Page 15

Maddox

Mindy beat me at chess last night! How didn’t I see that coming?

Because she doesn’t act like a nerd.

But I don’t either. Do I?

Last night was the most fun I’ve had in… forever. Never have I spent so much time not talking, yet feeling like I got to know a woman so well.

Seeing Mindy in that dress…

Now is not the time to think about your employee like that. You have work to do. The Street won’t run itself.

Did she wear that dress for me? She couldn’t have. Mindy didn’t know I was going to invite her for a meal. And she hid it behind a giant sweater.

Who did she wear it for? The idea of her wearing that for another man makes me—

My phone rings with a blocked number. “What?”

Sasha answers, “We found your kids. I’m sending you the address now.”

The line goes dead.

He’s a chatty kid.

The message comes through. They’re in Silent Valley right by the Children of Chaos.

My phone rings again. Havoc’s name pops up on the screen. It seems that both of them found Jordan at the same time. “What’s up?”

“Got your kid and his brother, Levi. The brother isn’t in a good way. He’s looking for his next hit and terrified at the same time. What do you want us to do?”

It would be so much easier to take Jordan and walk away. “Hold them both.”

***

The Children of Chaos didn’t bother spending time or money on the outside of their compound. Chain-link fences and a few barebones warehouses complete the prison vibes they have going on. Their one decoration is a Children of Chaos flag attached to the walls by silver axes.

Such a friendly, welcoming group.

A guard opens the gate, revealing a line of motorcycles. That’s where they spend their money, it seems.

Rogue walks up as we step out. “We’ve got them back in holding.”

“How are they?”

Rogue’s grin is anything but friendly. “Terrified out of their minds. Especially since Havoc has been sharpening his knife for the last half hour.”

I laugh. “Should I have brought a change of clothing for them?”

“Not yet. But maybe when he starts cleaning his gun.”

“Weapon maintenance is vital.” Maybe I should just leave the two of them here. It seems like Havoc has everything under control. That would be one less headache for me.

“What’s with the kid?” Rogue nods over at Everett. “He doesn’t look like he’s related.”

“Can I please?” Everett’s smile should terrify Rogue.

“He helped find Jordan.” I remind Everett.

Everett folds his arms across his chest. “Just a little lesson.”

“You’re not old enough to teach those kinds of lessons.” And the Children of Chaos don’t need to be poaching you from The Street. Teenage boys like bikes and leather way too much. I probably should have left him at home.

Everett’s nose wrinkles like a little kid denied an ice cream cone. But on a good note, he completely ignores the flashy bikes as we walk inside the compound.

Yeah, they didn’t spend their money decorating in here either. But all the liquor behind the bar is top-shelf.

Priorities.

Down through a maze of hallways with unmarked doors, Rogue leads us deeper and deeper into their fortress. A person could get lost in here.

A drunk person would never find their way out.

Tactically, this place makes labyrinths seem easy, which I applaud. Logistically, it’s a nightmare. How do you tell a cleaner what rooms to take care of each night?

Everett leans in and whispers so Rogue can’t hear, “Are you lost yet?”

“No.” I don’t bother to lower my voice. “Are you?”

“Nope.” He grins. “I could do it with my eyes closed.”

“We could arrange that if you want.” Rogue turns to look at him with assessing eyes.

Time to make a choice. Give Everett up or keep him with all his problems. “Don’t.”

“Fine. There’s no need to get grumpy about it.” But Rogue eyes Everett with even more curiosity.

I need to find the proper internship quickly.

We stop in front of a door in the heart of the clubhouse.

“They’re inside that room.” Rogue nods towards the first door with locks on the outside.

“Thank you.” I turn to Everett. “You earned the ability to be in this room. Don’t waste it.”

“That’s all the wisdom you’re going to share with me?”

Since I have no idea how things are going to go once we step in that room… “Yup.”

Everett shakes his head.

I’ll take that as an agreement. We step inside the holding room to find two scared kids and one man who’s having way too much fun. “Thanks, Havoc.”

He stands up and pauses at the door. “If you need me to deal with either of the bodies, let me know.”

The boys start sweating.

Perfect. “I’ll let you know.”

Havoc nods and leaves the room.

“Jordan, are you okay?” I wait silently for an answer.

It takes a long time for Jordan to pull himself together. “Yeah,” he kinda croaks.

Now for the important question. “Do you want to be a drug dealer?”

“Don’t answer that.” Jordan’s brother, Levi, slaps his arm. “It’s a trap.”

“Maddox isn’t like that.” Jordan pushes him away. “No. But I don’t have a choice.”

That’s where he’s wrong. “You always have a choice.”

