Chapter Thirty-Five
Adam
My head was bent out of shape, trying to focus on the hit we had planned, but with Olivia swimming around in there too, it was hard to switch over to total fucking psycho. I had to, and when the time was right, I would. But having more control over that kill switch felt good. My life now was more than just a quest for vengeance. It meant more, and the excitement that gave me, the nerves in my belly, it all felt fucking amazing.
Today, I was with my soldiers, checking the warehouse over, making sure we were fully set up for what we were about to do. The game player’s chair with the arm and leg restraints that we’d bolted to the floor was ready. Devon had laid plastic along the floors and on the walls to make the clean-up afterwards more straight forward. Not that we got involved in that, Gaz still held that job, but it didn’t hurt to ensure it could be done easier and more thoroughly. In the corner was a table laid with every sick tool imaginable to perform our signature style of torture. And then, there was the stand for the video evidence.
Why did we video ourselves in the act?
Because it always gave us a sick thrill to watch it back, critique ourselves and improve our techniques for next time. Plus, it was extra evidence that a lot of our clients liked to receive. They wanted to watch the players suffer as much as we did. It was payback for them after what our victims had done.
Could we have been identified through the video evidence?
Probably, but we hadn’t been caught so far, and if we were honest, we really didn’t give a fuck. We kept our masks on, but most of us took our shirts off because it was hard work torturing someone. That, and we didn’t want to get the blood stains all over our clothes. Those of us that had tattoos could probably be picked out in a line-up, but with the police in our pockets, passing the majority of the work our way, we didn’t sweat it. We were the good guys doing very, very bad things. Broken angels doing the devil’s work.
“I’ve got the van sorted. It’s parked up round the back of the asylum, and when we’re ready, it’s good to go,” Devon informed me as he picked up the tools on the table to inspect them.
The instruments were his favourite part, and I smiled as he picked up a katana sword and started to slice it through the air like some ancient samurai. The meat cleaver or the machete were more my style, but I let him have his moment. He was in his element.
“Are we gonna trail him from the prison?” Colton asked as he picked up the wire cutters and started snapping them in Will’s direction.
“Yes. We’ll stay back so he doesn’t see us, but our job is to watch, wait, set the trap and then catch him. We’ll bring him here and do what we do best. And that isn’t fucking around, Colton.” I stalked over to him and snatched the cutters out of his hands.
“I don’t fuck around. Not when we have a job to do. You know that. I might be a useless prick the rest of the time, but when we’re tag teaming, working like fucking masters in the zone, I’m there. I’m right fucking there with all of you.”
He was right too. He was less clown and more Joker when we needed him to be.
Tyler was checking over the video equipment, and I could see Colton’s brain going into overdrive from where I stood.
“So, once we follow him to the pub or wherever the fuck he decides to go, what then?” Colton leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest and trying to look smug like he’d asked a valid question.
“I wrote it all down in the group message. I’m not gonna go through it again. Read it,” I snapped, feeling my phone buzz in my pocket.
When I took it out, I saw a text from Olivia, and I turned my back on the rest of them so they wouldn’t see the way my face changed at seeing her name.
Olivia: I’m thinking of doing a spot of gardening today. But I’m awful at it. I really hope I don’t get caught by my grumpy, sexy gardener who wants to spank my ass for being a bad girl and destroying the rose bushes.
I almost threw my phone against the wall I felt that mad.
Me: What the fuck are you on about and who do I need to kill?
Olivia: No one! It’s our new game.
Me: Don’t fuck with me, Olivia. Who the fuck is this gardener? I’ll fucking kill him.
Olivia: There is no gardener. It’s you. I know you like playing games, and this is one of my fantasies. You being the moody gardener, bending me over and fucking me in the dirt because I did something bad. I would’ve gone for the pool boy, but we don’t have a pool. But I have a garden with a lot of secluded areas… so…. Are you ready to play?
I gave a low laugh and shook my head. My girl had almost given me a fucking heart attack and sent my brain spiralling into psychotic jealousy mode, so she’d better be ready. I was about to do more than spank her ass and fuck her in the dirt. I’d enjoy teaching her a lesson in how not to light the fuse to the time bomb ticking inside me. It didn’t take much to poke this beast into biting back, but she’d done more than poked with that first message. She’d smacked me right in the face. I think we needed to talk about code words to use so I knew what she meant in the future.
Me: I’ll be there in ten minutes. Be ready.
I messaged back and then pocketed my phone, turning to face the others.
“I need to go.”
Devon and Tyler exchanged a look that I couldn’t be arsed to tackle at this moment. Will shrugged. But Colton stepped forward, looking around the room for back-up as he said, “You can’t leave. We haven’t been through the itinerary yet. I need you to explain each step to me and not in a fucking group chat.”
“You don’t need me for that. Everyone else knows the score, they can tell you. I have other stuff to do.”
“You mean you have Olivia to do.” Colton was treading a very thin line and I moved forward to challenge him, but Tyler stood up and put a hand on my chest to stop me.
“You go. I’m sure we can answer any questions Colton might have.” Tyler looked between the two of us then added, “I know you’ve set out a watertight plan, Ad. You’ve done enough. I also know you wouldn’t leave here unless you really had to.” He addressed that comment to Colton, giving him a pointed stare, but a slight stab of guilt at leaving them behind hit me. I fought it, reminding myself that I had a right to do whatever made me happy. I’d given my whole life over to this crew. If I wanted to indulge myself and spend a bit of time with my girl, then I fucking would. She would always come first.
“I’ll be back home later, and then we get ready to roll. We’ve done this hundreds of times. There won’t be any problems.” I backed away, keeping my focus on Colton, and then I turned and left, ready to lose myself for a few hours in Olivia. Tomorrow would be a different story. We would unleash the monsters we kept chained up and safe from the rest of the world and send another motherfucker to hell where he belonged. Tomorrow, the soldiers of anarchy were coming out to play.