Rage

The address Ava gave us is in San Francisco and it takes us half an hour to get there. As I ride behind Tor I can barely control myself from riding ahead. Safe! That is all I wanted to give Iris since it is all I can give her and nothing more. And I wasn't able to do that either. All I can think of as we are crossing the Bay Bridge heading for San Francisco was the look she had when I first laid eyes on her, that terrified look, the look of someone used to live in fear. I am going to crush that fear out of her life along with the skull of anyone causing it. I grip the handles of the bike till my knuckles are white under the gloves. We need to get there fast.

And we do. The day is breaking as we are cruising down the most infamous areas of Cisco. Rows upon rows of half abandoned small houses surrounded by miserable gardens filled with garbage. Turning upon a road, Tor orders us to a halt. He gets off his bike and I follow his lead. I look ahead up the road and see the house we are looking for. It is a perfect replica of all the other half-wrecked dwellings in the area. Everyone gets off their bikes and gather around Tor.

"Ironhand, Stig. Stay with the bikes and keep your eyes open. Bjorn, Runner you fall around back. I don't want any fucking surprises. Rage," he turns to me, "how about we knock on their door?"

Any other time I would have grinned at the open invitation to hurt someone. But not this time. This time it is Iris's life on the line and I don't care about anything else but getting her out of there alive and whole. I tremble at the sheer truth of this thought. For the first time in my life I don't want to hurt anyone – myself included – but I need to save someone. I nod at Tor and go up my bike. I open the black bag and gear up. I make sure my gun is loaded and that I have my favorite blades and razors with me before returning to Tor's side. Bjorn and Runner leave and go round the corner while Tor waves at me to follow his lead. I grind my teeth trying to stop myself from rushing ahead.

Running behind Tor swiftly we reach the door and Tor leans in. He signals me that he hears nothing and then moves aside to make way for me. I count till I know Bjorn and Runner are in place and then I kick the door in, gun in hand. I go in the room and there on a torn sofa is a man, sleeping. At the same time, I hear the back-door crack as Bjorn howls. The man gets up startled only to meet the barrel of my gun and he throws his hands in the air.

"Where is she?" the demand scratches my throat.

The man looks at me and then at Tor behind me before focusing on me. Bjorn's voice fills the hallway before throwing another man on the carpet in the living room. The newcomer is in his underwear and I hear a woman's voice in the back room. Instantly my fingers go over the trigger and my body is up in flames. If that fucker has laid one finger on Iris, he is going to die a painful death.

"He was in there with some bitch. No Iris." Bjorn reads my body language.

I approach the man on the sofa. I recognize his face from the surveillance video. Carl Bundens. He was the one grabbing Iris and it is taking all I have not to kill him on the spot. I lower my gun and put it in the back of my jeans. I tower over him and he shrinks under my gaze.

"Where. Is. She?"

"I don't know what you are talking about, man."

A red haze blurs my vision and the Hellhound in me demands snapped necks and spilled blood. I grab Carl by the throat and lift him up as he struggles to breathe.

"For the fucking last time." I spit in his face "Where is she?"

"We don't know." the man on the carpet protests.

"Don't know? Don't know what we are talking about or you don't know where she is?" Tor comes closer.

The two brothers exchange glances. The little patience I have runs out. My fist goes up and then down on Carl's face. He groans as he falls on the floor.

"Fuck!" Carl yells "I am telling you we don't know."

The words don't even register. I grab the man by the t-shirt and hit him again. His lip is torn and blood drips on the floor but I don't stop.

"Where is she?" I repeat.

"Stop...We don't..."

"Listen to me, motherfucker!" Tor tells the other man "We got your asshole of a brother grabbing her. Do you know who she worked for?"

Neither says nothing. They know they were messing with the Riders. Even if they didn't know before, they sure as Hell know now.

"Good." Tor's voice is cold "Do you know who that fucker is?" he points at me.

Both turn to me, Carl with his rapidly swelling lip and bloodied eyebrow. I am still holding him by the t-shirt and stop only out of respect for my King talking.

"The...Hellhound," Carl says in a low voice.

"That's right. The gentleman so kin on fucking you up badly is the Hellhound of the Riders. And she" Tor emphasizes "is his woman."

A whimper escapes both their lips. The fact that we are across the Bay doesn't mean that my reputation hasn't crossed the bridge with me. The man in my arms shivers and the other gets on his knees and shoots his eyes from me to Tor and then at Bjorn.

"We didn't know."

"Where?" I roar in both their faces.

"Please, man. We are dead if..."

Before Carl has the chance to finish his sentence I throw him on the floor with one hand while the other goes for my blade.

"No, no, no." both plead.

I ignore them. I need them to stop fucking around and give me a straight answer. I grab Carl's hand and force the fingers open on the floor. My blade shines for a moment and then I press down. The little finger rolls to Tor's boots that kicks it away. The man screams and squirms trying to get away from my hold.

"Where?"

"We don't have her," the brother tries.

Another finger.

"Stop!"

Another.

"Daultrey!!" Carl screams. "Daultrey paid us to get her to him."

I let the man go and get up facing Tor. The King's face was shadowed seriously. Behind me the fuckers take care of the fucked-up hand, cursing me. But all my focus is on Tor.

"Fuck..." He rubs his beard.

We all know who Daultrey is. The ex-cop is the most crooked in the force. Fraternizing with drug lords and gun dealers Daultrey has managed to create a small empire at San Francisco's docks owning hundreds of warehouses that he rents to those who wanted to move their illegal business with stealth. The Riders has been using him and I know him well. He is a tough, cruel man that has no qualms maiming and killing all those that get in his way. With enough political influence and the protection of the crooked San Francisco police he is a tough target. I can see Tor is weighing his options. When we assumed that Iris was taken by the small-time crooks now cowering in the corner of their filthy house, all was good. Going up against Daultrey is a different thing.

"I'll go. On my own." I say.

Tor looks at me surprised. I know I have read his mind. He is trying to figure if Iris is worth the risk. And maybe for him she isn't worth it. But for me...

"Brother..."

"No." I shake my head and clean my bloodied blade with my t-shirt "I am going in alone."

"Like Hell you will." Bjorn says.

"Where are we going?" Runner comes into the room finally.

"It's too fucking dangerous. Iris is not a..." I breathe heavily before finding the words I want to say "She is not a Valkyrie, not Rider property. But damn me if I am letting her unprotected. This is my shit."

Tor glances at Bjorn and inhales deeply. He then takes one step closer to me and looks me in the eye.

"I don't know what the fuck you are talking about. I have no idea what is this shit between you and Iris but the girl was one of us. Fuck, she took care of the club on her own every fucking day. And turned you into a normal being." he glances at the man that has fainted in the corner and then at the cut fingers on the floor "Well, not that normal but you get my draft. We are going in. We got you, brother."