Caden grabbed his cell phone and called the club. Lucifer told him no more secrets and he wasn’t going to keep this from them.

“It seems I had a visitor while we were with you. Cole thinks Drake came calling. He left behind a set of grimy and bloody clothes so I assume he came her to get help and clean himself up.”

“You really think it was him?” Lucifer asked.

“Yeah, I really do.”

“I’m thinking he never went back to the tunnels. I think he’ll bring his fight to us,” Lucifer surmised.

“I’m thinking you could be right,” Caden replied. “We’re on our way back right now. I have a feeling he’ll wait until we’re all together to make his move. Stay alert and protect yourselves.”

“Get back here quickly and quietly then.”

Before he could hang up, Cole grabbed the phone and said, “Don’t assume he’ll be on the ground. He’s used to fooling people by hiding in plain sight. Look up. He used to climb trees and spy on people from above.”

“Okay. We will look.” Lucifer hung up.

When they got back, they found Lillian and Hope in a heated discussion.

“What’s going on here?” Hades asked as he came to stand between them.

Lillian stared at Hope. “I want to go home.”

“I told her that wasn’t a very good idea,” Hope interrupted.

Lillian threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t see why not. I don’t think Drake will come anywhere near me.”

“What makes you think that?” Hades asked quietly.

Lillian shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think I was his target in the first place. I think she was,” she said as she pointed at Hope. “I was a diversion.”

“You may have started out as a diversion but now you are a real target, and you are still in danger,” Caden pointed out.

“Yeah, but I just want to go home. I think you’ve scared Drake into hiding and he has more pressing matters on his mind. With all the bikers out looking for him, I would think he’d be long gone by now.” Lillian reasoned.

Hades rolled his eyes. “Is it really worth your life to find out? We haven’t seen or heard the last of Drake quite yet.”

Lillian hung her head in defeat. “I didn’t do anything wrong and I’m the one being held in jail. Somehow that doesn’t seem right.”

“Nobody is going anywhere until this is over!” Lucifer called out from the doorway. “Sorry sweetheart, but that just ain’t happening. I’m not putting anyone’s life at risk just because you damn well want to go home.” He looked over at Caden. “My men are beginning to leave now, they’ll spread out and search the woods first then search the rest of the farm. If anyone can find this motherfucker they can.”

Caden nodded. “Will there be enough men left in case he tries something here?”

Lucifer grinned and it didn’t bode well for Drake. “Don’t worry, I got this place covered. He wouldn’t dare come in here.”

Hades finally spoke up, “He may not come in but he might have other plans. Explosives may be an option.” He looked over at Aries.

Aries nodded. “The man may use a knife, but to get at something as big as the compound? Yeah, explosives.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “Dammit, I thought we left war behind us.”

Hades walked toward his prez and led him away from the women. “I read the files Caden brought with him last night and I realized something at the church. He set it on fire and that is his MO at times. When Drake escaped Danbury, he set fire to the place. He did it to distract everyone while he slipped away.”

Lucifer growled. “You think he might firebomb the clubhouse as long as everyone is in one place.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Fuck a damn duck!” Lucifer swore. “That means he’s close enough to watch our movements.”

Hades nodded. “I wouldn’t fucking put that past him.”

Lucifer turned and walked quickly to the main room where he addressed the group of men still there.