Page 49 of Vex

“This is how this is going to go down. You’re going to get back here in one piece. We’re going to get Tessie back. Then I’m going to pull you into the adult world and help build a house for you, Tessie and your baby momma.”

After slugging Pooh’s laughing self in the shoulder, I get out of the truck and prepare myself and weapons to get our job done. After another minute of enjoying his own joke, Pooh steps out to do the same.

Now that it’s completely dark outside, I have my back pressed against the side of the barn. I have an earbud in, phone in my pocket, listening to Pooh keeping me updated on the men’s movements. Moving cautiously and silently, I slip around the corner and enter the barn. I freeze in place and listen for movement. It’s pitch-black inside, so using my phone, I make my way to the mow steps. Once there, I can hear the men above talking with each other.

“One incoming from the house. Get out of sight,” Pooh tells me.

I duck behind a large toolbox not a second too soon when the overhead light flips on. I listen to booted feet make their way to the steps and climb them. I pull my knife from its sheath and hold it in one hand while placing my other palm on my holstered handgun. I’m ready for whatever’s about to happen. But instead of a fight, I want to fist pump when I hear the conversation taking place above me.

“Rooster’s brat’s a pain in the ass. The little bitch bit my fucking leg when I let her use the bathroom a few minutes ago. Fuck this shit. He needs to decide what he’s going to use her for because she’s more trouble than she’s worth.”

“You let a teenage girl get the best of you?” another voice questions amid laughter.

“Fucker has us grab her up then he goes into hiding in case those assholes she’s associated with decide they want her back. We can’t even break her in because he’s worried that’d lower her value. Can’t mark her pretty face up, he tells me. Fuck that. He didn’t say anything about marking her body, though. Bitch won’t be breathing easy for a while,” the original voice spews.

No longer wanting to fist pump, I fight the urge to storm the steps and put a hole in each of their skulls. Instead, I pull my phone and send a group text letting everyone know Tessie’s in the house. Immediately, I hear Pooh’s voice telling me to stay calm and stay hidden.

“Rooster’s being sketchy as usual. I don’t understand how this is a club problem when only he’s going to earn from it,” complains a voice I haven’t heard yet.

“We need to consider that Rooster might have to be replaced as Prez. He’s the only one that seems able to sock money away while the rest of us are scraping by.”

“Club’s not been in the black in years regardless of all the shit we do to earn.”

I continue listening to them complain while hoping to hear something we can use. It’s not long before I get what I’m waiting for.

“Better get back inside before Shorty gets us all killed by Rooster and Popeye. He hasn’t taken his eyes off that girl yet but if he doesn’t keep his dick to himself, we’ll be dead alongside him. I’ll be glad tomorrow when us four get relieved and this shit show becomes their problem and not ours. Catch you later.”

I listen to him clomp back down the stairs. I get a good look at what he’s wearing before he kills the light and exits the barn. Moving to the stairs, I reach up and attach the bug as high up as I can reach on the steps. Activating it, I move silently toward the door. I listen as Pooh tells me Rex said it’s working. Not sure it’s needed at this point, but it may come in handy later. I slip out the door, seeing someone’s legs dangling out of the hay mow door above me, and make my way to the side of the barn. Out of everyone but Pooh’s sight, I shoot off a text explaining what I’ve heard.

“It’s clear around you to make your way back here. I can’t see in the windows, but no one’s looking out of them,” Pooh says.

Me: I’m going closer to the house to see what room she’s in

“Wait for the others. They’re on their way, Vex. They’re only minutes out. We know where she is now, and we’ll get her back tonight,” Pooh argues. When I don’t answer, I hear Pooh sigh. He’d do the same damn thing in my position. I’m not waiting to see if Shorty can keep his dick to himself or not.

I start inching my way to the other side of the barn, the side closest to the house. I pass under the dangling legs and inch around the other corner. No lights are on upstairs in the house. Downstairs, I see two windows lit up. Not having a full moon tonight’s a plus but there’s still a fair amount of ground to cover that’s wide open.

“Since you’re being a stubborn ass, I’m moving positions to cover you better. Fucking barn’s in my way now. You’re buying me a steak dinner for this,” Pooh bitches in my ear.

Taking the chance that no one can see me while wearing all black, I make my way across the yard hoping not to trip over some unseen object. I make it to the house and slide along it until I’m next to one of the lit windows. There’s a curtain but it’s threadbare and I can see one guy sitting at a table scarfing down a sandwich. It’s the guy from the barn. Ducking under that window, I keep moving until I’m nearly to the front of the house and the next window. I wait a beat and can hear a TV playing. Hoping the second guy’s watching it and not the window, I lean up and look in. My heart stops for a second when I realize the second guy’s sitting in a chair right by the window. Our faces aren’t two feet apart, but he’s looking the other direction. He’s looking at a bound Tessie, propped up on the end of a couch. She’s staring directly at me, and I see it in her face, briefly, when she realizes what she’s looking at. Her face goes blank, and she shifts her eyes to her captor. Good girl. She’s smart and knows not to give me away. When the man glances toward the TV, Tessie casually holds up four fingers before folding her hand closed. When the man doesn’t look her direction, she gives me the universal sign for gun—index finger and thumb pointed out before closing her hand again. I nod once and duck down again. Inching forward, I’m next to the beaten down porch and can see the front door.

“Everyone’s here. Cash is coming in from the other side of the house. He should be on the opposite side of the porch by now. Where you at?” Pooh questions just as Cash appears in my line of sight. He gives me a chin lift and leans back around the side of the house. He can text our locations without being spotted. He’s in a blind spot for Rooster’s men. I make my way around the porch to meet up with Cash.

“Petey, Trigger and Reno are in the barn. They’ll deal with those two. Gunner, Horse and Reeves are at the back door of the house. Me and you have the front. Pooh’s worked his way close and will take out any strays if needed. Where’s Tessie?” Cash questions.

I explain what I know and he passes the info to the others. Gunner answers that everyone’s in place and we’re moving in twenty seconds. I pull my handgun and step onto the porch to the side of the front door. Cash takes the opposite side and we wait the few seconds until go time.

Cash points to me and mouths “Tessie” and I know that means she’s mine to get to and he’ll deal with the man first. I nod.

Stepping back, I lift my foot and kick the door in. Tessie immediately throws her body to the floor and stays low as I rush to her. No hesitation, she does the right thing. Before I even make it the few steps to her, I hear a gunshot as Cash does his job. I hear another and know the man in the kitchen is no more. Dropping down on my knees beside Tessie, I scoop her up and stand. Her bound wrists drop over my head and she buries her face in my chest, holding on tight. Gunner and Horse enter from the back of the house and come to a stop when they see we’re not the one bleeding.

“She okay?” Gunner barks.

“She’s in one piece,” I answer as Tessie nods her head without looking up.

“Get her out of here, and we’ll meet you and Pooh back at the roadside park. We’ll finish what needs to be done,” Gunner orders.

I don’t waste a second before stalking out the door with my cargo. I can feel her shaking, but she’s not making a sound. The barn’s lit up. I can see Petey in the doorway, so I walk that direction. Pooh pops up out of the darkness to walk beside me. When Petey spots us, he holds his hand up and I realize he doesn’t want Tessie in that barn and I know why. She doesn’t need to see what’s most likely a bloodbath. I stop and Petey hollers to Trigger that I have Tessie. Both men hurry our direction and both are wearing relieved faces.

---