Page 47 of Eden's Joker

I found this gem of an abandoned town on one of my head-clearing rides into the desert. It was a good-sized-mining town and a lot of money, care, and planning went into its construction. And then, for some reason, everyone just left. Everything’s pretty much still new. Old, but unused.

The town’s not on any map that I’ve been able to dig up, and as surrounded by hills as it is, I doubt anyone even knows it exists. Only one road leads into it and it’s long and winding and seems to go on forever, before there’s any hint that a town lies at the end of it.

The main room of the Saloon is packed and rowdy. About half the MC seems to be in here, most of them already hitting the bottle. Yet more laughter, yelling and moaning is coming from the upstairs rooms. But that’s understandable. I’ve kept them in the forest compound with no female company for a long time.

But we can’t relax yet. I resist the urge to fire a fewrounds into the ceiling to get their attention. Instead, I just pound the bar counter a few times.

“Who’s watching the road if you’re all in here partying?” I ask once they’re all looking at me.

“Hey, we were waiting for orders,” Manic pipes up. He sounds more than a little drunk and I doubt he’s in any state to carry out any orders I have to give. “And we figured you’d be busy at the big house for a while.”

Lots of guttural laughs and grunts follow his words, all of them carrying a degree of dark lust. They thought I was up there raping Eden. And they want to do the same. It makes bile rise in my throat.

“I’m here to give the orders now,” I say and look around the room, searching for the most dependable brothers.

I call on ten of them and tell them to follow me outside. To their credit they only groan a little bit at being cut off from the party.

Ten others are already waiting for me outside. They’re the most dependable of the bunch. Ones who never drink and only rarely screw the hoes. Because of that they’re not the best fit with the others, but they’re always first in line when it’s time to beat at the Devils. They’ll also be first in line when Eden gets passed around. The thought actually makes my stomach clench painfully. It was always part of the plan to let the guys take their turns. So why am I reacting like this to it now?

“Where do you want us, Prez?” Doom asks. He’ssomething of a frontman of this group of purist revenge seekers.

“I want you in the hills,” I tell him and turn to the ones that followed me from the Saloon. “And you take the road. Just like we discussed, two men teams, no one gets in or out of town. Change in shifts every four hours to keep you alert.”

“And who’s gonna make sure we’re relieved on time?” Manic asks. He’s not happy to get the first watch of the night. And I’m not happy he got drunk the moment we returned home.

“I’ll make sure of it,” I counter. “Now you know what to do.”

No one says anything more, they don’t even grumble much as they head for their bikes.

Razor hangs back, eyeing them pensively. “The brothers are just happy to be home.”

“We’ll celebrate when the mission is done,” I say. “Now come with me to round up the others so we can set up a watch schedule.”

It’s pitch dark out by the time all that is done and every single Lost Son knows when they’re to report for duty to guard the perimeter of the town. The level of security I put in place is staggering and probably overkill. But the Devils are cagey and full of tricks. And they are all gunning for us now.

I’m facing the last thirty of my brothers.

“You haven’t told us what you want us to do,” Razor says.

“You guys won’t be on watch duty,” I tell them. “I have a much more important job for you. Razor, you’ll be in charge.”

Even in the faint light reaching us from the Saloon, I can see the expression on his face change to pride. He’s done good work for me. I want to acknowledge that now. Even though this job I’m sending him on doesn’t guarantee survival.

“I want you to take a couple of the hoes and some booze and go to Roaring Brook and set up camp there. Stay safe, but don’t hide your presence too hard.”

The expression on Razor’s face changes in a flash. “You’re sending me away?”

“On a very important job. The Forsaken Outlaws betrayed us,” I tell him. “By now, they’ve told the Devils about how that town is our HQ. Your job will be to hold them back when they come. Stall them, tire them out and kill as many as possible.”

The other thirty gathered here grumble, but it’s an agreeing sort of sound. They like hearing they’ll get the chance to kill some Devils. Who doesn’t?

“Good,” Razor says. “We’ll ride tonight.”

“When the Devils come, you make them believe Eden is there with you,” I tell him. “That way they won’t burn and crash their way in. And then you pick them off one by one.”

“We won’t let you down,” a brother named Sting assures me darkly. Several others promise the same thing.

“I have no doubt of that,” I tell him then watch them mount up and ride into the darkness, the dust their bikes kicked up scratching my throat and making my eyes water.

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