Page 10 of Liberator

Rod nodded and replied, “What about the blisters? Won’t wrapping his ribs pop them and cause an infection?”

“We’ll slather them with medication first, then cover them with a thick bandage beneath the wrapping for his ribs.”

Turning to me he added, “It’s gonna feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest, but we can’t risk that there’s a broken one that can shift and puncture your lung. You’d need help that I can’t give if that happens.”

“Do what you gotta do while the morphine is still working. I’ll handle what pain there is well enough, even the damn stitches you insist are necessary,” I said with more bravery than I felt.

I’d underestimated how much it would hurt to be in a sitting position and have thick bandages wrapped so tight around my torso that I could barely catch a breath. If Rod wasn’t holding me up I’d have collapsed. My pride kept me from screaming, but I did send curse words into the air in several languages while my leg was stitched up.

Doc wiped the sweat off my face and gave me some water to ease my thirst. I was allowed to lie still for an hour before he announced that we couldn’t wait to move any longer. Even though there wasn’t anything in my truck to identify us we were aware that because of the explosion the border crossing was going to be risky as hell.

I was given another dose of morphine to get me through the ride back to the clubhouse. We wouldn’t be stopping at the farm this time. Doc was too concerned about my injuries and everything that could go wrong, including infections. I was put in the van, and when we neared the border crossing Flamecovered me with an old rug and the duffel bags they’d used as luggage. If a guard just glanced inside I was invisible. If we were searched there would be big trouble.

Flame started a fight with Rod on purpose by flirting openly with the guards. First she got them hot and bothered by showing them some cleavage and shaking her plump breasts in their faces, then she had them laughing by explaining to Rod that she’d prefer to be screwed by a real man. Rod snarled at them and played along with her game. The guards’ laughter was what got us through without being searched.

We arrived at the clubhouse in the middle of the night. Prime, Ditch, and Sweet met us anyway. I was taken to the small infirmary that Doc had set up years ago. The bed was the same as any you’d find in a hospital. That was a new addition, replacing the cot that had stood there a couple of months ago. I was grateful for its comfort.

“I need to change Rage’s bandages before we go to your office for a debriefing,” Doc told Prime.

“There won’t be a debriefing tonight. It can wait until morning. You’re all exhausted and need some sleep. The only thing I need to know right now is how Rage is doing,” Prime replied.

“His condition is the same as when I spoke to you on the way home, except he has a slight fever. That’s understandable considering what his body has been through. I just want to be sure there’s no infection underneath the bandages covering his back. He needs a better washing than we were able to give him at the stream. Then, I want to change the wrapping to ace bandages instead of the cloth. He’ll be more comfortable like that,” Doc stated.

“Ditch and I can help you with that. Sweet can clear out the van. I want Rod, Flame, and Colt to get hot showers and hit theirbeds. Their brains will work better once they’ve slept,” Prime said.

“You’re not having a meeting without me,” I grumbled. “I need to be there since I’m the one who met with the contacts.”

“You always were stubborn, Rage. Fine, we’ll have the meeting here. You can tell us what you think happened if you can stay awake,” Prime declared.

“I’ll stay awake. I’m invested in this shit. I want to know what the hell happened,” I replied.

By the time I was thoroughly washed and rebandaged I was as weak as a newborn kitten. I fell asleep and didn’t awaken until I heard all the voices coming in for the debriefing.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Prime asked.

“I’m not sure of anything except that every inch of me hurts. But that doesn’t matter. I need to hear what you’ve found out. Was it my contacts that tried to blow me to hell or was it the cartel?” I retorted.

“Truthfully, there’s not a lot of evidence left to give us complete answers. Everything in the truck went up in flames and is now just a large pile of ashes. The twisted pieces of metal that used to be the truck can only tell us that there was a bomb, not who put it there. So far, no one is taking credit for supposedly protecting the U.S. from another load of smuggled drugs. We all believe, even without any proof, that the cartel was behind the attack, and they most likely paid someone working with your contacts to put the bomb in place. Rod and Colt agree that there were at least three low level men around the truck at all times. Once or twice, they saw only two heads, so it’s plausible that the third was placing the bomb,” Prime explained.

“One way or the other I was a target, and you were right in sending a posse with me. I’m sorry I ever doubted your intuition. I assume all the product was destroyed and we still owe the mafia another load as well as having lost a shit load of cashon the one I picked up. I should have paid more attention to the men around the truck. I knew everyone was a little twitchy, but I thought that was due to how much product we’d been demanding,” I replied.

“We didn’t catch it either, Rage, and we had a better viewpoint than you did. We’re just lucky you felt the difference in the way the truck handled. For that to happen, the bomb had to have been so hastily attached that they messed up something under the truck, otherwise there would have been nothing to warn you. The click you and Doc heard would have been thought to be road noise or some lame ass shit like that,” Rod stated.

“You’d know all about that because you’re the best mechanic I know. I owe all of you a big thanks,” I added. “But what are we going to do now? We still owe the mafia.”

“My phone should be ringing any second about that matter. Petrov is supposed to discuss things with me,” Prime said.

“What do we do if he demands payment be made instantly?” Colt asked.

“We find a way to settle it by making another deal. It’s all we can do. We can’t go back to Mexico at the moment. It’s too risky for any of us with the Federales checking out the explosion site and us not knowing who was paid to plant the bomb. Not even Petrov would sanction a plan to get more drugs from that supplier. If they turned on us, then they’d also be easily turned against him,” Prime replied as his phone rang.

He signaled for silence and picked up, putting it on speaker mode. “Don Petrov, thank you for calling so promptly.”

“I am sorry, but my father had an emergency to deal with. You will have to make do with me,” Zoe Petrov, the mafia leader’s daughter answered.

“It must have been a catastrophe of great proportions if your father was needed elsewhere as this mess is an emergency as well,” Prime growled.

“I assure you the matter he is attending to is much worse than what the cartel has done to you. Many have given their lives for it. I hear none of your men died, and only one was injured. I send my father’s regards to him for a fast recovery as well as my own. I should be by his side at the moment, so can we please get down to business?” she asked.

---