Page 48 of Venom's Sting

Dan shrugs, “Ed was the brains, I guess we all just thought it was fair. But in hindsight, fuck that piece of shit.”

“Sounds like there’s no love lost between you and your brothers,” Rage mutters.

“Ya think? Seeing as they set me up and were willing to let me get caught in that fucking explosion. No, there’s no love lost at all,” he says sounding all kinds of pissed off.

Still, I know he’s probably feeling conflicted about everything, I don’t want anyone getting killed today unless they’re asking for it, so I say, “I’m gonna text Siege and let him know our plan so he doesn’t come charging into the farm, unloading both barrels on these assholes.”

“For fucking sure,” Rage agrees. “Let him know we’ll be needing back up and transport out of here, Jose had to take the helo back to the hangar.”

I pull out my cell phone and quickly send an encrypted message to Siege. Then we wait and wait and wait some more.

***

We stay crouched down and out of sight for what seems like forever but was only a couple of hours. Once it gets dark, we waitfor the lights to go out. Once the last light is switched off, that’s our cue that they’ve all gone to bed.

Dan leads the way, and we follow. He climbs up an apple tree and onto the roof of the house from there. We drop silently onto the flat roof without anyone below noticing. As well as Big Joe at the front, there’s Hal and a bunch of other men at the back.

Dan leads us right to the skylight and I elbow Rage out of the way wanting to be the first inside. I was hoping that when we looked in the window, we’d see the women, but the room was in darkness. Obviously, the old man had decided to hold them elsewhere. We open the skylight, remove the screen and I slip down into the room. When I hit the floor, I wait for a moment to see if I attracted any attention, when there’s no sound of approaching footsteps I gesture for Rage and Dan to join me.

We gaze around the room in quiet awe. It’s like something from the seventies with a groovy bedspread, lava lamps on each bedside table and thick shag carpet. There is a large tube TV with a manual dial. I walk up and look it over because I’ve never seen anything like this before. Realizing this is not the time to be checking out antique electronics, I say, “We really need to get moving before the women start panicking and thinking we’ve forgotten them.”

Dan gives me a nod, “Follow me and whatever else you do, stay quiet.”

He does not need to tell us that because our situational awareness is outfuckingstanding. I don’t hold it against him though. He’s inexperienced and not familiar with all the things our club has been through.

Dan is stealthier than I would have imagined him to be, he slips past several doors until he reaches one at the end of the corridor. He puts his ear to the door then nods.

I grab his shoulder and pull him back. “Is this the room they’re keeping them in?”

He nods. “I can hear them whispering. Something about tying sheets together and escaping through the window.”

I frown. “Looks like we got here just in time, if they did that then I have no doubt Big Joe or Hal would put a stop to it. I’ll break the door down if the two of you cover me.”

“Not a chance,” Dan states firmly. “The last thing we need is to wake up every fucking person in the house.”

I open my mouth to object but he’s already pulling out a credit card and going to work trying to breach the door lock. Danny-Boy’s got some hidden talents, I think to myself. Though just when I think it’s not going to work, the door pops open.

I go in first with my gun drawn, followed by Dan, then Rage brings up the rear, staying near the door and peering out. He’s taken up the position of lookout and will alert us if anyone is coming.

I see the women sitting on the bed. All three of them freeze and stare at us with big eyes when we come in.

Before I can say anything, Amy jumps off the bed and flies into my arms. I catch her in the biggest bear hug imaginable. I just hold her while my mom gets to her feet and approaches. I hold out one arm and when she comes closer, I hug her with my free arm.

Rage comes quietly to our side. “Nobody came out of their rooms. So, I’m sure no one heard us enter the house, but we gotta get out quickly. Maybe save the reunions for another time?”

My maman steps away and gives Rage a quick hug, “Thank you for coming to rescue us, Rage. You’ve always been such a good friend to Serp.”

Rage actually blushes like a schoolboy under her overt praise. It takes him a second to get his composure back, and then he states sternly, “Not joking about us needing to get the hell outta here. We do not have the advantage numbers wise or weapons wise.”

“He’s right,” Carol states as she gets to her feet unsteadily. She walks over to Dan and gives his shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks for helping my daughter’s friends find me, Dan. You’re a good boy.”

Dan flushes red in an instant, even more so than Rage. “I’m a man, not a boy.”

My mom pats his chest affectionately. “Yeah, I get that. You’re about the same age as my daughter, maybe a little younger. I just think of you as another youngster.”

He rolls his eyes, “Can you not?”

She gives him an indulgent smile. “Whatever you say, baby brother,” she murmurs indulgently.

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