Jordan shakes his head. “Not when it’s that or die.”

Boys and their drama.

My shoes clack on the cement floor as I walk across to the metal table that’s bolted to the floor.

That must come in handy.

“In case you’ve forgotten, nothing will happen to you on The Street. We won’t let it. If you were afraid, all you had to do was say something to one of us. We won’t let anyone hurt you.” There have been plenty of people who have tried to over the years. Not many of them survived to tell the story.

“It’s not me.”

“Jordan shut up.” His brother practically jumps out of his seat.

“They found us. Don’t you get that? Maddox can find out anything. He can protect us.”

“He might protect you, but he sure isn’t going to protect me. So, if you wanna see me dead on the side of the road somewhere, keep talking.”

The brother is in deep for his age. “Who’s threatening you?”

“None of your business.” Levi tries to put up a solid front.

Time for some hard truths. “Is this really how you want to live your life? Worse, is it how you want your little brother to? Because I’ve seen way too many kids die protecting their siblings.” And every one of their faces will haunt me.

“Doesn’t matter what I want anymore.”

Levi’s given up. “Yes, it does. Do you want your brother to follow you down this path?”

“No.” His hand shakes, whether from withdrawals or fear, I’m not sure. “But I don’t want to die. And if I don’t pay back Crawley, he’s going to kill me.”

Well, well, well, it seems Crawley needs to die. “How much do you owe him?” Like I’m going to pay a drug dealer that targets kids.

“Twenty G’s”

Crawley definitely needs to meet my vipers. “Do you have an address or phone number for him?”

“No.” He looks at Jordan. “Is this guy seriously going to pay off twenty G’s for some street kid he doesn’t know? What’s in it for him?” Furious eyes turn to me.

“Nothing. They just help people.” Jordan tries to defend me.

Levi laughs. “What did I teach you? Ain’t nothin’ in this world free. That man wants something from you. And if it ain’t money, he wants you. My brother isn’t for sale. People like you should die.”

That went sideways fast.

“Maddox isn’t like that,” Everett speaks for the first time.

“Why should I believe you? You’re probably just like him.”

“Because it’s the truth,” Jordan answers. “I lived on Willow Street and talked to dozens of kids they’ve saved. Some of them were adults who moved out on their own but came back to visit and see friends. Maddox and the Deathadders haven’t ever mistreated a kid.”

“The Deathadders,” Jordan’s brother whispers. “They aren’t real. They can’t be. It’s an urban legend.”

“We’re real.”

“I’m going to be one of them.” Jordan looks down at the floor. “If I live long enough to join.”

“So, you’ll help save Jordan.”

Don’t give up on me now. “Do you want to die?”

“You stupid? Of course, I don’t wanna die.” The kid folds his arms across his chest.

Those tattoos of his had to have been done by a kid… a blind one at that. Tattoos can be fixed. “Then let me help you.”

“How are you going to do that? You going to go buy drugs for me?”

“No.” That would be the opposite of help. “But I’ll get you into rehab.”

“.” He snorts. “Those places are filled with more drugs than you find on the street. How do you think I got into the hard stuff? One of our foster homes found weed in the pocket of my backpack, so they sent me to rehab. I came out doing dope.”

The system fails so many children. “This one is different.”

“Really, how?”

“First, it isn’t government-run. Second, it only accepts people who want help. No one can force you to stay in this rehab center. You can leave anytime you want. There are no guards. No locks on the doors.” It helps that it’s in the middle desert miles away from anything resembling civilization, but I won’t mention that fact right now.

“Sounds expensive.”

Frightfully. But they have some of the best results. “It’s free for you.”

“No strings?”

“Not one. You try it out and can’t hack it, then you’re free to leave.” A few have. Most of them ended up dead within a couple of years. “This won’t be easy. But if you’re willing to try, the opportunity is there.”

“No strings?” He repeats.

“No strings.”

“And you’ll pay off Crawley?”

“Crawley will never bother you again.” Or anyone else.

“I’ll go to rehab.”

***

Rogue and Havoc lead us back to the car in silence.

“Hop in. I’ll be one minute.” They clearly want to have a conversation with me.

After the boys are in with the doors closed, I turn back to the bikers. “Thanks.”

Havoc nods. “You think he’s going to make it?”

I hope so. “Yeah.”

“We’ll take care of Crawley. He’s the first name we’ve gotten out of anyone.”

Am I surprised they were listening? “Fine. Just let me know when he’s dead.”

Havoc grins. “Will do.”

“If you need help—”

“That kid gave us all the information we need.”

I wouldn’t want to be Crawley when they find him.