Page 123 of Mouse Trapped

Experimentally, he tugs the rope. “Come.”

“I can’t see where I’m going,” Mariana’s father complains.

“Don’t want you to see all our secrets now, do we?” the VP explains reasonably.

Blade tugs the rope again which gets him moving. He fails to warn him about the step out the door. “Oh, my bad,” he says, asEl Procuradorgoes down. He doesn’t lend a hand, just waits for him to get back on his feet.

Yeah, the blood loss is getting to him as I thought, his movements are slowing. “Better hurry this up,” I say quietly to Wraith.

“He’s not going to last long, more’s the pity,” Slick agrees.

Hopefully long enough.Followed by all the club, with the exception of Drummer, and obviously, Paladin, Blade takes him up to the back of the compound, out through the gate, across the now well-maintained firebreak, and into the forest.

“Where are we going? Can you set me free now?” He trips over a log, stumbles, but doesn’t go down.

“Not far now,” Blade replies, reassuringly, sending an evil grin at us over his shoulder.

Not far. And not long.Then he’ll be out of our lives forever.

In a few minutes, we come across Matt and Truck leaning on shovels looking pleased with themselves. It was perhaps a shit job to give Truck as soon as he came off shift, but the big man was up for it.

“Done?” Wraith asks.

“Done,” the prospects confirm.

“Truck, better get yourself gone.” The firefighter-come-prospect’s neither blind nor stupid, he’ll know what we’re doing. But for some fucked up reason we keep him out of the worst of the shit that we do.Plausible deniability.What he can’t see or hear, he can turn a blind eye to.

“Better not damage my track,” Road grumbles.

“Look at it this way, whether there’s a hump or a dip after, it will make it more fun.”

The trail bike rider’s eyes light up. “True, that.”

Wraith nods at Blade who whips off the blindfold.ElProcuradorshows his intelligence. He puts two and two together fast and tries to back away, but Peg’s right there behind him, giving him a hefty shove sending him into the deep grave that’s been dug in the loose peaty earth.

Beef picks up the can and starts pouring gas over him. I’m content to stand and watch this bit, seeing the fear on his face as he realises what’s going to happen. Relishing the begging that comes out of his mouth.I bet Mariana’s mother begged while he raped her. Mariana would have begged to prevent them from forcing drugs into her mouth.He didn’t listen to them. Same way we’re not listening now.

He’s fucking crying. Rock’s got a flashlight on him, lighting Beef’s task. I can see tears on his face, mingling with the gas that Beef’s now pouring over his hair. Beef shakes the can when it’s empty, cautious not to waste a drop.

“Mouse?” Wraith waves me forward, then his arm snakes out to halt me. “Sorry,” he mouths, while taking out his phone and reading a text. He swears loudly. “Fuck me. Prez and Sam have got another son. Fuckin’ asshole won’t let me forget it either.”

Hey, that’s good news.We all start cheering, pumping fists in the air, slapping each other’s backs.

“This calls for cigars,” shouts Blade. “But I’ll have to make do.” He takes out his cigarettes.

“Be careful where you drop that match, Blade.”

I happen to have a joint on me. “Spare a light?” I nod toward the enforcer. Blade grins as he passes the box over.

The man in the hole starts screaming. I put the flame to the end of my joint, light it, inhale deeply.

“So,” I say conversationally to Wraith. “Another boy on the compound.”

“You going to have another try, Wraith?” Shooter suggests.

“Well, I won’t complain at getting more practice in,” the VP replies. He’s then supplied with some suggestions, including, apparently, doing it upside down. Blade helpfully suggesting he must have been doing it wrong all this time.

“Take some lessons from Drummer,” Marvel supplies.