Chaos Conquers All (13 page)

His dark eyes swung her way and locked on. The sense of foreboding inside her surged higher. Why would Mace be here? All of the guys nodded at her as they moved around to find their own space. Mace headed straight for her. He threw his arms around her and pulled her into a fierce embrace. Her eyes went back to the door waiting for Tex and Trace to enter.

“Don’t worry, babe. We will get him back and we will make sure those bastards pay,” Mace said to her as the door began to creak open.

Get who back?

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They were heading out of town through the rural industrial area. The road weaved through farm machinery saleyards and small orchards and market garden farms. The van was out in front with Jay and Brodie in it. Rock was riding alongside the cab of the truck while Tex hung back a little further. On the other side of the truck were Trace and Case, and behind them were Cane and Hawk. He glanced left at the truck knowing that Trace was on the other side probably still brooding. Nikki had made him promise to watch Trace’s back but he’d been too pissed off to look even look at Trace. He’d tasked Case with watching Trace’s back instead. He still couldn’t believe that Trace would accuse him of being anything like that prick Bridges.

The sound of screeching metal reached his ears a second before the van suddenly flew across the road in front of Rock. A cream coloured sedan was firmly planted in the side of it pushing onto the verge beyond him. The truck swerved hard left around the scene, careening up onto the curb and ploughing through some fences. Tex squeezed his brakes as he weaved through the debris dropping back from the truck. He looked left to see Case drop his bike and slide across the grass until his bike hit a tree. He couldn’t see Trace anywhere.

The truck braked hard sliding on the slippery grass at the edge of the road. The trailer had swung wildly and tipped onto a dangerous angle threatening to topple over then crashed back down onto its wheels as the truck slowed. Tex came a complete stop a few metres south of the trailer. The driver had managed to steer the truck between some machinery and it came to rest high in the yard of a turf farm with the engine no longer running.

“Tex,” Cane called out to him.

He turned around to see Cane signalling the roads around them. More cars began appearing from side roads and out of the nearby industrial yards. Tex knew what this was. The Niners. This was Bridges or Black coming down on them. They needed that truck going and fast.

He gunned it towards the cab stopping behind a nearby tractor for cover.

“Get that fucking thing going,” he yelled at the driver as he clambered off his bike and pulled the pistol from his holster.

“The van!” Rock yelled at him and his gaze went straight to the wreck on the opposite verge back down the road.

Brodie and Jay crawled from the wreckage and staggered to their feet. Tex made a run for them as the cars neared. Both men fired into the vehicle that hit them. The bodies in there weren’t getting out. Jay’s left arm was hanging and Brodie had a nasty gash over his left eye and he was limping.

“We need to move fast,” he stated as he scooped one arm under Brodie’s armpit.

Rock and Cane covered them as they all ran for the cover of the tractor.

The spray of bullets started coming thick and fast as they reached the tractor.

“You guys alright?” Rock asked.

“I’ve ripped the stitches in my leg,” Brodie stated as he looked at the back of his calf, “and my head is buzzing but other than that I’m good.”

“You’re arm broken?” he asked Jay as he looked at the limp limb.

“Nah man, just dislocated. If you can give me hand to get it back in I’ll be fine,” he said as he leant against the tractor, “Just hold it out straight and push up towards my head until it pops back in.”

Tex followed Jay’s instructions and winced as the joint popped back in to place.

“I’m good. Now where do we go from here?” Jay asked.

“Not sure. We need to find Trace first. Did you see him?” he asked Cane.

“Nah man, when the truck swerved it blocked my view,” Cane answered him.

Shit.

Bullets tinged off the metal as he scanned the area, searching for Trace. He spotted Case and Hawk ducking behind an old flatbed over to their right. He needed to get over there and find out where Trace had gone. He slid to the edge of the tractor to peer around the edge. Before he could even get his line of sight clear of the machinery in front of him.

“Did you see Trace?” he yelled at Case as loud as he could.

Case shook his head, “Lost sight of him when I went down.”

Fuck.

Suddenly everything went quiet. Tex crouched down low and peered under the belly of the tractor. There were four cars in an arc formation in front of them. From what he could see there were somewhere around sixteen men. All of them were armed with automatic weapons and all were sporting Niners colours. A black sedan rolled to a stop behind the centre vehicle. As he watched, Black exited the sedan and said something to one of his goons. The man pointed somewhere over to Tex’s left. Tex looked in that direction but couldn’t see anything except an old cherry picker next to a small shed.

“We have you pinned down, Tex. You and your men aren’t going anywhere unless you give me the girl,” Black stated loudly.

Tex frowned. Was he talking about Ace or Daisy? Either way he wasn’t giving Black anything. 

“What girl?” he yelled at Black.

“Don’t play games with me,” Black warned.

They needed to get out of here. He looked at the truck behind them and wondered why the guy hadn’t managed to start it yet.

“Where’s Daisy, you prick?” Black growled.

He turned to Jay, “There’s too many of them. Get in that truck see what the issue is and take Brodie with you. We need it going and we need it going now.”

Where the hell was Trace?

“She’s somewhere we can keep an eye on her until we obliterate you and that piece of shit boss of yours,” Tex shouted.

“You tell me where she is or I will slaughter the lot of you here and now,” Black threatened.

“I’m not telling you shit asshole,” he answered

“Well if you won’t give me my girl maybe I’ll just take yours. Where is the little cunt?” Black taunted.

A growl rumbled from deep inside Tex’s chest and he lunged toward the edge of their cover. He was going to kill that bastard with his bare hands. Rock grabbed hold of him and shook his head. Fuck.

