His Hostage

“Sit down, man,” he says. “Some shit has gone down.”

“What the fuck? Spill it,” I say.

“You’re going to want to sit down,” Andy says.

I feel the adrenaline pump into my body. I know that whatever I’m about to hear is going to painful, but I don’t take bullets sitting down. I stand up and wait for them to pierce on through.

“No thanks,” I say. “I like standing just fine.”

“Ash is dead, man,” Andy says. “The Hunters… those fucking Hunters.”

I feel my knees nearly give way. Ash. My partner in crime. My blood brother.

We grew up together. We started the High Priests. There’s no fucking way they got to him.

He’s a beast, a fucking tank, and a ruthless warrior. Every gang respects him. Why would they go after a man like that?

“I don’t believe it,” I whisper, unable to swallow.

I spit onto the dirt and feel my hands start to shake. I want to hit something. Anything. I want to feel whatever it is underneath my knuckles, smash into a million pieces.

“Who told you this lie?” I ask.

“You can see for yourself if you want,” Jeffco says, glancing at my door. “It’s behind the door.”

“What is?” I ask him, stepping forward. I can see shards of glass near the inside. “Did they fuck up my place or something?”

“It’s much worse than that,” Caroline whispers.

I push the door open and see the box sitting on my table. Everything inside my place is smashed. My hideout. My sanctuary away from home. They’ve found me and they’re trying to lay a hit on me now.

I walk to the box and gulp down hard. I already know something is terribly wrong. I feel it inside my bones. My blood runs cold and quick through my veins. I open the box and glance inside.

I see it, and I lose my fucking mind.

“No,” I scream, pounding my fist against my wall. I grab my kitchen counter and rip it out of the foundation. I fall to the floor, with no tears in my eyes. I trade in the feeling of sadness for pure rage. It flows throughout my body.

My friend is dead. He’s gone forever.

“I’m so sorry,” Caroline says, walking inside.

“We all are,” Andy says. “Ash was the best guy I knew.”

“He was,” I say.

I don’t want them to console me. I want to destroy everything in sight.

Right now, the best thing for me is to bathe in this feeling, because I’m already planning my revenge. I’m going to launch a full on assault against these motherfuckers.

Everyone’s going to pay for what happened.

“This is war,” I mutter under my breath. “I want to rally everyone we can get. I’m going after them. I’ll murder every last one of them.”

“Settle down,” Jeffco says. “We should lay low for a while. If you want, you can hide out at the Silent Bar. There’s the basement. It’s safe if it’s locked up.”

“I ain’t hiding,” I mutter. “I don’t care about my life anymore. I’m done.”

“So am I,” Caroline speaks up. “I can’t handle this. I came out here for peace and quiet. All I’ve received is the opposite. Snakes, bullets, threats. I almost lost my life. I’m leaving here tomorrow. I’ve already decided.”