Page 47 of Purgatory (Devil Dogs of the Apocalypse #1)

Jax

What did I say? What did I Goddamn say when they showed up with her? Nothing but fucking trouble. That’s what I fucking said. Now she’s taken off, probably with no protection whatsoever besides that silly bat, and I gotta find her ass. Stubborn, hard-headed, beautifully overwhelming woman.

When Cole told me what happened I almost dropped my radio.

Why would she put herself in danger to come find me?

Especially when I told them all not to. She has food, shelter, tons of shit to do and keep her occupied, including my two best friends, and what does she decide to do?

A fucking suicide mission for the resident asshole.

Fuck me all the way to China, I don’t think I'll ever understand this girl.

Making my way north, I backtrack the way I came with Sadie by my side.

Luckily, there’s really only one main road that leads down here.

I’m hoping my assumptions are right, that she’d stick to it in order to make it down here as fast as she could.

Unfortunately, it’s also extremely exposed which could’ve pushed her to finding another less conspicuous route.

Part of me hopes she took the faster path so that her whereabouts can be found quicker, whereas the other part of me wishes she kept to the shadows for the simple fact that it’s statistically safer.

There’s more, especially around here, that can send you to the grave besides the dead if you’re exposed.

Cole and Hawk saw them a few weeks ago during a supply trip.

Then I saw them on my way down here. At least a dozen guys, all seemingly between mid-twenties and late-forties, and all reeking of bad news.

You know the type. Belligerent assholes that think they own everything they come across.

When we scout the village, we get in and get out with minimal disruption.

We take what we need and we leave. That’s it.

These guys destroy as they go. Like fucking locusts.

I managed to sneak past them on my way down here because they turned what once was a decent little farm house into a raging bonfire for no good reason at all.

I don't think anyone still lived there but still. Belligerent assholes. I can only hope their little bout of pyromania doesn’t draw the hordes this way.

I’m just about to cross over a bridge when the rumble of a truck hits my ears.

Quickly, I jump down into the embankment while Sadie takes cover at its lowest point, just before they come into view.

The sun set a while ago but I still make an effort to press myself even further into the damp grass, blending my body with the elements.

The loud roar of the engine overtakes my senses as I crane my neck to see who it is.

I’m pretty sure I know, but I’ll be the first to admit, I've been wrong before.

Not this time, it seems. Assholes, three o’clock.

They head south, past my position, and turn left down Magnolia Road.

Well, that makes things easier. We’ve always known they had a residence somewhere down here but between them running around in their trucks to the varied mayhem, we could never pin down their exact location.

Magnolia Road is a dead end. With one camp situated at the end of it facing the lake.

Found you, fuckers.

I wait until their tail lights are well out of view before we climb back up onto the road to continue my search.

It's difficult though. Streetlamps haven’t worked in months and you can’t exactly use a megawatt flash light drawing everyone’s attention to yourself.

No, I’m stuck using the light of the moon and a tiny ass flashlight that was probably meant for a child.

Better than nothing, though. I take the time to check in with the guys.

“Hawk. Cole. Come in. Over.” I release the button and wait for their reply.

“Hey man. Please tell me you found her.” Hawk’s voice rings through the radio. Out of breath and frantic.

“Nothing yet. I'm guessing y’all didn’t have any luck either?”

“Shit... Fuck, man. Where the fuck is she?” I can practically see Hawk pacing as he talks. I get his frustration. I’m right there with him.

I’ve seen how he and Cole have come to care for Aly. Hell, if I'm being honest with myself, I’ve come to care for her as well. I’ve fought it tooth and nail but she’s taken over. The house, our minds... our hearts.

Fuck. I’ll never forgive myself if something happened to her. It would be my fault. Plain and simple.

She came looking for me .

For some reason, even after everything I've put her through. Even after I told her she didn’t have a chance.

Even after... I almost killed her... She still cared enough to come after me, regardless of the danger.

She saw my darkness, saw the real me and still pushes to be with me and the shadows of my soul. The sentiment takes my breath away.

I can’t deny her anymore. Fuck, I can’t deny it to myself anymore.

The cold hard truth is that she’s made a home for herself in the black pit of despair that resides where my heart used to be.

Where I thought love could no longer live.

How wrong I was. And now I have to find her, hold her in my arms, shake her and tell her how stupid she is for trying to find me.

Then kiss the ever-loving hell out of her face because, no matter how much I try to fight it, I love her stubborn ass.

“Hold up, I think I see something.” Cole’s voice comes in over the radio. My heart starts racing at what he might say. Relief if they’ve found her safe. Paralyzing fear if it’s anything else.

It almost feels like an hour goes by when it’s really only a few seconds when I speak, urging them to pull me out of the suspense I’m drowning in. “Cole, did you see anything? Give me something, man.” It’s Hawk that responds.

“It’s her bat... Cole’s looking around for her but it’s her bat in the middle of the road.” My heart skips a beat. That was probably her only mode of protection. She wouldn’t leave that just anywhere. Not unless...

“Hawk, look around the road. Do you see anything next to or near the bat at all? Do a twenty-foot radius check.” I send a silent prayer to anyone willing to listen that my suspicion is incorrect. Unfortunately, my gut feeling wins again. Hawk’s voice comes in staggered and wavering.

“There are tire tracks. Big ass skid marks like someone left here in a rush... Jax...fuck, man... there’s blood... there’s blood on the bat and on the ground. Shit, Jax do you think someone took her?”

My heart skips at that. My vision darkens as the beast inside takes over with complete resolve, directing my path and setting me in motion.

“I know where she is. Keep heading this way on the main drag. She's at the dead end of Magnolia Road down my way. I saw the fuckers drive their truck there earlier but didn’t see any other vehicles besides theirs. I’m going after her now.

I’ll see you guys when you get here. Keep your radios on but wait for my word to approach. I'm going in silent. Out.”

Before they can argue with me to wait for them to go in as a team, I turn on my heel and switch my radio off, placing it in my pocket and grabbing the AR-15 from my back.

I don’t have the willpower to wait for them to get to my position.

Not when these guys could be doing God knows what to Aly.

Luckily, I’ve managed to pack a mini arsenal on my body. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.

Turning down Magnolia Road, I know it’s about a mile and a half until it reaches the lake and their camp.

I speed up to a run, knowing the distance is nothing compared to what I’ve done in the past. Sadie’s right there with me, running at my side, knowing we have a job to do.

We make it there in no time and I slow to a creep as I take in the property.

It’s a single-story ranch, with a wraparound porch, overgrown garden to the side of the house and garbage all over the damn place. Fucking slobs. I also count three pick-up trucks parked out front.

Those might come in handy...

I start to count the number of bastards I’m going to have to deal with. There are a few outside smoking, but those are just the ones I see, not counting the ones inside the house. And the one person I want to see, I don’t. Yet.

It isn’t until I hear a scream coming from inside the house that I know it’s her. She’s here. The absolute terror I feel from her wail makes my blood run cold and my mind run on autopilot. I give Sadie the command to stay where she is and set out to do what I came to do.

These motherfuckers took her but I'm about to take everything from them. They have no idea who I am or what I'm capable of. I’ll open up the gates of Hell for them myself and welcome them down with open arms. They’ll beg for the Devil before I'm done with them.