“She’s not here,” he told Black as the distant sound of bikes reached his ears.

In the same breath he hoped that it was King coming to provide back up and that Nikki was far away from the fray. Black spoke quietly to the men around him seemingly issuing orders. The men around Black began to move. They started to fan out going heavy to Tex’s left.

“What the fuck are they doing?” he whispered quietly.

“Looking to cut off our escape route maybe?” Rock guessed as he  peered under the belly of the tractor.

“Well if I can’t have the bitch then Deveraux will do just fine,” Black yelled back in reply.

At his words all hell broke loose.

Bullets began flying through the air as the men moved forward. He fired under the belly of the tractor catching one of the Niners in the leg. The man went down heavy on his trigger arm and bullets sprayed wildly. Tex ducked back behind the tire of the tractor. He could hear the sound of bikes getting louder, a lot louder than two bikes.

“We gotta find Trace!” he yelled at Cane and Rock.

A fresh burst of gun fire came from their left.

“Found him,” Rock said as they all looked left.

Several of the Niners had surrounded the cherry picker. As they circled around it Tex caught a glimpse of Trace. He was crouched between the picker and the shed. The distance between them was significant and with the men circling him he was about to be cut off.

“It’s Southern River,” Case shouted from Tex’s right.

The damn cavalry had arrived and not a moment too soon. The truck engine roared to life behind him and suddenly this situation looked like it was on the turn. He just had to get to Trace.

The sound of the bikes drew the attention of the men in front of them. The Southern River boys let rip with the bullets and suddenly half Black’s fire power was diverted. The noise of the new gun fight distracted the men circling Trace. Tex watched as Trace fired off a couple of rounds and made a run for the shed. He was about to be cornered. He signalled Jay and Brodie to get the truck moving and yelled at Hawk and Case to get after the truck. He was going after Trace.

“Cover me,” he told Rock and Cane, “I’m going to get Trace.”

Both men stepped out from their hiding spot and began firing.

Tex didn’t waste any time. He ran full pelt toward Trace letting Case and Rock worry about whether he’d get a bullet in his back or not. He pointed his weapon and fired, taking down one of the Niners. One of Black’s goons turned towards Tex. As he raised his weapon to shoot, he was hit hard from the left. His gun was knocked from his hand and the wind from his lungs as he hit the ground. He rolled and rolled. His chest burned as he gasped and heaved trying to get some air in. His mind screamed at him to scramble. He needed to get to Trace.

Tex pulled his arm free of the hold the other man had on him and hammered his fist into the nearest portion of flesh he could find. The man on top of him shifted to the side and that’s when he realised there was one less hand pinning him down. That revelation was followed by a glimpse of shiny black metal. The guy had pulled a pistol from somewhere. Tex immediately went for the gun. He cupped the guys hand and jammed his thumb behind the trigger while he struggled to release his other hand.

They jostled for control. The guy tried to twist the gun toward Tex’s head while trying to depress the trigger. Tex’s thumb was being crushed under the pressure and he knew if he couldn’t get his other hand loose he’d end up with a broken thumb and a hole in his head. He shifted his other hand up dragging the guy on top of him down closer to his chest. Once the guy was close enough, Tex threw his head forward striking the guy on the nose with his forehead. The guy cried out and the hand on his wrist loosened. He yanked his arm free and jammed a second hand under the grip and pushed up.

The Niner realised a second too late where his hand was being bent to. Tex felt a hand grab at his wrist as he jerked his thumb out from behind the trigger and the guy’s finger squeezed. The man went limp on top of him as the shot rang in his ears. He quickly shoved the body off him and grabbed his gun from the ground nearby. As he stood and tried to get a fix on Trace, a shot rang out from behind him. He felt the woosh of air as a bullet flew past him. He swivelled quickly in the direction of the shooter, finding Mace standing nearby with his gun pointed in Tex’s direction. Tex glanced over his shoulder to see a dead Niner on the ground on the other side of him. Before he had time to acknowledge Mace another round of shots sounded from Trace’s location.

Tex turned his head in that direction fast enough to give himself whiplash. He watched as Trace ran from the shed firing back over his shoulder. More shouts sounded and Trace went down. Tex couldn’t be sure if he tripped and fell or if he was caught by a bullet. He wasn’t gonna waste time thinking about it. He ran toward Trace firing wildly. The black sedan careened across the grass in front of him and stopped beside Trace. Bullets sprayed across the ground in front of him. He felt a hit from the right. Mace knocked into him forcing him behind a trailer. The constant thunk of bullets from an automatic weapon filled his ears as he scrambled back to his feet. He peered around the trailer. The tail lights of the sedan were moving away from them and fast. He looked at the spot were Trace’s body had lain and there was nothing.

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The door opened to reveal Tex. He looked dishevelled, almost shaken, as he entered the space. Nikki glanced behind him hoping and praying that Trace would follow but there was nothing. No creaking of the door. No thud of heavy boots. No mischievous grin. No Baby Girls. Just silence and that feeling of dread. When Tex looked up at her and she knew. The feeling that had sat in her chest spread thick and fast through every part of her.

“Where is Trace?” she asked him unable to keep the fear from her voice.

Tex’s eyes filled with guilt as he spoke, “I tried to get to him Nikki but there were too many of them.”

She felt a sharp pain in her chest as her heart double timed and adrenalin surged through her.

“What do you mean you tried to get to him?” she could hear the hysteria creeping into her voice but she had no way to stop it.

“I saw him go down and I tried to get to him but there were so many of them,” Tex’s own voice cracked as he spoke.