Page 55 of Reaper Razed

“Dice, we don’t have time for you to hang out in the closet. Just fucking grab his legs, and let’s get him in his truck. You drive, I’ll grab my truck, and we’ll find Ray.”

My mind is racing. What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck? It’s all I can come up with as we load Dane into the truck. Dude’s out cold. Slapping him around a bit, trying to get him to tell us where Ray is, he just keeps saying he’s locked her in The Tower, whatever the fuck that means.

Steel grabs his phone out of his pocket. I hear a guy's voice answer.

“What?”

“Fucking what?” he bellows. “Where the fuck is she, Bran? Are you with her?”

“She’s safe, Steel. She's with Dane.” he barks back.

“Really? Well, I must have some other fucker passed out in a tequila coma in the back of the truck, then.”

“What the fuck?”

“Exactly! What the fuck, Bran? Where is she? She’s on her own.”

He sighs. “Steel, look…” he trails off.

“Bran, whatever’s going on, I’m here for all of you, and I’ve got your backs, but fuck, she’s my wife, and whatever she’s going through, she’s on her own.”

“Fine… give me a sec. I’ll call you back on a secure line.”

“Bran—” Steel loses his shit. “Motherfucker hung up.”

His phone rings again, but it’s an unknown number.

“Bran?” he panic barks down the line as he answers the call.

“Steel, listen closely. I’m not repeating myself. Once you get to the address, it’s an underground parking garage. Go inside and drive to the left. There’s a barrier that says ‘work crew only’. Do you have Dane’s truck?”

“Yes?”

“Good, that needs to drive towards the barrier. It will open. Follow it around to the back wall where there’s a metal sign that says ‘work crew only’. Drive towards the wall, it will move, and head inside. Park up, and at the elevators, you want the top floor. You will need Dane’s retina and fingerprints to be scanned to get into the elevators. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“It’s 3582 Castle Cove Road, Gosport Harbour.”

“Do you need anything? Are you okay? Where are you?”

Sighing again, he says, “Yeah, I’m good. I’m home with Demi. I just can’t … I just… sorry.”

Then the phone cuts off. “Fuck!” Steel bellows, and Dane flinches but is still out of it.

“Look, at least he’s safe now. Let’s get Ray and get home.”

Pulling into the parking lot we follow the directions, I’m driving Dane’s truck and Steel’s behind me, going through the stages Bran told us. We reach the elevator. Dane is suspended between me and Steel and dead to the world. “Bagsy fingerprints!” I laugh as Steel rolls his eyes, battling to hold Dane's head up and open his eyes.

There’s a ding, and the door opens. Hitting the button for the top floor, we wait. Once the doors open, there’s a long corridor. There are numerous doors along it. Glancing backwards and forwards, I look over at Steel. “Maybe we should prop him up here, and you go that way. I’ll go this way and see what I can find.” I shrug as I start laying Dane against the wall. Dude is so out of it.

“Sure. Shout if you find her.”

I nod as I head to the first door, then the next, and so on, and so on, till I reach the last door. “Steel, she’s here.” I bark out as I rush in the door. She's face down on the bed, laid diagonally across it, her arm and half her head hanging off the side with her hair trailing on the floor. She's wearing a screwed-up t-shirt and underwear, and empty tequila bottles are everywhere. As footsteps come thundering towards me, I say her name. “Ray?” Nothing. I step into the room further as Steel arrives and pushes past me.

“Baby?” he growls at her, turning her over. There’s vomit on the floor and some crusted around the side of her mouth. Well, it’s more bile than anything. I can see she’s lost weight. The bags around her eyes are dark, and her cheeks are sunken. It’s the stench that has my stomach turning. Fuck knows how long she’s been here like that.

“Steel, there’s a shower room next door. Maybe we should get her in there.”

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