Prodigal Son(69)

“Luke, here,” I answered, assuming that the call was about the dispensary.

“Um, Luke, this is Nate.”

“Yeah?” I wasn’t sure what the new patch-over from Fort Collins thought about Bug’s assault on Krystal yesterday because he’d seemed pretty tight with Bug and J.C., but I figured that he’d called me for a reason.

“Hey, is Krystal with you?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, good.”

I could hear the relief in his voice.

“Why?” I asked. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. As long as she’s with you, I’m sure she’s okay.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, suspicious.

“Well, it’s nothing since you’re with her. It’s just that Bug stopped by the clubhouse this morning and told Joker he was on his way to Fort Collins. Said he was clearing out so Krystal could pick up her shit. He told J.C. and me that he wasn’t leaving until he’d seen her, though, and it didn’t sound like he planned on just talking. Glad you have it under control.”

“Wait a minute,” I said, my blood pressure rising. “Are you telling me that Bug didn’t leave town?”

“Don’t think so, not yet. But I’m sure you can handle him, man, if you happen to run into him.”

I hung up the phone and froze, my mind racing as I thought through the possibilities. My best guess was that Bug was inside his house with Krystal, and there was no one but me close enough to do anything about it. I knew the MC didn’t like to involve the cops with our problems, but I knew that Bug had guns and knives all over his house, and that some help could mean the difference between life and death for Krystal. I made a snap decision.

I dialed 911 and looked at the front of the house for the address.

“I have an emergency. A man is armed — guns and knives, and he has my girlfriend. I need help.”

I gave the dispatcher the address, and hung up, even though he was asking me questions. They had the information they needed, and I had to go do what I could to protect Krystal.

Part of me wanted to barge in the door, calling her name, but I realized that if Bug was actually inside, that I might be better off using the element of surprise. I approached the front door, looked in through the windows beside the door, and couldn’t see anything or anyone out of place. Hoping that the door would open quietly, I turned the doorknob, only to discover that it was locked.

“Goddammit,” I said under my breath, starting to panic. There was no reason on earth for Krystal to have locked the door. Bug was inside and he had her. I ran to the garage, hoping to find it unlocked. No luck. I ran to the back door and relief flooded over me when the handle turned and the door opened. I stepped inside and paused to listen — trying to find out where Bug and Krystal were. I heard it right away — Krystal’s muffled cries that just broke my heart, coming from one of the bedrooms.

Cursing the fact that I didn’t have a weapon of any kind, I grabbed the only thing I could see that might be any good to me. The metal baseball bat was leaning against the entertainment center, and I picked it up as I hurried for the bedroom. I tried to keep my emotions in check and figure out the best way to handle the situation. I didn’t want to rush into the bedroom if Bug had a gun and end up with both Krystal and me held at gunpoint. I had to find a way to assess the situation in the bedroom, and fast. I could hear Krystal whimpering, but it was muted, like Bug had his hand over her mouth. All I knew for sure was that she was alive, and I was going to keep it that way.

I moved down the hall quickly and quietly, following the sounds in the bedroom. I could hear Bug’s voice, and his sick words became more distinct as I got closer.

“Don’t you fuckin’ move, you piece of trash.” He continued to talk, but I was so angry that I couldn’t even distinguish the words.

It sounded like Bug was facing away from the bedroom door, and I took a chance, looking around the door way into the room. What I saw nearly made me lose my mind. Bug faced the bed, naked from the waist down. He was between me and Krystal, and all I could see of her, seated on the bed, was one arm, streaked with blood. My vision swam with the fury that overwhelmed me, and without a word, I swung the baseball bat right at Bug’s head, putting everything I had into the blow.

He slumped to the floor, curled in a heap, unmoving, his knife falling from his hand. I rushed to Krystal.

“Oh, my God,” I said as I saw her.

She sat on the bed, her clothes in pieces, blood everywhere. Duct tape covered her mouth, and her eyes were enormous, terrified, and tears ran down her face.